Starting an online business is a relatively straightaway process provided you have decided on a product or service to promote, have the relevant hardware, and the necessary finances to get set up. With the right planning in place, an online business has the potential to offer a full-time or a useful extra income. Here are four positive reasons why it can benefit to start an online business:
Low initial investment
A great place to begin the process of setting up a small online business is to create a website and buy a memorable domain name and invest in a reliable web hosting service. This is likely to cost less than $100. However, there are also several content management systems that are entirely free to use. They are practical for those wishing to test an idea without investing a lot of money. Plus, there are plenty of free or low-cost options to build your target audience, such as the social media platforms.
Great flexibility in work time
Anyone that decides to run an online business has the opportunity to work when they choose. However, it is beneficial to put in place a proper work schedule to make sure the business is run in an efficient manner. A focused plan means you will fully devote your time and energy into the most important aspects of the business. Also, if you find your workload is completely up to date, you have the flexibility to take a break at any time of the week whether this is a weekday or on the weekend.
Nominate a work location
If you are looking to set up an online business, you will not be limited to working in a single location. Provided you have a decent laptop and reliable internet connection, you have the option to operate the business from wherever you want.
Most people will look to set up a home office, which makes it really easy to combine your work and home life. However, for those that prefer the dedicated work space, a contemporary shared office space makes it possible to work in a traditional office environment, but without the need the cover the cost of long-term lease.
Unlimited exposure
An internet based business has unlimited exposure with the potential to sell any service or protect imaginable provided that you are able to market your website to the right target audience. Also, there are plenty of low-cost options to advertise the online business, which is certain to be a lot lower than a traditional bricks and mortar business.
It’s Your Online Business, Not Your Online Hobby
An online business versus an online job has a different mentality for the individual. A job is something you do for someone else. It’s something that dominates your day and your time with a prearranged schedule.
The job is your master, not the other way around. You work for someone else. Even if this is online the truth remains the same… you are still an employee. You have heard that you can make money online through working online for a company or a third party (this is not as an affiliate or a salesperson). You do jobs for someone else and complete a W4.
This to me is literally the lifestyle I intended to avoid when I got into online business. This model could not and would not do.
I know you see the ads. “We are looking to give stay at home mom jobs”, but you may find that some of these places not only do not offer you a good job but will stick you with a horrible schedule. Not all of them are like this, though some are.
Why I like the online business model
For me it’s about control. I like to control my day. If I want to work in the morning, I can do this. If I want to work late into the wee hours of the night… it’s my right. Why? Because I decide how successful (or unsuccessful) my business is and this is through my effort.
It can be the highest paid hard work I ever done or the easiest, lowest paid work I have ever done. This lies squarely on my shoulders. You see the problem with a lot of online companies you may work for is stability.
Many of them catch people unawares stating grandiose claims making things look easy. For example, you may read something like “Earn Money Online Today, $55-$65 hour, no experience required”.
What happens is that unsuspecting folks who trust these people invest time, money, and effort into a business that might not last the rest of the year. I have seen this with my own eyes. I always advocate starting your own online business. Why you ask? Who can you trust better than you? I will tell you, if I am going to invest in anything it will be me, period.
You Won’t Let You Down
When you succeed those you love succeed. Those you care about succeed. It’s about grabbing your dream and never letting it go. Working for someone else is helping them promote their dream through your effort. Working for yourself helps you to bring your dreams to fruition.
I know where the difficulty comes in. It is at the point of the beginning. How do you get started? Where do you start? Can I startup my online business quickly and with a minimal amount of investment?
Having a business on the web is great. It is a way of bringing in a steady income and has made some companies millions, however, those who have a business or service know that at times it is not easy to advertise and promote your services, businesses and products online. To have a successful business, an individual or company needs to understand the dynamics of advertising and marketing and know exactly where to go to obtain the right business and attract customers. This article will suggest some strategies that you can use to advertise your business and services.
Nowadays, anyone that owns a business (whether it be online or offline) cannot avoid marketing on the Internet. This is because most people use the Internet to find the services and products they need and the Internet gains many more users everyday. People search for products ranging from food delivery to plumbing and even cleaning services – and it is your aim to get those customers who are looking for your particular product or service to purchase from you. Below are some places that you can advertise your business and get the best out of your business.
