Want to start a business without breaking the bank to rent a location? Online merchants can get the best of both worlds, establishing a place for themselves in the market and saving money by working from home. Online merchants sell, package, and ship products to customers or distributors. On a daily basis, they might check their computer for new orders and process payments received for merchandise. Then, they might buy a new product and upload an appealing picture of it to the online store. Online merchants make sure users can find and navigate their website and then buy their products easily. They typically set the prices for products, and email customers to confirm transactions and communicate throughout the shipment process. Some online merchants work in teams for a store or distributor, while others work independently from home. This career allows a lot of schedule flexibility they may work full-time on developing their online store, or work part-time for some extra cash. Online merchants rely more on their business savvy than formal education to get their careers started. In this field, good customer service and the ability to work independently are essential to success.
What they do:
Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.
On the job, you would:
Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services.
Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.
Arts and Humanities
English language
Business
sales and marketing
customer service
Communications
multimedia
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
Basic Skills
reading work related information
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Social
looking for ways to help people
talking people into changing their minds or their behavior
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Verbal
read and understand what is written
communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
use rules to solve problems
Math
add, subtract, multiply, or divide
choose the right type of math to solve a problem
People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Initiative
Persistence
Integrity
Adaptability/Flexibility
You might use software like this on the job:
Web platform development software
AJAX
Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP
Graphics or photo imaging software
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
JamBoard
Point of sale POS software
CCBill
Square
bachelor's degree or high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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