How to Start A Small Online Business By Yourself

Decide your financial start-up cost, your patience and stamina level, and what you enjoy doing. This will all figure into what kind of business you should start by yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• CRUCIAL RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESS
• Better Business Bureau (bbb.org)
• Counselors to America's Small Business (score.org)
• Small Office/Home Office (soho.org)
• The Small Business Training Network (sba.gov/training)
• The National Association For The Self-Employed (nase.org)

1. 
    
   Online Business - Working At Home

   An online business needs a solid business plan. If you truly want your business to succeed, you will need to have a determination to make it succeed. It will not happen by itself. You will need to work and work hard.

2. BUSINESS STARTUP OPTIONS
   
   * Selling your handmade crafts on your website
   * Selling crafts or resell items on an auction site such as eBay
   * Freelance writing
   * Become a reseller of hosting, movies, or software
   * Create a virtual pet supply store
   * Become a virtual assistant
   * Join an home-based business

3. Whatever you decide to start as an online business, determine to yourself to do it well. Do your homework. Research the business in and out. Know what you are doing. When a customer or client asks you a question, you should know the answer. Become an expert in your field or craft.

4. BASICS IN STARTING A SMALL ONLINE BUSINESS
   
   WEBSITE CREATION
   
   Now that you know what kind of business you want to run, you are ready to get a website. If you do not feel or know how to create a website on your own, hire someone good. You do not want it to appear incomplete. It would look jumbled or like an amateur created it. Make sure the person or company has experience with creating keyword rich content for you.

5. SITE AND URL NAME
   
   You will need to pick out a great name. The web address or URL is very important. It should consist of keywords that describe your business or your products. This will help people find you when they search for your product.

6. MERCHANT ACCOUNT
   
   You will next need a great way of accepting payments online. You can, by all means, allow your customers to send you a check as payment, but you need to setup a policy concerning holding the check until it clears.
   
   I, after many years of using their services, suggest PayPal.com. They are user-friendly and integrate well with websites. You can also accept payments for your auction sales with them.

7. MARKETING FREE AND LOW COST
   
   Once you are all setup, you will need to market. This is a crucial step in your business succeeding. After all, if no one knows about you, no one will buy from you.

8. 
    
   http://mommietown.ning.com - Social Network

   If you are tight on funds, start out by network marketing. Network marketing is free and very beneficial to your business. Go to forums, blogs, and social networks such as, Facebook.com, Ryze.com, Ning.com, and create your own profile on 360 at Yahoo.com.

9. Join as many networks and neighborhoods as you can. Invite people to be your friend. Leave posts and comments. You will be able to leave your site or product information with URL in your comments, bio, or signature line.
   
   Pay for some pay per click advertising. Watch this closely. It can drain your pocket book if you do not put a limit on the spending.

10. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR ROI (Return on Investment)
    
    You should keep a spreadsheet of your spending verses your profit. Keep all your receipts. There are many things that you can write off in your tax return. Seek a professional tax advisor for further information.

11. When you begin to make a profit put the profit back into marketing the business for a time. This will greatly pay off and you will be able to enjoy a much larger profit in due time.

12. CUSTOMER SERVICE
    
    Customer service is another vital aspect in having a successful and profitable business. It is key to have excellent customer service. A bad report can spread like wild fire. Treat your customers with genuine respect and kindness. Be courteous to them. Try to understand their point of view and their needs.

Tips & Warnings

• Do Not Give Up.
• Be Persistant.
• Be Consistent.
• Believe In Yourself.

[Veesites]

on 12/6/2009 Excellent advice for those wanting to get started in an online business.

[fcmosher]

on 12/5/2009 Smart article. 5* and recommended you.

[fcmosher]

on 12/5/2009 Smart article. 5* and recommended you.

[ramblin62]

on 10/13/2009 Thanks for this well-written and informative article on how to start a small online business by yourself. Some very helpful info here. Trying to help my mom with the keeping track of ROI part!

[ramblin62]

on 10/13/2009 Thanks for this well-written and informative article on how to start a small online business by yourself. Some very helpful info here. Trying to help my mom with the keeping track of ROI part!