Are you a creative person? Have you ever thought, “I would like to create my own online business?” If you have you are part of a generation of entrepreneurs who are reshaping commerce as we understand it. Let me share with you a few thoughts on how you can start your own online business
Where to begin
Let us assess where you are. We can assume that you have a computer or a computer-like device since you are reading this. Hopefully, you also have an email address. We are also accepting that you have access to the internet. For a business, it would be best that you have your own personal access.
From the standpoint of the computer device, it should have adequate memory. That memory should be at least 100 Gb in ROM and 4 Gb in RAM. It is recommended that you have a processor of at least 2 GHz or higher. If your computer is no older than 5 years old you should be fine. You can check those parameters out by checking your computer Systems.
If everything checks out, you should be ready to continue preparing to set up your online business.
Defining the scope
You may not have an idea as to what platform you would like to build your business on. Do you want to sell a product or products? Or, will you be providing a service? Maybe you would like to promote someone else’s product or service.
Let me make a recommendation before you decide. Whatever platform you choose, make the product or service something that you are passionate about. Very few people can sell or promote something that they have little interest in. But, the worst salesman can sell you on something about which they are passionate.
So, in the beginning, choose a field or product that you can talk about all day. Let it be a subject that you can talk about tirelessly. If you do that, you will have made the first step to your success in online business.
What business platform will I use
There are many platforms that you may choose from to start your online business. I’ll list just a few.
- Auction and sales sites such as Bonanza and Ebay
- Your own niche store that you get through Shopify or Volusion
- Your own online store with products from suppliers
- Services you provide related to internet products and help
- Software for internet and computer service
If you are not familiar with how these platforms work you may need to get help setting them up. All of the above are viable opportunities for building a good online business.
Auction – Sales
The auction sites are usually Free and only charge you when you make a sale. They usually recommend or require that you have a Paypal account. When you make a sale they extract a percentage (usually 10% to 18%) of the total sale. If you can find the right products with the right markups you can do well on this platform.
Niche stores
If you choose to build a niche store you can check with Shopify or Volusion. These are two of the most prominent, but there are others. These platforms are set up for you and you pay a monthly fee and maintain your store. Depending on your knowledge level, you may have to purchase additional help, which they provide.
Your own store
Maybe you have a particular product or products that you would like to sell online. These may range from “duck callers” to “dog whistles”. Some people have made lots of money off just these things. Whatever product you decide, you will need to be able to set up your site or have someone set it up. You will also need to maintain and update your site regularly. If you do not, you will have to pay someone who will.
Dropshippers
Most if not all of the platforms above will require you to ally yourself with a dropshipper. What is a dropshipper? Well, a dropshipper is a supplier that you work with who supplies the products you sell. Typically, you have a wholesale account with the dropshipper. He in return gives you access to the wholesale prices of the products he handles.
You can list his products for sale on your site at a retail price. That price usually will cover the wholesale price and the cost of shipping, plus your profit. When you make a sale, you pay the dropshipper the wholesale price plus the shipping. You keep the difference as your profit. The dropshipper then prepares and ships the product to the address you tell him.
This is especially convenient for auctions and stores and sales sites.
Paypal
I mentioned earlier about having a Paypal account. Before you can launch any of the above you will need at least a Paypal account. It would be wise to have a bank account of some type, also.
The best way how to start my online business
All the mentioned ways above are good online business types. But, if you like to have your own business and your freedom, too, I have an alternative. That alternative is “affiliate marketing”.
Why do I recommend “affiliate marketing”? First of all, it is a proven product that millions have used over the past 20 years. Practically everyone who has built a business on affiliate marketing has realized success to one degree or another. It is a platform built on knowledge and persistent patient work.
Affiliate marketing allows a person to work at his or her own rate. If you have unlimited time you can build your business in just a few months. If you are limited in your time at first, it may take a little longer. For some, it may take a year or more. Others may see results in just a few months. Just as in any business, patience and persistence must be exercised.
Create my own online business in affiliate marketing
We showed you above how almost all online type businesses will cost you money to begin. The same is true even in affiliate marketing. But it is not the same costs everywhere.
Sellers of affiliate marketing sites
There are some promoters who will sell you an affiliate marketing site. It will be set up with an affiliate like Amazon or Walmart. Sounds great, doesn’t it? They actually do provide you with the site and the products and the connection to Amazon or Walmart. What they do not provide is the knowledge of how to maintain the site. Nor do they tell you how to attract views to your site.
Many sellers of affiliate marketing sites will promise you that you will make money fast. I have personally experienced the falsity of such a promise. The fact of an affiliate marketing site does not guarantee anything. There must be something that attracts people to the site.
I do not recommend buying a ready-made affiliate marketing site!
What I do recommend for creating my own online business
There is a reputable and proven way of building your own affiliate marketing business as an online business. That platform is one that is called Wealthy Affiliate. Why can I recommend them? I can recommend them because I tried some of the other platforms and was taken advantage of.
Wealthy Affiliate
Wealthy Affiliate is not just a product you buy and then hope it works. This program has been providing knowledge and opportunity for almost 15 years to over a million and a half people. It is not just a one-time presentation and then you are on your own. No! It is a continuing education in how to build a business online.
Wealthy Affiliate is continually being updated as the internet evolves and changes. You will be kept abreast of all the internet changes and updates. New tools are being developed on a regular basis. New and better services are always being added.
Support and knowledge bases are always up to date. If you have a question the answer is only 15 or 20 minutes away. Support is available 24 hours a day.
What do you get
I mentioned above that there is 24-hour support. That is a great plus. But, even better there is a continually growing archive of tutorials and videos. These cover any and all areas that might pertain to building your business.
I mentioned above how some promoters give you a site and then you are on your own. At Wealthy Affiliate, you get up to 25 FREE websites to build your business on. You can also purchase additional websites and Wealthy Affiliate will host them for Free.
The structured tutorials and lessons will teach you how to build your websites and maintain them. You will not have to pay someone or wait for someone to help you. With the knowledge you gain you will be in total control of your business site.
You will learn how to attract traffic to your site. Then you will know how to direct them to your affiliate businesses. You will be your own boss and run your own business.
Wealthy Affiliate cost
So, how much will Wealthy Affiliate cost me? To begin, it will cost you nothing but your email address. Everyone begins Wealthy Affiliate as a FREE member. Then, after the FREE membership “test drive” you can decide of this program is for you.
With the FREE membership, you will receive 10 Free lessons on how to build and launch your affiliate website. To do that you will receive two Free websites that are hosted for Free by Wealthy Affiliate. After launching your website you should have a pretty good idea if Wealthy Affiliate is for you.
So, to join is FREE! But you will need to register an email address. If you decide to join you will purchase a PREMIUM membership. With that membership, you will have access to all the tools of Wealthy Affiliate.
DO IT NOW!The cost of the PREMIUM membership is $49 a month, or you can save by buying a yearly membership. The benefits of the PREMIUM membership are too numerous to list here. But I will give you a chart down below that shows what you do receive compared to the FREE membership.
The $49 a month is a fraction of what it would cost to get all the services of Wealthy Affiliate. If you purchased each service separately it would cost over a $1000 a month.
A proverb
An old proverb says that “Every great journey begins with the first step”. By joining the FREE Membership of Wealthy Affiliate you can begin your great journey. You can begin and fulfill the dream to “Create my own online business”.
It is absolutely free! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. BEGIN NOW!
