Let’s talk about Business. A REAL business. The kind you see when you go “shopping” offline. And how it compares to an online business.
If you were setting up a business in the local shopping area, you would do certain things. It’s the same in an online business. So let’s see how they compare.
1. Sign a lease for space (called hosting)
2. Put up a sign with the name of your business (website)
3. Hire help – after all, you can’t be at the store all of the hours that it is open. You have errands to run, meals to eat, and a couple of breaks to take. So you need help. (It’s called outsourcing in the online world – or hiring a webmaster or virtual assistant.)
4. Get your product or service ready. Those are really the only two things you can sell – a product or a service. (In the online world, it’s the same. You can sell a product. Or you can sell a service. But you have to sell SOMEthing – or you can’t make any money.)
[tbpspa]5. Advertise. After all, until you advertise the only people who know you are IN business are the ones who “happen” to pass by your store – and then only if they notice it. (In the online world the chances of someone “happening” to find your website are 1 in several million. So advertising is crucial. Yet so many people are looking for the “free” solution – to build a business that pays real money.)
6. Keep the business operating at a profit. Once you’re set up and open for business, you can’t just sit there hoping “they will come.” You need to take action. You’ll be
- networking at local events (social media)
- visiting related businesses to set up cross-promotional efforts (aka affiliates and joint ventures)
- attending classes to improve your skills (taking online courses)
- bidding on big contracts to expand your business
- hiring expert coaches
- speaking at local events (webinars and teleseminars)
- writing press releases
and so much more just to advertise the business!
And that doesn’t even count the time you spend on “operations” – bookkeeping, personnel, taxes, and keeping it all working smoothly.
At this point you may be thinking – whew! I’m so glad I’ve chosen an online business where I don’t have to worry about all of that.
But the truth is, other than the physical location, an online business has exactly the same aspects to it as a “brick and mortar” business. But it has the added challenge of changing technology – and the isolation of working alone.
Start building YOUR team for your online business by getting answers to your questions, as they come up. You won’t go wrong by listening to a 15-year expert in online business answer YOUR questions. AskJeanetteCates.com
