LuciaRiley Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I went to a class a few days ago on NCI, but sadly had to AFK.. I caught some of it, but not all. What are some good ways to start your own business? Selling clothes or something else..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
161488303349 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 you doing it right go to as many classes as you can and learn how to make stuff. once you know how to make stuff then a seller business is more possible for minimal outlay. stuff you make yourself also knowing how to make stuff, kinda sorta even, means you have a better idea of how much it should cost for other people to make custom stuff for your business whatever that ends up being Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuciaRiley Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 I'm basic at clothing kind of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Caramel Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Usually NCI classes gives class notes at the end, which is a transcript of what was said (minus class participation). Continue taking classes, whether its building, scripting, clothes, and find something that clicks. I messed with Paintshop for years, but was scared to try clothing. But, I kept playing with it until I felt comfortable. I'll never enter fashionista territory, but I'm having fun with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuciaRiley Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Yeah, it'd help taking those notes and saving them! LOL. I did for the clothing class. Editing and making clothes is interesting to me. I also did part of the photo class. I wish for an indepth class for clothe editing and such.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
161488303349 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 clothes are slowly moving toward mesh but is still worth learning how to make oldskool clothes bc mesh clothes actual look better if you have a matching clothing layer underneath as well also learning how to make clothing/avatar textures means you can make skins and tattoos and makeup as well can learn all the oldskool ways here and what tools you need as well: http://www.mermaiddiaries.com/2006/11/build.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Caramel Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Look for Happy Hippos and Builders Brewery groups. One or both offer classes on Photoshop, Paintshop, Gimp. Also, google SL clothing tutorials for whichever graphics program you use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sassy Romano Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 LuciaRiley wrote: I went to a class a few days ago on NCI, but sadly had to AFK.. I caught some of it, but not all. What are some good ways to start your own business? Selling clothes or something else..? You don't say what the class content covered. I'll be succinct, then no doubt waffle at length but here it is, in a nutshell:- "Have a great idea, market it well and sell with excellent execution." You'll note that I didn't say "have a great product". There are many things to do that don't just mean that you have to create content. Some creators are very poor at their marketing and thus sales never take off. There are others who never create anything but are excellent at marketing and can sell. My advice then isn't to get fixated on where to start but to think more on what your skills are and how you can apply those. You'll pick up other things as you go but the bottom line is that you can start up any "business" in SL but depending on your goals, if you don't truly understand your target market, fail to bring to market whatever it is then it won't have been worth spending countless hours creating. I said that some are successful at business yet create nothing. This is entirely possible by affiliating and reselling other content. As I said, some creators are poor at marketing and would do well to have someone who excels at this, take their items to market. Similarly, service provision is another area where nothing needs to be "created" as such. An example might be a language translation service. So in case that sounds negative (which it's not supposed to be), spend plenty of time on building up Sales and Marketing skills too, far too many fall into the trap of creating something, renting a shop in a deserted location and wondering why nothing sells and then blaming it all on SL's search system. Of course, having a great idea for a novel product, making it and selling it too is also a route, just try to do something unique and don't fall into the "me too" line if you can avoid it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCanessa Oh Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 ^^ This So much depends on what skills, experience and interests you have. A "business" could be as a stand-up comic or children's entertainer as much as in content creation. Whichever, once you have the product, the rest is all in the marketing. What you can expect financially for content creation obviously depends on how fabulously brilliant you/your product turn out to be, but as a rule of thumb: L$500/week - generally pretty easy to achieve, if you put in the creation time to get started L$5,000/week - takes time and a lot of work-hours to get the products and customers but still not especially hard L$10,000/week - will require a lot of customer-relations as well as content-creation (you need to treat it as a part-time job, not just a hobby) L$10,000/day - you'll have to be good at what you do, give good customer service and be consistent For services you're somewhat limited because if you aren't doing it then you aren't getting paid. With content, once it's created it will keep earning. Just make sure you don't spend all your money on a huge shop that doesn't even cover its costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucinda Bulloch Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 See you have never met those that do make money here, they are so rude and never answer note cards or im's, what a wonderful dream you live in, is it catching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCanessa Oh Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Ahhh Lucinda, a ray of light in our darkness. How's your business in SL doing? I'm quite happy to accept my 'rule of thumb' will be wildly inaccurate in specific cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Starsider Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 As other have said - Keep taking classes. Also, you can take the SAME classes again if you missed something the first time. - Luc - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuciaRiley Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Lucinda Bulloch wrote: See you have never met those that do make money here, they are so rude and never answer note cards or im's, what a wonderful dream you live in, is it catching? Yep, I know people are like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Verwood Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Also don't forget to search the forums. There can be a wealth of information and links for the very question(s) you have. Google as well on how to start and market a Second Life business can turn up some good results if you just do a little research yourself. Here are two links I think that can be really helpful and that I believe that I found here in the forums at one time. http://synzcreations.wordpress.com/about/marketing-a-new-business-in-sl/ http://mistletoeethaniel.