Starting a Vape Shop

Adam SmithB2C

A vape shop is a special kind of shop where people buy electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes and other related products such as vape juice or e-liquid. Electronic cigarettes are a less destructive kind of cigarette that is used by smokers instead of smoking tobacco directly. It is known to aid smokers to slow down on smoking and eventually may lead to quitting. Vape juice is liquid which is put in an atomizer creating delightful flavors. It has has different flavors and different nicotine strengths.

When it comes to starting a vape shop, an entrepreneur should take into consideration a few things. A vape shop can be challenging to set up since the government has put the taxes, FDA regulations and other important regulations which govern the operations of vape shops. These regulations also look into the selling of electronic cigarettes and vape juice. Following these strict regulations will aid in the success of the vape shop as a business.

1: Consider the local or state vape taxes

The amount of vape tax that is charged depends on the place or the state that the business is located. Under normal circumstances, vape products attract very high excise taxes. States and counties that do charge excise tax do so by calculating the vape product’s market value and then calculate the excise tax as a percentage of the market value. This is applied to electronic cigarettes. When it comes to the vape juice, the excise duty is calculated in terms of a milliliter of the juice or per unit of the liquid.

2: Consider all the regulations such as business registration, FDA regulations, permits and licensing

Once you have decided that you want to start a vape shop, the next thing is to research and know the regulations that have been put by the state regarding the operations of a vape shop. There are strict regulations that have been put in place. Since 2016, FDA regards electronic cigarettes as tobacco and one will need to act in accordance with the set regulations on selling vape products.

One of the FDA regulations is labeling all tobacco products that are covered. This includes all advertisements and vape product packages. You will also need to apply for business permits and licenses to be allowed to operate the vape shop legally. The fees charged for the permits and licenses will depend on the business location. Like any other business, you will also need to ensure the business against any unforeseen disasters.

3: Consider the important start-up costs

Starting any new business requires money. First, you will need to establish where the business will be located. Once you have secured a place, you will need to find a reliable supplier and a point of sale. The vape shop will also need accounting software. This is where all the product movement will be put.

The software will be useful in placing purchase orders and monitoring stock movement. It will also be able to predict whether the business is making a profit or a loss. The vape shop will need to be fully stocked before the operation. Some of the essential things are; e-liquids, vape juice, replacement coils, vape batteries, and battery chargers.

4: Make use of the community

Owning a vape shop requires looking for ways in which one can bring the community together. As a business owner, you will need to host events such as book signings and movie nights for the community. This will also mean that besides vape juice and e-cigarette, the business will also need to be stocked with beverages and snacks.

Another thing to consider is the shop layout. The shop needs to be spacious to allow clients to interact with each other. It also needs to be clean, comfortable and inviting. This means one needs to invest in quality furniture and décor.

5: Marketing

In order to grow the business, you will need to have a good marketing plan. Make use of social media such as Instagram and Facebook to spread the word about the vape shop.

Replatforming to Magento 2 from Magento 1

Adam SmithB2B

Magento is a popular eCommerce platform that is known for its flexibility, scalability, and customization features.  Though Magento 2 was announced as the successor to Magento 1 back in 2010, it wasn’t released until the end of 2015.  At that time, there was much buzz about the pending end of life for Magento 1, originally slated for 2018.  End of life has since been postponed for the original Magento platform, but there are still some compelling reasons to consider replatforming to Magento 2.

It’s important to understand that Magento 2 is not an update — it’s an entirely new platform.  While there are some undeniable challenges associated with the move from Magento 1 to Magento 2, many businesses are finding the benefits well worth the transition time.

