Starting an online business is looking more attractive than ever with the consistent growth of e-commerce and the fact that modern technology makes it easier than ever to start building a site. The supplement industry can be a great choice for new and experienced entrepreneurs alike, especially since supplement use in the US is at an all-time high. Dietary supplements have broken into the mainstream, with multivitamins being by far the most popular. While dietary supplements are largely trusted by the public and are popular, that doesn’t mean starting a business will be a cakewalk.
Anyone who’s started their own business can tell you it’s one of the most challenging things you’ll do. There are several steps in starting a supplement business, and they go well beyond registering with your state and deciding which products to sell. You also can’t just think about securing yourself and your business. As with any business, especially online, you’ll have to protect your customers’ data and payment information. This means you’ll have to abide by Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance.
What Is PCI Compliance?
PCI compliance refers to the standards businesses must uphold to protect customers’ credit card data. This generally refers to both technical and operational practices. If businesses fail to handle credit card data securely, then card data can be used for fraudulent purchases or identity fraud.
Firstly, businesses must ensure that their technology infrastructure doesn’t have any gaps that could threaten credit card data, and if security gaps are present, they must be filled immediately. They must regularly submit compliance reports to the credit card brands they work with, and they are advised against storing sensitive information. Merchants are broken into different levels based on the amount of credit card transactions they process per year, and PCI requirements can differ slightly per level. Regardless of your level, PCI compliance is crucial to your business, both to protect yourself and to avoid data breaches that could ruin your reputation in the eyes of customers.
Maintain Compliance As You Expand
Your compliance requirements may be relatively simple if you’re just accepting payments online, but as your business takes off, you’ll probably consider expanding. It’s a good idea to accept payments in multiple ways (online, over the phone, etc.) to give customers options. A call center is especially important for larger businesses to handle sales and customer support. At this stage, you’ll certainly need a pci compliant call center.
Bright Pattern offers an enterprise-level software solution with built-in firewalls, Intrusion Prevention Systems, antivirus, and antimalware solutions, logging mechanisms, and more. Regular network evaluation is performed to ensure the system is as secure as possible.
Sensitive data is also encrypted whether it’s present on mobile devices, in an email, in messages, or any other source. Data can only be decrypted by keys that are never stored the same way as the sensitive data. This solution ensures that a business of any size remains PCI compliant, and solutions can easily integrate with major Customer Relations Management systems, meaning your work doesn’t change.
Finding Supplies
As imperative as PCI compliance is for your supplement business, it isn’t your only concern. You can plan your business model all you want, but it won’t do you any good without products to sell. As a merchant, you won’t actually be creating your own supplements. You’ll be buying them from another source, and you need to be sure your supplier is trustworthy.
This is where Makers Nutrition comes in. This is a B2B supplement and vitamin manufacturer that can deliver all your needs. They sell supplements in capsule, powder, soft gel, and gummy forms. Supplements cover needs from nutrition to bodybuilding, and they even offer pet vitamins. With a wide range of products, you can reach as many customers as possible to build a successful business.