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/the-content-creators-supplementary-guide-to-business-in-sl/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffy Vella Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Lucinda Bulloch wrote: See you have never met those that do make money here, they are so rude and never answer note cards or im's, what a wonderful dream you live in, is it catching? /me cheerfully waves at you and smiles. Then continues to read the forums for a bit longer before going back to making money, being polite, and answering messages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffy Vella Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Lucia, going to classes and learning is a perfect first step if you want to create content to sell. Even if your business eventually lies in another area, the building skills will still be relevant to a degree. People have already given excellent advice, but may I add a few things... Practise, and develop your style and product range. Well-run sandboxes are great for this. Play, play, play, and be inventive and not scared to try things. Use a viewer that allows temporary uploads, so that you don't waste any money, and arent stifled. Have a store, but don't overcapitalise. Don't buy a sim in the first 6 months. Start small when it comes to any land (I bought a 512 about 4 years ago, and slowly added to it as I could afford. So my inworld store has slowly grown over that time.) Of course you can rent stores as well, but make sure they return something- either sales or exposure. Also balance inworld sales with Marketplace ones. Keep reading, looking and improving. Check several forums daily for useful info- ie what's happening...what issues are likely to affect your business or customers...what do you need to learn more about...how can you improve what you do? Get good at SL photography. This is such a generalisable skill, and as a business owner here it will help immensely if you are able to produce quality images for..well..everything. SL is a visual medium, and you must be able to communicate well with it. And it's fun! Find what you are passionate about, be original, and enjoy yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bree Giffen Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 This is pretty nice. I've never seen the monetary expectations in SL ever expressed before. As to clothing I'd suggest to avoid re-doing ideas already out there. Be unique. Try to make them as nice as possible in quality and design. And add them to the SL Markeplace. I buy quality items and I hardly look at a creator's pedigree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCanessa Oh Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Thank you, but I only have limited anecdotal evidence to support it. It might bear no more relation to reality than Lucinda's post suggest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiccardoVasquez Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 There are many businesses you can chose from. Many of these businesses you can start with small amount of capital, it all depends. You might consider importing products from overseas. There are still great deals to be found. Act as a middle man for some local shops to get what they need. I did it is works for us. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuciaRiley Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Princess Verwood wrote: Also don't forget to search the forums. There can be a wealth of information and links for the very question(s) you have. Google as well on how to start and market a Second Life business can turn up some good results if you just do a little research yourself. Here are two links I think that can be really helpful and that I believe that I found here in the forums at one time. http://synzcreations.wordpress.com/about/marketing-a-new-business-in-sl/ http://mistletoeethaniel.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/the-content-creators-supplementary-guide-to-business-in-sl/ Thanks for that blog, and there's a lott more on Google search too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceka Cianci Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Bree Giffen wrote: This is pretty nice. I've never seen the monetary expectations in SL ever expressed before. As to clothing I'd suggest to avoid re-doing ideas already out there. Be unique. Try to make them as nice as possible in quality and design. And add them to the SL Markeplace. I buy quality items and I hardly look at a creator's pedigree. ya i agree..and also a good variety.. try to match up to the seasons with new releases.. a lot seem to shoot for the sexy market..but having a variety for a bit more conservative things is a plus to widen up your market.. like right now.. spring and summer tops.nice shorts that don't ride up to the back of the neck lol nice blouses and pants fit for the seasons.. just anything that is done really well will sell good.. there are nice tank tops that i stop in my tracks for still even though i have plenty..just because the texturing was so nicely done.. the edges blending with the avatar are important as well..if it looks like it is all jagged or too brilliant..it will look fake on the avatar.. those things will still sell ..but good texturing will get the word out and have people asking..omg where did you get your top or outfit.. and accessories are always a plus.. tank top with faded jeans and a nice set of glasses with some rings and bangles and some sandles.. all well textured can make for nice compliments.. a lot of products just sell themselves if they are well done..=) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCanessa Oh Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Ceka Cianci wrote: try to match up to the seasons with new releases ... like right now.. spring and summer ... Oops! I know you meant Autumn and Winter, because you'd never forget or neglect all the people in the Southern hemisphere, would you? @ All: serious point - remember it's an international, worldwide, market out there. Yes, the largest single group lives in the USA and Linden Lab ignore anything that doesn't happen there but merchants shouldn't. Don't alienate potential customers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucinda Bulloch Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 "Ahhh Lucinda, a ray of light in our darkness. How's your business in SL doing? I'm quite happy to accept my 'rule of thumb' will be wildly inaccurate in specific cases." you do know that I know what makes you tick as I do most here, but I am neither benevolent or malevolent, so you will never know the damage I can do to you, be thankful I am as I am regardless of the hate you show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCanessa Oh Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 'Lucinda' means 'light', hence "a ray of light". As you seemed to think me ignorant or wrong "in our darkness". I thought you were going to make a counter-case so I asked about your own business. [Took me ages to phrase things that innocuously so you'd have no grounds to RIC.] There really is no damage anyone can do to me. Empty threats look silly. I actually would welcome the benefit of your business experience if you pass through a polite phase in the next few days. [That bit's true, however it reads] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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