It is no surprise whether you are retiring and looking for another career, or whether you’re stuck with this economy, more and more people are looking to start home based businesses.  This article by Cheryl Kimball and Entrepreneur Press list 55 business startup ideas. These are separated into 3 categories:

• Startups under $1500
• Startups under $3000
• Startups Over $3000 (but might not exceed $5000)

It’s worth looking at because they don’t just list the idea, but provide a short comment on how to get started.  It was interesting though, that I didn’t see much having to do with online marketing, most were service related.  Lots of great food for thought though!  Visit: www.businessonmain.msn.com

Until next time, J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

Welcome back to the last part of how to start a side business without quitting your day job….

6.    Plan to act.

You now have all of the tools needed to get create a plan of action for your business idea(s). You may have 3 options or more on your list. Continuing with the exercises presented in this article learn more about what’s needed for your business. See what additional skills are needed to get started. Find out what fees and licensing if any are needed to get started with your business. Add additional columns if needed to your checklist so you can visually see the results.

Start a second page to make notes of your plan of action after completing your research. This is where you will list all of your tasks needed to achieve your objectives. You’ll also want to set small milestones for yourself so you can chart your progress.

As you are starting your side business share it with your immediate family as you’ll need their complete support. Only start sharing your plans outside of your immediate family when you are clear on what you want and have mapped out a plan. Most people don’t get started in business because of fears: fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of success. Imagine if you shared your excitement about your business idea with someone who was in this category.

They may try to talk you out of it or make you think your idea will not work. There are many multi-million dollar businesses that would have never taken flight had they shared the idea early on. Remember we pay for bottled water when it comes freely out of the faucet. Whoever initiated this business idea could have easily been discouraged because why would people pay for something they can get for free. You get the idea!

Here are the six critical steps to get you on your way to starting a side business without quitting your day job:

• Exercise #1: Create list of things you are passionate about.
• Exercise #2: Determine what time you have available to commit to your business.
• Exercise #3: Determine what funds you have available to invest in your business.
• Exercise #4: Rate your business ideas on a scale 1 to 5 with 5 being the most time needed. And rate your business ideas on a scale 1 to 5 with 5 being the most money needed to start.

• ·  Make a list of skills you need in order to start your business.

·    Exercise #6: Create a plan of action.
Being a business owner is not easy, yet it is most rewarding when you have carefully selected the business that works best for you, your family, and your lifestyle. With these steps you can identify business opportunities that work best for you and allow you to keep your day job. It is possible to start a side business and work full-time. In today’s economy building your nest egg is now up to you and the only way to make it grow the way you want is to start your own business.

I wish you much success in determining what your new venture may be, and if I can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

Who hasn’t heard of Tony Robbins and his ability to coach his students to accomplish their visions?  Pair that up with two self made internet marketing millionaires, Frank Kern and John Reese, and you get a very high energy discussion!

Here’s the three of them discussing the common denominator and traits that successful people have in common, and what you can do to accomplish the same.

If you have any dreams and visions you are absolutely sure you want to achieve, set aside 38 minutes to watch this video.  You’ll not regret taking the time.

Quit settling and take action to be all you can be!

Until next time, J.

“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

Though Affiliate marketing has been around for some time, it has taken on serious proportions recently with large brand names coming on board. The idea is to develop a chain of affiliates which prominently feature your ad on their networks of web properties. Click-throughs are awarded by a base rate and share in the sale that the affiliate manages to generate from that user. Players in affiliate market is the merchant selling the products, publisher of the ad (can be the merchant or third party), the Affiliated business and finally the user or the potential buyer.

There are many people who are making serious money by marketing and selling other peoples products.  A couple of the larger groups you can look into becoming an affiliate marketer for are:

• www.Amazon.com

• www.Clickbank.com

• www.cj.com (Comission Junction)

Do you have others to add to this list that others may be interested in knowing about?

Come back next week for more ABC’s of Online Marketing!

Sometimes, your reasons for being in a particular line of work can be big enough, but you still may need help in achieving them. One way is to diversify your sources of income. Creating multiple streams of income is not a new idea, however, given the number of opportunities available out there today, it’s an idea that’s taken on a life of its own.

Multiple income streams are especially good if you are freelancing or setting out to start a new business venture. While it’s important to invest your major focus and energy on the new project; it’s equally important to have additional means of generating income, to tide your over or give your business the extra financial boost is may need.

There are a number of ways to increase your income via multiple streams:

1. Have multiple clients: This should be the rule of thumb, but it’s all the more important if you are new to a business. Many contractors or consultants rely on one client to pay the bill. But multiple clientele are crucial to business survival as they prevent you from putting all your eggs into one basket.

2. Consider a part-time job: This could mean taking on a contracted paying job such as teaching at a community center or acting as a part-time consultant for a company. Contracting in your area of specialization will also add weight to your current venture.

3. Become a coach: If your work is such that coaching others is an option, then this is an exciting possibility to consider. Coaching can also be very self-satisfying and the teaching aspect will ensure you keep on top of your game.

4. Consider various online marketing products or services such as affiliate marketing: You may need to wade through a number of different options before you hit upon something that works for you. But it can prove to be worth it once you actually start making money. The trick is to tie your new product or service in with the offer you are promoting so that it blends in effortessly and also draws people to your site.  Funded proposals also are a good way to increase your income (more on this in another post).

5. Consider diversifying: You could also consider offering a lot more services under the banner of your company. If you are a graphic design firm for example, could you add on website consulting services? If you are selling online marketing consultation services, could you begin to offer group coaching?

While multiple income may be the answer you are looking for, remember that to succeed you still need to maintain a telescopic focus on your primary venture. This may at times prove to be more difficult than you had anticipated. Robert Kiyosaki and Robert Allen are key to bringing the concept of multiple income to the masses; however, this is not a new concept. Reading books, taking courses and getting inspired from those who have already done it successfully before you are the ways you will ensure your selected choices work for you.

Until next time,  J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”