Downsizing,Got,You,Scared,amp, DIY Downsizing Got You Scared? Find Out If An Online B
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 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
Downsizing Got You Scared? Find Out If An Online Business Is For You!© 2002 Doug Parrhttp://www.smallbiz2000.comWith the economic downturn, you may be a bit weary about your current job situation. Thoughts of starting your own online business are filling your daydreams. Youve heard the enticing call of self-employment as it screams, More freedom, more money, more family time, live your dream! But can you really make a go of your own Web-based company?In all honesty probably. Ill be the first to tell you that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. It takes dedication, passion and discipline to succeed. Not-to-mention, a lot of hard work, especially in the beginning. Then there are the functional things youll need. Before you make that decision to jump on the Internet bandwagon, let me make a few points youll want to consider.Getting StartedI know the Web is just full of sites that taunt you by saying you can start your own online business within 24 hours and have millions of hits pouring into your site. The fact is, most of the sites created using these template businesses dont survive.Here is a real world short list of what it takes to launch a successful and profitable Web site.1. Professional Web Design Your site is your only connection with potential customers. I simply cannot tell you how extremely vital professional Web site design is to the success of your company. It helps to create trust, build confidence and instill a sense of safety all important factors for someone who is about to give their credit card number to a company theyve never heard of before!2. Professionally Written Site Copy You will be amazed to know what goes into writing emotion-stirring, sales triggering copy. You have to get inside the minds of your customers. You have to have an extremely good idea of what their needs are, what makes them tick and what makes them BUY! In addition, if you have any desire at all to be indexed and ranked highly with the search engines, youll need to have the exact balance of keywords saturating your copy.3. A Reliable Web Host Yes, there are many out there that will provide hosting for just a few dollars per month. But what do you get for your money? How much downtime (time when your site is not available to customers) does the host have? What type of service do they offer? When you have questions or problems, will they be there? Do they offer the statistics you need to track your traffic? Choose your Web host very carefully.4. Online Payment Service There are several choices. You can apply for your own merchant account (sometimes difficult to get and costly in the beginning). You can opt to use a third party payment provider such as ClickBank or PayPal (immediate acceptance but higher fees over the long term). Yes, you can ask customers to mail you a check, but the risk to you is high (bounced checks, etc.) Also, paper checks are more trouble for the customer and will likely cause them not to order.5. Products and/or Services Oh yeah! Youll need something to sell. Perhaps you have a professional skill youll be selling as a service. Maybe youve written a book or invented a new gadget to sell. You can also get involved with affiliate programs, where you resell others products and/or services and earn a commission. Youll need to decide before launching your site.6. Time To Grow It is possible that you will launch your business and immediately make an exceptional income. However, I wouldnt count on it. The Net may move at the speed of light, but building a business still takes time. If possible, start working on your online business part-time and work your way into a full-scale company. This will allow you to maintain a steady income while taking the necessary steps toward self-employment.It is possible to launch a profitable online business. Ive done it myself! But it takes planning, dedication and knowledge to get the job done right. By investigating what youll need before you need it, youll be one step ahead of the competition!Doug Parr is an Internet marketer who specializes in helping average people make exceptional incomes online. At SmallBiz2000 youll find the most reliable and growth oriented products & services on the Web. While youre there, subscribe to Dougs monthly newsletter SmallBiz for the latest marketing tips. http://www.smallbiz2000.com
Downsizing,Got,You,Scared,amp,