Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning

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Live the New American Dream! If you want to break away from rigid schedules, unappreciative bosses, and soul-sapping commutes, this book is for you. Today’s Internet offers the golden business opportunities of our lifetimes. Running your own e-Business from home is the new American dream. But what kinds of Internet businesses work? Which one fits my needs and interests? How do I get started? You will learn the answers to these questions and countless others in the freshly updated Second Edition of this popular book. 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home starts by helping you look inward and define what’s important to you (e.g., time with family, flexible schedule, money, part time vs. full time, risk level, etc.). This leads into an overview of how online business works followed by profiles of 101 proven Internet business ideas which will fuel your entrepreneurial thinking and help you pick just the right Internet business for you. Best-selling author Susan Sweeney has built her own successful Internet businesses and helped hundreds of others succeed online. She knows what you need to know, and in this book she shares many things that are vital to your success. Each book comes with a password that enables you to enter the companion Web site. This site is filled with the latest Internet business news, expanded information, and additional online resources of interest to Internet entrepreneurs. Buy this book and start planning today! $29.95 US ($35.95 Canada) Business/Internet Distributed by Independent Publishers Group (IPG) 605 Silverthorn Road Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 (850) 934-0819 www.maxpress.com This Book Will Help You: • Come up with the best e- Business idea for you • See how to get started right away • Understand what it takes to make your e-Business really work • Start making money from the comfort of your own home • Effectively promote your e-Business to maximize success • Stay current and get support through the “members only” companion Web site About the Author Susan Sweeney, CA, is a partner in VERB Interactive and a renowned industry expert on Internet marketing topics. She is the author of other leading books including 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site, 3G Marketing on the Internet, and The e-Business Formula for Success. She has developed the Internet Marketing Boot Camp, webinars, seminars on CD, Internet Marketing Training Programs, and e-books related to Internet marketing. Besides being a well- known author, Susan is a CA (Chartered Accountant) and a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional). She is a frequent speaker on Internet marketing at many conferences, corporate seminars, workshops, and events. Susan lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia, and Ft. Myers, Florida. “ .great resource on starting a home-based Internet business. It is filled with lots of great tips on selecting the business that is right for you, building your site, e-Business model selection and getting lots of visitors to your Web site.” —Tony Sasso, Novanemedia.com “101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to start an Internet-based business. It not only includes many business ideas but also includes great information on building a top-notch Web site and generating lots of traffic to it. Read it! I give it a 10!” —Dr. Harvey Silverstein, Concentrics Communications 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home Second Edition Sweeney “I love this book! It will get you started on your successful home- based business in no time…” — Maurice Muise Gemma Group, www.gemmagroup.com Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning By: Joe Tye “You look worried again, Charlie What is it this time?” It took Charlie a moment to reorient himself from the inner world in which he’d been mentally wandering back to the outer world through which he was now walking Emerging from the deep pit of his anxieties into the magnificent cathedral of the Grand Canyon took his breath away The desert breeze played softly through his hair as the sun warmed his face, sending a tingle down his spine Even after four days of hiking, Charlie was still overwhelmed by the vast splendor of this greatest of all places for spiritual awakening “Did you see the bighorn sheep looking down at us from the butte back half a mile or so? Or that pair of hawks circling the pinnacle across the river?” Mitch Matsui had been one of Charlie’s best friends since their days at St Johns He was the class philosopher, and over the years Charlie had always consulted with him on important decisions After school, Mitch had passed up many lucrative opportunities in the business world to stay on and teach at the college If his classmates had ever felt sorry for Mitch struggling to get by on a teacher’s salary, they didn’t anymore His first book of poetry, Live Your Dreams Before They Come True, was an international bestseller, as were the sequels, and he now had more invitations for speaking engagements than he could possibly accept Through all his success, Mitch remained the humble philosopher he’d always been He didn’t even take credit for the book “I was just lucky enough to be the official translator for the poetry of McZen,” he’d say, though no one really believed that McZen was anything other than a figment of Mitch’s imagination It had been Mitch’s idea to go hiking in the Grand Canyon Charlie was struggling with whether to follow his dreams and go into business for himself or to give in to his fears and doubts and get a “real job.” Mitch suggested that a week in the desert would help him focus on his priorities 1/12 Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning “Well?” Like an alarm clock coming back to life after the snooze button had timed out, Mitch again dragged Charlie away from his inner thoughts “What are you worrying about this time? What mental weight is so