Forbes Magazine approximates that 40 million people will want to start their own business online. The reason is because more and more people are realizing that entrepreneurship may be the only way to their heart's desire. That being said, more and more people are wondering how they would go about starting a business online.
Starting a business online is actually easier than what most people think. It's actually easier than starting a business offline (brick-and-mortar). The reason is because starting a business online doesn't have the big headaches that come with starting a business offline. Starting offline, you have to get A LOT of money, find a commercial zoned space for your business (the zoning has to relate to what type of business you're running), and sometimes, finding employees which just brings in more headaches. On the other hand, starting a business online is almost completely opposite. You don't need too much capital (money to start a business), you could work at home (or anywhere you can get internet), and you can do most of the work yourself. Though all that may be true, still, starting a business (online or offline) first requires research.
Research is probably one of the biggest hurdles future millionaires have gone through. Even if you were to join a home based business, like an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) for example, you would still need to do some research. What I mean is that there are things you still must consider when joining any business (especially with all the HYPE going around on the internet). If you would like more information on how to find the right business opportunity to join, then read my article:
You see, when business owner does thorough research in the beginning, he/she is able to plan their business much more effectively. Trust me, planning the business is very important. Without a solid plan, there will be no solid business. In fact, lots of people get so excited in starting a business, especially the ones that join already formed businesses (MLM, Network Marketing, Business Opportunities), that they inevitably forget to plan right. Here's a saying in the business that may get you in the right mindset of entrepreneurship: "If you FAIL to PLAN, you PLAN to FAIL." Simple as that.
So now, you're probably wondering what should you research. Well, before we get into that, you must understand that a business is, in all it's purity, a solution to a problem. Think about it, McDonalds has the solution to the "I'm hungy. What should we eat?" problem. Home Depot has the solution to improve your home. Any business you see out there, is a solution to a problem. So, what you need to research is what solution are you going to provide? Are you going to provide great advice on how to get more healthy and fit? Are you going to provide a solution to those who need money? Are you going to provide a solution to those that are having problems with their spouses?
There are a lot of problems out there. However, one person can't solve them all. But then again, one person can solve one problem. What abilities do you posses that might be a solution to a problem? What passions do you have that may constitute as a solution to a problem? These type of questions are the questions you ask when you are starting a business. What you are essentially doing is trying to find the right market. For example: Maybe you love the idea of weddings. Well, then your market is, yes you guessed, The Wedding Market. Simple right?
Yes, it is simple finding a market. However, that's just the first step. The next thing to do is break it down. You need to find what we call a "niche" in the market. The reason being is because just wedding is too general. Lets put it this way: McDonald's is in the fast food industry (Wedding). However, they don't serve all kinds of fast food. Their specialty are hamburgers (Niche). So, their Market is fast food, and their niche is hamburgers. So with the wedding market, the niche can be wedding dresses. Another niche of wedding would be wedding planning. There are a ton of niches in each market. The simplest way to find the one you're going to be successful at is one where you will have passion about. After all, you got to be enthusiastic about your product right?
After the initial research stage, your next step would be to open up shop. You're probably wondering how to do that. It's simple really. First, you have to think a name of your shop. This may become a little difficult. I say so because, as stated in the beginning of the article, about 40 million people want to start an online business. That means, the name you want for your shop can already be taken. Just get a little creative, and you could end up owning a BRAND name. Now that you have a name, go register it. The name is what we call a domain. A domain is this: www.yourshopname.com Register your domain. There are lots of places to do this, but the one I recommend is namecheap.com (it's the one I use). OK, now that you have your market and name, you need somewhere to put it. This is what we call a host/server. Think of it as the real estate if you were opening an offline business. There are a lot of hosting services out there. It really doesn't matter where you go for hosting. It's really your choice. I would recommend justhost.com because it's what I use.
Alright! You got a market, a shop. Now, you need traffic (potential customers). Getting traffic is what we call Internet Marketing. Marketing is the hardest part in the online business world. However, once you master it, you are set for life. Once you master Internet Marketing, you can go beyond what you are selling, and sell anything to anyone around the world while you sleep. Sounds good huh? Unfortunately, it's not easy to master the Internet Marketing skill. It takes time, diligence, and hard, hard work. Fortunately, all the time, diligence, and hard, hard work will pay off 100x in the future. Think of it this way, work hard for 40 hours a week, for a year or two, and reap the benefits for life! So how do you market you say.
Well, that is about another 500 articles to write. What I recommend you do is Google "how to internet marketing" and you will find 1,000,000 answers to that question. Internet Marketing is the meat of online businesses. It's what makes you work. It also is what makes you rich. If you really want more information, take a look at my sig on the bottom and it will tell you exactly what I do.
So now you know what it takes to start an online business. It may seem hard, but it really isn't. As long as you set your mind to it, you can make it happen. Trust me, in this business, mindset is what counts. The desire to do something and change your life for, not the better, but the best is all you really need to succeed.
Arleigh Cortez is an entrepreneur with a goal to change the world. He specializes in providing the BEST Online Marketing education in the world, while trying his hardest to provide the leadership, guidance, and knowledge to persevere and overcome any obstacle any person may have in life. If you're an entrepreneur and would like to start a business, or need help with your business, then go to: [http://www.thehomebusinessway.com]