Welcome to E-Trader, the first game in the ‘Apprentice Entrepreneur’ series. The purpose of E-Trader is to introduce you to the idea of starting and running an internet-based business, and to improve your skills as a potential entrepreneur. Don’t worry if you go bankrupt a couple of times early on - you’ll often learn quicker through mistakes than instant success (as real-life entrepreneurs often do). The game is based on a real business that was created a number of years ago, and is still very successful.

The steps you’re asked to complete and follow during the game mirror real-world situations. This means that the pace of the game during the start-up phase may seem slow, but as you progress you’ll find it speeds up as the effects of your decisions feed through to the marketplace. Your web-site is crucial, but you need to really understand what differentiates the good ones from the ordinary.

Running any business demands attention to cash-flow - make sure you keep a close eye on the money! Understanding your market and how to fulfil its needs is also very important. Marketing expenditure, stock control issues and dispatch can also catch you out if you’re not careful. Once orders start flowing in you must be in a position to dispatch the manuals quickly, otherwise the customers will start to complain.