Business Alone

I saw an obituary in the national news that should be of interest to every solo business owner.

The eulogy was tucked away in an obscure spot where I doubt many took notice.

Please read the full text - it is extremely important and so very appropriate for our times. You will want to keep in mind whom you are reading about!

Execute your business with the memory of this old friend always in your mind.

I'd like to spend some time giving you what I believe are great solo business quotations. These are not my thoughts (although I wish I had the keen insight that these business savvy people express) but rather the ideas of others that are targeted to helping you in your online business.

No, most of these quotes are not specific to Internet solo business. Some were made way before the Internet was born.

But don't discount their appropriateness just because some were spoken in times long ago.

These business thoughts can help you to understand some of the timeless wisdom that other entrepreneurs have shared to help you in this day and age.

Every solo business owner knows (or should know) the needs of his business better than any other individual. The key, then, to being a smart business owner is to be able to analyze what is going on in your business and correct any deficiencies quickly.

If there was ever a more appropriate quote for a business owner than "the buck stops here" I don't know what it would be. As a solo business owner, you have the ultimate, final, and only say regarding what happens in your business.

May each of you have a wonderful Christmas Day and a very prosperous new year in 2007!

Now turn off your computer and go spend some time with your family.

We're back again reviewing some more wonderful small business advice from some of the most successful people in the business world. These are not my thoughts (although I wish I had the keen insight that these business savvy people express.)

No, most of these quotes are not specific to Internet solo business. Some were made way before the Internet was born.

But don't discount their appropriateness just because some were spoken in times long ago.

These business thoughts can help you to understand some of the timeless wisdom that other entrepreneurs have shared to help you in this day and age.

Every solo business owner knows (or should know) the needs of his business better than any other individual. The key, then, to being a smart business owner is to be able to analyze what is going on in your business and correct any deficiencies quickly.

If there was ever a more appropriate quote for a business owner than "the buck stops here" I don't know what it would be. As a solo business owner, you have the ultimate, final, and only say regarding what happens in your business.

Here are some additional small business quotes that you can enjoy.

These are not my thoughts (although I wish I had the keen insight that these business savvy people express) but rather the ideas of others that are targeted to helping you in your online business.

No, most of these quotes are not specific to Internet solo business. Some were made way before the Internet was born.

But don't discount their appropriateness just because some were spoken in times long ago.

These business thoughts can help you to understand some of the timeless wisdom that other entrepreneurs have shared to help you in this day and age.

Every solo business owner knows (or should know) the needs of his business better than any other individual. The key, then, to being a smart business owner is to be able to analyze what is going on in your business and correct any deficiencies quickly.

Business mentors are a real boon to most entrepreneurs. They have traveled the same road and can keep you out of danger.

These business ideas are not my thoughts (although I wish I had the keen insight that these business savvy people express) but rather the ideas of others that are targeted to helping you in your online business.

No, most of these quotes are not specific to Internet solo business. Some were made way before the Internet was born.

But don't discount their appropriateness just because some were spoken in times long ago.

These business thoughts can help you to understand some of the timeless wisdom that other entrepreneurs have shared to help you in this day and age.

Every solo business owner knows (or should know) the needs of his business better than any other individual. The key, then, to being a smart business owner is to be able to analyze what is going on in your business and correct any deficiencies quickly.

If there was ever a more appropriate quote for a business owner than "the buck stops here" I don't know what it would be. As a solo business owner, you have the ultimate, final, and only say regarding what happens in your business.

Do you have the proper mindset for solo business?

As more and more "regular" folks move online to start businesses, it is quite apparent that not all of them think about their businesses in ways that will help them to become successful.

And you really can't blame them for this thinking . . . after all, very few entrepreneurs are involved in some type of formal business education prior to setting up their shop.

Typically, Joe Average (and I'm not using that name as a "slight" or criticism in any way) decides that his fortune lies in being his own boss. He's had it with working for other people and wants to try his hand at self employment.

Joe hears or reads that there is a lot of money to be made on the Internet. And because the barriers to Internet solo business are minimal, he ventures online to make his fortune selling ____________ (whatever.)

I know many would-be business owners are caught up in the dream of solo business.

They envision themselves as enjoying lots of money as the fruit of their efforts.