heavy that it’s keeping you from appreciating…” and here Mitch simply spread his arms as if to symbolically capture the grandeur that stretched out in every direction “Oh, nothing,” Charlie replied “I was just thinking about how my being unemployed has affected my family.” Mitch took several steps off the trail and picked up a chunk of granite that Charlie guessed weighed nearly a pound He tossed it up and down a few times, as though weighing it, then said, “This seems to be about the right size for that worry.” Mitch walked over to Charlie and unzipped the lower compartment of his backpack “Oh man,” Charlie groaned, “I don’t need to carry another rock!” “You certainly don’t,” Mitch agreed, “which makes me wonder why you go out of your way to pick them up.” Mitch put the rock in Charlie’s backpack, jamming it sideways into the small quarry that had been gradually accumulating over the past several days At the start of their trek, Charlie had agreed to go along with one of Mitch’s wild ideas Every time he caught Charlie worrying, Mitch would pick up a stone and put it into his friend’s backpack Carrying those rocks around would be a metaphor for the emotional weight of all of the worries with which Charlie had burdened himself Now, Charlie regretted the decision His shoulders ached under the burden of more than 20 rocks of various sizes, and each new stone seemed disproportionately heavier than previous rocks of the same size While Mitch bounded across the trail as though his backpack was filled with helium balloons, Charlie felt like one of the pack mules they’d seen laboring down the trail on the first day Mitch zipped Charlie’s backpack shut and gave it a whack “Let’s go, my friend,” he said “A few more hours and we’ll stop for lunch Then we’ll have a cairn ceremony.” “A what?” “It’s time to take some of the weight off your shoulders,” Mitch replied, “both physically and metaphorically I’ll explain how it works at lunch.” Mitch speeded on ahead, telling Charlie he had to make preparations for the ceremony Before they parted, he extracted from Charlie a promise that any time he caught himself worrying, he himself would pick up another rock and add it to the collection in his pack Motivated by this promise, for the next three hours Charlie kept his eyes on the scenery about him and his mind on each step in front of him Paying attention to every step, he felt more light-footed; even his pack seemed to lose a little weight 2/12 Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning At last, Charlie saw Mitch sitting by the side of a small stream He could see that lunch was already prepared, and also that Mitch had cleared a small area on the ground With a surge of ... Live the New American Dream! If you want to break away from rigid schedules, unappreciative bosses, and soul-sapping commutes, this book is for you. Today’s Internet offers the golden business opportunities of our lifetimes. Running your own e-Business from home is the new American dream. But what kinds of Internet businesses work? Which one fits my needs and interests? How do I get started? You will learn the answers to these questions and countless others in the freshly updated Second Edition of this popular book. 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home starts by helping you look inward and define what’s important to you (e.g., time with family, flexible schedule, money, part time vs. full time, risk level, etc.). This leads into an overview of how online business works followed by profiles of 101 proven Internet business ideas which will fuel your entrepreneurial thinking and help you pick just the right Internet business for you. Best-selling author Susan Sweeney has built her own successful Internet businesses and helped hundreds of others succeed online. She knows what you need to know, and in this book she shares many things that are vital to your success. Each book comes with a password that enables you to enter the companion Web site. This site is filled with the latest Internet business news, expanded information, and additional online resources of interest to Internet entrepreneurs. Buy this book and start planning today! $29.95 US ($35.95 Canada) Business/Internet Distributed by Independent Publishers Group (IPG) 605 Silverthorn Road Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 (850) 934-0819 www.maxpress.com This Book Will Help You: • Come up with the best e- Business idea for you • See how to get started right away • Understand what it takes to make your e-Business really work • Start making money from the comfort of your own home • Effectively promote your e-Business to maximize success • Stay current and get support through the “members only” companion Web site About the Author Susan Sweeney, CA, is a partner in VERB Interactive and a renowned industry expert on Internet marketing topics. She is the author of other leading books including 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site, 3G Marketing on the Internet, and The e-Business Formula for Success. She has developed the Internet Marketing Boot Camp, webinars, seminars on CD, Internet Marketing Training Programs, and e-books related to Internet marketing. Besides being a well- known author, Susan is a CA (Chartered Accountant) and a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional). She is a frequent speaker on Internet marketing at many conferences, corporate seminars, workshops, and events. Susan lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia, and Ft. Myers, Florida. “ .great resource on starting a home-based Internet business. It is filled with lots of great tips on selecting the business that is right for you, building your site, e-Business model selection and getting lots of visitors to your Web site.” —Tony Sasso, Novanemedia.com “101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to start an Internet-based business. It not only includes many business ideas but also includes great information on building a top-notch Web site and generating lots of traffic to it. Read