Starting an online business may seem like a daunting task, but with the right steps and proper knowledge you can get one started in no time with little effort and ease. Starting an online business is one of the best ways to earn some extra cash and rid life of the 9 to 5 routine. Online businesses continue to grow at an incredible rate as the internet continues to change the face of global commerce. If you’ve been thinking about starting an online business, there’s no better time than now. An online business can free up your time and give you the added freedom you’ve been looking for. It can offer you the 2nd income you need in such uncertain financial times.
The very first step in starting an online business is to discover your business idea. You can have the best website on the market but if what you’re selling isn’t something people would need or want, you may not be that successful. Take the ideas you have, write them down and discuss them with a close friend, a spouse or a family member. Get their feedback and narrow down your ideas until you get to the bottom of what you want to sell exactly. Also, research your idea. Don’t assume since you like something others will as well. This tends to be the biggest mistake new business owners make. Research your idea, study data and look at statistic. Choose a area of trade that makes sense and has data to back up your idea.
Secondly, talk to someone who has financial knowledge that can explain the various laws, regulations and tax obligations that are associated with owning a business. This will save you a lot of ground work and headache later on. If you don’t know of anyone personally, then you may want to sit down with a professional accountant to ensure you have all the appropriate information. Many states also offer free services on how to start a business and what you need to have in place to move forward.
Thirdly, come up with your domain name or your web address. It should be short and simple; easy to remember. Many times the name you think of may already be taken but it won’t take much to modify it and find the one that’s perfect for you.
Once you have a web address, you’ll need an attractive and easy to navigate site. There are many templates available for a small fee that look professional and are designed for easy navigation. The web design should complement the product you’re selling, not take away from it; you don’t want to overdo it. The site should reflect the mood of your shopper. Remember your website is about the product you sell not the design. Most people are annoyed by sites that use music or over do it on flashy design.
Though the barrier of entry to starting an online business can be easy the learning curve is steppe. Prior to starting your online business, considering working with a professional ecommerce consulting firm to help you set up a successful online business. Pure-Ecommerce offers step by step assistance in setting up your online business. They can be found at http:/www.pure-ecommerce.com.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The IMportance of Search Engine Optimization
Search engine Optimization (SEO) has revolutionized the way web based companies use marketing. SEO is a way to attract more visitors to your site and create a greater awareness on the World Wide Web. Obviously, the higher up on a search engine (Google, Yahoo, etc.) list the better chance of increased visitors to your site.
The basic way SEO works is the search engine uses crawlers (programs that scan the internet) that look for keywords. For example, if someone types in, “used baby clothes” the search engine will send out crawlers, scanning millions of websites in a second for the key words “baby, clothes.” The more accessible and search engine friendly the website is the better chance it will return the site in the top ten to twenty five on the results.
Websites that ignore the need for SEO go unnoticed and are difficult for people to find. Many online business owners aren’t aware of the incredible benefit and need for SEO on their site. SEO is the most affordable and easiest way to attract new visitors. It doesn’t cost anything and it has the potential to send your website to the top of the charts.
One of the most important aspects of SEO is to develop user friendly content that actually assist search engines in discovering your site. The content of your SEO should be easy to read, conversational and enjoyable. One mistake many people make when writing SEO is they try to fill the article with keywords to point that it is overwhelming and quite annoying. You’ll want to stay away from over stuffing the article and make clean and understandable. By providing interesting articles you invite visitors to become regulars and continue to visit your site for education and information on the topic you’re selling.
Placing the particular keywords someone may look for in the right location will also increase your chances of getting noticed by search engines. It’s important to place the keyword in the first sentence and last sentence of the first and last paragraph. This will help the crawlers of search engines find your site easier.
Search Engine Optimization is key in building and promoting your online business. It is free and can be used as one of the most effective ways to market your site. Search Engine Optimization is simple and can be learned by doing a little research online. Start using it today and see how easily SEO improves your website.
The basic way SEO works is the search engine uses crawlers (programs that scan the internet) that look for keywords. For example, if someone types in, “used baby clothes” the search engine will send out crawlers, scanning millions of websites in a second for the key words “baby, clothes.” The more accessible and search engine friendly the website is the better chance it will return the site in the top ten to twenty five on the results.
Websites that ignore the need for SEO go unnoticed and are difficult for people to find. Many online business owners aren’t aware of the incredible benefit and need for SEO on their site. SEO is the most affordable and easiest way to attract new visitors. It doesn’t cost anything and it has the potential to send your website to the top of the charts.
