How to setup a Christian Product Store Online

 

In today's world economy, starting any business comes with significant challenges. It's a very serious case too if the business you have in mind is a Christian store because you have more things to think about before you get started. You'll need to work on two different, yet basic levels. This levels include that:

• You have to follow the same (or similar) building steps as any new start up.
• You have to meet the physical and spiritual needs of your customers.
  

In the first case, you may have to follow the same or similar building steps like other startups except God gives you a different strategy. If God does this, it is best to work with that strategy because that is the exception. In many other cases, there are general principles to setup a business as a Christian, especially an online christian product store. In the next few paragraphs, we will consider these basic principles but before then, you should know that these principles have worked in building  the 125 Shop, as well as our New Man Store.

• Identify the market for your business

When you are starting out, you can contact local churches through their members to research demographics. To do this, you may decide to run a survey with your Christian friends across denominations. You can also get in touch with Christian non-profit agencies to help you out. This is basically because of doctrinal issues as your product will likely be influenced by the doctrine of churches around. Though we are one in Christ Jesus, these doctrines have a way to influence business goals and affect sales for christian products. You should find a specific need that is not being served in your community. For instance, if you learn that Evangelicals are already being well-served by local Christian bookstores, then trying to break into that market may not be the best plan.

• Register with the Regulatory body in your country

In Nigeria, registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission is something you will like to consider as a Christian business. The Bible rightly instructs us to obey the authorities and local laws. You can decide to setup as a corporation, a limited liability company or a limited partnership. You need to register with the state to form these legal business entities. If you do not have enough in your registration budget, you can decide to register as a Business name. The last option (which is only advised temporarily) is to start up and register as soon as possible, probably with profit from the business store.

• Choose a location
  

This includes not only the physical location of the business store (such as acquiring a lease or renting a shop), but the marketing aspects of creating your space online, i.e getting a corporate or business logo, letterhead and overall branding items and your online e-commerce store or website. For your online store, you can decide to use a platform like Selar.co to build your e-commerce store or utilise the popular Whatsapp Business catalogue feature as an alternative.

• Buy your Stock
  

The next thing you have to do for your Christian product store is buy your stock and goods. For example, if it is a Christian merch store, you can order and print your shirts on ground. In other cases, you may decide to run a pre-order sales, more like a pre-launch sale programme. Your products can range from Bibles, Devotionals, Prayer cards, rosaries, crucifixes and other religious items purchased at discount rates. For your stock, remember that every denomination has its own style based on doctrines, which you will need to get to know through field trips and market research.

• Set a Launch/Opening day

If you've done your homework by networking with local churches, you might even be able to advertise through their bulletins and websites. You may also receive an endorsement or mention in the announcement on Sunday morning. To generate goodwill and visibility, donate time and resources, and serve on leadership boards. Perhaps you could partner with clergy to provide supplies for a church camp programme, or work with a Christian publisher to donate books to a homeless shelter. However you go about it, building and maintaining relationships with religious institutions is crucial for long-term success.