What is this Cloud Computing thing we have been hearing so much about? Once you found someone else to host your site, without knowing it, you stepped into the world of Cloud Computing. Pretty much from the start, home based internet businesses work in the Cloud. All of your customer data, when it is maintained and sent out through your webhost, i.e., your autoresponder tool, goes out in the Cloud. Read the rest of this entry »

Starting and running an online business can be exciting and engaging.  You may be left with little spare time as you enthusiastically dive into a new venture.  In the fun of starting up, it may seem hard to imagine that you’ll ever get to a place where you can relax and enjoy running your business on a routine business.  Nor should you!  People who settle into a routine are sometimes left behind. Read the rest of this entry »

A recurring theme in success manuals—for life, for online business, for traditional business, for anything—is that appearances matter.  You can attach a value judgment to this statement, and insist that it’s not fair and it’s not right (and it isn’t), but there it is: appearances matter.  It’s something that seems to be hard-wired into human nature.  And that means it can affect your sales in ways you may not be aware of. Read the rest of this entry »

Even a cheap web hosting package often includes an email autoresponder.  Shortly after setting up your new online business, you are poised and ready to dive into email marketing.  Before you do, though, take some time to consider the image you want to present.  Both what you say, and what you don’t say, in your marketing speaks volumes to your customers about what kind of business you’re running. Read the rest of this entry »

There are ways in which being an online merchant is similar to being a brick-and-mortar merchant.  But there are many more ways in which running a successful home Internet business is nothing like running a traditional shop.  If you’re starting out as an online entrepreneur, and especially if you’re expanding your brick-and-mortar business into the online environment, don’t get trapped in a business model that may work in a shop, but won’t work on the Web. Read the rest of this entry »

Setting up an online business is no problem.  Affordable web hosting, affiliate programs, web templates, and other easy-to-use and affordable tools are lined up and ready to go.  What should you sell, though?  That’s a trickier question.  You want to make money, but not at the expense of your happiness and sense of fun.  You want to indulge your passions, but not get so wrapped up in them you lose sight of your customers’ passions.  Can you find the balance between these two extremes? Read the rest of this entry »

No one needs an MBA to find out how to build a website and start running a profitable online business.  In fact, you can find just about everything you need to know for free on the Internet.  On the other hand, there is the old expression, “you get what you pay for.”  The time may come when you’re ready to move beyond the basic practical steps you need to keep your business going.  When you do, you’ll find yourself in a position to grow your business in ways you hadn’t thought of before. Read the rest of this entry »