Starting My Online Business Journey

I still remember the exact moment I pressed “Publish” on my first online product.

It was 2:37 AM.

The room was dark except for the blue light of my laptop screen.

My palms were sweating. My heart was racing.

And there was this tiny voice in my head whispering:

“Who do you think you are?”

That night wasn’t just the launch of a website — it was the start of a journey that changed how I saw myself.

A few months earlier, I didn’t even know what “eCommerce” really meant.

I just knew I was tired.

Tired of working jobs that drained me.

Tired of waiting for someone else to give me permission to dream.

Tired of watching other people build their own thing while I sat on the sidelines, thinking, “Maybe one day.”

That “one day” came by accident.

I was scrolling on Instagram, and I saw someone — not a celebrity, just a regular person — selling handmade journals from their bedroom. No fancy team. No office. Just passion and internet.

And something clicked.

If they can do it, why not me?

The first thing I sold wasn’t fancy either. It was a digital planner.

I had designed it using free software, spent days watching YouTube tutorials, and countless nights second-guessing every detail.

The cover looked basic.

The layout wasn’t perfect.

But it was mine.

I opened a free Shopify trial, listed the product, and started an Instagram page with zero followers.

That first week, I had zero sales.

Then the next week: one sale.

It was my cousin. (Thanks, Zara.)

But you know what? That one notification — “You’ve made a sale” — felt like winning the lottery.

I didn’t sleep that night.

Not because I was overwhelmed — but because I was awake with belief.

For the first time, the idea of building something for myself didn’t feel like a fantasy.

It felt possible.

Of course, it wasn’t smooth sailing after that.

There were mistakes. Plenty.

I chose the wrong audience at first. Ran ads that brought no results. Designed logos, changed them, then changed them again. I posted every day on Instagram and sometimes only got two likes. I once sent out a promotional email with the subject line “Hi [Name]” — forgetting to personalize it.

But every mistake taught me something.

Every small win — even just one follower — felt earned.

And slowly, I stopped chasing perfection and started focusing on consistency.

The beauty of starting an online business isn’t just in the money (although let’s be honest — getting paid while you sleep is amazing).

It’s in the ownership.

The fact that you can wake up every day and say:

“This is mine. I built this.”

It’s not about becoming a millionaire overnight.

It’s about proving to yourself that you are capable of starting before you feel ready.

And trust me — you’ll never feel ready.

Now, I look back and laugh at how nervous I was that night when I hit publish.

But I also respect that version of me — the one who was scared and showed up anyway.

Because if I had waited for the perfect design, the perfect idea, the perfect time?

I’d still be waiting.

If you're thinking about starting something online — a store, a service, a side hustle — let this be your sign.

You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You don’t need thousands of followers or a degree in business.

You just need to begin.

Use what you have.

Learn as you go.

And remember: everyone who built something great once felt like a nobody clicking “publish” at 2:37 AM.