What does it take to start your own online business?
14 Tips to Get Started:
1. Computer (desktop or laptop): This is your most important business tool. Start with what you have, build your business, and look forward to updating your investments when your income starts rolling in.
2. Internet: You must have a method of communication to be able to reach the online world. Shop and compare internet providers in your area. Once you get your business going, then you can update to high-speed internet. This is a business expense, so keep up with your expenses.
3. Blog: You can set up blogs for free on Google. There are other places to blog at no charge, but I am enjoying Google. They are very helpful and always answer any and all questions and concerns that you might have. They also offer many business learning tools to help you through each step.
4. Find your niche: Write about your interests, concerns or thoughts on a particular subject. Just get started and let your thoughts flow. You can re-vamp or delete your blogs later, if you so desire, so don’t feel like you are ever locked in to anything you have written or shared with the world. Have as many niches as you like. It opens up more options to compare with, and sometimes the therapy of just getting it written down can help you decide what your writing preferences are.
5. Marketing plan: Play around with different ways to market your idea or product until you find what works best for you. There is “social media” – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. plus there are many others, so explore, sign up, and continue to promote your business. You can sign up for Google AdWords, or other options, for ad placement to promote your advertisers. Also, you can either pay for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or use the free Google Webmaster Tools to optimize your site for organic search. Check out Google Webmaster Central for additional information and training.
6. Dedication: Set aside a time of day or days of each week to work on promoting your business. Find the most appropriate place and time to do your work. This may take time to figure out when and where is best, but writing your content and running your business is an important investment.
7. Exercise: Don’t spend too much time in front of your computer. Give yourself a break at regular intervals. Dance, walk, work-out, or even do some household chores to give your self some time away from thinking, reading and typing. Physical movement helps you think better.
8. Research: Continue to learn new and beneficial knowledge to grow your business.
9. Website: When you are ready, then come up with several (I would suggest at least 10) business names for your own website. You want to be prepared for additional options if the name you are wanting is not available.
10. Honesty: Write and build your blog and website from the heart. People appreciate honesty. Well, the honest people do.
11. Original content: Do not ever steal content that belongs to someone else. Stealing content is considered plagiarism and it is illegal. If you use portions of information from someone else, please make sure to give them credit as the author and/or link to their blog or website.
12. Check your content: Read, re-read, spell-check, edit, re-write and update as needed. We are all human and as humans we do make mistakes, sometimes more often than we realize.
13. Monetize: Make money online from your blog and/or site. There are many options available. You can start with Google AdSense and Google Affiliate Network, and then branch out to other affiliate programs.
14. Critique: There is always room for improvement. Perfection does not exist, so learn, grow, and enjoy your creations that you are sharing with the world. Update often and check ad placement to make sure it’s appropriate for your content.
Complete all of the above and repeat #3 – #14 until you reach your personal business goal.
Content is the most important part of posting a blog to make money with. You will have to figure out what works best for you. Sometimes I feel like I have “Blog Block”, but then I also have so many ideas running through my mind that I have to write my ideas down before the next one goes by.
Good Luck! I hope the information and tips I provided helps to get you started with your online business. I am still learning my way around as well, and will continue to pass on new tips and ideas as I learn and progress in my online business.
Just remember: “All things are possible if you want it bad enough.”
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