After My First Ecommerce Sale, The Challenges No One Warned Me About

For those who read my first article on how I started my ecommerce business, someone asked me: What challenges did I face after launching?

So, here’s Part 2 of the story.

When I made my first sale for The Wild Papa, I thought I had crossed the hardest part. After all, getting that first customer is what everyone says is the real challenge, right?

I celebrated the small win quietly with my family. That old spark of entrepreneurship came rushing back and the feeling of “Yes! I can still do this!” But that glow didn’t last long because once the orders started coming in, reality came knocking.

That’s when I discovered: Starting is easy. Surviving is the real battle.

?? Challenge 1: Order Fulfillment Nightmares

At first, I thought packing orders would be the easiest part. Print the slip, pack the product, send it off. Simple, right?

I was super wrong.

The first few weeks were pure chaos:

? Wrong labels printed

? Packaging materials running out at the worst times

? Trying to balance speed with quality—especially when orders spiked after a promotion

One day, I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by boxes, sticky tape tangled around my wrist, and my youngest daughter walked in and said, “Daddy, you look messy!”

That’s when it hit me, ecommerce isn’t just selling online. It’s running your own mini logistics centre.

?? Challenge 2: Customers Are Not Created Equal

Some customers were wonderful; buying, leaving positive reviews, even thanking me personally. Then there were the others.

? Complained that the product didn’t match their imagination (even though the photos were accurate)

? Forgot to read the fine print, then blamed me for their mistake

? Wanted free shipping, free gifts, and lifetime support, for a RM19 product

? Claimed items were missing just to try their luck for a refund

I used to think all sales were good sales. Now I know, some customers cost you more than they’re worth.

The real skill? Spotting red flags early and knowing when to refund and walk away.

?? Challenge 3: The Sales Rollercoaster

One week, orders were flowing in so fast I could barely keep up. The next week? Silence.

I refreshed my dashboard 20 times a day, wondering if the platform had glitched. Sales high = confidence high. Sales slow = self-doubt kicks in.

It took me months to learn that sales are rarely consistent. A real business isn’t built by celebrating big days, it’s built by preparing for the slow ones.

?? Challenge 4: Marketing Overwhelm

When you sell online, you’re not just a business owner. You become:

? A copywriter

? A photographer

? A customer service rep

? A marketing strategist

? A data analyst

I spent hours reading “best practices,” tweaking product descriptions, and testing promo messages, only to see zero extra sales from some campaigns.

One day, my wife asked why I was staring at my phone so intensely. I told her, “I’m trying to figure out if my caption is too friendly or too serious.”

Her response? “Just sell the products, not your personality.”

And she was right. Sometimes, simple works better than clever.

?? Challenge 5: Energy Management, Not Just Time Management

Running an ecommerce business alone isn’t just about managing time, it’s about managing energy.

Some days, I felt like a marketing genius. Other days, I stared at my laptop for hours, paralysed because there were too many decisions to make; pricing, promotions, inventory, customer replies, platform updates.

I realised I wasn’t burning out from working hard, I was burning out from switching hats too many times in a day.

That’s when I knew: It was time to scale. Either get a business partner, hire staff, or outsource tasks because no business grows when the founder is stuck doing everything.

?? The Unexpected Lesson

Despite the chaos, frustrations, and doubts, here’s the truth:

? I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything.

? Every late night packing session, every customer complaint, every failed promotion taught me something.

?? It taught me resilience.

?? It taught me how to adapt faster than I ever did in my old business.

?? It taught me that ecommerce isn’t just selling products, it’s solving pain points, for your customers and for yourself, every single day.

Even after 3 years, my team is still learning. Every sale teaches us something new.

So if you’re thinking about starting your own ecommerce brand, here’s my advice:

?? The first sale is really exciting. But the real work and the real learning only starts after that.

(But I always say: It’s a happy problem to have. ??)

?? What was your biggest lesson after your first sale? Drop it in the comments!