Just A Little Advice... Part 1
When someone decides they want to start an online business, they might think all they have to do is slap up a site and wait for the money to come rolling in. If only it were that easy....but it isn't. There is a LOT of work and a LOT of learning to do when you are building an online business. In my two years on the internet I have learned many ways to help build a business and I expect I will learn a lot more! With this article, I would like to share some of the things that I have learned in building my business.
DO NOT believe the get rich quick ads. There are many scams out there hoping to find people who are looking for easy money and succumb to their promises. Some good indications of these would be.... MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS IN 6 MONTHS WITHOUT HAVING TO DO ANYTHING...yea, right!! If it sounds like a dream, it is probably a nightmare!! http://www.scambusters.org/
TREAT people with respect! I believe strongly that we should all treat others with respect and help each other as often as we can. Do not insult, embarrass or harass people if they do not agree with your views or if they do not know everything you think they should know.
EXPECT to work hard. Building an online business is something just about anyone can do, but you must be prepared to work and work hard at it. There are umpteen other businesses on the web and you must somehow make yours rise above the others. This is no easy task.
NETWORK with other people online who are starting or building an online business. Join some good discussion groups, message board communities and newsgroups. Participate in the discussions and become known and trusted in your field.
Discussion Lists - http://www.liszt.com/ Message Boards - http://www.forumone.com/ Newsgroups - http://www.dejanews.com
DO NOT SPAM! Do not bombard every email address you can find with advertisements about your business. This is one of the quickest ways to lose all credibility for yourself and your business. Send information only to people who have signed up at your site, subscribed to your ezine or have asked for information. When you post to discussion lists, message boards and newsgroups, follow all rules and guidelines. http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/nospam.html
PLAN & ORGANIZE your time. With an online business, there is a lot of work and details to stick to and writing a schedule will help you keep your time organized so all your work gets done. if you do not take the time to plan out your work, you will begin to feel overwhelmed and then you are more apt to become discouraged and feel like giving up. http://www.organizetips.com/
BUILD YOURSELF and your reputation and then build your business. You must establish yourself as someone who knows what they are doing and can be trusted. Once this is done, business will begin to grow.
BE PASSIONATE about yourself and your business. Your passion and excitement will show through to others and will reflect on your business. Your passion will also help you to keep going on the days when you feel like giving up. http://www.5passions.com/
ASK FOR HELP. Do not be afraid to ask questions. There are many others who have been in your shoes and would be glad to answer your questions and help when they can. I have made many friends and built many relationships just be asking questions of others. I have also learned a lot!
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with your customers and fellow netpreneurs. Ask for your potential customers participation on your site or in your ezine. Let them get to know you and to feel comfortable with you and your business. You can build lasting personal and business relationships without actually meeting someone. http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/counseling/relation.html
NEVER STOP LEARNING! Things are always moving and changing on the web and you have to keep on top of things. Never think that you know all you need to know. There is always more to learn!
SET GOALS that you can stick to. Divide your main goal into smaller goals or steps. By attaining these smaller goals, you will gain confidence and become more passionate about the next goal.
In part 2 of Just A Little Advice..., I will talk about building and maintaining a website and promoting your business. I hope some of this advice will help you to learn more and to get your business going.
About the author: Terri Seymour owns and operates MyOwnEzine.com MyOwnEzine.com is a website, ezine and service which provides the resources, tools, guidance and more to help you start, publish and promote your own ezine. You can contact Terri at mailto:ter02@newnorth.net Subscribe at mailto:subscribe@myownezine.com or visit http://www.myownezine.com for lots more info.