"The Steps to Building Your Own Business on the Internet."
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Fact: For millions of would-be cyberpreneurs, the dream will remain just that, a dream. Why the sobering reality? Well, the fact is, most people lack two key ingredients necessary to turn the dreams of their own business into reality. They lack 1) the time and 2) the knowledge. Although their intentions are genuine when they start, as they quickly learn how much effort it takes to grow their own business, many fall back into the comfort of their 9-5 jobs. And hey, many people are happier knowing they have a check every week. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. Then there are the entrepreneurs. The people who are willing to sacrifice a little security and lot of time for a chance at something more. What is that something more you ask? Well, here are just a few of the perks that successful entrepreneurs enjoy:
So if you fall into the category of new entrepreneur, today's tip is dedicated to you. Many of you are familiar with the rather ordinary path I took to get here. If you are not, I invite you to read about it in my recent press release: PR And since I've been down the road (the cyberbusiness trail, that is) I'm sure I can help you. If you really want to grow a business of your own on the internet, print today's issue (and part 2 next week). So how can I help? Well, for starters, I must tell you that the "time" ingredient I spoke of is up to you. I can't help you there. You'll have to scare up some extra time yourself. When I started out back in 1996, I sacrificed some time in front of the TV. (About a dozen sit-coms every week.) Heck, that was six hours right there! Wherever you can squeeze time out of your schedule is up to you. Just be sure the hours you set aside are uninterrupted blocks of time. Okay, on with the show. What follows is a breakdown of the key steps a new cyberpreneur will need to make...
Phase 1:
1. Keep your job - for now! Step 1: Keep your job - for now! There's no reason to put tons of pressure on yourself by quitting your day job. The time for that is when your business is making as much or more than your regular paycheck. This took me almost a year. Give yourself between 1 - 3 years. You'll know when the time is right. Actually quitting your job may seem far-fetched when you're starting out, but the time may come faster than you think.
I started out on AOL. AOL is great for some things and I still have my AOL account to this day. I hardly ever use it for business purposes though. Simply put, it was just too slow, unreliable and the email interface still does not offer enough features to properly handle business email. (see step 3) If you have never tried a true ISP, you should. You can locate one in your area by going to this URL: The List Step 3: Download a Free Email Program. Once you connect to the net through an ISP you will be able to utilize a powerful email program. This is a basic necessity for any serious cyberbusiness owner. It will allow you to do things like mail to multiple addresses at once, sort messages automatically into multiple folders and autoreply to messages. I suggest starting with a free program such as Eudora Light or Pegasus Mail by David Harris. Once you have downloaded your email program of choice, install it and start using it right away. Sample and become familiar with every feature. Your email program will become your new best friend.
Step 4: Decide what you are going to market. That's right, you're going to have to "sell" to make money online. Whether you sell a product or a service, sales are what drives income. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of selling, I suggest you read the following article by yours truly. It explains how the internet can help even the most anti-sales person become a super-marketer: http://bizweb2000.com/sales.htm How to Sell As far as WHAT you will market, they biggest secret is this: Sell something of your own! Whether you plan to write an information product or design web sites, it is important to develop at least one product or service that you control completely. For more on this, read http://bizweb2000.com/secret.htm The Big Secret Step 5: Marketing is the Key. Okay, you've got an idea of what you plan on selling. But how do you actually sell it? That is the biggest obstacle for many new business owners. The fact is, anyone can learn to market effectively, especially online. For my best advice on "how" it's done, I'll refer you to a recent article I authored on the subject... http://bizweb2000.com/cyber2.htm The 2-Step Pay particular attention to the section on ezines. If you are starting a business online, I cannot stress the value of regular email contact enough. An ezine is a great way to establish regular email contact with your prospects and customers. Learn more on the why and how of regular email contact at: http://bizweb2000.com/contact.htm Keep In Touch Okay, I think that's enough to keep you busy a while! Next week, I'll continue with this tip by picking up on step 6: Setting up a Professional Web Site. Then we'll move into the next phase and steps 7 -10. You'll learn tips and resources that will be helpful once you've started getting established, including...
How to Leverage Technology and Automation. 'Til then, happy marketing!
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