We've been discussing the futility of buying into many of the so-called "business in a box" solutions that are available to the online entrepreneur.
It seems they are everywhere today and many are being promoted (and even developed) by folks that have never been involved with a successful business.
In the previous post, I gave you four good reasons why you should avoid these one-size-fits-all business packages and why they just don't work.
Here are some additional reasons (continued from yesterday's post) why you should avoid them:
5. Here's another pitch you see online quite often: "All you have to do to make money on the Internet is plaster your ad in front of enough people. Even if only a tiny percentage of them buy, the Internet is so massively huge, you'll still make millions!"
Yeah, right . . . what a load of horse do-do!
Yes, the Internet is massively huge, but unless specifically targeted customers find your product, you'll be just another drop in the ocean!
Your ad can actually be sent to FFA's garnering millions of forced hits and not one order will ever be executed. I know this happens all the time online.
Don't be fooled by thinking in terms of the vast numbers of online shoppers all around the globe just waiting for your offer. Getting your ad noticed and acted upon is never easy and very often it's quite expensive.
If you come across an ad that says something like: "Even if only 1% of your prospects buy your product, that's still 1,000 sales and $99,000!" just say NO.
6. People with no business development experience or expertise create many of the packaged business systems.
Some guy reads some articles or books on starting a business, regurgitates a few points in his offering, and automatically crowns himself an Internet business guru. Beware of such and steer clear.
7. Finally, let me tell you a key component of small business startup success regardless of the business subject: most profitable online businesses (the vast majority, in my experience) are run by an owner with a very distinct and genuine passion for the subject of his business.
A successful gardening site on the Internet, for example, will most likely be run by someone who loves gardening - who eats and sleeps the business - and who would probably be considered an expert gardener by all those that know her!
The operator of a successful online business will have passion for gardening and would probably enjoy spending time in that hobby or pursuit even if she wasn't getting paid to run the business.
Can you see why "canned" business systems and packages that dictate the subject (and niche) of your business will invariably fail?
If you don't have passion for the topic, you won't commit the time and energy your business requires, especially in the early lean periods that most companies experience!
If you don't enjoy the subject of your business already, operating your company on a daily basis will become nothing more than a distastefully boring job.
Isn't that what we're trying to get away from?
Not only that, but you want your customers to feel and see your passion. If you can't get excited about your products and the various aspects of your business niche, how will you ever get your customers to be excited and jazzed up about them to the point that they'll buy your wares and spend money in your shop?
If you don't appear to be passionate about the niche, you prospects will question your commitment to them and to providing a quality online experience.
