This post will function as the base for all discussions around how to start an online or ecommerce business. I start two companies in early 2000 that sold survival kits and patio furniture. These two sites where recently sold for a reasonable profit. This is not a hard thing to accomplish but it was not easy. The main reason for starting this blog is to provide individuals information on how to start and actually become successful starting and online ecommerce business.

One of the stores I started was a survival kit store. This store sold survival gear and other emergency related supplies. We offered an affiliate program to individuals that where interested in starting their own business where we would drop ship products or provide wholesale shipments. During this time, I must have spoken to over 300 or so people interested in starting their own business. I spent many hours on the phone with most of these people talking to them about how to set up an online ecommerce business. It is based on these conversations and my several years of running two successful stores that I provide this information to my readers.

Why am I providing this information you may ask? I was amazed how many people thought they could simply start an online ecommerce store and expect to make money overnight. The reality is that it takes a lot of work and time to make any business work. This includes any ecommerce site. The only people making any money where the ecommerce solution providers that sold services to these people. These companies are making lots of money taking advantage of good natured people by selling them services that will not work. I want to provide potential business owners with information about the challenges facing them and try to prevent them from spending their hard earned money on something that is very difficult.

Here is an outline of the steps to start an online ecommerce business. ( That actually make s money ). Each of these items will have a link to another blog page that goes into detail. These links will be filled in over time. This list will also change as the outline is completed.

The decision to start a business
Decide on a business model
Find drop shippers or manufactures
Creating the store
Credit cards and other payments
Marketing
Accounting
Legal
Fulfillment
Customer Service

The Mosquito range is the northernmost range in Colorado. It is bordered by the Front Range to the East, Sawatch Mountain Range to the south and the Elk Mountain range to the west.

This mountain range is one of the less used or traveled range due to the proximity of cities and roads. As wit most ranges in Colorado, there are several fourteeners located in this mountain range including Mount Lincoln, Mount Bross, Mount Democrat, Cameron Point, and Mount Sherman. The normal snow fall and rainfall that drenches the central part of the Colorado mountains tents to miss this mountain range. This results in a dryer area that receives less rain than the mountain ranges to the south.

One unfortunate aspect to these mountains is a current struggle between private land owners and those of us in the outdoor community. Although many of these mountains are on public land and have great access, several of the more popular mountains here have serious issues with trespassing and private property. Currently, the summits of the three Fourteeners in the range are closed to access.

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The Front Range is the closest range to Boulder and Denver. The Wet mountain range is to the south and the Mosquito Range is to the North East. This is the longest mountain range within Colorado measuring 175 miles from the Wyoming border. The front range has several well known peaks including Grays Peak. This range also has several ski areas and offers convenient hiking opportunities to hikers located close to the cities.

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The word Sawatch is derived from the Ute word meaning “blue-green color” or “waters of the blue earth”.

Mount Elbert is the highest mountain in Colorado topping out at 14,440 feet. The Sawatch mountain range contains 15 named mountain peaks over fourteen thousand feet and over 300 peaks that are more than 12,000 feet. This mountain range has the most number of Colorado’s tallest mountains. The Sawatch mountain range is longer than 100 miles but is not the longest mountain range.

The Sawatch mountain range is composed mainly of round, smoother mountains tops with steeper approaches. This range has many hiking opportunities for climbers and hikers looking for easier hikes above timberline. This range does offer several easier climbing opportunities for novice and beginning climbers.

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The Elk mountains located north of Gunnison is north west of Sawatch Mountains and west of the Mosquito mountain range. The ElK mountains are relatively hard to reach for there are few major cities close by.

There are several outstanding wilderness areas contained or near the Elk mountains. They include Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, the Raggeds and the West Elks Wilderness. Combined, all three regions provide the perfect introduction into Colorado's spectacular backcountry. These wilderness areas offer plenty of hiking and climbing opportunities for the expert and novice hikers and climbers.

There are two very distinct geological types of rock that are clearly evident in the Elk Mountains, the tertiary intrusives, and the stratified sedimentary. The whitish, gray rock of the tertiary intrusives is responsible for the sweeping, skinny ridges that connect point-to-point, evident in Snowmass Mountain.

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