One of the most important aspects of SEO is to develop user friendly content that actually assist search engines in discovering your site. The content of your SEO should be easy to read, conversational and enjoyable. One mistake many people make when writing SEO is they try to fill the article with keywords to point that it is overwhelming and quite annoying. You’ll want to stay away from over stuffing the article and make clean and understandable. By providing interesting articles you invite visitors to become regulars and continue to visit your site for education and information on the topic you’re selling.
Placing the particular keywords someone may look for in the right location will also increase your chances of getting noticed by search engines. It’s important to place the keyword in the first sentence and last sentence of the first and last paragraph. This will help the crawlers of search engines find your site easier.
Search Engine Optimization is key in building and promoting your online business. It is free and can be used as one of the most effective ways to market your site. Search Engine Optimization is simple and can be learned by doing a little research online. Start using it today and see how easily SEO improves your website.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Owner of Pure-Ecommerce take Cary Market by Storm
Cary is a Great Place for Moms to Own Their Own Business!
Cary, North Carolina is a great place for families for a multitude of reasons: the weather, family activities, education opportunities, business economy. But Cary is also a great place for Moms who have the passion to own their own business. Why? Because of the amazing opportunities, resources and support system right here within easy reach. How do I know? Because I am a Cary Mom who started my own successful online family apparel boutique.
I sought out and took advantage of all the resources that our area has to offer. I am proud to say that Footsteps Clothing (at www.FootstepsClothing.com) is profitable after just the first year and currently tripling sales in our second year. We have exploded from just a few products to hundreds, creating our own designs and even trademarking our Love Your Family brand. Our customers are all over the United States and international, but we started right here in Cary.
If you are Mom here in Cary who is interested in starting their own business, I am thrilled to share with CaryMoms.com some tips on starting a business and the local resources (most of them free or reasonably priced) that we utilized in getting started and continue to use. While this article is geared towards moms owning online businesses, many of the concepts can be transferred to other types of businesses. These are real examples, real places and real people right here, willing and ready to help. You only need two things to get started: an idea and a passion. Everything else you can learn along the way.
Find someone who knows more than you do – When we started Footsteps Clothing, we had no experience in the retail clothing industry or online sales. We just had a glimmer of an idea. We were lucky (and smart) enough to find Jen Gault, another mom business owner in Cary, who did know the industry and had done it successfully already. Jen now owns her own consulting business at www.pure-ecommerce.com where she helps other moms get started. She provided us with a plan to get going and at very reasonable rates. We still consult with her for a variety of issues that come up as our business grows!
Tap as many FREE resources that you can find – New business owners are a thrifty bunch – we have to be. Living in Cary, we have access to all sorts of resources – people and organizations existing for new business owners to utilize them. Here are some free business resources that we find invaluable. This is not a comprehensive list of all free resources in the area – these are the ones we used and can attest to. There are many others and I encourage you to seek out take advantage of any and every free resource in your industry:
Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) – Located in Raleigh (http://www.sbtdc.org/welcome/index.asp), this office offers an extensive list of services, everything from researching your business idea to business planning and operations issues. Meet with a Business Counselor and discuss your business with them. This was a very first step.
SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" - a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. You can apply for a personal mentor (no charge) who has extensive experience in your industry. We were assigned to a fantastic gentleman who advised us on everything from pricing our product to manufacturing our own designs. You can communicate with our mentor via email so its easy and can be accessed anytime.
WAHM Zone (http://www.wahmzone.com/) provides resources for home businesses, work from home jobs, with support, advice and resources for work-at-home moms. This is a great place to look through if you have a specific issue or question.
Trade and barter (instead of paying cash) for as many services as you can – This will help keep your cashflow flowing. If you know someone who has knowledge or skills that you need, try offering them something you can do in payment. You will be surprised how many people will respond to this. I am a writer and I trade writing services for many different needs that we have and can’t fulfill ourselves.
Use your own contacts, don’t be shy – One of great things I have found about living in Cary is the encouragement from others. When you discuss your business with others, they will want you to succeed, they will support you, they will give you ideas, they will root for you from the sidelines. Even casual acquaintances are usually genuinely supportive (and often admiring) of someone with the courage to start their own business. You have friends, neighbors, husbands, co-workers, playgroup contacts here in Cary who possess various skills to tap into. My business partner has an unbelievable social network and every time we have a certain need arise (everything from modeling our clothes to website design), she can uncover someone within her circle that can help us.
Learn what you can, pay for what you can’t – You can’t do and know everything, although I have tried! As a new business owner, you pretty much wear every hat in your business. But in reality, no one can do everything well. Know what you can do and do it. Learn what you need to know if you can and it makes sense to spend the time. When we started out we didn’t have any clue about SEO (we later discovered this acronym stood for search engine optimization). This was something I felt I could learn (with help and guidance). Type in ‘mother daughter clothing’ to the Google search engine – Footsteps Clothing is the #1 search result. This is a free search result, not a paid advertisement. You can learn more than you think. If it doesn’t make sense to invest in learning a skill, find someone who can fill that need for you: take on a partner in your business, pay for this service, ask your social circle for anyone who might have this expertise.
