How I started my online store

Standing six-foot-nine and with size 15 feet, Nick Cooper couldn’t find any stylish or affordable clothes for himself anywhere on the high street, which is why he founded Big Tall Order, the online clothes store for bigger and taller men.

“I’d given up asking for clothes on the high street in my size,” remembers Bristol-based Nick Cooper. “I knew there was a market niche ready to be served – because I was in it,” he smiles.

Market research

Some 18 months of market research followed. “I discovered there were clothes for larger men sold online, but they were pricey, the range was poor and the fit wasn’t quite right.”

At first, Nick used his kids’ playroom as an office, while stock was stored in his garage. “Things developed quickly and soon I had six large containers filled with stock in a secure compound nearby.”

What is the secret to becoming a successful online store? “People think they’ll become millionaires overnight if they buy an ecommerce package and bung some products online, but there’s a lot more to it than that,” says Nick. “You need to get your stock right. Then get people to find you… Then convince them to buy from you, of course.

SEO and pay-per-click

“If you don’t appear on the first page of Google for a key search term, no one will find you. We did a lot of work on keyword analysis. You really need to get into the mind of your customers and work out what words they are likely to use when searching for your kind of products. Once you know these keywords, embed them into the copy on your site.”

Nick also runs Google AdWords campaigns. “You bid for the terms you want and only pay when someone clicks through to your site. It can be expensive, so it’s a case of working out the return on investment.”

The online retailer received free advice from Bristol enterprise agency BRAVE. “And it was from some top people – people who’ve been in business themselves or were bank managers and so on. They’d seen more businesses fail than I’ve had hot dinners,” Nick remarks.

“I went on a short start-up course. There were maybe 20 or 30 of us and we were all asked us to explain our business idea. People thought my idea was a good one, which gave me a huge confidence boost.”

Cashflow matters

So what is the most important thing for a new business to get right? “Cashflow forecasting,” responds Nick immediately. “It might sound boring, but if you don’t manage your cash from day one, pretty soon, you’re finished.”

He adds that trying to set up deals with suppliers was tough. “Without a trading history, in most cases, they’ll only deal on a ‘pro-forma’ basis, which means cash upfront. That can put a strain on your cashflow. A few suppliers gave me a small credit line, maybe £1,000, but it made a big difference. We’re still buying from those guys five years later.”

What tips does Nick offer to start-ups? “Take expert advice early on and outsource the bits you can’t or shouldn’t do yourself. I used a professional bookkeeper from the start. Learn the value of networking, too. Meeting the right people can be the difference between success and failure,” he concludes.

Nick’s three key lessons

• Focus your business on serving a niche. Trying to be all things to all men can mean you end up appealing to no one.
• Get good advice early. Your knowledge will be lacking if you’ve never set up a business before, so seek dependable guidance from the start.
• Manage your cashflow. Many profitable businesses have gone to the wall because they haven’t had the cash to pay their bills on demand, despite having healthy sales.