Fair enough, but I'm not the forger. I signed a paper at the request of my superior, that's on him not me.

I guess technically there would be potential grounds for me to face disciplinary action too, having signed it, but my defence would be that I didn't know what I was signing, as he had already dated it.

Either way, what's done is done, and whatever happens, happens. In future I won't allow anyone to take me for a ride, making me an accomplice in their fuck ups.

Got an interview for a permanent on-site trainer role in our newly formed department last week, it was due to happen this morning.

But when our acting manger sent me the email last week, I thought about it for an hour and then called a meeting with him. I told him I would be respectfully declining the interview because I have intensive study going on until the end of May, and I simply wouldn't have any room whatsoever to take work home with me (which will be expected). Plus I'm relishing the opportunity to once again make uncapped commission.

It would be a step up in the company yes, and I was told my decision will have no detrimental effect on potential future roles. However I no longer feel the need to move up in any company because I know I'll be my own boss this time in a year.

I met with a business adviser this morning from a local entrepreneurial agency who run what's called the "Go-for-it" programme.

It was a one-to-one assessment to discuss where I'm at, what my ideas are, and the next steps to take.

Still going with the online business route as It's relatively easy to get up and running.

There's also going to be a finance and business planning workshop. A one-to-one finance and business planning meeting. Tailored guidance to help develop your business plan. Plus best practice guides, videos and more to help get you started.

Plus other variable workshops etc. For instance, on Thursday morning I'll have a one-to-one meeting with an apparently somewhat locally famous PR guy, to talk about marketing.

I was intending to wait until my degree ended at the close of this May, but I got drunk one night and emailed the go-for-it guys, because fuck it, YOLO.

What type of business is it you are starting again?

Either an Amazon store or an eCommerce online store using dropshipping.

Pro's and cons. With an Amazon store you have already got traffic of millions and millions of customers using the site 24/7, so not very much is needed in terms of marketing as the platform already exists. Although the platform will always be Amazon so although you can generate a lot of revenue using their site, it's never going to be your own site. However, you can change your product range to fit with trends etc and people aren't really going to know what you're up to (or care).

Launching an eCommerce store (whether it's dropshipping or not) would take a hell of a lot more work as you're building it literally from scratch. But if you did it right it's going to be your own established website that you own, unlike Amazon. It's probably a bit more difficult to chop and change your product range on an eCommerce store because if you launch a fishing site for instance, you're limited with what you can advertise (I'm pretty sure I'm probably wrong here though and the website host can help change and edit your site to fit with your needs).

Errrm... pretty sure the idea is to do both simultaneously.

Launch a variation of something that sells well in Amazon's heavy traffic stream based on current product reviews. Then ride that while you develop other traffic streams in case they kick you off or just cease to be or whatever other thing.

Same with the renting rooms thing. Start out on one heavy traffic site like Airbnb then build your presence in other places whilst they grow and build your own traffic in case one of said possiblities pertains... Or consider it short term and be prepared to dip out and do something else when the golden years end.


Peace,

kowalski

I did however think of this too. Along the lines of trying out Amazon to see how it goes. Then either it doesn't work and I launch my own eCommerce store, or Amazon does work, and I launch an eCommerce store anyway, building another stream of income.

But I may just do both. Trying out multiple different niches.

I may have missed it as I might be blind if you already mentionedit, but what products are you selling?

I purposely never disclosed what I'd be selling on Amazon in the interests of someone not stealing the idea. Perhaps not you, but someone could. There's a trend I've spotted that I want to try and take advantage of.


Also, this morning I picked up a book in Waterstones about eBay and Amazon selling. I spent about 30 minutes digesting a significant portion of the book relative to selling on Amazon, and it gave me a lot of information that will come in very useful when making my decisions.

A case study at the end of the section I read was of particular use in terms of what to do. The guy had done both Amazon and his own eCommerce website. Amazon was the most successful of the 2, and he said launching his own eCommerce website was a pain. In a nutshell it costs a hell of a lot of money on marketing to try and get yourself known, whereas on amazon the traffic is already there, meaning you can focus on picking the right products and getting the all-important, and trusted "buy block" an Amazon.

It's called the 'buy box'.

Describe your product selection process.


Peace,

kowalski