it! I give it a 10!” —Dr. Harvey Silverstein, Concentrics Communications 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home Second Edition Sweeney “I love this book! It will get you started on your successful home- based business in no time…” — Maurice Muise Gemma Group, www.gemmagroup.com Susan Sweeney, C.A. S E C O N D E D I T I O N Over 18 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home 18 Part 2 101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 1. Ad Network O VERVIEW OF B USINESS M ODEL Ad networks are among the top methods of online advertising. The “network” component is organizing the sale of ads and finding high-traffic sites on which to place the banner ads or hyperlinks for your clients. Ad networks are just like other ad agencies. They research Web sites that attract the target demographic of their clients. The revenue comes from the percentage of advertising dollars that you retain during each campaign. S KILLS N EEDED Knowledge of online advertising techniques is an asset to run this type of busi- ness. If you decide to offer banner ad design services, knowledge of graphic design would benefit your business by eliminating the costs associated with outsourcing to a graphic designer. Part 2 betas.pmd 11/21/2006, 12:10 PM18 101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 19 C OST TO S TART T HIS B USINESS You will have to pay for the development, design, and hosting of your Web site. Computer hardware and software will be the main start-up expense. You will need a software program that delivers the appropriate ads to the sites in your network every time it has a visitor. The software should also be able to provide reports of results for your clients. Estimated cost is a mini- mum of $3,000 to $10,000 to start. Some of the sophisticated software, if your clients want extremely targeted banner ad placement, could run you over $100,000. N UMBER OF E MPLOYEES N EEDED TO S TART The minimum number of employees needed to start and run this type of busi- ness is one dedicated individual. I NTERNATIONAL P OTENTIAL This business has strong international potential. Online advertising is an im- portant part of the marketing strategy for many businesses, in all countries. E-B USINESS M ODEL /P AYMENT P ROCESSING M ETHOD As the advertising campaign needs to be developed with the client and decisions must be made about where and when the ads will be appropriately placed, e-business level 1 or 2 would be appropriate for this type of business. For more information, see Part 1. I MPORTANT B USINESS I SSUES TO B E A DDRESSED The software you develop or purchase to administer the ad network should be researched and be suitable to your level of operation. You should be available by phone for prospective and current clients to contact you. You should plan what you are going to do with the excess capacity ad space—for example, you may want to offer last-minute volume discounts. Concentrate on associating yourself and including in your network those Web sites that have sustained high traffic levels. Always get paid up front for an advertis- ing campaign. You will need to address the sophistication levels you want to get into with the site advertising. Are you offering static ads, or are you going to provide keyword advertising, geo-targeted advertising, behavioral advertising, and the like? The level of sophistication will impact the software and the cost of that software. Part 2 betas.pmd 11/21/2006, 12:10 PM19 20 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home O NLINE M ARKETING T ECHNIQUES • Developing a comprehensive affiliate/associate program would not only increase the awareness of your ad network, it would also send referral business to your site. • Get linked from online advertising directories. • Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword phrases with the popular search engines. • Participate in newsgroups and discussion forums related to online ad- vertising or the industries that your ad network targets. • Launch your own strategic banner advertising campaign on Web sites 72 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home 22. Coupon Site O VERVIEW OF B USINESS M ODEL Everyone loves to save money. That is why we are witnessing the emergence of coupon networks online, where consumers can easily visit the site, view cou- pons, print them, and use them in a traditional offline store. Coupon networks can be targeted at both national and regional audiences, depending on your online objectives and marketing budget. How does it work? It’s simple. You charge businesses to advertise their coupons on your site. You then promote your site to the area that you are targeting (whether it be national or regional) and encourage your visitors to use the coupons available on your Web site. It’s as easy as that! S KILLS N EEDED Strong online marketing skills would be an asset to run this type of business. C OST TO S TART T HIS B USINESS The cost to set up and run this type of business ranges from $4,000 to $50,000. Start-up costs include computer hardware and software, a scanner, and a printer. Initially you will also have to pay for the design, development, and hosting of your Web site. You may want to develop a fully automated system where cus- tomers can have password-controlled access to forms online to input their cou- pons and pay for coupon placement. The development costs for the program would vary depending on the complexity. All additional costs are associated with promoting your business online and offline. N UMBER OF E MPLOYEES N EEDED TO S TART This business can be started with one person. However, to attract lots of visitors to your site and encourage them to come back often, you will want lots of coupons on your site. This is not easily accomplished by only one person. I NTERNATIONAL P OTENTIAL Since different countries have different pricing strategies and currencies, this type of business does not have strong international potential. It is better suited for a national or regional market. E-B USINESS M