The Benefits of Magento 2

replatforming to Magento 2

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Image via Flickr by nodstrum

Magento 2 offers a wealth of benefits over Magento 1.  The full-page cache available with the Community Edition of Magento 2 is one of the primary highlights of this advanced platform.  Working with Varnish Cache, Magento 2 offers accelerated page loading with a lighter server load, so your users can get what they want as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Magento 2 loads pages 50% faster than Magento 1, so you don’t have to worry about painful lag causing your visitors to bounce.  Homepage loading times are down to 1.06 seconds from an average of 2.25 seconds, and simple products load in 1.24 seconds with Magento 2, as opposed to 2.4 seconds with its predecessor.  The checkout process is 38% faster, giving Magento 2 the capability to process 117% more orders every hour.

Customization with Magento 2 is far more advanced than with Magento 1.  When you’re looking for modules, you’ll find the quality is generally superior with Magento 2.  More flexibility is provided when you’re replatforming to Magento 2.  Users can organize all of their reporting, product listings, and marketing features for ultimate personalization.  Shoppers also enjoy a highly personalized experience with Magneto 2 – one of the primary goals of this new platform was to give shoppers a more satisfying experience tailored to their needs, and it has certainly delivered.

Additional features of Magento 2 include:

  • Streamlined integration of third-party extensions
  • Isolated database scaling
  • Maximized use of browser cache
  • Regular security updates packaged with bug fixes and feature updates

Preparing for Replatforming

Once you’ve decided on replatforming to Magento 2, proper preparation for the move will allow you to take full advantage of the possibilities that come with the replatforming process.  This is a perfect time to re-evaluate your site and handle tasks such as:

  • Updating your style guide and evaluating your site for consistency
  • Getting rid of extensions or features that are no longer serving you
  • Performing data clean-up
  • Considering or reconsidering third-party tools

While you can certainly focus on replatforming to Magento 2 with as few changes as possible, you can also use this as a prime opportunity to streamline operations, smooth out your style guide, or even tackle a bit of rebranding.  If you have any of these tasks lined up in the pipeline already, it’s best to do them in conjunction with your replatforming to minimize the amount of work involved in updating and enhancing your storefront.

Moving Your Information

Migrate only the essential information when you’re moving from Magento 1 to Magento 2.  Don’t waste time, effort, and resources transferring information you don’t need.  One of the drawbacks of large databases is that they provide a wealth of details that are essentially useless to your everyday operations.  Now is the time to identify and remove unnecessary data so you can streamline the replatforming process.

Among the essentials that you do need to migrate are:

  • Customer records
  • Customers’ personal information
  • Product categorization
  • Product data
  • Order history

To make the data migration as smooth as possible, take the time to plan properly for this part of the process.  Recognize that moving your data likely isn’t a one-time task.  You’ll want to migrate the bulk of your information up front, use that to customize your new Magento 2 storefront, and then use continuous migration to keep things current across both platforms until the move is complete.

  • Map your data migration process carefully to make sure you’re moving the right data and keeping it organized as it enters Magento 2.
  • Repeat the data migration process to ensure that it’s smooth and efficient.  Iron out kinks early on, so you’re better able to implement continuous imports with confidence.
  • Import data into the admin view of the system as early as possible, so you’re using real data for your development and theming.
  • Utilize the data migration tool to facilitate regular updates.  This will keep your information current throughout the project, and ensure that nothing is dropped between Magento 1 and Magento 2.

Getting to Know Magento 2

Be prepared for some significant changes when you are replatforming to Magento 2.  Unlike minor updates that can be nearly imperceptible to users, this is an entirely new platform design.  You’re sure to notice the new layout and organization.  Give your employees time to become familiar with the new system, and don’t expect them to move into Magento 2 without a bit of a learning curve.  Even core admin features can be difficult to find until you’re familiar with the new layout.

The good news is that once you’re familiar with Magento 2’s layout, you’ll likely find it much simpler and easier to use.  For example, while you previously had to navigate through several menus to get to Attributes, you can now access them by simply going through Stores to Attributes.  Taxes and Currency lived in the generic configuration menu in Magento 1, but are directly accessible in their own sections from the Stores menu in Magento 2.

If you’re happy with the functionality of Magento 1, but want more flexibility, functionality, and speed, you will find them all when you move to Magento 2.