I like to think of Cary as having all the resources of a big city with the friendliness and support of a small town. If you are mom hoping to start your own business, you aren’t alone and we are rooting for you!
Cary, North Carolina is a great place for families for a multitude of reasons: the weather, family activities, education opportunities, business economy. But Cary is also a great place for Moms who have the passion to own their own business. Why? Because of the amazing opportunities, resources and support system right here within easy reach. How do I know? Because I am a Cary Mom who started my own successful online family apparel boutique.
I sought out and took advantage of all the resources that our area has to offer. I am proud to say that Footsteps Clothing (at www.FootstepsClothing.com) is profitable after just the first year and currently tripling sales in our second year. We have exploded from just a few products to hundreds, creating our own designs and even trademarking our Love Your Family brand. Our customers are all over the United States and international, but we started right here in Cary.
If you are Mom here in Cary who is interested in starting their own business, I am thrilled to share with CaryMoms.com some tips on starting a business and the local resources (most of them free or reasonably priced) that we utilized in getting started and continue to use. While this article is geared towards moms owning online businesses, many of the concepts can be transferred to other types of businesses. These are real examples, real places and real people right here, willing and ready to help. You only need two things to get started: an idea and a passion. Everything else you can learn along the way.
Find someone who knows more than you do – When we started Footsteps Clothing, we had no experience in the retail clothing industry or online sales. We just had a glimmer of an idea. We were lucky (and smart) enough to find Jen Gault, another mom business owner in Cary, who did know the industry and had done it successfully already. Jen now owns her own consulting business at www.pure-ecommerce.com where she helps other moms get started. She provided us with a plan to get going and at very reasonable rates. We still consult with her for a variety of issues that come up as our business grows!
Tap as many FREE resources that you can find – New business owners are a thrifty bunch – we have to be. Living in Cary, we have access to all sorts of resources – people and organizations existing for new business owners to utilize them. Here are some free business resources that we find invaluable. This is not a comprehensive list of all free resources in the area – these are the ones we used and can attest to. There are many others and I encourage you to seek out take advantage of any and every free resource in your industry:
Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) – Located in Raleigh (http://www.sbtdc.org/welcome/index.asp), this office offers an extensive list of services, everything from researching your business idea to business planning and operations issues. Meet with a Business Counselor and discuss your business with them. This was a very first step.
SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" - a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. You can apply for a personal mentor (no charge) who has extensive experience in your industry. We were assigned to a fantastic gentleman who advised us on everything from pricing our product to manufacturing our own designs. You can communicate with our mentor via email so its easy and can be accessed anytime.
WAHM Zone (http://www.wahmzone.com/) provides resources for home businesses, work from home jobs, with support, advice and resources for work-at-home moms. This is a great place to look through if you have a specific issue or question.
Trade and barter (instead of paying cash) for as many services as you can – This will help keep your cashflow flowing. If you know someone who has knowledge or skills that you need, try offering them something you can do in payment. You will be surprised how many people will respond to this. I am a writer and I trade writing services for many different needs that we have and can’t fulfill ourselves.
Use your own contacts, don’t be shy – One of great things I have found about living in Cary is the encouragement from others. When you discuss your business with others, they will want you to succeed, they will support you, they will give you ideas, they will root for you from the sidelines. Even casual acquaintances are usually genuinely supportive (and often admiring) of someone with the courage to start their own business. You have friends, neighbors, husbands, co-workers, playgroup contacts here in Cary who possess various skills to tap into. My business partner has an unbelievable social network and every time we have a certain need arise (everything from modeling our clothes to website design), she can uncover someone within her circle that can help us.
Learn what you can, pay for what you can’t – You can’t do and know everything, although I have tried! As a new business owner, you pretty much wear every hat in your business. But in reality, no one can do everything well. Know what you can do and do it. Learn what you need to know if you can and it makes sense to spend the time. When we started out we didn’t have any clue about SEO (we later discovered this acronym stood for search engine optimization). This was something I felt I could learn (with help and guidance). Type in ‘mother daughter clothing’ to the Google search engine – Footsteps Clothing is the #1 search result. This is a free search result, not a paid advertisement. You can learn more than you think. If it doesn’t make sense to invest in learning a skill, find someone who can fill that need for you: take on a partner in your business, pay for this service, ask your social circle for anyone who might have this expertise.
I like to think of Cary as having all the resources of a big city with the friendliness and support of a small town. If you are mom hoping to start your own business, you aren’t alone and we are rooting for you!
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