The internet has created many opportunities for many people to achieve financial freedom with an online business. If you are looking to become financial independent it is certainly one of the best places to make this happen. You just need to know how.
In these days of financial uncertainty, more and more people are going online to look for a home business they could start. They may have heard stories about other people becoming wealthy with an internet business, and are keen to achieve financial freedom of their own. The great thing about the internet is that anyone can start up a business for very little cost.
However, if you want to be successful, there are some things that you will absolutely need no matter what kind of online business you start.
In these difficult financial times, many people might be scared of losing their jobs, or already be in line for being made redundant.
This is no joke for anyone, especially if you liked your job, or if you are reliant on a particular level of salary.
Change, when it is not your choice, can feel very difficult. However, while we may not always have a choice in what happens to us, we can choose how we respond.
After you have got over the initial shock (It’s happened to me in the past, so I do know how it feels!), you can begin to see what your options are, and whether there is something positive to be got out of the situation.
Usually there is. Many people choose to see this event as an opportunity to do something different; perhaps to start up that business or open the restaurant that they’ve always wanted to, or to write a book.
These are all great ideas, but for many people, lack of capital is a stumbling block here and they may feel that none of these possibilities are options for them.
All the same, there are opportunities for starting a business without a large initial outlay, where you can set up a home based business and start marketing online without huge start-up costs or heavy advertising costs. Starting an online business is a good idea for many who would like to be financially free and who have some time to work at home.
Now, I’m not going to pull the wool over your eyes. I am not suggesting that you can start an online business and wake up the next morning with a full time income! It can take two to three years before you start seeing a seriously good profit. If you need money now, you may still need to find some kind of job - but starting an online business now, while you have a bit of time on your hands, or while you feel your job is insecure could be a very wise investment in your future. You can see a few of the opportunities available at my website here.
If an online business is not for you, but you feel you want to take the opportunity to do something more meaningful, then employing a career coach could be of benefit. I have helped many people choose a career that excites them and also helped build their confidence to follow their dreams. My coaching website will give you all the details here.
Being made redundant is always a challenge - but with a positive mindset and with support, you can turn it into an opportunity for the better.
If you have an online business, you will know that your most important goal is to get traffic to your website. After all, without traffic, there are no sales! So, finding any way of getting targetted web traffic for free is always worth looking at.
The new site, TrafficVibe builds on the way traffic exchanges work in a slightly different way. When you join, you will be able to post your own banners, text ads and send solo ads as long as you agree to read other ads and read email ads (though you can opt out of this one if you want to). When you read other ads you build up points which you use to “pay” for your own advertising.
Of course, the other people using this site are internet marketers - but this means that you can advertising products and services that would be useful to other website owners.
The site also has an affiliate program, so you can build up commissions by referring other people to the site and you get paid when they upgrade or make purchases.
There is plenty of support, a forum, useful tools and links and lots of different ways of earning points.
If you are worried about the recession, bored with your job and wondering how you are ever going to make enough money to live the life you want, you may have wondered about starting up an online business. You are not alone. With the growth of the internet, more and more people are finding that there are many opportunities for anyone to make extra pocket money, create a full time income or build a fortune. So, what do you need to start a small business online? Here is my ‘no nonsense’ guide:
1. I’ll start with the obvious. A computer with internet access is pretty important. You don’t have to have the latest model with lots of bells and whistles. However, if you are going to do this full time, you will need a broadband subscription and an email account.
2. A budget. This is literally whatever you can afford. The beauty of an online business is the start-up costs are extremely low compared with many other types of business. If you are starting with affiliate marketing (which is a very good place to start), many programs are free to join. However, I would recommend that you do set some money aside for the following:
Website hosting. Although many affiliate programs give you a web page with youraffiliate links automatically inserted, mostly these are not your own to change. You really do need to set up your own website that you can personalise and add your own unique content to. One company in particular does provide you with this for free (you just pay for the hosting at $25 per month). See the advert on the right.
