The decision to start a business is a feat on its own. But today, most newbies in the field get stuck in the “online business vs offline business” dilemma. If you are one of those people, this article is for you!

Both online business and offline business have their set of advantages and limitations. But we believe one of the most major roadblocks in the journey of starting a business has to be the budget problems. However, several financial institutions offer a quick business loan for new business owners.

With the monetary tension aside, here’s a crisp comparison between an online business and an offline business to help you decide which out of these two will be your best bet.

• Personal touch 

When we look into brick and mortar stores (offline business), you have the opportunity of interacting with the customers face-to-face. This way, customers can make direct queries to you and inspect the merchandise before paying — this adds to a potentially successful sale.

With e-commerce (online business), customers cannot physically see a product or directly interact with you. However, an online business has product specifications and reviews from previous customers. So, they can still make an informed decision based on these features. 

• Customer retention 

As you can directly communicate with your customers as the owner of an offline business, customer retention is fairly easy in such a case. On the contrary, online business owners have a relatively hard time acquiring customer loyalty. However, it all comes down to your services and products as customers are drawn to quality and performance.

• Cost of set up 

An online business is fairly easy to set up as it is location independent with fewer operation costs, such as no parking, utilities, or physical inventory expenses. So as lesser input costs are associated with an online business, you have the opportunity of yielding higher returns in the long term.

With offline business, the operating cost from a fixed physical location is added. Then, there are expenses of utilities, parking spaces, and requires more employees for infrastructure management.

So, out and out, running an offline business can be a cost-intensive affair. However, you can always rely on business finance with an easy business loan EMI.

Financial institutions offer enticing business loan interest rates that will help you seamlessly set up your new venture.

• Customer reach 

With an offline business store, your reach is limited to a particular region, and this is why scaling such a business can be relatively tricky. But it generates a loyal customer base with lesser competition. On the other hand, online business lets you represent yourself on a virtually global scale and are practically open 24×7. You can also customise your offerings to attract new customers without much hassle.

Simply put, both these business models have their own pros and cons. But at the end of the day, there are no set rules for success, and you can visualise the results only through sheer hard work and determination.

Moreover, financial constraints can make or break a deal. But present-day business owners can turn to moneylenders for acquiring financial assistance. There is a predefined business loan eligibility criteria that you must satisfy for availing a business loan. Once you meet the requirements, you are one step closer to your dream business set up.