Considering Starting an Online Presence

Things You Need To Think About First

One of the first things that you should bear in mind when setting up an online business of any sort, is that you must treat it as just that – a business. Getting your foundation or structure in order and your tax structure in place is vital. If you want it to succeed you must treat it as if it were already successful. Do you want to incorporate, or are you in a partnership however you set it up get a tax structure in place. Do not try to get away without paying taxes as this will hurt you in the long run. Starting a business is the best tax shelter there is but everything must be in place. This means that you must be prepared to put in the time and effort in order to reap the rewards, even if you are only starting it as a part time venture at first. Most businesses that fail, fail because of getting started carelessly and skipping the foundation.
Be aware that as in all business ventures you must invest money and a lot of time into it. You cannot simply build a website and sit back waiting for dollars to roll in. It just doesn’t happen that way no matter what the ads tell you. You do not need to put in large amounts of money. In fact, online stores are much less expensive to start up compared the cost involved in a brick-and-mortar store. Time is another matter. It will take time and if you are not internet savvy be prepared for a huge learning curve.
The best place to begin is by picking what you like from the existing successful online business models already out there. So talk to others who have already made money in the niche that you have chosen, and then study, then implement the steps that they took to make it successful. So now you need to think about just what sort of business it is you like to run. It is a good idea to start an online business based on knowledge and experience that you have already, what are your hobbies, what industry do you currently work in and how can you bring it to an online presence. One of the most important things that you can do is research, research and more research. Who is your competition, and how many people are searching for your product or service.
You do not need to work from home, but this a convenience many online business people prefer. You must be a self starter, and not get tied up with thoughts of things that need doing around the home just because you are there. Think of your home office as you would an office you travel to. Be professional in both your attitude and your work environment. If you follow these suggestions and treat your new venture with the respect it deserves it will put you on the path to a successful business venture.

E-commerce & what to offer.

I started my e-commerce presence earlier this year, after facing layoffs from the faltering construction and housing industry. In this troubled economy with high fuel prices and rising food costs I believe that online shopping is the green way to go, as it saves gas, money and time.
The most important part of getting started in ecommerce is BRAINSTORMING. So simple, yet very powerful. Many people do not get the full benefit from brainstorming because they forget the most important thing, no judgemental thinking. So get out the pads and paper and get friends or family or both and write a list of everything you love, are familiar with, work experience and hobbies. If needed start with a fun mind game to loosen your mind, like listing all the uses you can think of for a paperclip, other than the obvious. See if you can think of twenty-five different uses, and remember don't leave out something because you think it is silly because that is judgemental thinking.
Okay so now you have your list of ideas that you can start to work with. You will be surprised at what pops up in these brainstorming sessions.