Today I’m sharing an insightful interview that explains how to start an online store. I recently spoke with Jenn Leach, who outlines step-by-step how she started her e-commerce business and how it can generate extra income. If you’re curious about passive income or launching an online boutique, this interview offers a clear, practical roadmap.
Jenn is a former corporate professional turned e-commerce entrepreneur and blogger.
She launched her first online store just over three years ago and has since built and grown multiple successful e-commerce businesses, with average revenues of roughly $19,000 per month when several stores were active.
Jenn currently invests only about 5–10 hours per week into her primary e-commerce business while maintaining strong monthly revenue.
If you’re exploring a new business idea or a side hustle, learning how to start an online store is a practical option worth considering.
Read the interview below for detailed guidance on how to start an online store and realistic information on owner income expectations.
Related reads on starting an online store:
- 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
- 10 Ways To Make Money Online From The Comfort of Your Home
- Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 A Month
- My Online Business Income Reports
- 8 Items To Sell Around Your Home For Extra Money
- 15 Home Business Ideas & The Free Courses You Need To Get Started
- 22 Best Online Business Ideas That You Can Start Now
Here’s how to start an online store:
1. Tell us a little about yourself, how you started an e-commerce business, and how it’s going now.
I live in Texas and run the blog Drink Coffee & Prosper, where I write about working from home, starting a business, blogging, and side hustles. I hold an MBA from Texas A&M and spent a decade in banking before deciding to pursue entrepreneurship.
During my final year at the bank, I experimented with several side ventures—freelance writing, social media packages, and more—until I launched a women’s fashion retail shop on Storenvy. My first sale came quickly, and the business grew until I could leave my full-time job one year after starting the store.
Two and a half years later I owned three e-commerce stores. I sold the first, reorganized the others, and added teaching and blogging to my activities. My remaining store has enjoyed multiple successful holiday seasons and continues to expand.
2. How much do you currently earn from e-commerce, and how much time do you invest?
At one point, with three stores operating, each store averaged about $19,000 per month in revenue. My current primary store brings in roughly $11,000–$15,000 per month while I work about 5–10 hours per week on it.
3. What is an e-commerce business?
An e-commerce business conducts sales over the Internet. You sell a product or service, accept payments online, and deliver the product either digitally or physically. Essentially, any transaction completed online is an e-commerce sale.
4. What do you enjoy about running an online store?
The flexibility is my favorite part. As a mom with a child with special needs and a spouse who’s a disabled veteran, having a schedule that adapts to appointments, school runs, trade shows, and travel is invaluable.
I also appreciate the direct customer interactions and the chance to make meaningful connections. The income potential is substantial and scalable; you control growth and can expand earnings without the limits of a traditional job. Finally, networking with peers in the industry has been a big benefit.
5. How much can an e-commerce owner make?
Income potential is essentially unlimited. Many e-commerce owners reach six- or seven-figure revenues. What you make depends on niche, operations, marketing, and scalability.
6. What are the steps to learn how to start an online store?
Starting an e-commerce business is straightforward, though it requires research and time. The core steps are:
- Pick a niche: choose the category you’ll sell in (apparel, home décor, kids’ clothing, electronics, footwear, etc.).
- Sourcing: determine where you’ll buy products—wholesalers, manufacturers, or suppliers.
- Set up your store: choose a platform (Shopify, WordPress, Volusion, etc.), register a domain, add products with photos and descriptions, and configure payments and shipping.
- Promotion: market your store to attract customers using social media, ads, and other channels.
Picking a niche and sourcing usually take the most time. If you don’t research and choose the right category, your store may struggle. New sellers should spend time validating a niche—this can take weeks of research.
For sourcing, the internet has simplified finding suppliers. Be mindful of minimum order quantities (MOQs) so your budget isn’t overwhelmed. Industry forums and wholesale directories can help you locate reliable suppliers.
Store setup is typically user-friendly on modern platforms: add products, photos, descriptions, payment methods, shipping policies, and purchase a domain—either through your platform or registrars like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
Promotion is the ongoing effort to bring customers in. Options include organic social media, paid ads, influencer partnerships, and word-of-mouth.
7. What can someone sell, and where do they find products?
You can sell physical goods—apparel, footwear, home décor, kids’ items, electronics—or digital products like printables, workbooks, and e-books.
For physical items, sellers source from wholesalers. The typical model is buy wholesale, sell retail, and keep the margin. For example, a store buying a lamp wholesale for $20 and selling it for $50 earns a $30 gross margin.
8. How does an e-commerce owner find customers?
There are many customer acquisition channels. Jenn has found the most consistent success through social media. Other methods include:
- Paid advertising: Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram ads, sponsored posts, and paid email promotions.
- Organic methods: social media engagement, content marketing, word-of-mouth, and community building.
For new sellers, focus on organic social media growth first—Jenn grew to four-figure monthly sales in year one and five figures by year two using social media alone. Paid ads are effective once you have the budget and a tested product-market fit.
9. What does it cost to start and maintain an online store?
Startup costs vary, but e-commerce generally has lower initial expenses than brick-and-mortar stores.
Startup expenses can include:
- Inventory
- Store platform fees
- Storage or warehousing
- Shipping materials
- Supplies
- Equipment
Jenn’s initial startup costs were under $100 because she started with dropshipping on a free marketplace and avoided paid advertising. Dropshipping lowers startup costs since wholesalers ship directly to customers—eliminating storage, packaging, and fulfillment labor costs.
When she later transitioned to holding inventory and a private domain, monthly costs increased and included inventory purchases, platform fees, fulfillment or warehouse fees, and payment processing fees. Those costs are not fixed and depend on scale and business choices.
Maintenance costs cover recurring expenses like domain and hosting fees, payment processor fees, advertising, shipping supplies, and replenishing inventory.
10. Any final tips for someone who wants to learn how to start an online store?
If you’re interested, dive in—starting is affordable and you can test ideas with small investments, dropshipping, and organic promotion. Jenn started her first store on a whim and one year later was earning enough to leave her full-time job. Years later, she grew and scaled multiple stores.
Additional practical tips:
- Ask for help early: Consider virtual assistants for routine tasks like social media and customer service so you can focus on sourcing and growth.
- Learn continuously: Invest time in learning strategies proven to scale stores—product selection, marketing, and operations.
- Don’t fear scaling: Doubling a tested ad budget or expanding inventory can quickly increase revenue when you have a profitable formula.
- Diversify income: Explore additional revenue streams beyond direct store sales, such as courses, affiliate sales, or wholesale partnerships.
- Network: Building relationships with other store owners and peers—especially via social platforms—opens opportunities, collaboration, and growth.
E-commerce can be extremely rewarding: the flexibility, income potential, and ability to be your own boss make it worth exploring. With careful research, testing, and consistent effort, you can build a successful online store that supports your lifestyle and goals.
Are you ready to learn how to start an online store?