They see themselves as being the "boss" of their own lives.

They fantasize about working when they want, doing what they want, and being accountable to no one.

They sometimes are so desperate to begin their new life they don't properly prepare for what is ahead of them.

They don't think about the extent of the commitment it is to leave a paying job and begin a new business venture that is untested and untried.

I was rummaging through some files last night and came across the checklist I'm going to share with you today.

Unfortunately, I am not sure where it came from. Usually, I clip articles and stories with their full attributes so I can credit the author. However, in this case, I am just not sure where this info came from and I apologize that I am not giving credit where credit is due. I don't like to operate like that.

The information is good, however, and it will help you to analyze your own situation to see if you "have what it takes" to be a successful entrepreneur.

Of course you can make a change in your behavior, your thinking, your attitudes, and even your skills.

So if you find that you don't measure up at the level you would prefer, you can always work on those things that are not your strengths.

One of the major challenges and struggles of most beginning small business owners is grasping and understanding what is going to be required to stay on top of the company's financial position.

It would seem critical to me that a solid financial management system be put into place prior to anyone beginning business operations.

Now "solid" doesn't necessarily mean expensive or overly comprehensive or complicated.

Small online businesses don't need to have the level of sophistication in a management system that might be found in a large corporation.

What is needed, though, is a management system that meets the needs of the business owner, is not too complex as to be unfriendly, and one that will allow for some scaling as the business grows through the coming years.

I recently came across some information that should be of interest to all solo Internet business owners.

It was entitled: "Search Engine Marketing: Search Users and Usage"

It was authored by David Hallerman, Senior Analyst at eMarketer. I would encourage you to get the whole report and study it. I hope the link is still live when you read this. Here it is:

http://www.emarketer.com/Products/Products.aspx

I was especially intrigued with the satisfaction survey that was offered as it gives you a feel for how users or consumers view the major search engines as well as the field of Internet marketing and advertising.

You should be able to gain your own "take aways" from what the articles describes.

It seems that almost everyone has an idea for a killer home business.

In fact, some folks can only think of ideas - they get stuck trying to figure out how to implement their ideas to the point of never actually starting anything!

At times, it will pay to have confidence in your idea and be its champion from start to successful business launch.

At other times, many of us tend to over-analyze or over-scrutinize our business ideas to the point of dooming the business before it ever has a chance.

Why not identify the roadblocks to coming up with a great business idea, then move beyond them once you understand what they are.

Think about your experience as a customer in any particular niche where you were seeking information. Do you remember how frustrating it usually was to try to have certain "knowledge-related" questions answered?

Do you remember spending many minutes (sometimes hours) trying to figure something out that could have been shown to you quickly and easily had you only known where or how to ask for an explanation?

Understanding, expertise, and knowledge in any niche comes from learning, training, experience, and paying attention to details.

I believe anyone can become an expert in almost any niche given the right approach. Let me explain what I mean:

It would be a grave mistake on your part to ignore the wants of the women in your niche.

It's easy to get carried away with "male marketing" regardless of what you sell. The Internet is no longer the playground of geeks and male business or entrepreneurial types that we so often associate with solo business.

I have heard the statistic that close to 60% of all online users are women of various ages. I will try to find the reference for you; but regardless of what the exact number is, you need to pay attention to their needs and wants ... especially their wants.

You see, we don't always buy what we need. We typically make purchases of what we want.

For many entrepreneurs, getting started in business on solid footing is an elusive task. Preparing a business plan just doesn't seem to be that important.

Yes, there are some business professionals that talk about the useless nature of the typical business plan. After all, they claim, there is no way to anticipate what revenues and expenses will be. They claim that everyone anticipates building their own plan to show that they will be successful by year 3!

When you get right down to it, however, these same professionals are not saying that folks should go into business without some kind of preparation. They are saying to do your planning, but maybe not prepare the typical "prototypical" structured business plan document.

Regardless of what you call, or even how you do it, everyone needs to plan for and prepare for starting a business in advance.

Call it what you will ... keeping the books, financial management, accounting, doing your taxes, crunching the numbers and on and on ...

Many have called it names that I won't repeat here!

No business activity strikes fear or disdain in the hearts of small business owners like this one!

