For me, being able to successfully start a small business online with minimal hassle and confusion, came down to asking the right question.
Unfortunately, many beginners who decide to venture into the online business world, usually in an honest attempt to learn how to make money, get caught up in some get-rich-quick scheme which promises fast riches, minimal work, and a cozy lifestyle.
Some of the questions I would avoid asking include:
- “How can I get rich fast online?”
- “How can I make money overnight?”
- “What is the easiest way to make money from home?”
You’re starting a business, not playing the lottery!
It’s perfectly fine to want to be able to spend more time with family, make money, or even work on your own terms. But realize all of these things are usually an END result of starting your own small business.
Asking The Right Questions
I feel better questions would be:
- “Who am I looking to help/Who is my audience?”
- “What are my interests/What am I skilled at?”
You can translate just about any interest/skill/passion into an online business. Earning money and being able to ‘be your own boss’ can be a result of a successful online business.
Don’t forget to factor in that it is people who will ultimately be bringing you business and allow you to grow.
The question that I asked and that started this whole thing for me – “how are people able to earn money through a website”.
I say that I was able to avoid all of the hassle and confusion because I am aware of the many scams out there.
Fortunately, based on asking the right question, I came across some genuine answers and eventually, a learning center which taught me just about everything I know about online business and earning through my very own website.
Realize that to start a small business online there is real work involved. There are no exceptions just because you are on the internet – (though rather cost friendly as opposed to your traditional brick and mortar business.)
No push-button, 90% done for you, ‘expensive car and huge house’ flaunting program is going to do all of the work for you.
The good news is that there are places online that genuinely teach and help others, learn how to start their own small business.
Steps To Start A Small Business Online
I’m going to try and break this down into 4 simple steps, the first is deciding on a niche.
Step #1 – Who’s your audience?
The first step is to determine a niche. This is a word you probably hear being used often.
A niche can be defined as – a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service. Simply put, an audience.
There are literally MILLIONS of different potential niches that you could tap into online. I suggest choosing a niche you are passionate about.
What are your interests? Your hobbies? What excites or motivates you when you think about it?
This very well could be a niche for you.
Step #2 – Create a website
If you want to establish a long-term business on the internet, what better way of doing so than creating your own website.
For those unfamiliar with building a website, it is not that complicated to do.
Your website is the foundation of your business. Whether you are selling physical or digital products, want people to find you on Facebook, want to spread a message, having your own website is ideal for an online business.
Step #3 – Get people to your website
There are a variety of ways to attract actual people to your website. Both free and paid.
A couple examples of paid advertising would be through Google Adwords or Facebook Ads.
A bonus when using paid advertising (when done right) is that it allows you to send traffic directly to your sales page or any page of the website of your choosing.
Then, there are also free methods of driving traffic to your website. One example would be SEO. Another would be social media.
SEO when done right, could help your website rank on the first page of the search engines (like Google) for certain search terms (or keywords). When people search these terms using Google, for example, your website could appear bringing in visitors to your website.
Step #4 – Earn Revenue
There are a variety of ways in which one can earn money through a website.
From placing ads on your website to affiliate marketing to creating your own products, to selling your website. You have options.
You can learn more about these business models here: Our 6 Favorite methods for earning online.
Create Your Own Online Business Today
I found an excellent community named Wealthy Affiliate which ultimately has allowed me to work from home full-time.
I will also like to add that I am no internet “guru” or millionaire, nor do I pretend to be.
However, bills are paid, everyone is eating, we live comfortably, and I LOVE working from home on my own schedule – with no boss.
For those who are interested in earning online, realize this can be a reality for you too. Just be prepared to learn new things and work for it!
If you decide to join Wealthy Affiliate or WA, you will notice classrooms, training modules, a Live Chat with other members chatting away, different tools to help you build an online business.
Some of these things you may not understand right away, which is OK. (I didn’t understand EVERYTHING right away either).
With Wealthy Affiliate, not only will you learn the steps to creating an online business above in more detail, it’s also free to create an account and begin the first level of training – they do have a Premium option which costs around $49 per month.
I suggest you try the free membership first to see if it’s right for you. There’s no credit card needed to create your free account.
You can learn more about WA in a full review here.
