Popular Activities of Those Who Access the Internet
I recently came upon an article that was a great resource for online entrepreneurs. It described the favorite activities of web surfers and other users who were accessing the Internet.
The thought I had was this: why wouldn't a new or aspiring (or even seasoned) business owner want to keep this list on file and return to it often as a way of understanding what activities were important to an online business owner?
Why should these things be important to an online owner?
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All over the globe there is a wave of entrepreneurism that is sweeping the small business world both here in America and in far away places. What is fanning the flames of this hot topic is easy access to the Internet.
I hope the term "solo" doesn't confuse you or cause any concern about what this type of business really refers to. You see, in some folks' minds, "solo" is just one thing - a song that is sung alone by one person.
I don't care what industry you're in or what product or service you sell.
What I am about to tell you may shock you, enrage you, or maybe just disgust you -- but I will not mislead you!
Are you prepared for a job change?
Chances are pretty good that you've known several people, maybe family members, or friends, or past co-workers that have made the leap to private business ownership.
I've always been one to look at new year's resolutions as a two-edged sword.
There is a real attraction to purchasing a "business in a box" system.
This can be one of the most perplexing and difficult decisions you have to make as you decide to create a business.
There are special challenges and unique rewards for married couples that create and operate a home business in tandem.
If you sell information, you are, in essence, a paid consultant.
Here is my checklist of crucial questions to ask yourself about your solor business, whether it's still in the making or already cranking out a profit.
One of the first considerations in choosing a name for your new online solo enterprise should be to find out if someone else has already reserved and registered the same (or a similar) name.
Every county will have its own procedure and you may find that this is the place to begin tracking down all the licenses and permits that you need. This is the place I started, but was told to register my business name with the State first . . . so that's what I did.
When most business owners talk about "framing their business license" they are referring to the municipal or city business license that authorizes them to do business at their chosen location.
I was thinking the other day about how my tastes, preferences, and attitudes have changed over the years since I was first married and had four little ones running under foot.
I'm as guilty as the next small business author. I like to share the business owner personality traits that seem to go hand-in-hand with successful business.
Among the many choices the entrepreneur faces in setting up a business from scratch is deciding upon the type of structure he/she will set as the framework for the enterprise.
Every business needs a skeleton, a backbone, a framework that gives structure and organization to the operation.
You're asking the wrong person, I'm afraid. I'd like to hear from some of you out there in Internet land that have experience in this arena.
Picture yourself leaving on a journey to a far away place you've never been to before. You're not quite sure how to find this place, but you think you can ask questions of the locals along the way so you'll be able to zero in on your final destination.
Regardless of your business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation) you should apply for an EIN (employer identification number) if you want to be seen as a legitimate business.
One of the ways solo business was conducted for many years in this country (U.S.) was by what I call "the one man band" business model.
For many years, solo businessmen worked among the ranks of the self-employed as "organizers" or facilitators of groups of like-minded people.
Since the beginning of time, solo business persons have opened and maintained retail stores that sold products to walk-in customers.
If you are serious about starting a small solo business, there is no greater lesson to learn than how to apply the principle of maximum leverage to everything you do in your business operation.

Remember how difficult it was to be 13?
I don't always recommend that you seek out an attorney and a financial advisor for your business safety and peace of mind.
Digital information is not unlike written information, except that it exists in the form of little data bits that consist of "1s" and "0s."
Today I had a rude awakening. I discovered I needed to practice what I preach. I needed to start taking my own advice.
Let's face it, many folks that start their own solo business are first time entrepreneurs. They have no history, background, or training in small business development or operation.
Preparation for business success can come in many ways.
Over the next few posts we will be looking at things you can do in your business to:
We're discussing the steps you can take as a business owner to make yourself and your company a professional, trusted, "real" business; not some sloppy and suspect half-hearted attempt to grab a few customer dollars.
I cant' overemphasize the notion that the most successful business owners are the ones that become "students" of small business and especially, their own business model and niche.
If you want to have a professional and legitimate solo business, you must learn the discipline of setting goals and visualizing where you want your business to be in the future.
You've probably noticed over your lifetime that companies dealing in quality products and services tend to remain in business over a long period of time.