ODEL /P AYMENT P ROCESSING M ETHOD E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business initially. If you go for the fully automated system, you will want to progress to level 2. For more information on this, see Part 1. Part 2 betas.pmd 11/21/2006, 12:10 PM72 101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 73 I MPORTANT B USINESS I SSUES TO B E A DDRESSED Many of your coupon advertisers will provide repeat business for your coupon network if they get a good response; therefore, it is important to develop strong relationships with these advertisers and make sure a lot of their coupons are responded to. It is important to provide guidelines and tips on what makes an effective coupon. Don’t do anything that may jeopardize your relationship with these advertisers as it may hinder the chances of their doing repeat business with your organization. One bad experience can turn multiple advertisers away from doing business with your coupon network. To ensure that you avoid this prob- lem, you should consider implementing a strategic customer relationship man- agement system. Many of the people accessing the site will be home users and may have dial- up access. Large graphic files will take longer to download. The longer the download time, the more likely it is that the visitor will click away before the Web page is viewed. With coupons being graphic intensive, it is important that you have restrictions on acceptable file sizes to ensure quick and easy access to all pages of your site. O NLINE M ARKETING T ECHNIQUES • Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Generate links from as many related topic-specific Web sites, local Web sites with high traffic, appro- priate directories, and meta-indexes as possible. • Launch a strategic banner advertising campaign on Web sites frequented by your target 101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 93 30. Do-It-Yourself Site O VERVIEW OF B USINESS M ODEL This business is a fun online pursuit because you can utilize your own interests and knowledge for the benefit of others. Enthusiasts all over the world use the Web to locate information and tips on how to tackle household projects by themselves. Another advantage to this business is the wide variety of topics you may consult on—everything from how to install three-prong electric sockets to gardening tips. Revenue can come from advertisers who are looking to target the do-it-yourselfers, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Canadian Tire. S KILLS N EEDED Obviously, being handy is a must for the operator of this business. Competent writing skills, Web publishing know-how, and basic digital imaging will be nec- essary to run the Web site. C OST TO S TART T HIS B USINESS The start-up cost of this business is minimal. A ballpark range is $2,000 to $5,000. You will need a Web site, hosting, and a solid business plan. N UMBER OF E MPLOYEES N EEDED TO S TART To begin, only one employee is needed. If the demand for more tips and areas of interest increases, then you may want to hire a part-time do-it-yourself assis- tant to help in updating the Web site and continuing to market the site online and to potential advertisers. I NTERNATIONAL P OTENTIAL The international potential is immediate and is probably governed by house- hold type and climate. If the tips are translated into other major languages, your international potential increases. There are online translators who charge by the word to assist you, should you decide to try it. E-B USINESS M ODEL /P AYMENT P ROCESSING M ETHOD To begin, the revenue will probably come from advertisers that want to target your niche market. The budget-sensitive consumer is savvy on the Internet and knows how to find a deal. Contacting the suppliers with the lowest prices overall is a good idea. Stay away from the higher end. E-business level 1 is the most appropriate level for the do-it-yourself Web site. For more information, see Part 1. Part 2 betas.pmd 11/21/2006, 12:10 PM93 94 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home I MPORTANT B USINESS I SSUES TO B E A DDRESSED An important thing to note in this business is that your site will have to balance the look and feel between professional and amateur because the browsers will want to feel as though you are doing the projects yourself. Therefore, you have to remain sensitive to budget, the tools you use, and so on. You must make sure not to alienate your target market, which will be looking to save money. This market may include a large number of women. O NLINE M ARKETING T ECHNIQUES • Organic search engine placement. • Reciprocal linking with related do-it-yourself Web sites and other re- lated-content Web sites. • Get linked from online do-it-yourself directories. • Provide articles for publishing in e-zines that focus on homemaking and hobbies. • Develop an opt-in mail list to provide a regular newsletter filled with do-it-yourself tips. For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html. A DDITIONAL I NCOME Additional income could possibly come from participation in affiliate programs of suppliers that sell products to the do-it-yourself market. You can sell spon- sorship and banner advertising opportunities on your mail list. O NLINE E XAMPLES DoItYourself.com http://www.doityourself.com Obviously one of the major do-it-yourself sites on the Web. However, it is only home repair, with no other ... that can help you avoid being paralyzed by your worries For example, here’s a guidepost to help you stop worrying about money problems: Commit 5/12 Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning yourself... the first one “As soon as you start worrying about how you re going to pay for the project, you ve taken the first step to killing it.” 3/12 Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning “That’s ridiculous,”... guilt, 8/12 Stop Worrying So You Can Start Winning regret and anger from the past or fear and anxiety about the future When you keep your attention anchored in the present, you can start to break