If you're going to be in business, you must accept the duty and responsibility of doing financial management - it "goes with the territory!"

Of course, some will have the means to outsource as many accounting functions as possible. Doing so may be the best alternative for solo business owners that are not adept at tracking and recording details.

However, even if outsourced, accounting requires the discipline of keeping and recording income and expenses on a daily basis ... not something that many folks are used to doing in their civilian lives.

A sound marketing plan is very important to the success of any solo online business operation.

Your plan should include areas of focus like niche market research, the customer profiles that you have targeted, an analysis of your competition, your positioning, the products and services
that you are selling, your pricing plan, and your advertising and promotion details.

Do your homework before developing your market and niche plan. Effective marketing, planning and promotion begins with solid data and information about your specific marketplace and the sub-niche you have chosen.

Your business will benefit immensely by the amount of quality information and thoughtful pondering your give your plan.

It seems to me to be a little weird. There are lots of daily searches for the phrase "business ethics" but there are very few products that deal with the subject.

I'm guessing it's a function of supply and demand - no body is willing to purchase products about this subject so the demand is being met with freely available material.

Maybe folks believe they already have the subject mastered (or at least under control). Others probably believe in being ethical but that's about as far as they go - no sense delving into a subject that doesn't directly bring money into the business. (Or does it?)

Most would probably say the study of ethics is boring, old school, and not worth the time for the busy business owner.

So what are business ethics and why is it an important subject?

I'd like to talk about a way to conduct your solo business online that will bring you all the profits and business that you can handle. What I'm speaking about has as much to do with your mindset as it does about your strategy or business system of operating.

If you will adopt an "MO" (a method of operating) that includes what I'm going to describe here, your business will automatically be differentiated from your marketplace competitors. You will have a unique and wholly creative business that your clients will love and clamor for.

What I'm talking about has nothing to do with your chosen business niche, per se. This model can be implemented in any niche market, with any product or any service.

In addition, anyone can adopt this business mindset as it is totally age, gender, culture, education, and experience independent.

Have you guessed yet what I'm talking about? Yes, the title of this post should have given the secret away.

Most "How to Start a New Home Business" books will include a list of personal characteristics or personality traits the author feels are necessary for the entrepreneur to have in order to be a successful small business owner.

The personal traits that I've included on my list aren't those that might "come in handy" down the road sometime. These are essential must-have elements that are the basis of the owner's persona and they will become the foundation of his/her management ability and capacity.

Now don't despair if you don't have all these traits right now. To some degree, at least, every one of them can be acquired or learned with some practice, persistence, and dedication.

Here's an exercise that anyone can do that should help you come up with some great and personalized ideas for the subject of your new online business.

Spend some time and find a niche that takes advantage of the areas of specialty for which you are uniquely skilled or qualified, but which also keep your interest and stoke your passion.

The steps are fairly elementary. I would recommend doing this exercise with your spouse or a close friend that knows you well - that way you'll be able to get a second opinion about your suitability to enter this niche.

In the previous two posts, we discussed a technique for drawing up a very specific list of business subjects that could become the basis of your online enterprise. They are designed to take advantage of your past life experiences, education, skills and passion.

There is a good chance there will be duplicate items on the list. If you find them, cross all the duplicates off so there is only one listing left, but for each duplicate you crossed off, place a star by the one remaining. (For example, if there were three entries the same, you are now left with one entry and two stars by it.)

Now re-list the items from top to bottom in a new list: the items with the most stars at the top, then the next most, then the next, etc.

For all the remaining items with no stars, list them in descending order according to how much you now enjoy doing them, or working with them, or in some way participating in that subject. The entries you enjoy most are ranked above the ones you don't enjoy so much.

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.

What I am about to tell you may shock you, enrage you, or maybe just disgust you -- but I will not mislead you!

You deserve to hear the naked truth about starting a business on the Internet from someone who has spent his entire career in the small business development field and the past 10 years online.

I want you to understand what is going on all around you in this frenzied and "enlightened" time of global communication, instant access, and light-speed digital transmissions.

Most of us have contemplated starting our own business at one time or another - in fact, some have called this almost universal desire - the new "American Dream."

