In an era where the internet and digital technology have revolutionized the way we do business, e-commerce platforms have become the go-to solution for aspiring and seasoned business owners. This article delves into top e-commerce platforms that stand toe-to-toe with Shopify, highlighting their unique strengths and how they compare in providing valuable solutions for your business. We will also be exploring home-based food selling laws in Michigan, as these laws lay down the rules and expectations for such business ventures, including those that use e-commerce platforms.
Airmart: A Perfect Platform for Food Vendors
Airmart was designed with home-based food vendors in mind. This platform is perfect for home chefs and cottage bakers selling homecooked food. Airmart offers free basic shops coupled with options for local delivery, shipping, and food subscriptions to make the business process smooth. Setting up shop is quick and easy, without requiring any coding expertise, and you can start taking pre-orders in less than a day.
With Airmart, you can customize your shop with a unique domain name, enhancing your brand’s visibility. Additionally, Airmart offers smoothly integrated SEO tools to boost the online presence of your business.
Pros:
– Free basic shop setup.
– Quick and easy shop establishment.
– Offers local delivery, shipping, and food subscription options.
– Seamless pre-order management.
– Provides free migration support.
– Enables integrated use of SEO tools for enhanced visibility.
– Suitable for various businesses and products.
Cons:
– Imposes transaction fees.
– Advanced features are available only through a paid subscription.
Michigan Home-based Food Selling Laws
Go ahead and kickstart your food business in Michigan by understanding the state’s cottage food law. The cottage food law in Michigan allows for the sale of certain homemade food items like baked goods, jams, and jellies, amongst others, without the need for a commercial kitchen or food license. However, the cottage food law prohibits direct sales to restaurants and retail stores.
As long as you stick to the rules, you could run a successful home-based food business in Michigan. In 2020, Michigan expanded the cottage food law to include online sales, making it possible to sell your products on an e-commerce platform. However, shipping cottage foods is still disallowed; hence local delivery or pick-up would be the modes of transaction.
Wix: A One-Stop Shop for Dropshipping Businesses
Wix is considered a solid competitor to Shopify for a myriad of reasons. If you’re into dropshipping businesses, Wix might be the perfect choice for you. With its entry-level e-commerce plan, you can manage up to 25 products, which increases to 250 with its midrange plan.
With a paid plan, you can connect your unique domain to your Wix shop. Wix offers over 500 free e-commerce website templates, offering a high level of customization. However, note that changing to a different template would require starting your website over from scratch, as it’s not possible to transfer your site’s content or settings to a new Wix template.
Pros:
– Includes site chat in all e-commerce plans.
– Provides 24/7 customer care.
– PCI certified.
Cons:
– Advanced shipping features require midrange plan or higher.
– Changing to a different template requires starting over.
– No free e-commerce plan on offer.
Finally, it is worth to remind aspiring entrepreneurs that they can kick-start their business ventures on any of these e-commerce platforms. Besides benefiting from their unique features and strengths, entrepreneurs also enjoy the convenience of running their businesses from anywhere while reaching a broader market. The platforms have revolutionized the way business is done, enabling anyone to start a business with minimal expenses. So, why not start your online business today?