How to Start an Ecommerce Business

During this global pandemic even more of our commerce is moving onto the internet. To assist small business owners in expanding or starting an online store Sheila, the owner of MBZ Parts, is offering a three-part five-hour crash course on how to start an online store.

These are small classes of only four to six people, so that they can address your individual needs.
The series consists of three sessions at one hour and forty minutes each.

Session 1: Research & Analysis

Including the following:
>Let's hear about your business. Listening and evaluating your idea, skills & experience.
>Analyzing your market. Competitors, products, customer base
>Staying flexible. Preparing for change. Offering multifaceted products & services
>Branding. How to create a strong brand in a flooded marketplace.
homework: buy a domain; draft a logo; research CMS

Session 2: Infrastructure & Operations

Including the following:
>Multi-channel selling. The importance of eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and other 3rd-party channels.
>CMS Comparison. Should you choose Shopify, BigCommerce, Wordpress or something else?
>Inventory Management. How to create organizational systems tying the physical to digital.
>Financial Management. Payment processing methods, bookkeeping, accounting and small business loans.
homework: choose a CMS; research keywords

Session 3: Fulfillment & Marketing

Including the following:
>Building a Marketing Plan. Creating a strong brand, using online advertising, newsletters and social media.
>SEO. Basic tips on Search Engine Optimization.
>Shipping. Overview of shipping methods, packaging, and integrating with your inventory management.
>Expanding your business. Hiring and managing a team of employees. How to build systems that can be expanded upon. Recognizing when and how to grow.

Cost of the Program

This 3-part series is offered for only $200 for a total of 5 hours of classes. It also includes a brief follow-up consultation over email.
In addition, Sheila offers one-on-one private consultations at $100 per 40 minutes.
Discounted sliding scale rates are available for all Black, Indigenous and Trans people, and for low-income People of Color and low-income Queer people.

Who is Sheila X?

I started selling on eBay at the age of 16, so over 20 years ago now. I would stop at thrift stores and if I found something I thought might be valuable I would go to the library, lookup it's value, and then go back and buy the ones I could profit from.

I knew from an early age that I would have a hard time working for other people--because of discrimination and also because I am an entrepreneur through and through. I have an incredible ability to see the way that things connect to and influence each other--to see patterns. This ability lends itself to creating big unique projects.

Currently I am the sole owner of ReInvent The Wheel LLC, the parent company of MBZ Parts. I started this business in 2012 with almost no financial investment and now have nine employees and over $500k in annual revenue.
We've recently launched our new website and have begun expanding our brand (MBZ 4x4, MBZ Classic & MBZ Diesel). We are positioning ourselves to become the number two global seller of classic Mercedes parts (after Mercedes-Benz).

How do I Sign Up?

The course will be on consecutive Sundays from 3-5pm
For more information, or to request a reduced course fee, Email me here
To enroll, Pay the fee here