Upgrade fees. In order to receive the best commissions all free programs will encourage you to upgrade to paid status. You don’t have to do this straight away; in fact it’s usually best to wait until you have a few affiliates of your own and you feel more confident about the program before doing this. Upgrade fees are not always that expensive. They can start from around $6 per month up to several hundred. Just go with the ones that you can afford. SFI is one of the most popular and longest running ‘free to join’ affiliate programs.
Autoresponder fee. Experts will tell you that it’s extremely important to build a list that you can send a regular newsletter to and build trust and confidence. You can set up an autoresponder for free (for example at GetResponse.com) but you usually get a better service as a paid member (fees start at around $18 per month).
3. Time. If you are starting off while still working at a full time job, you will need to prioritise and set aside at least a few hours per week to work on your business. Coming to it now and then when you feel like it won’t do. It will take a regular commitment to get things going.
For the moment that’s all you need to think about as far as the practicalities and expense go. Of course, you need to find the right home business for you (my website will give you lots of ideas for affiliate marketing) and it’s a good idea to shop around and see what suits you first.
In my opinion, however, the most important point to consider when starting an online home business, is attitude.
Many people think that finding the ‘best’ program or product is the only thing necessary. They soon find out the hard way, that there is a lot more to it than that. How you think, what you believe and the way you communicate can make all the difference between success and failure.
So, What Attitude to you need to start a small business online?
Here are my big three ‘P’s:
Positivity: A belief in yourself and an optimistic attitude towards your business that will keep you motivated when the going gets tough, as well as a positive attitude towards your downline AND you sponsor.
Passion: Enthusiasm and excitement for your business and the products and services you are selling will go a long way. No-one buys from someone who is indifferent.
Patience: You will need this in the beginning. You need to be looking at your business as a long term commitment and not to expect to get rich within the first few months. Be willing to learn as much as you can in this starting off period and apply your learning step-by-step.
That’s just about it. I really don’t think it’s a lot to ask for. When you think of what’s needed to get a high-paying job, or set up a retail store or other kind of business, the requirements for starting an online business are pretty low.
Think you’ve got what it takes? You can start here.
I quite like computer games. Particularly Adventure Games that you can play online. In the occasional idle bank holiday season I have been known to take on the character of heroine, wield a sword and set off into the unknown to fight dragons or goblins or whatever else the warped mind of the game’s creator has produced.
Win or lose, though, after a few hours of this, I do have to ask myself what it’s all leading to - in the real world, that is. At best, I have exercised my mind in solving problems and overcoming obstacles. At worst, I have wasted several precious hours for very little reward.
I called this blog ‘My Online Business Adventure’ because I do see it as an online adventure, and in many ways far more exciting than an online adventure game, with greater rewards.
In online games, you usually set up your own character with its various skills and personalities. This is a little like setting up your own website with its particular niche, and you can use your own ‘real’ skills to enhance your business.
Your ‘weapons’ are your marketing tools: blogging, advertising, list-building etc.
What about those goblins and dragons? Well, those are the scams out to take your money, or those people who tell you your business is a waste of time.
But these can be overcome: this is where your trusty armour comes in: common sense, honesty and developing a thick skin!
In a game, you can choose to visit different ‘areas’ and face various challenges. In the world of internet marketing there are endless subject areas that you can choose to focus on. And as you set off into the unknown, there are always a few wize wizards (or mentors) around to help you on your way.
In an online game, there is usually a forum where you can ask questions and meet other people. In an online business there are many forums where you can ask questions and meet other people.
In many online games you have the opportunity to find gold or build an empire. The world of the online business is no different - except that the gold is real and your empire is your dream that you can turn into a reality.
Someone once said that treating life like a game makes it fun and enjoyable; it allows you to take yourself and life less seriously and find problem solving easier. In the same way, treating your online business like an adventure game can spur you on to be the real hero you know you are inside.
And what do we play games for? Why, to win of course!
So, play an adventure game online for real: Use your skills to build an online business - and be a winner!
