Communicating with customers and other businesses has changed dramatically
Over the past century. It started with print, then radio, television, phone,
and fax, and now all of us are operating in the fastest medium yet—the Internet.
The future is bright for businesses that utilize the Net as a primary medium
of communication and sales.
The number of Internet users and the amount of business done online around
the world is growing at a staggering rate. The world’s population currently
holds well over 1 billion Internet users, and the majority of these web-savvy
humans have online access at home. They research, study, e-mail, chat, download
podcasts, and shop online.
Why question the amazing rate at which the average business is moving
onto the Net? It makes too much sense to deny the obvious answer. Having a
business online is the opportunity of our lifetime. Besides the greatly expanded
market reach afforded by the Net, there is also the reduced cost of doing business
online. Look at all the time, money, trees, and travel costs that are spared
from the average business’s operating budget due to this new medium. The
collective business world realizes the bounty of opportunity to be seized in
cyberspace.
All businesses that have a Web presence are seeing the advantages of selling
online. They are committing more and more of their marketing dollars to online
activities, where they are seeing a greater return on investment.
Expansion of the Internet into all business and personal communications is
inevitable. What was once considered a trend is becoming the norm. Overall
familiarity and trust in online transactions and consumer relationships improve
each month as new security-based technologies are developed. New media support
groups hasten the learning curve of the average Internet user, a factor that
earlier had hindered the speed at which consumers feel confident enough in
their own understanding of the Web to make money-related decisions based on
their own online research. The time is now for everyone to get online. In our
lifetime, “newbies” will cease to exist.
The future is really bright, so put on your shades and a thinking cap! Hot
items are software, music, books, electronics, and travel. Broadening the gamut
of goods sold online will happen quickly.
The opportunity is there for you to create a dynamite business online if you
do it right. It’s not a matter of throwing a Web site together, putting it online,
and having the world beat a path to your door. You have to choose the right
business, develop the right Web site for your target market, and build substantial
traffic to your Web site. The online customer is extremely demanding, with
expectations that exceed those of the offline buyer in many ways. Online buyers
want what they want, how they want it, when they want it, at the right
price.
The product and service must be exactly what they ordered, delivered
immediately to the correct place and for the lowest price they can find. Competition
is fierce, so you have to create a professional and secure online presence
for your business, target the demographic of Internet users with an affinity for
your product or service, and work diligently to attract traffic. Serious marketing
research is required to successfully access and captivate these eyeballs.
It’s a challenge, but the opportunity is substantial. Many who have gone
before you are reaping the benefits today. This book will provide you with a
myriad of online business ideas for your consideration.
“What are the benefits of this new age?” you ask. Today and in the future,
personal lifestyle plays a significant part in career choice. Perhaps you have no
inclination to commute in traffic each working day. Maybe you want more
time with your family. If your dream is to be self-employed, this is your era!
Run a successful global business from an island in the Caribbean or from
the comfort of your living room. Hours are flexible, and the business is operational
24 hours a day, all year round. No matter how small your business is, if
you set it up correctly, you can compete with the big boys.
Before embarking on an e-business venture, it is very important that you
very clearly define your objectives. Take your time—brainstorm with family
and friends. Find out what’s really important to you, and then find a business
that you can build that will help you achieve those objectives. Starting a business,
online or offline, is serious business. Without adequate preparation in
defining your objectives, researching for the best business for you, and then
developing an adequate business plan, you are asking for problems.
When you are defining your objectives, you will have to ask yourself a
series of pertinent questions. What type of time commitment do you foresee?
Do you want this to be a full-time or a part-time endeavor? The options are
wide open. Many online businesses are ideal for extra income to leverage your
regular salary and make the budget of daily life easier to manage. The beauty of
working online is that it’s sustainable without having to quit your regular job if
you don’t want to. The point is that you should allocate in your business plan
how much time you are willing to spend on the venture, and then you can
decide which online businesses fit with the time you are willing to invest.
Would you prefer to work out of your home or have an outside office?
Where you work is important too. For many, a major benefit of having an
online business is the luxury of working from home. Another advantage is to
work while you travel or from remote areas. Not all online businesses guarantee
complete mobility and staying home, but you can decide on these critical
lifestyle options before choosing which specific online avenue to pursue. It’s all
up to you—for a change.
If you already have a physical “bricks-and-mortar” business location, do
you want to use the Web as a marketing outlet? There are many ways to run a
successful online business. Traditional storefronts and catalogues can be mirrored
on the Web site, which expands the sales capacity significantly, but you
must make sure that there is enough inventory and internal organization to
accept, fill, and deliver incoming orders. The other option if you have an existing
bricks-and-mortar setup is to use the Web site as a responsive marketing
force and information source for your business. The design and content should
urge customers to come to your location and return to your site.
What kind of start-up costs are you considering? Budget is everything. Research
the investment you will have to put into the Web site. Ask around to see
how much people are spending on their online presence, and remember that
you can grow gradually as funds and profits permit with an online business.
There is no rule saying you have to spend everything you’ve got in the beginning
to succeed in the long term.
Would you like to develop an idea and sell it, or sustain the management
and grow the business in the future?
Want to run your business from home but not have to be there 24/7 to
answer the phone? No problem! For every challenge there is an opportunity.
There are companies that will answer and screen your calls based on scripts
you provide, provide information to your callers, take your orders and messages,
and offer a whole myriad of professional and personal services; they can
even screen and respond to your e-mail and fax messages, do research for you,
and provide a ton of administrative services. One such company that I am affiliated
with is PatLive. I have arranged a special deal for any of my readers
who are interested in this service—go to http://www.patlive.com/signup/ssc for
this special offer if this is something you might be interested in.
What is your risk comfort level? Trying anything new is slightly nervy. Just
remember that if you embark on the online journey now, you share a common
technology learning curve with those who remember what it was like before the
Internet existed. Soon this group will be extinct, so this is the time to go for it!
What are your revenue and profit expectations? (Fun question, isn’t it?)
How rich do you want to be? Seriously, there is huge potential for major profit
in online business. While picking the right virtual business for you, make sure
to factor in the start-up costs and continuing operating costs. Begin with a
modest revenue projection (to stay on the safe side), and if the result pleases
you, stick with it.
Do you want employees, or are you looking for a business you can start and
maintain on your own? If you are planning to have a staff to run your business,
how many are you comfortable with? Employees are an added responsibility. If
the online business you choose to enter requires employees, make sure you are
prepared. What do you know? What are you comfortable with? What do you
enjoy? If you are going to be spending lots of hours in your new e-business, it
might as well be doing something you enjoy.
Once these questions have been answered and you have done a lot of soulsearching
with regard to defining your objectives, it is time to take a closer look
at all the e-business opportunities that are available to you. The next chapter
offers this closer look.
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