Go after a niche

If you are going to start a new shop I’d recommend going after a niche. The theme business is oversaturated, and it’s hard to make money. It will be easier if you go after a niche (Photographers, Restaurants, eCommerce shops, etc.) because you will have less competition and more focus.

Start a blog

Start a blog and begin writing about your niche. For example, if you are going after Photography, write articles about how to create a Photography website, Photography themes, and plugins, etc.

Read Brian Dean’s blog to learn how to market your content.

Create free or upsell themes

Creating free themes and distributing them on wp.org is a great way to get more people to know about you.

You can create free themes or upsell themes, either way, it can drive traffic to your site and create more brand recognition.

Use EDD

I’d recommend creating a WordPress site and installing Easy Digital Downloads (free). You can use their software licensing add-on to allow automatic updates to your customers. WooCommerce does not work as well for selling themes and plugins as EDD.

Good luck!