MAKE MONEY Starting an Online Business- All By Yourself!

MAKE MONEY

Starting an Online Business- All By Yourself!
by: Lynn VanDyke

“The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your arm.” That is an old Swedish proverb that hangs in my office. A little over a year ago I was a complete newbie to online businesses. I had absolutely no experience in building websites or HTML coding. I was completely green to the possibilities of the Internet.

In less than a year, I have 2 thriving online businesses and a few smaller ones as well. There is no doubt in my mind that within a few months, those small web businesses will be just as lucrative for me. I just need to find the time to grow and nurture them.

This is an article for the smart, down-and-dirty entrepreneur. This online business article speaks to those folks who truly and utterly get ‘it’. Starting an online business is easier than many think. The trick is to know who to trust and when to pay out. Read on for more detailed insights.

When to Do It Yourself

Truth be told, I am a huge fan of doing it yourself. I think the best online business owners are those that can reproduce a profitable web business in any niche. After all, a web business in the fitness industry is built the same as one in the knitting industry.

I could have paid someone thousands upon thousands of dollars to build my online business site. I decided against it though. At the end of the day I would not have gained any online business knowledge had someone else built my site.

I would not gain any knowledge about HTML, linking strategies, RSS feeds or anything else. I would have to pay a website builder thousands and thousands of dollars every single time I wanted to build a web business.

Let me ask you this: if there was a pain free, simple, hand holding guide that taught you to build an online business… would you be interested? What if the guide was free? Well it is. You may contact me and I'll forward it to you. Learning the "how-to's" of building your own online business is one of the smartest investments you will ever make.

That guide will walk you through everything you need to know about creating an online business all by yourself. It talks about hosting, domain names, RSS feeds, linking strategies, newsletters, HTML coding (or the lack thereof necessary to build a site), search engine positioning and much more. It is a complete blue print to developing your online business.

When to Pay Someone

Just as I am a firm believer in building your website yourself, I believe in paying professionals from time to time. I outsource all graphic work to true graphic artists. I pay for logo designs, business card printing, and merchant accounts.

I believe in minimizing customer service issues. All of my billing is through a third party source. All of my products are digital or shipped directly from a third party company. They handle customer service. I simply refer their products.

The goal of a web business is to be profitable, efficient and fun! Being a web business owner is far better than being an employee. Think about that for a moment. You want to increase your profits. Create an online business by using all of your resources. Just recognize the difference of when to pay someone and when to learn it yourself.

Copyright 2006 Lynn VanDyke

About The Author Lynn VanDyke's content website is in the top 1% of all websites worldwide according to Alexa. She recommends this hosting company for your online business: http://my.sitesell.com/buildit . For your free online business "How To" guide, please visit: http://my.sitesell.com/action-guide

MAKE MONEY

How to Make Money in Your Internet Business - eHow.com

How to Make Money in Your Internet Business - eHow.com

Making money in an Internet business requires the same dedication and commitment you need to make money in any business. So stick with it, and you'll see profits in what seems like no time at all.
	Steps:
1.	Create and refine your business plan. An Internet business is no different from any other business, in that you need a plan to establish goals and strategies for success.
2.	Design your Web site. Use eye-catching layouts and graphics, but keep it as simple as possible. Your primary concern when designing your site should be ease of use for your customers.
3.	Make sure you're in compliance with local regulations and ordinances. Even if you're running your business from your home, you might still need to be licensed and insured to meet the requirements of your county or city.
4.	Promote your business. Register with search engines, and exchange banner ads and links with businesses complementary to yours. Advertise online and offline.
5.	Pay attention to the quality of your customer service. Do you offer varied methods of payment and a secure ordering process? Do you guarantee your products or services and provide a simple return procedure? Put the convenience of your customers first, and you'll quickly develop the customer loyalty that is a key to success.
6.	Mind the details. Keep accurate financial, sales and inventory records so that you always know whether your business is turning a profit.
	Tips:
	Review your business plan periodically and revise it as necessary. Opportunities on the Internet abound, so you might find yourself going in various directions before you establish the long-term goal that's right for you.
	Be wary of ads that, for a fee, promise to guide your Internet business to overnight success and riches. Building any business, online or offline, requires hard work and time. There's plenty of free information available on the Internet, so invest your money in your business rather than a get-rich-quick scheme.
	When designing your Web site, consider consulting a professional. What seems like a large cash outlay for a professional service might seem like peanuts next to the income you'll never see if your Web site isn't inviting and customer-friendly.
	Find out where your local and state governments stand on sales tax. You'll probably only have to collect sales tax when you provide goods or services to customers within your state, but check for yourself before you start doing business.
	Warnings:
	Local and state regulations might seem to be just a bureaucratic step you can skip, especially if you feel "untouchable" doing business from the relative isolation and security of your home. But the fines that can be levied against you for not doing business legitimately can put a serious dent in the profits you've worked so hard to accumulate.