The reason most people fail to make money on the internet is because they don’t have the knowledge and tools they need to market their business effectively and successfully. They just end up spinning their wheels because they don’t know where to start and neglect to develop and follow a consistent marketing plan. The following tips should make it easier and less frustrating for the new business builder.
Tip #1
Find a target market and serve those customers willing and able to buy. For example, a target market would be work at home entrepeneurs. This market needs the best informational products designed to help them succeed online. Ideally, this would be a great niche market to sell informational and marketing tools to.
Tip #2
A blueprint/plan is vital when you are first starting out. If you don’t have a step by step plan knowing where you’re going, it is like driving a car without a roadmap. Know where you are going. A step by step plan takes you by the hand showing you what needs to be done through daily tasks.
Tip #3
Set aside so many hours or particular days in the week as to when you are going to work on your business and stick with it. CONSISTENCY is the KEY. Treat your business like a hobby and you will get mediocre results. If you treat your business seriously expect to accomplish more than the 95% of the people who get online attempting to make a buck. There is no f-r-e-e ride. Realize that and you are ahead of the game. Stay consistent, use the best tools, and treat your business seriously.
Tip #4
Find a mentor, support person or even a support network. This is vital when you are first starting out. These people can share the wealth of their knowledge telling you what works and what doesn’t work. And they can keep you motivated. Remember, they started out just like you. Joining a community discussion group of internet marketers is another good idea. You can pick up a great deal of f-r-e-e information and have any questions answered. Support groups/mentoring is invaluable when you are first starting out.
Tip #5
Read inspirational books. I highly recommend “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. The principles in this book have been the blueprint used by some of the most successful and influential people. It has been often said that in order to be successful, learn from successful people. Join a group of like minded people. You many find these people in your community or on an online discussion board.
So to recap:
Find a target market and serve it well
Follow a blueprint
Set up a schedule as to when you will work on your business
Find a mentor or support person
Read inspirational/motivational books
E-business is booming. Almost 990 million people had internet access in June 2002. That means that 1 out of every 6 people in the world are wired to the net. And experts predict the numbers are rising. You are in the right place at the right time.
Success requires an investment in time and money. To succeed online you have to make an investment in time and money. Bottom line is that there is no f-r-e-e ride. Understand this and you are on your way to success. Above all, be patient and never give up. Through persistence, support, using the best tools and believing in yourself like the farmer who tends to his crops consistently, eventually your cash crop will come in. A good foundation is key and then consistently working on it produces results. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Never stop learning, asking questions and trying new things.
With all of this in mind you can accomplish more than what 95% of people who get online attempting to make a buck.
Judy Howard publishes Home Business Tips and an informative newsletter dedicated to supporting the home business entrepreneur. Offering top rated business opportunities, top of the line profewsional stregngth dyanmic promotional toos and helpful support. A f-r-e-e newsletter subscription is available at: http://www.judyhoward.com
A Recipe For Software (No Programming Required): Part 1Dave Brown
When I released my first software product, most people thought that I was a programmer and that I wrote it myself. But that’s just not true. You can develop hot-selling software without doing any programming at all.
I am technically a programmer. A bad programmer. I am capable of writing bad (and sometimes effective) code.
But I don’t write the software that I sell. That would be a terrible idea. It would take me infinitely longer to do it myself, and it wouldn’t be as good.
Instead, I hire someone to do it for me. Most people feel intimidated when they think about trying to find a good programmer. But it’s *far* easier than you might think.
There are a number of different web sites these days whose only purpose is to help you find quality freelance work. And they aren’t just for programming either. I’ve hired people to make graphics and write software tutorials for me. And I know people who have hired someone to write an entire book for them.
Different sites may specialize in different kinds of work. For example, there are sites that focus primarily on web-based scripts. At any rate, you can probably find someone to do whatever you need at one of these sites. So don’t worry about finding a good programmer.
Another issue that may put you off from hiring a programmer is the cost. In some cases, programmers can be expensive. $30-$50 an hour or more. But more often than not, you’ll find programmers on the freelance sites for *much* less than that. I still sometimes find it hard to believe how cheaply some people will work.
Of course, you get what you pay for. Or so they say. But that hasn’t been my experience in hiring programmers. I often get more than I pay for.
The programmer who wrote my first software product for me originally asked for $50. Granted, I had him make several changes to it after that first version that he wrote. And he ended up doing more than we had agreed on. So of course, I paid him more. But in the end, I had a marketable software product for $445. The least I’ve paid to get a program written was $20 (the programmer only wanted $10).
So as you can see, hiring a programmer is not a major expense. At least not for simple software. Complex software can cost you thousands. But if you’re not experienced at doing this, then I *strongly* recommend you start with a simple software idea. I often find that automating tedious tasks can be done with fairly simple software.
Why do these people work so cheap? The quality of the work certainly isn’t cheap. I think there are three major factors.
1. Real programmers just enjoy programming. If they can actually get paid for doing what they love, then they’re happy. And more often than not, they aren’t business people.
2. Many of the freelance workers on these sites live in countries with a low cost of living. You’ll see a lot of people from India and Romania, for example. In these cases, a good wage to them may be trivial to you (unless you also live in one of those countries).
3. Competition. When you post a project on one of these sites, you get a *lot* of people looking at it. So they’re competing with one another for your money.
One more point before I wrap this up. You can get work done *fast* when you hire someone through these freelance sites too. With the example above, I had a first draft to look at in less than 24 hours. And I believe I had a fully functional version within a week.
If you didn’t feel you were in a position to create software, then I hope I’ve changed your mind.
It’s not difficult to find a good programmer. And it can be very affordable to pay them.
Some freelance sites:
http://www.rentacoder.com (my 1st choice) http://www.scriptlance.com (mostly scripts) http://www.elance.com (more expensive, but more variety)
ef="http://www.webdesignlance.com">http://www.webdesignlance.com http://www.creativemoonlighter.com (lots of variety)
Dave Brown is a self-taught marketer and software developer. He also publishes the uncommon and uniquely original newsletter on making the most of your life – A Fresh Perspective. You can learn more at
http://www.dave-brown.com