{Where do we start?}

I've spent a couple days trying to decide where to start with this blog. I have so much that I want to tell you, but so little time.
I guess I will start at the beginning....

Are you considering taking your business online?
If you are, then you know or you have an idea of what the internet can offer you. We have so many opportunities to network and reach people online who share our interests, who we can learn from and help our business grow. People we may never have been able to reach if not for the internet. No matter where you're from, or what line you walk, you have just as much of an opportunity for success as the next person. All thanks to the power of the internet!

With that said...... I caution you, if you are new to this. For every opportunity we have to build our business, some scammer or unethical person has the same opportunity to trick us, convince us of the impossible, or just take advantage of our human nature to hope and trust. So keep your eyes open, listen to your "gut", and seek a second or third opinion before jumping into anything.


Ok, now that we've touched on some of the less appealing aspects of online business, let's go back to the fun stuff!

Do you have an idea of what kind of business you want to run online? This is the key starting point. If your answer was yes, then the you have to ask yourself truthfully. Will other people want what you offer? Whether it's an idea, a product, a system, or all of the afore mentioned, you've got to have a market. People need to want what you have. This is a hard question to ask yourself, because we never want to discourage ourselves, but we need to be truthful enough that we can see it for what it is. If you can't be honest with yourself, ask a friend what they think. Even ask a couple friends if you want.

Next, you need to decide what it is that you want to accomplish in your online business. Most likely, you will be selling something, so what is it that you are selling?

1. What are you selling?
a) are you selling tangible items?
b) are you selling information?
c) are you selling an opportunity?
d) are you selling a service?

2. Who is your target market?

3. How will you reach your market?
a) paid advertising? Where?
b) networking? Where?
c) blogging? Where?


These are just a couple questions you need to answer before starting your business online.

Here is an example of possible answers to give you an idea. The example is completely made up (no, I don't sell boats, nor do I know anything about boats) just to help familiarize you with the thought process I am trying to bring about. These aren't the only answers or resources to seek out for finding your market, they are just a couple that came to mind.

1. What are you selling? boats
a) are you selling tangible items? yes
b) are you selling information? no
c) are you selling an opportunity? no
d) are you selling a service? no

2. Who is your target market? boaters, families, retirees, men, etc

3. How will you reach your market?
a) paid advertising? yes Where? online advertisers like google
b) networking? yes Where? social networking sites like facebook
c) blogging? yes Where? Blogspot of course, (but that's not the only blog out there)

4. Where will you offer your products?
a) website? yes
b) selling platform? yes, maybe auction style or a store that is hosted by another company.
c) want ads? no


There are a lot of variations of this and a bunch of places to accomplish what you set out to do, but that is for a later post. So sit down with your pen and paper tonight and answer the questions. This will give a starting point for your online business.