I get a number of calls every week that go something like this:
Here's the number one reason why most people that dream of owning their own business don't ever realize that dream: F-E-A-R
One of the greatest obstacles to man's drive to succeed in his own business (or any other great undertaking, for that matter) is the disdain most of us have for taking risks.
In the past, creating a small business has been a very risky proposition.
Let's look at how the Internet, combined with a simple approach to solo business, allows the entrepreneur to control and greatly minimize the risk of creating an owner operated small business.
In case you haven't noticed, there is an important trend unfolding in the evolution of modern-day businesses that you need to understand and exploit as a solo Internet business owner.
Nowhere has the Internet made a more dramatic change in the existing power structure than in the business world.
I tend to be personally aligned with perfectionists.
There is a tendency to believe that in order to have a successful business, you must be better than the other businesses in your niche.
There is a huge amount of talk and banter these days about niche business and the necessity to focus your efforts in very targeted segments of your market sector.
Some business owners have chosen to ship purchased products to their customers at no additional cost with the idea that such generosity could mean the difference between landing a sale or not, all other considerations being equal.
Have you ever noticed a shopping cart full of groceries sitting next to the checkout stand at the supermarket?
In the previous installment we discussed some of the costs associated with delivering physical products to your customers.
Often, new business owners figure the only way to increase sales is to put your product or service in front of more people.
Most small business owners look for additional sales in increased advertising and marketing.
I spoke with a young gentleman today about his dream to start a business. That's not a rare occurrence as I deal in such discussions quite a few times every week.
Entrepreneur is kind of a funny word. It's obviously of French origin. I've been hunting for years to find its English counterpart, but have not yet come up with a suitable substitute.
I want to welcome my new friend Chris Elliott to the blog and the amazing world of Internet business. Chris is a high school senior about to make a choice between colleges and is interested in entering the business world after school is completed.
I remember vividly a debate carried on some thirty years ago in one of my graduate school classes that centered on the question of whether it was a good idea to encourage students to set up and operate for-profit businesses prior to their completion of formal education.
I was actually born about 40 years too soon.
I've written a number of times on getting started in business and most of those discussions, at some point at least, lead back to the importance to small businesses of doing market research to understand who your customers are and what they really want.

The U.S. economy is changing dramatically.
If you have a business based in the U.S. and you pride yourself on having the lowest prices in town (or in your industry), are you ready to be severely challenged?
Owning a small business is the new American Dream. A recent national survey found that nearly 60% of Americans listed owning a business as high on their wish list of things to accomplish, even higher than owning a home.
I believe that every business has the opportunity to "make a difference" in the world today, even if only in a small way.
Nothing grabs a prospects attention like seeing his own name printed in a hand-written letter from a friend.
The answer won't be a surprise to most; nevertheless, the concept or principle behind the answer needs frequent repeating until it's permanently embedded in the business operator's memory.
I believe in small business! I believe in entrepreneurs!
Just a few years ago, solo business owners took advantage of the fact that they could market their goods and services online all across the continent.
Don't mistakenly believe that corporate press kits are something reserved for the "big boys" of the business world!
Here are a few more suggestions of ways to begin a business network of contacts and support if you are creating a new solo business:
I was asked this simple question in a roundtable discussion of business owners recently, and to my utter surprise, a very lively dialogue carried on into the night as the group of us debated the challenges and opportunities that affect small business today in comparison with "the way it used to be" just 10-15 years ago.
Times are changing and every solo business owner needs to design his little company in a way that it can be globally competitive.
I've often asked myself this question. It seems that when I was younger no one talked about individuals owing and operating a business without employees to help share in the work.
I have to be careful here because I'm not a search engine optimization wizard.
The folks over at the
Today's post is a bit of rambling about a principle that all of us seek and can, at least to some degree realize, regardless of how our business endeavers pan out.
Often a web site privacy policy is overlooked, thrown together in haste, or altogether omitted as the site owner is anxious to move on to more glamorous and creative aspects of developing a business home on the Internet.
I have often been asked about the effectiveness of "buying" customer service in a small solo business. Solo owners want to know if putting forth the extra effort to become stellar at giving outstanding customer service will really increase their business bottom line proportionate to the cost of taking the time to rise above mediocre or "standard" and expected service.
