If you are like the vast majority of people, you’re likely dream of achieving financial independence as soon as possible for you and your family.

Life has enough challenges as it is, to not have to worry about what comes tomorrow. The good news is that becoming financially independent has never been easier, what with everyone having the ability to open their own online business and make money from it. To that end, here are the nine most important things that every would-be entrepreneur should take to heart:

1. Having a good product

No online store can exist without a good product that can power its’ growth and help create its’ reputation. When brainstorming for products, make sure you come up with something that provides real value to people.

You can either do this by inventing an entirely new product, or putting a different spin on an older one, preferably with substantial improvements so as to catch the eye of prospective consumers.

2. Finding the right domain

For many people, your domain name will be their first introduction to your brand, so it has to be both simple and memorable. Unfortunately, in this day and age it can be hard to find domains that haven’t already been taken. An easy solution to this issue would be to opt for a non-dotcom website, something that more and more people will gravitate to in the coming years.

3. Making a deal with suppliers

No matter if you create a product from scratch or simply resell an existing one, you’re going to have to deal with suppliers. They are the first link in the supply-and-demand chain and will have a tremendous amount of influence on your business. Therefore, always seek to create long-lasting relationships with trustworthy suppliers that you can return to time and time again.

 4. Setting a profit margin target

While it can be difficult to guess just how much you can expect to grow in the beginning, setting up some reasonable goals will help keep you stay motivated in those crucial early stages.

To that end, unless your business has strong outsider backing, you’ll generally want aim for a 25% profit margin that can keep you in the green even if you happen to hit the occasional bump in the road.

 5. Being mobile

Staying on top of things is essential whenever you’re setting up a new business. Basically, you’ll need to be able to work from anywhere at almost any time. In such scenarios, a personal laptop is mandatory. Go for a durable model that is light enough to carry while still packing enough punch for your needs.

 6. Choosing the right delivery option

It’s a globalised world out there, which means that in most cases you will be able to attract customers from every corner of the globe. Of course, this means that you’ll also have to send them your wares with a reasonably secure carrier. In the vast majority of instances this will be your local post office, so make sure you familiarise yourself with postage costs and delivery times.

 7. Creating a beautiful website

Having a good-looking, functional website may be the single most important aspect of running an online business. Customers will view your website as emblematic of your business as a whole, so be sure to allocate enough time and resources to get things right on this front. If you don’t have any coding or design skills, don’t hesitate to enlist the services of a dedicated professional who can help you out.

 8. Marketing your site

Once your site is finished, getting the word out about it is the next logical step. This is done through concentrated promotion efforts, most of which will happen online. Advertisements don’t come cheap, so make sure you have a way to quantify your efforts in order to get the most bang for your buck.

9. Learning the value of hard work

Finally, you must keep in mind that erecting any business from the ground up is a considerable undertaking that may take years to unfold. During this time, hard work and dedication are necessary to ensure the continued progress of your enterprise. What’s more, you’ll need to set a standard for those around you, so that they too will come to work hard for your idea.

And so we’ve come to the end of our countdown of the nine most important things everyone looking to open up an online business should be aware of.

Of course, just like with any other enterprise, you’re bound to run into various challenges and problems along the way. But if you manage to stay strong and overcome them, you’ll be rewarded with a booming business that can help you reach financial independence in no time.

So the only question remains – what will you come up with?

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