Setting up an online tarot practice

[Reverie]

Hi ladies and gentlemen!

I am getting such good feedback from my readings, that I think it's about time I do something with my gift that would bring me something tangible. A little extra cash definitely would not hurt and I have a lot of free time right now.

Thus I would like to pursue setting up an online tarot store.

The thing is, I know nothing about setting up a business. I am confident about the service to be provided, but not at all about how to go about setting it up. Readings would be provided exclusively in writing.

Here is my list of what I need to think about. Can you guys fill in the rest with your experience setting one up?

1) Domain name

2) Web design

3) Linking to pay pal ??? How does this work?!

Thank you x

 

[porcupines]

You could also do readings through Etsy. When I usually want one, that's where I go. Not sure what the business economics of that are like, versus setting up your own. But they have a website with built in Paypal et cetera, so perhaps you will not have to deal with it?

 

[AJ]

why not start with one of the services already in existence?
We have many members here who read for Keen etc.

Those threads might be in the Professional forum...

best wishes! always exciting to begin a new path

 

[Alta]

Those threads might be in the Professional forum.

The Professional Forum wasn't particularly active so Solandia folded it into Talking Tarot. So all professional related threads are now here.

 

[AJ]

cool! thank you

 

[Curious Dragon]

Damn, just lost a whole post. My keyboard doesn't like me today.

I think the best thing you can do is check your library for books on running a small business. I know you're planning a micro business, but the laws are probably the same.

PayPal is pretty easy to set up, I think. Just go to the website and follow the instructions. You'll need a bank account for them to deposit money in. Remember it's free to set up, but they'll take a bit of the money everytime someone pays you.

Etsy.com is probably the easiest place to start selling, but I don't know how well it works for tarot readings, and you'll have to look after your own promotions.

If you want a website, Live Journal is probably the easiest way. If it were me I'd shop around for a good website provider that let's you use LJ and can register a domain for you. LJ had lots of free templates for you to use, so you don't have to design it yourself. I'm pretty sure all you have to do to link to PayPal is cut and paste a bit of code into the template.

 

[Reverie]

Hi all, thank you so much for all the tips and suggestions!

I went ahead with porcupine's advice to start with, I set up a shop on Etsy!

Now I need customers! I wonder how to go about advertising... This is fun!

 

[AJ]

Good job adding the link in your usercp. So many forget to do this

 

[Reverie]

Good job adding the link in your usercp. So many forget to do this

Thank you AJ!
I think it's the best way to get clients and referrals !

I think I'm good to go with the financial aspect too, set up direct payment (accepting credit cards) and paypal.

It's my first time starting a small business and I'm excited!

I'll be adding specialized packages with different topics too, but the best way for me to start is with those standard 1 card and 3 card spreads.

Now I better check all those liabilities and whatnot... Maybe insurance...

 

[Chimera Dust]

You can get it all set up through etsy. In fact, it sounds like a good choice if you're not very familiar with making websites, since a lot of people go there for readings and it sets up a shop for you.

Just in case you want to do something more complex, I'll try to explain the basics of the things you've asked.

Domain name: domain names are pretty cheap, since they're just the address that people use to access your site (like tarotforum.net). Hosting (putting your site somewhere online) is usually the more expensive part of maintaining your own site. Some people use a free host and buy the domain name, while others use buy hosting space and a domain name.

There are pros and cons to both free and paid hosting. Free hosting is usually supported by ads, so you can expect to see them. You may also have more limitations on things like how to upload your files, the size of your site, the traffic it can get, and the time it takes to load. Paid hosting is usually more reliable and gives you more control over every detail. That can be a bonus, but if you don't know much about making sites, it can also be overwhelming.

Web design: there are some programs and sites that have free layouts you can use for your site, and knowing some HTML and CSS helps with this. You can also get someone to help, like a friend or a webdesigner.

Linking to pay pal: I've never done this myself, but I assume that once you sign up for paypal, the option to add shop links to your site will be there.

If all of these sound overwhelming to you, there are sites that let you set up your own site and have premade layouts you can use and adjust, and which give you a domain name (like yourname.theirsite.com).

I hope this helps.