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Main Page > Starting Your Own Business

Starting your own business (especially online!) is easy - why, you could even sign up at affiliate sites like Amazon or eBay, build a website complete with affiliate links, and begin trying to generate an income that way.

Like I said, starting a business can be easy... making it profitable, however, is a whole 'nother earlobe.

So let's first commence with:

Before You Begin - MLMs are NOT "starting your own business!"

Oh my, how did the above sneak in? That's not where I was going to begin with...but the point does remain. For 99.9989% of the world's population, MLMs (otherwise known as Multilevel Marketing) are NOT "starting your own business"! Instead, it's more like "get into bankcruptcy real quick and painful-like."

All joking aside, I'm very serious here. So many times you'll see online ads that extol the virtue of your own business. Thing is, they'll never tell you upfront that it's Amway or Quixtar or Herballife or things like that.

Other folks have written far more eloquently than I can about this blight, so let me refer you there for more information.

What's Wrong with Multi Level Marketing
MLM Survivor

Now that I've gotten that off me chest, let me begin with

Before You Begin - What Starting Your Own Business Means

Starting your own business means you're the boss!

It's also means you're responsible for EVERYTHING. Like, everything. Did I mention EVERYTHING?

There's the responsibilities of ownership, marketing, production, distribution, politics, surveying, customer service, customer referrals, product returns, PR news releases, tax deadlines, and oh, did I mention EVERYTHING?

Yes? Good!

Some resources to really get a handle on what EVERYTHING entails are:

Business Owner's Toolkit
Starting an e-Business
US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Toolkit
FindLaw for Small Business

'tis alot more than you would think, eh? I would agree.

It's a lot of work. But what kind of business would be the best to own? It really depends upon you and your circumstances of course...what's your temperment? Will you wilt or blossom under pressure? If problems arise, can you recognize when to change direction, or would you simply keep bashing your head against a wall because it feels so good when you stop?

Well?

I certainly cannot answer that for you...you must be strictly honest with yourself. But in the meanwhile, let me go over the following types of businesses: ebusiness (ie, online), work-at-home, and franchises.

Step 1 - eBusiness

Make money from your computer!

Ummm, it doesn't quite work that way. Instead you make money via using your computer to interact with the rest of the world. It's like saying, make money from your car! because it's your car that gets you to the office, where you can then do the work for which you're paid.

Making money from the Internet simply means getting paid by some sort of interaction with the Internet. It could be:

Affiliate marketing - you put affiliate links from Amazon on your site - if someone clicks thru and buys an item you get anywhere from 5 to 10% of the sales price as a commission.
Writing an ebook and then selling it - people will pay for targeted knowledge. Do you know how to run a day-care business? Or teach your pet not to bark? Or how to build a home projection TV area? If so, you can write and market a book about it. My colleague wrote 18 books, one of them being Sell More Model Horses on eBay.
Creating a paid membership site - in this scenario, you have bunches of valuable resources for which people are willing to pay a monthly fee to access.
Selling products online - do you craft or build things other folks would like? You can build a website online and actively sell them even without a merchant account (you could simply use Paypal (which of course does take a cut of the proceeds)).
Selling services online - are you a trainer in Internet recruiting, or can you tutor kids in math? Perhaps you know how to train cats to fetch? Whatever your skills are, you can use the Internet to set up a trainer's site and schedule classes and the like.

Sounds intriguing? Well if so, some of the resources to learn more include:

Web Marketing Today - since 1995, highly recommended resource
Site Sell - ecommerce for the rest of us, it takes you by the hand to build your own ebusiness site.
Online Business 101 - from About.com, lots of articles
eBusiness - from Entrepreneur.com

Now let's tackle:

Step 2 - Work At Home

Have you ever seen those "Make $3,000/hour working at your home" signs tacked onto telephone poles?

Never ever ever ever ever ever EVER get taken in by them! It's probably Herbalife (another MLM). You can read more Cockeyed.com presents: Work at Home and Be A Sucker!. Go there now and return only after you've read the articles!! It's truly a must-read that will arm yourself with money-saving knowledge.

Back again? Great! Let's now talk about REAL valid work at home opportunities.

A really great comprehensive resource for that can be found at Home Business Ideas: Work at Home. From Entrepreneur.com, it lists dozens of home based businesses that you can start. Very useful.

Another great way to find valuable help is to network with those already doing it. Consider the following discussion boards - you might find some gems of wisdom there.

What I like about the boards above is that you can post your questions regarding opportunities online....and receive quite useful input in return. By taking the time to research and question all potential home-based businesses, you're far less likely to be taken in by a scam.

Want to read more? Consider:

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The above are several ways to find working from home and being your own boss. Another option to consider is:

Step 3 - Franchises

Compared to other be-your-own-boss opportunities franchises require an initial investment. That's to be expected - ideally, you're given a proven business plan, you'll be selling a known brand, you'll have access to tools for targeted marketing and all those thingees.

Before starting a franchise, of course you should determine if you've got the mentality to run one. Some franchise quizzes can be found at:

Are You Suited To Become a Franchisee?
Is Franchising Right For You?
Focus On Franchising

Next, you need to decide just what franchise opportunity you want to investigate! Useful resources for that can be found at

Some excellent books to consider are:

For More Information

Business startups can be quite draining but ultimately quite rewarding as well. For more information, consider:

SBA Startup Basics - from the United States Small Business Administration, this site has reams of free information regarding starting and making your business grow.
FindLaw's Starting a Business - topics include the first steps, business plans, financing, permits and more
Startup Journal - from the Wall Street Journale, a plethora of startup business rsources.

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