2009 January

Starting An Online Business – How to Have the Correct Mindset

Before starting an online business you need to get your mind in order. Here are some things to think about before you dive in:

1. Make a commitment to go all the way

If you’re serious about doing business online you can’t just dabble in it. Commit yourself to finding one niche and stick with it to the end or make a time commitment.

2. Focus on one niche

Don’t jump from one opportunity to another. Decide on one idea and don’t get distracted by other offers even though they may look very appealing (there’s always something that looks better than what you have:-)

3. Follow your passion

Find a niche you’re passionate about. It will be easier to create content and market it. Your passion will also carry you through difficult times. If you select a niche you have no interest in you’ll soon lose interest and want to give up.

4. Surround yourself with positive people

You may be confronted by friends and relatives that say you are wasting your time and “get a real job.” Don’t listen to them. Instead relate to people who are in the same business by joining forums, master mind groups, attending teleseminars and reading blogs related to your field. You will receive a lot of positive support by interacting with people who have similar aspirations.

5. Create a business plan

Most businesses that are successful write a business plan which outlines their goals and objectives. It provides the road map to fulfilling your goals.

6. Create a marketing plan

Marketing is the life blood of your online business. If you don’t attract visitors to your web site you won’t make many sales. Choose several marketing strategies that work then stick with them. For example search engine optimzation, pay per click advertising, article marketing, blog.

7. Reward yourself

It’s easy to get consumed running your online business to the point where you get tired or burnt out. It’s important to keep up your energy level by eating and exercising regularly and rewarding yourself every time you accomplish your goals (especially if you the only sole proprietor of your business). Take breaks every 1 or 2 hours in the day to keep up your energy levels and you’ll continue to be productive.

Conclusion

Creating and running a successful online business takes discipline, hard work and a strong commitment. You’re not going to build it overnight so give yourself at least a year or 2 to make it work. Most businesses fail within the first 2 years so determine yourself to join the people who build an online business that is profitable.

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If you wish to start an online business today download

20 Ways to Make $100/day Online

Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
owner and author of Website Design Maryland
He started his online business in 2000. It has been thriving ever since.

Starting An Online Business – 7 Questions to Ask Before You Jump In

You’ve probably been inundated with emails from online marketers promising you’ll make 1000s of dollars if you buy their program or software. It’s easy to be tempted by these offers because the sales letter is well written and the promise of making a lot of money sounds good.

7 questions to ask yourself before starting an online business

1. What are your goals?

If your goal is to make 60K a year you need to first create a business plan how you will get there especially if you are just starting out. If you just want to make some extra income on the side you still need a step by step plan how to achieve it. (If you want to make an extra $100/day that shows you step by step how to do it, please visit: Starting an Online Business

2. What time commitment can you make?

If you can’t commit to at least 10 hours per week, you won’t make much progress and will be disappointed with yourself for investing your time and money in an unsuccessful business. A full time income from an online business means you need to invest at least as many hours as an offline business. It also takes great discipline and ability to focus on completing daily tasks that move you towards your goal.

3. Is the offer too good to be true?

If a business promises 10K/week, it sounds too good to be true and it probably is. Many marketers make money selling their products to others but know the product can’t deliver what it promises.

4. Who is behind the offer?

Trust is one of the most crucial elements for doing business with someone online. Check their web site to see if they included their contact information. Google their name to read their articles, myspace page or have a twitter account. If they are active online you will soon get an idea if they can be trusted by the content they’ve written or comments form others.

5. Are they easy to contact?

Email, call or fill out the contact form on their web site. If you don’t get a response within 24 hours go elsewhere. The faster the response the better. Ask to speak to the owner of the business rather than an assistant. Then owner has a big stake in making sure his business is successful.

6. Are there testimonials from satisfied customers?

A series of testimonials from customers that have done business over a period of time adds great credibility to a business. Testimonials should include email address or web site so they can be easily contacted.

7.Are you jumping from one business opportunity to another?

You’re probably familiar with the saying “the grass always appears greener on the other side.” If you don’t stick with one business offer it’s easy to jump to another. If you already have an online business look for ways to improve it instead of creating a new one. For instance you could improve conversion rates by rewriting your web copy or create a series of autoresponder messages to follow up on new clients and generate repeat sales. You could also offer new products (ie ebooks, short reports) that relate to your current business.

By asking the 7 questions above, you’ll make a more informed decision about starting an online business and increase your chances of it becoming a successful investment of time and money.