Running an online business from home is a great way to earn a part or full time income - but it is not for everyone. Contrary to the impressions some people have, it is not about getting rich quick or earning money for nothing. It is hard work. If you’ve ever wondered, What do I need to start a home business?, here are a few answers:
Patience. There’s a saying that is often used in this industry: “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” It is very true. People who sign up for an affiliate program thinking they’re going to make money overnight will be disappointed. It takes months, sometimes years before you can make good profits. That, of course, is the same in any business.
Determination. Another saying is: “There are no failures, only quitters”. There will be many times during your home business career when you come across obstacles, when things are not going as quickly as you wanted or you get overwhelmed by what needs to be done. These are the times when your strength is tested. You can choose to quit, as many do, or you can choose to be unstoppable. Which would you choose?
A Positive Mental Attitude It may have become a cliche - but it really is the best attitude to have in this business. It is necessary to focus on the positive, which will create more positivity. Focusing on the negative always brings more of the same.
A Sense of Humour Oh, yes - if you can see the funny side when things go wrong, and not take yourself too seriously, you will do well.
A Thick Skin. Inevitably you will come across people (sometimes friends) who think what you are doing is crazy, or they will criticise the program you are in, or they may even be aggressive in rejecting your business opportunity. You must be able to not take these comments personally and know that they are the ones who lose out. You have to be able to let them go and move on.
A Budget. In order to get going with an online home business, you will need a small amount of cash, but no more than $50 to $100. Setting your own monthly budget and keeping to it is very important, as it is very easy to be swayed by clever marketing. The only money you need to spend at first is for hosting a website, upgrading your affiliate program and setting up an autoresponder. All this can be done without a huge amount of capital.
All the other skills that you will need can be learned on the job, such as internet marketing skills, html, article & blog writing skills etc.
If you think that you have all the qualities listed above, you are fully qualified! It is people like you that makes this business work, and I would love to have you on my team. See my website for opportunities.
I hope this answers the question, What Do I Need to Start a Home Business?. You can find a program to suit you, and plenty more information on how to run a home business, at my website, Financial Freedom from Home.
Ros Bott
Writer, life coach and home business entrepreneur.
Working online at home? Sounds good, doesn’t it? No boss breathing down your neck, no commuting in heavy traffic, no tedious staff meetings and no-one to tick you off if you’re five minutes late. You even get to choose the brand of coffee you drink! Yet, for all its benefits, there are a few downsides, such as distractions from family and friends, self-discipline and loneliness. My article, How to Work at Home , will give you some tips on how to manage these few problems to make your experience of working at home the best it can be.
I have been working at home for about five years, and I would not want to return to working for someone else. But it can be a tricky transition to make from employment to self-employment. In particular, if you have an online business and you are not getting out of the house and meeting people you can miss the buzz of being with others all day.
For anyone working at home, especially with an online business, click HERE to go to my article, How to Work at Home.
I hope you find it useful - and please feel free to comment.
I am a career life coach and writer and I live in the UK, close to the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
I have found that affiliate marketing and the personal development industry are extremely strongly linked, which is why I have added a motivational flavour to my website (www.wealth-city.com) and the way I run my business.
Subscribe to my FREE newsletter full of tips for running an online home business - and get $147 worth of free gifts!
I have been interested in personal development for many years and I am passionate about the power of positive thought and the law of attraction. I know, through experience, that we create whatever we believe in.
I started in network marketing towards the end of 2007, and I love the amount of support and motivational material there is available for people in this business, if they are prepared to look. I am so eager to help people in this business, I also offer a motivational newsletter to anyone who signs up as an affiliate under me!
My main interest is history - particularly family history, and I write novels that usually have a historical twist.
You don’t have to have the latest model with lots of bells and whistles. However, if you are going to do this full time, you will need a broadband subscription and an email account.
I am a career life coach and writer and I live in the UK, close to the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
I have found that affiliate marketing and the personal development industry are extremely strongly linked, which is why I have added a motivational flavour to my website 