Are you prepared for a job change?

Any one of a thousand catastrophes could hit your employer in these uncertain economic times. Even positive business events like mergers, buyouts, and spinoffs can have serious negative impacts on your ability to keep fulltime employment and draw a paycheck from your employer.

Your job could be gone tomorrow; it happens to thousands of hard-working employees every day. Today you're gainfully employed - tomorrow you're job hunting!

But enough of the gloom and doom . . . let's talk about an amazing new job alternative that you can take advantage of today that has the power to refresh your life, secure your financial future, and turn the tables 180 degrees so that you become the owner of your own business and the master of your own destiny!

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.

Can you think of any of these people that have a thriving business today? Hopefully, you can . . . but the odds are not good.

I'm guessing you probably have knowledge of more startup failures among your friends than successes.

Here's an alarming statistic:

96% of all small business start-ups are doomed to failure.

I hope that sentence doesn't scare you away from moving forward in starting your own business.

But as I stated earlier, I want you to know the truth about what you're facing and how to side-step the traps others are setting for you.

Now don't get me wrong . . .

The Internet landscape is saturated with claims of easy, automatic, guaranteed, wealth-building packages and lucrative startup systems that anyone can do with minimal effort and wild success.

These offers often seem so "right" for the novice just starting out in business because of their supposed ease of setup, lack of real work, and mega-profits that are "guaranteed."

But I will tell you: don't waste your money or your time on these products, and above all, don't get discouraged that you're getting left behind if you don't hit the "buy now" button before 12 o'clock midnight when the offer goes away!

The self-proclaimed wealth "gurus" that produce these products can't guarantee you anything.

It's so easy to get hooked on their outrageous claims of mega bucks for little or no effort.

I've always been one to look at new year's resolutions as a two-edged sword.

They're a great way to map out your hopes, dreams, and plans for the coming year.

But they generally cause me some pain as I look back on the year now ending and realize all the things that I could have done better.

The human spirit, much like the business spirit, longs to grow and expand, and somehow stretch out into greater being than what it is.

My friend Jeff had tried three different business creation "systems" or turn-key packages over the past few months that had initially sounded like they were exactly the solution he needed to profit from his own online business idea.

But for various reasons, none of the systems had given him even one dollar of revenue to date.

Jeff just couldn't understand why he had failed, and why his purchases hadn't produced the income he was counting on.

With slight variations, these are the common themes of the systems Jeff had purchased:

I have watched as many heart-broken and disgruntled entrepreneurs have bounced from one business building package to the next, to the next, determined to find a system that produced quick results but that also required little or no effort.

Each new system that fails depletes the owner's bank account, shatters his enthusiasm for business, the drive to succeed online, and his precious time spent trying to find anything that produces substantial income!

Now take a step back for a moment and analyze the situation. What's wrong with this guaranteed and automatic wealth building business model?

Do you know?

There is a real attraction to purchasing a "business in a box" system.

To someone who has never undertaken the journey of business creation before, it seems logical that the steps could be laid out for you and the ground plowed ahead of you to guide you every step of the way, for just a one-time fee of $999.00

Think of all the time you'll save and the headaches you'll avoid if you don't have to research and actually learn what starting a business is all about!

What you may be overlooking, however, are gigantic business creation problems and voids that must be solved for every company.

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:

OK. I've given you a bunch of reasons why you should NEVER rely on a business startup package that seems too easy, guarantees your success, is the same for everyone, and prescribes the subject of your business.

They are pretty much doomed to failure even before the owner makes her very first sale!

Nationwide small business start-up statistics show that after one year of existence, only one in five new start-ups (20%) are still actively doing business.

And of the 20% of start-ups that make it after one year, only one in five is still operating after five years.

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.

Many mess-ups are not fatal.

The owner can recover from non-crippling problems that result from unexpected circumstances or misjudged steps. Persistence and adaptability are key ingredients in the owner's arsenal of personality traits that are needed to overcome big mistakes.

But there is one very tough problem to correct: a poor choice of the basic business idea.

If the whole subject of your business is wrong - if you have employed an incorrect model - or you have overestimated the "salability" of your product - you could be in for a very rude awakening.

Some call it "the paralysis of analysis."

