How to start an internet business from home in less than an hour
As the 20th century drew to a close, many people were concerned about the Y2K bug and the end of the world. I, on the other hand, was more concerned with how I was going to achieve my goal of becoming a millionaire before I turned 30. So I got to work building my first web-based business. Turns out it was a lot harder than you think! It took me months to set everything up correctly.
Well, those days are behind us. We’re in the 21st century now, and while we’re not at the stage of just saying to a computer, “Build me a successful online business,” and POOF, there it is, we’re pretty close. With a plethora of free tools at your disposal, starting an online business is easier than you might think.
Having started a few online businesses myself, I can attest to their ease. In just a few steps, you too could own and operate your own Internet-based business. Let’s take a look at the important first steps, shall we?
A traditional business requires a storefront. On the Internet, your storefront is virtual and takes the form of a website. When I started, this was not an easy task. It took a lot of technical knowledge and a lot of money to pay for high-speed web access. Currently there are companies whose sole purpose is to give you a presence on the web. These companies are called webhosts and you can get very reliable web hosting for just a few dollars a month. Most even offer free access to the powerful tools you’ll need to complete your online store.
Once you’ve set up a web server and have your website open to the World Wide Web, it’s time to beautify it. Don’t know Photoshop or HTML? No problem! A good web host can automatically install a content management system (CMS) that will allow you to create a professional-looking website as easily as a word processor.
Once that’s done, it’s time to populate your website with content and other media. Because a CMS works much like a word processor, all you have to do is tell it what content you want and where you want it. The CMS does all the heavy lifting for you and makes it happen. You’ll look like a professional web developer and designer, even if you’ve never written a single line of code in your life!
From here, you want to monetize your site (ie start making money). There are a couple of ways to do it. Selling ad space is one way to do this, or you can go the more traditional route of selling stuff. Whether that “stuff” is information, e-books, or actual physical products is entirely up to you. But regardless of what you choose to sell, you’ll need a way to accept payment from your customers. Once again, a good web host will come to the rescue with full integration of a variety of payment systems. In most cases, a few clicks of your mouse should be all it takes to set up acceptance for credit cards, electronic checks, and more.
If you are selling physical products, look for a wholesaler who can provide you with a data source of their inventory. By uploading your data feed to your web server, you can automatically fill your web store’s virtual shelves with as many popular items as you like. Just be sure to check with your web host to make sure they have the technology to accept such a data feed. If they don’t, find one that does. Any webhost worth its salt will do.
And that’s the end. Hope for? Yes, it really is that easy! In fact, 60 minutes is really a conservative estimate. But now you have to bring customers to your virtual door. And that’s another article. In the meantime, enjoy your brilliant new business!
