Some advice please?

[Olive_Oil]

hey ladies....just wanted some advice please.

Am concious that i dont want to become an 'asker' but just a point in the right direction would be appreciated!

as you know im at the very very beginning of setting up Pinkfairycake.com.

I know what i want to achieve but not sure where to begin. I guess i need to 'write' my website, get it designed etc etc

I have already started looking at suppliers and am in the processs of creating a questionnaire to get some feedback on what people are looking for.

So can someone tell me what i need to do first? do i need to get my website designed and go from there or is there stuff that has to be done before hand?

please tell me to get stuffed if im being cheeky! i wanna learn everything and i know that you have all put in hard work in starting off from scratch...just a little push in the right direction and i'll take it from there! :kisshands:

[Chell]

You'll need to decide how you want your site laid out, what content you want on it, what features etc for a start. Do you have a logo in mind?

[incywincy]

Look at other websites.... do some research.

Think about what you want as your main side menu headings...
Think about the kind of logo/general appearance you want for the website.

I would be tempted to spend some time looking at similar websites and say 'yes' that would work, or thats a 'no' for my site, etc (if that makes sense!)

Even save images of things you like (and logos ideas) from magazines and make a moodboard! that works for me when I need to be inspired!

Don't copy others ideas! ~ Just get inspired by them.... and make them better :cheesy:

[BellaMiller]

Hi Pink!

Firstly get yourself to your local Business Link if possible - they have free courses to help you set up your biz and ongoing support if you need it.
Write a business plan - it will act as your road map on your biz journey - Business Link online have advice how to do this - I also posted a link a couple of days ago to some free software from lloyds which will help you write a basic plan.

Research, research, research! Look at market reaserch out there - go to your local library!

You need to decide your biz structure - will you be a sole trader? A limited company? Have a chat with an accountant - their first session with you is free and they will give you lots of help and advice.
Contact all your possible suppliers and get their trade prices.
Think about your business name and corporate identity - recruit a designer - it doesn't have to be a "professional" - do you have any colleges near by with students looking to develop their portfolio?
When you have your identity designed, research your web designers - if you are internet only you will need a professional looking ecommerce site - what payment system will you use?

Er, run out of breath - post lots of questions here !

[obscure]

Heya,

I guess the first port of call would be to see what competition there is.

I saw a review on another website of childrens cookery packs:
http://www.mumandworking.co.uk/Tried-and-Tested

Make sure you have clear direction about what it is you want to do on your website - whether you intend to have any other offerings (ie doing childrens cooking parties?), what it is that will set you aside from the other companies that are up and running already.

Think about how you intend to get word out about what it is you'll be doing (do you want to target locally, nationally etc). If mainly local then you could try and get some initial sales without worrying so much about a website, but if national I guess the website would be the main way of getting the word out.

Whilst looking around bookmark places you could potentially get links from to your website (will help get you known and into search engines).

Then as the others have said also start thinking about what you want your branding to be like - take screenshots of things you like. This could be anything from colour, to part of the layout, the way a little bit of the site works, anything! All will help you get an idea of what it is you want.

You need to decide how much you have to invest in the business, buying stock for example - you'll need to meet minimum order levels to order wholesale. Do you want to have a website designed or go down the DIY route. Lots of different choices you can make.

Hope this gives you a starting point?
:) Sadie