Others refer to it as "a mental block" or "brain freeze."

But whatever you call it, don't let it get in the way of you coming up with a sound and workable business idea.

You see, more than a few aspiring entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that they must come up with an idea that will appeal to the masses - that will become the "next big thing." If they don't get that flash of inspiration, they hesitate to get going on anything.

Some folks believe that ordinary ideas have all been tried and unless they find a new or innovative idea they won't become successful in online business.

I say, "don't worry about finding the perfect idea - just find a good idea, test it, and then develop your business around being exceptional in your niche in some way."

Most new business owners tend to be great advocates for their product or service as they prepare for their business launch.

They become cheerleaders and proselyters for their product's features, benefits, and usefulness. They want to shout to the whole world that their "baby" is being born and it's the greatest improvement to ___________ of the century!

Do you know what I'm talking about? Have you ever felt this way?

I think new business owners are better served at the outset by playing the role of buyer or consumer of that product. Here's why . . .

Everyone that goes into business as a solo operator needs to develop a certain amount of "creativity" or non-traditional thinking. Why?

Business in today's world is extremely competitive, full of dime-a-dozen copycat boring companies that survive marginally (or not at all), but always willing to reward fresh thinking combined with outstanding execution.

You don't have to be creative in the sense that your ideas are revolutionary or Nobelian.

In fact, my definition of being creative, in the business sense, might go something like this: the ability to transcend the usual thinking and commonplace practices of most businesses.

You don't have to have one-in-million ideas; you just need to discover ways to add value, merit, worth and importance to your business, especially in the eyes of your targeted customers.

Coming up with a workable home business idea is only a beginning. If whatever that idea is never develops beyond a thought, your dream of a real business will never happen.

In fact, let me be so blunt as to say that your chances for success in any business creation attempt will be directly proportional to your ability to translate ideas, and feelings, and thoughts into executed action steps.

Every new product and service that you see in the world today is the result of someone's acting upon an idea and following through by executing a series of steps that eventually resulted in the product's launch.

There may have been many, many people that had a similar, or even the exact same idea.

In a previous post I talked a little about the importance of being honest with yourself as you undertake any business creation.

For the solo entrepreneur, especially (because you are the business), it is critical that you begin on solid ground - not taking anything for granted, not overestimating your abilities, time you'll have available for the business, or your customer market potential.

You can't afford to keep a closed eye to any one of the many business realities that can be evaluated up front before so you don't lose a lot of time or money traveling down a dead end.

By asking questions at the outset, you are forced into analyzing, researching, and evaluating the information at hand in order to come up with honest answers that will lead to your business being planted on solid ground.

Otherwise, you may cripple your business output at a later time because you ignored, or chose to "skim over" some critical details that might have influenced your decision to even move forward at the outset.

It's a nasty name, "swipe files," but it's an idea you should implement immediately if you haven't already gotten yours started!

If you're like me, you run across great little ideas and tidbits on the Internet every day.

But if you don't record that idea, or web site, or reference, or "how to" hint for later recall, you will have forgotten that even existed within a day or two.

If you've been involved in copywriting, direct ad creation, web site development, graphics creation, email headlining, and any number of other online business tasks, you've probably heard the term "swipe files."

That's kind of a nasty or unpleasant term, but the concept is smart and the results of you building such files will be significant as you venture into your new information business.

If you don't know what a "swipe file" is, or you're not convinced you need one (or several), read on.

Working for yourself often seems like the perfect solution for finding a way to earn a living and also enjoy some freedom of expression and the flexibility to set your own work schedule.

In addition, the idea of getting paid what you're worth and not having to share the profit of your own labors really appeals to many.

But before you dive into a solo business, you would do well to discuss the implications of being your own boss and "going it alone" with others that have already chosen this path and are actually making a living this way.

Their insights and advice will most likely do one of two things: strengthen your resolve to strike out down this path, or bring doubts into your mind about whether this type of business is really something that you will be happy and productive doing.

Often magazines and news articles about self-employment include tests or checklists that you can review to see if you possess the traits or qualities that are necessary to become a profitable business owner.

You might wonder how accurate such "predictors" are of future success.

My experience in studying a number of these tests is that results vary somewhat depending upon the audience polled and the skill of the survey designer and the results analyst. Nothing is black and white.

