My 11-Year-Old Neighbor and Internet Business
Who says Internet business can't be adapted and put to profitable use by a youngster?
Here's an example of a young boy in my neighborhood that has chosen the Internet as his business contact and delivery mechanism.
You may have heard the slightly cynical phrase - "If you can't figure out how to do something on your computer, just find a six-year-old." There's a whole heap of truth to that observation. Anyway . . .
I learned about this kid in my neighborhood, who shall remain anonymous in case the child labor law spies are lurking about, that decided to run his business online.
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I've always been one to look at new year's resolutions as a two-edged sword.
I've often thought about the myriad of reasons for startup business failure. Because creating and operating a business involves so many details, it's easy to understand why problems galore plague entrepreneurs.
Most new business owners tend to be great advocates for their product or service as they prepare for their business launch.
Entrepreneurs are a diversified bunch. They appear in all sorts of sizes, temperaments, ages, and with various backgrounds.
If you sell information, you are, in essence, a paid consultant.
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.
Most of the Internet's best marketing minds agree on this philosophy:
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.
There are actually dozens of smart and effective ways to begin the business creation process that will reduce the risk of a new venture for the owner.
Here are a few ideas that may be useful as you consider what you can do to become a star performer in the eyes of your customers.
When you do business online, you have to get a little personal with your customers. There's no way around it.
I started following Internet businesses back in the mid-90's and continue to be amazed at the variety and sheer number of creative business techniques and selling ideas that I've seen during that time.
Often, when a new businessman enters the market, he often forgets or totally ignores the cost of support for his products and services.
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:
Every business needs to establish and maintain professional working relationships with suppliers, distributors, vendors, service providers, and outsourcing companies.
Businesses have to communicate in a variety of ways, but I've noticed that many of the online businesses (that I assume are run by solo owners) these days provide no address or telephone number for the company.
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.
Regardless of the size of your business, you should separate all your business financial information and record keeping from your personal banking.
A lot of small business owners would reason that because their business is very small and specialized, they ought to try to save money and increase efficiency by keeping all operating functions in-house under the watchful eye of the owner.
One of the things that most business owners look for are ways to add value to their businesses.
Depending upon the type of solo business you operate, and the needs that your business has to communicate with the "outside" world, you may want to consider setting up a private area on your company site.
To my way of thinking, there are two business functions that every single company needs to execute well, every day of the year, in order to be categorized as a successful business.
We're discussing the little operating changes that can easily be set up in an online business that will add greatly to your customer support process.
I believe it's a wise move to investigate all the options you have in executing your online business.
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.
In the previous installment we discussed some of the costs associated with delivering physical products to your customers.
Have you ever noticed a shopping cart full of groceries sitting next to the checkout stand at the supermarket?
The ways an auto responder can be employed to automate your business tasks are many. Here are just a few of the typical business uses of an auto responder:
By now you understand that the solo information business strategy discourages dealing in physical products that require shipping and handling. These products require human intervention and a lot of financial costs that are the antithesis of the one-person solo Internet home business model.
To tell you the truth, I'm having a hard time coming up with any reasons why you shouldn't absolutely consider having a forum at your site.
You will hear me very often say, "You are the business." The solo Internet business operator is often an individualist that would rather be creative, adventurous, and find his own way over joining the pack.