Social Networking
Most businesses turn to social networking to promote and advertise their services and products. It is a great way to interact with your regular customers and gain new ones by keeping them up to date with the latest news and updates that you may have. You can also provide incentives for them to invite and make recommendations to their friends and family to follow or like your page on websites such as Facebook and Twitter. These social networking sites are usually free to use and are usually a great source of attracting companies. The disadvantage is that social networking is very time consuming and can be difficult for some people to get their head around.
Online Directories
Customers will always seek products and services om directory websites. These can be niche specific or specific to a certain location (local directories). It is important that you list your business or website in these directories in order to be found by potential customers. Most quality directories will require you to pay for a fast submission, and sometimes it is not guaranteed that your business will be accepted, however, it is worth looking for good quality directories that will genuinely bring you customers.
Search Engines
As you may know already, people use a search engine as the first point of call when using the Internet to find something. Using Search Engine Optimisation strategies can help you rank high in popular search engines and that way you can be sure that people who are searching for your product or service will visit your website first – allowing you to make the sale. The problem with this is that it requires extensive SEO knowledge and can be very hard work if you have a lot of competitors to compete against, and you may have to hire a professional to assist you which can also be expensive – or paying for advertising is another option you could use.
Classified Ads and Advertising Websites
These websites are great for advertising specific services and products that you have to sell online. Some websites require you to pay, however there are some that allow you to post an advertisement for free. These websites always get a lot of traffic and free advertising websites are great because they require no investment but can bring in a large number of sales. You can also place your ad in a specific category that is related to your niche to get the best out of the site.
There are many more advertising strategies that you can use, but those mentioned above are some the most popular ways to advertise and promote your business, website, product or service online. Using these methods will help you gain more sales and get potential customers to your web-based business.
Companies spend billions and billions of dollars a year on promoting their products and marketing them. Consumer opinion is essentially their bread and butter. A person’s feedback either by survey or by doing a product review is very valuable to these companies. They are willing to invest a pretty penny to get this information from folks, so why shouldn’t you grab your share? The logical answer is – you should. There are many companies out there, just do your research before you go with a particular company. Once you do, It will show you the shortcuts to finding these opportunities and practically dump the cash in your lap for you.
Most people trying to get paid for surveys are either a bit skeptical or you want to see some possible income numbers. One thing you must keep in mind is that no legitimate company will ask for your personal information, bank account information and social security number. If they do, they are scams and you must stay away from sites like these. A legit company will not ask you pay a service fee just so you get paid by a third bank. Most companies that give online paid surveys will pay out by using a reputable company like PayPal.
Most paid online surveys will take you about two minutes and can pay you $12, or $15, or even $20. How about a 15 minute Cable TV survey that pays $50? Does that sound interesting? Many companies are offering this type of pay out just to get a honest review of their survey. When you get started, try to always pace yourself as companies might send you several surveys during the day, and avoiding the surveys or if you take long to give your opinion they will stop sending you their surveys. One thing to keep in mind is, like I said earlier, these are huge companies spending billions of dollars to promote and market their products and they don’t want to waste their monies to people who are not taking this serious.
Yes, there is big money to be earned, and you can easily get cash for completing surveys. But that is only part of this opportunity. What if I told you that you could be given free products to try to review, and then you get to keep the product? We are talking about kitchen appliances, HD televisions, computer tablets and gift cards. Yes, they can send you these types of items, try them out, review them and they are yours to keep. Just try to search for these companies, they do really exist out there, do you home work before you start. Earn cash with the surveys and also receive free products. This is so easy and really is a no-brainer.
Some people do not believe that this type of opportunity is on the Internet. You hear many stories of false promises and scams. It is easy, however, to understand why these companies value our information, all that was needed is the source that leads you to them. So get out there, do your research and start working from home and getting paid for surveys. Steer your financial freedom. Change your life TODAY!
Eddie C. wrote this article about getting cash for surveys. Everyday when he wakes up he makes breakfast for his daughter and drive her to school. He usually works out and run some errands before he heads back home to get to “work”.