So are these predictors useless? Do they have any value to aspiring solo business owners? Here's my take:

Indicators or predictors are just that - they give us some clues about what might be - based upon probabilities captured in repeated tests. There are always exceptions and cases that fall outside the expected range of results.

In the previous post I suggested that there were some personality traits that were commonly measured (through self analysis testing) that seem to be indicators of the entrepreneurial mind set and qualities necessary for future business success.

I also cautioned that if you don't possess all these qualities, and still desire to begin a business venture, you should not be swayed from your decision on the basis of apparent lack of "the right stuff."

Some traits can be "learned" or acquired over time and some may not be quite so relevant to success in certain types of business that a solo operator may have chosen.

This can be one of the most perplexing and difficult decisions you have to make as you decide to create a business.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that may help you to come up with the right decision for YOU.

Obviously, there is no "one best way" to enter self-employment. The choice you make on how to do it will most likely depend upon your current state of affairs: your employment situation, your tolerance for risk, your family size and makeup, and your ability to take care of your financial obligations possibly without a regular paycheck.

There is some wisdom in not rushing things at the outset. Quitting your full time job and putting your loved ones at risk can be a very scary proposition.

If you lose your medical and life insurance coverage, will you be able to afford these new out-of-pocket costs?

How long will you be able to last if your daily and monthly living expenses have to come from your savings account?

There are special challenges and unique rewards for married couples that create and operate a home business in tandem.

This kind of joint project can create new feelings of unity, togetherness, and working for a common goal that many couples don't experience in their hectic "do your own thing" lives.

On the other hand, business partnerships involving mates, if not handled properly, can also intensify negative feelings toward one another, add stress and pressure to a marriage, and drive a wedge in the heart of the relationship.

For these reasons, some couples would never consider working together in a small business, not wanting to risk possible clashes and avoidable irritations.

The unique and important aspect of any web based solo information business operator is the fact that he/she can deliver personal knowledge, skills, or experience to targeted customers over the Internet and get paid to do so!

Since everyone's knowledge and experience is unique, one-of-a-kind, and personal, your business cannot be duplicated (at least legally) by anyone!

Now it may not have occurred to you that if you adopt this business model, you have chosen to set yourself up as an expert in your field.

Even though you may deny you want that role, or won't ever admit to assuming such, you will be perceived as an expert by your audience. They are coming to you, money in hand, seeking the information you distribute.

If you choose to become such an entrepreneur, regardless of the subject of your business, you are putting on a robe of authority, so to speak, and acknowledging that you are a legitimate source of valuable information - the type of information that your client wants and is willing to pay for.

Think about that for a moment . . .

Have you ever heard that story about the ocean-going ship engine that failed?

I used this story several times in the past, so bear with me if you're heard it before . . .

I've actually heard several slightly different versions of the same story so I know it has "made the rounds" online.

Nevertheless, the story has an important point. One that shouldn't be lost on Internet solo business.

In the version I heard, it was the Queen Elizabeth luxury liner that was in need of an engine repair.

If you sell information, you are, in essence, a paid consultant.

Now you may never have viewed yourself in that light.

Maybe the information you sell takes the form of recommendations on the best cruise lines to book if you want to see Alaska in July. Can you see why you are a consultant in that subject?

Maybe your information business subject is dog grooming. Aunt Mimi has signed on as your customer because she wants you to teach her about grooming Fifi, her toy poodle. You are the consultant - Aunt Mimi is your client.

As soon as your customer signs up for your service (delivered in the form of some type of information), a consultant/client relationship is established.

It doesn't matter if you sell e-books, produce audio clips, run a subscription web site, or design graphics for logos. Digital information is your service and you are giving advice for a fee.

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.

Yes, there are some important things to consider beyond what you'll see on this list. But this is a place to begin, a reality check of sorts, to make sure that you understand what your business is about and where you're headed.

[ Just in case you missed the definition of a solo business, it is a small information based business operated by one person on the Internet. The subject of the business will be related to the owner's knowledge, skill, passion, training, or life experiences. - Author's note ]

Creating a new business is like preparing for a wedding: there are a thousand details that must be planned and executed.

