Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWire) -- 09/19/2013 --According to recent research from Direct Line for Business (“DL4B”) in the UK, one in six Britons are operating as an ‘online business from home’ – making their own products to sell for profit, or purchasing goods to resell. DL4B has termed these companies ‘home webtailers’ - a development stay-at-home parents are finding especially beneficial.
This is according to Mark Chirnside, CEO of Payment Gateway PayU, which processes 65% of online transactions in South Africa. According to Chirnside the company has seen a significant rise in small and medium enterprises taking their business online. However, he adds, this change in online trade is not only limited to existing businesses, “we are increasingly seeing individuals wanting a portal for a start-up business, or those who want to run a business on the side seeking our services. In many instances start-ups are run by parents – stay-at-home moms or dads - seeking flexible working conditions.”
Lauren Cohn and Karen Kaimowitz attest to this observation. These two entrepreneurs started their own business called Labels Inc, a personalised stationery company, in 2003, but quickly moved it onto the online sphere when it became clear that more-and-more people opt to conduct business online.
Cohn says the increasing popularity of the web as an effective sales and marketing channel informed their decision to embrace the e-commerce business model, but, moreover, it was the ease with which they could consolidate motherhood with a career that sweetened the idea. She says that when she started the company with her business partner they both just had children and were looking for a way to combine a stay-at-home lifestyle with a steady stream of income. Cohn says online was the way to go: “it allows for flexible working hours, which suits Karen and I because we are both full-time mothers – and we are not the only ones, more and more people we know have online businesses.”
This year sees these two mothers celebrate 10 years of at-home trading with Labels Inc. Last year the company added an online payment option to its site which resulted in a marked increase in sales.
“Everybody is going online,” says Cohn, “we noticed that people place orders quicker when provided with an online payment option, which is why we opted to sign with a product called PayU EasyMerchant – a simple and convenient product which allowed us as small business to incorporate a credit card payment facility to our site. The increase in sales was noteworthy – which goes to show that South Africans don’t lag behind anymore when conducting business online.”
For stay-at-home parents looking to kick-start their online venture, Chirnside has the following advice:
“If you have a great idea, and you are willing to work hard at it, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider building a start-up business online. I’ve seen the growth and potential in e-commerce in South Africa, and would advise any person that they’ve got nothing to lose by simply trying.”
About PayU and EasyMerchant
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd (“PayU MEA”) enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. With the launch of their innovative new service, EasyMerchant, PayU, has removed a significant barrier of entry for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) who are keen to take advantage of the significant benefits of selling online. PayU’s vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information visit: https://www.payu.co.za/.
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