Side Hustle Alert: Reselling Volusion Store Builds to Gen Z Entrepreneurs
Gen Z is -building-. They’re not just consuming; they’re launching brands, dropshipping, creating digital products, and generally hustling harder than any generation before. But many lack the technical skills – or frankly, the patience – to build a professional-looking, fully functional e-commerce store. This is where a smart, low-investment business opportunity emerges: reselling Volusion store builds.
What is Volusion and Why is it Perfect for This?
Volusion is a robust, all-in-one e-commerce platform. Unlike Shopify, which often requires numerous apps for core functionality, Volusion includes many features natively – inventory management, shipping calculations, SEO tools, and more. This makes it a powerful, yet relatively straightforward platform to learn. Crucially, it’s also less saturated with pre-made themes and ‘cookie-cutter’ stores than Shopify, allowing for more unique designs. This is a key selling point to Gen Z, who value individuality and brand distinctiveness.
The Target Audience: Gen Z Entrepreneurs & Side Hustlers
Your ideal customer is a Gen Z individual (roughly 16-26) with a product idea or a dropshipping niche in mind. They’re active on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and are likely already experimenting with online sales. They fall into a few key categories:
- The Product Creator: Someone making handmade goods, art, or digital downloads.
- The Dropshipper: Leveraging platforms like AliExpress or CJ Dropshipping.
- The Niche Retailer: Curating products around a specific interest (e.g., vintage clothing, anime merchandise).
- The Brand Builder: Focused on creating a long-term, recognizable brand.
These individuals are often short on capital and technical expertise. They need a professional online presence -quickly- and affordably. They’re also comfortable with digital communication and expect a fast turnaround.
Skills You'll Need (and How to Acquire Them)
- Volusion Proficiency: This is non-negotiable. You need to be comfortable navigating the platform, customizing themes, setting up products, configuring shipping, and integrating payment gateways. Volusion offers excellent documentation and tutorials. Allocate 20-40 hours to intensive learning.
- Basic Design Skills: You don’t need to be a graphic designer, but understanding color theory, typography, and layout is crucial. Canva is your friend here. Learn to create basic banners, logos (or source affordable ones), and product images.
- Customer Communication: Clear, prompt, and professional communication is essential. You’ll be managing client expectations and providing support.
- Project Management: Keeping track of multiple builds, deadlines, and client requests requires organization.
Tools of the Trade
- Volusion: (Obviously!) Consider a developer account for testing and building.
- Canva: For basic graphic design.
- Google Workspace (or similar): For email, document creation, and project management.
- Trello/Asana/Notion: For task management and client communication.
- Grammarly: To ensure professional communication.
- Screen Recording Software (Loom, OBS): For creating tutorial videos for clients.
Monetization Strategies: How to Make Money
- Package Deals: Offer tiered packages based on complexity. Examples:
- Basic Package ($200-300): Theme installation and customization (limited to color/logo changes), basic product setup (up to 10 products), payment gateway integration.
- Standard Package ($400-600): More extensive theme customization, product setup (up to 50 products), shipping configuration, basic SEO setup.
- Premium Package ($700+): Custom theme design (using existing templates as a base), advanced product setup, full SEO optimization, integration with marketing tools (e.g., email marketing).
- Hourly Rate: For custom requests or ongoing maintenance ($30-60/hour).
- Maintenance Packages: Offer monthly maintenance packages for updates, security, and troubleshooting.
- Affiliate Marketing: Promote relevant Volusion add-ons or services and earn a commission.
Marketing to Gen Z: Where to Find Your Clients
- TikTok: Create short, engaging videos showcasing your work and offering tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. Use relevant hashtags (#ecommerce #dropshipping #genzbusiness #volusion).
- Instagram: Showcase store builds, before-and-after transformations, and client testimonials.
- YouTube: Create longer-form tutorials and case studies.
- Facebook Groups: Join groups focused on e-commerce, dropshipping, and entrepreneurship.
- Discord Servers: Engage in relevant communities.
- Freelance Platforms (Fiverr, Upwork): While competitive, these platforms can provide initial clients.
Scaling Your Business
Once you’ve established a solid client base, consider:
- Outsourcing: Hire other freelancers to help with tasks like product setup or graphic design.
- Creating Templates: Develop pre-designed store templates to speed up the build process.
- Building a Team: Expand your services to include marketing, content creation, or social media management.
This business model offers a low barrier to entry, high earning potential, and the opportunity to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s a win-win!