It's easy to overlook some of the steps that are important to a business - especially when they are often perceived as being distasteful, expensive, and sometimes purely nonsense.

So it is with securing the necessary permits and licenses to make your business legal, keep you out of hot water, and legitimize your company.

Please give me a little slack if your State is different than mine. I guess there's a good chance that the sequence of obtaining the necessary business licenses could vary from State to State.

My business was registered in Utah, first as a sole proprietorship and later on as a Subchapter S Corporation.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a lawyer and my experience in this realm is limited to just one State. I will tell you what I did. You may find things are done a little differently where you register your business.

I began my license quest at the county administrative office. That ended up being a mistake since they needed to have my DBA and State business registration information before they could process my application.

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.

The County Clerk's office will usually be helpful in getting you pointed in the right direction. They'll be able to send you to the proper window to pay your fees.

The type of business you're creating will have a lot to do with the licenses and permits you'll need from the County government.

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.

It is very important, especially before you make any permanent location decisions, to check with your city to see if what you plan to do is allowed in the municipal code.

The city planning and zoning office should be able to help you determine what requirements will apply in your case.

There could be some zoning issues relevant to where you live that might have an impact on your business or the type of license and fees you will be assessed.

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.

But we rarely discuss the qualities you shouldn't possess.

Maybe we don't like to dwell on the negative. Maybe we feel that as long as the owner has the good qualities, he can also be forgiven for harboring a few of the bad.

Maybe we'd just prefer to keep silent and assume that small business owners hide their personality flaws by keeping to themselves.

These 10 qualities are not reserved for business types. Anyone can become infected. Also, like most diseases, it's a heck of a lot easier to get it than it is to get rid of it.

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.

Sometimes the alternatives are few and the choice is readily apparent. At others, it may be difficult to know what's best.

Typically, the decision about the structure of your business is influenced by the following factors and the answers you come up with to some pertinent questions like:

Every business needs a skeleton, a backbone, a framework that gives structure and organization to the operation.

Having a structure also allows you protections and rights under the law and qualifies your business for particular tax and income advantages.

The structure you choose is important. The decision you make will affect your financial, operational, and legal standing and reporting.

It will also create some responsibilities and requirements for reporting that may force you to seek outside help or assistance. Whether you undertake to learn the do-it-yourself way or you opt for some professional help, here are a few ideas to keep in mind.

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.

Let me ask you: "What's the single best resource you could take with you on the journey if you had your choice?"

Would it be lots of money to buy your way in to the directions you need? Maybe.

Would it be a detailed map that showed you the exact way to your destination? Maybe.

What would you want to take on your journey?

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.

Yes, sole proprietors can get by without one. Social security numbers are acceptable on income tax filings for persons without employees. But often those who would do business with your business, i.e. suppliers and vendors, want to see an EIN as a way to verify that you really are in business.

Your EIN will be assigned to your business by the Internal Review Service. It's your taxpayer ID, so to speak, and it will be used by federal, state, and local governments.

Just a few years ago, if you owned a solo business and contracted your time and expertise out on an hourly basis, you probably called yourself a freelancer.

Maybe you were good at writing, or typing, or graphics design, or doing research.

Whatever the skill you possessed, you found you were able to hire your time out to others on an hourly or "per job" basis. It seemed pretty nice at the time.

Hopefully, you enjoyed whatever it was that you did because you were being paid to perform that function only as you were able to produce. Typically, the more hours you spent in someone's service, the more you got paid.

Most of the professional solo businesses that I am aware of have followed a very traditional model in how the business is set up and operated.

Most attorneys, doctors, counselors, and accountants design their practices around the way their predecessors did business before them.

They may decide to locate in a single office or they might opt for a group setting where several others of their practice get together to take advantage of a single building with a common reception area, staff of office assistants, and shared billing system, parking lot, and rest rooms.

Each professional is in business for himself, but his business only thrives as he is able to apply his trade.

He bills at an hourly rate, sees whom he chooses, and sets his own schedule, although his assistants really handle the appointments and flow of work throughout the day.

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.

An entrepreneur would create or find a product and proceed to sell that product to as many buyers as he could find. Sometimes the owner would develop a full line of products offering the consumer many styles, sizes and other choices.

