The,Dabbler,Many,web,sites,maj DIY The Dabbler
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and
Many web sites of major companies came down with a resoundingcrash, and there are more to follow. Very few of the "deeppocket guys" are making any money with their sites, and as moneytightens, they realize their pockets may not have been quite asdeep as they originally thought. Their sites are being takendown in droves, and the, "techno-wizes" are falling intodisfavor.As the Economy slowed, many companies down sized their operations, and employee layoffs are on the rise. There is ageneral "belt tightening" at every level, and the headyexpenditures of last year are being looked at with a "jaundicedeye".So what does this mean to the small entrepreneur? Is it time toalso crawl under a rock, and wait for better times? The answer tothis is a resounding - NO. While the unemployment rate increasedslightly to 4.2 percent, it is worth noting that the proportionof the population with jobs, at 64.5 percent, remains near arecord high.Now is probably the best time to promote your small business onthe web. You will be facing less competition from the web sitesthat have gone south. Not only will your potential market shareincrease, but the sites that have been monopolizing "surfingtime" will no longer be there. People will be looking otherplaces for their information. The question should not be whetherto get your own web site, but when you should get it.Yahoo has made a major change in their policy of accepting websites for review. While it used to take several months to get asite reviewed, they now say it will be done within 7 working days.Sounds good on the surface, but is there a catch? Sure - whatused to be free, now costs $199.A cursory examination of the results of any web engine search,reveals a lot of "garbage" up there. Many of the sites are nolonger in existence, or you had to wade through a lot of "junk"to find something meaningful. This could accurately be describedas the age of the "dabbler". People who got a new computerthought they could make their millions on the web. The "armchair" entrepreneurs prevailed, and buried the serious ones withtheir submissions. When their free AOL account expired, theywere out of business and their web site went away.Will the new policy of Yahoo help? I think so. A lot of the"garbage" will disappear, and you will find instead ads from folks whoare serious about doing business. Will the other search enginesfollow Yahoo's lead? I would imagine so. So what will this mean?If you combine this thought, with that of many of the majorcompanies abandoning their web presence, it will mean that morepeople will find your site. This is indeed, a golden opportunityto establish your business on the web. But you can't expect to"throw up" a web site and have the world beat a path to yourdoor.You must first establish a business plan. What will you market?What will it cost - who is your competition - what is the pricingfor comparable products? These are all questions that should beanswered before you take step one.If your answers to the above questions are positive, get your owndomain and build your web site. If you can't do it yourself,hire a qualified firm to do it. Unless you are a "dabbler",expect to spend a few thousand to get your web site up and running, register it with the search engines, get a merchantaccount to accept credit cards online, and begin advertising.When you think about it, if you are serious, this is really asmall expenditure to start a business. If you're not seriousforget about it, and consider a different part time enterprise.You will probably make more money "flipping burgers" at yourlocal fast food establishment, than you will for the time youspend trying to develop a "zero cost" web presence. The oldadage - "you have to spend a dollar, to make a dollar", is truemore than ever.Will it take some time? Absolutely - how long depends on whatyou do. A couple of months might be a conservative estimate. Butyou can't lose heart, and like the "dabbler", try some othercockamamie scheme when you don't make your first million in 90days.
The,Dabbler,Many,web,sites,maj