SERVICES OR ONLINE STORE? WHAT BUSINESS FOR YOUNG MOM?

I do not often discuss topics related to motherhood and mother business on the blog, but the opportunity has come. She wrote to me a reader who has a few-month-old daughter at home. The reader dreamed of an online store with an assortment partly related to children and asked me a number of questions about my business idea. And that my answer may be useful to other mothers in a similar situation, I thought I would write this post. What business idea for a young mother is better - online store or services?

It just so happens that since 2009 I have been earning a living for remote services, and since 2015 I have also had my online store (although, to be honest, I have tried trading on Allegro twice). I think that I already have enough experience in both, that I can compare these two ways of earning. Both, if you do not look, you can start without leaving your home (as I do it until today).

It also happens that I have read countless times in various articles about business ideas for my mother and usually an online store was presented as a great idea. And in my opinion, the services are much better. But let us not anticipate the facts. Here is my summary of business features based on services and an online store.

Services Online store
Is the start difficult? the start is easy, it does not require many actions (it is enough to make a decision and try your hand at ads on portals with orders) it may take a long time - you need to set up a store (eg on a special platform), bring in goods, describe it, take pictures, insert it store etc ...)
How much time do you need from the idea to start? a few days - setting up your profile on the portal with orders, joining facebook groups, preparing a simple offer, a total of several hours of work, minimum 2-3 months will go down to importing goods, photographing, describing
What is the competition? depending on the industry - if you have highly specialized skills, it will be easier for you depending on the industry - there are industries placed by big players (eg electronics), in which a small shop is not likely to break through. But you can look for your niche in which you can break through
How much money do you need for investments? 0 zlotys if you have a computer and services you will provide online depending on what you sell, you will need money for: subscription platform for sale (from PLN 49 net), commodity (from about one thousand to several thousand to start), packaging (two hundred - three hundred zlotys for boxes at the beginning should be enough), photos and product descriptions (product photos on a white background cost from about PLN 25 per piece, a description for 1000 characters you will order from about PLN 10 per piece).
What are the formalities? You can make the first order on a contract for a work, a contract of mandate, you can also issue invoices via the Useme.eu website, you must set up a company if you want to sell on the internet.
When will you earn your first money? After completing the first order - this may already be in the first month of making a decision to provide services. When you sell the first products, i.e. not earlier than in 2-3 months from the decision to start a business
Does this idea scale? No. You earn when you work. If you do not have time, you do not earn, you can not work longer than a dozen hours a day, and your earnings are directly related to the time of work. Yes. When there are more orders, you will earn more and it does not depend directly on the time you spend on work.