The one man band was many business employees rolled into one. He did the research and development on the product, the manufacturing and/or purchasing, he was the salesman, the secretary, the customer service representative and the business owner all at the same time.

For many years, solo businessmen worked among the ranks of the self-employed as "organizers" or facilitators of groups of like-minded people.

They held titles such as "consultants," "coaches," "mentors," and "instructors." Sometimes they operated strictly as solo entrepreneurs being the only source of expertise in their company.

Others banded together to form a "team" or group that offered the same type of service but included the perspective and experience of multiple experts that often worked together on one project to provide the service.

These workers would organize their own curriculum, design their own delivery approach, and earn their fee by teaching or coaching their clients either in a one-on-one setting or small group atmosphere.

Since the beginning of time, solo business persons have opened and maintained retail stores that sold products to walk-in customers.

Sometimes the stores featured only specialty items, like a bike shop or bakery. Others carried a range of goods (like a mercantile) but remained small enough that one person could man the shop by himself and perform all the daily functions necessary.

There would be goods to order from manufacturers or wholesalers, shelves to stock, customers to wait on, books to be balanced, and cleaning at the end of the day.

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.

Your survival, and ultimately your success, will hinge on how well you grasp the concept and make it your slave.

It's a difficult lesson for many, partly because most of us rarely practice applying leverage in our own personal lives. We tend to get complacent and accept low output and/or maintaining the status quo as our daily M.O.

When you get right down to brass tacks, most successful businesses are pretty boring. Really!

How many boring hamburgers does your local McDonalds crank out in a year? How many boring oil changes does Jiffy Lube perform for their customers every day? How often do Amazon employees wrap up a boring package of books to be shipped worldwide?

Many of today's most successful companies are at the top of their niche because they have mastered the execution of very boring business subjects and activities. They understand how to execute their boring routine over and over and over again; usually better and cheaper than anyone else.

Profitable companies develop systems of execution based on testing, modifying, and refining. Once they determine what works best, they simply repeat that formula or system over and over again.

Remember how difficult it was to be 13?

Everybody was always on your case trying to get you to do things you really didn't want to do.

Taking out the trash was a simple and easy enough chore that I was assigned. But oh, how I loved to "forget" to do it.

I wasn't much for raking leaves, pulling weeds, or my least favorite job - cleaning up after the pets.

I was constantly on the lookout for ways to avoid the daily tasks that needed to be done around the house.

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.

In a solo business, it's easy to understand why most customers don't differentiate the owner from his business. If you, the owner, treat the customer poorly, your business stinks (even if the customer actually likes the products you deliver.)

And when your offerings disappoint, you, the owner, take the black eye.

It's understandable since the customer sees you and the business as one and the same.

Every business begins with an idea. The idea may or may not be your own, but it will determine, to a large extent, the success of your business.

So it follows that finding a good idea, the right idea for you at this time and place, is paramount in your attempt to begin a solo business.

But how do you know whether you have a good business idea or not? How do you know that the product or service you will offer will be something that others will buy?

Maybe you trust your brother-in-law Harvey's opinion that "this business is going to revolutionize the future of every man, woman, and child living in the free world."

First, think for a moment about a traditional physical business.

Choose any store down the street you like or think about your favorite shop at the neighborhood mall.

Undoubtedly, it will have walls, a roof, carpet, employees, opening and closing times, products on the shelf (or some type of service that can be purchased), a cash register, counters, aisles, lights, bathrooms, advertising in the window, dedicated or shared parking outside, and many other things that all businesses have . . . or do they?

Try to imagine an alternative type of store with a single owner but no employees, no walls, no roof, no carpet, no bathrooms, no cash register, no counters, no aisles, no lights or other physical attributes.

Information businesses that are created, developed, promoted, operated, and delivered over the Internet are "the perfect business" because the product or service requires no employees, no stored inventory, no physical packaging, and no physical delivery.

These businesses can be operated from anywhere around the globe with just an Internet connection and the proper business set-up!

But for these businesses to exist, the following conditions must be met:

Today I had a rude awakening. I discovered I needed to practice what I preach. I needed to start taking my own advice.

I'll explain what I mean by telling you about my day.

The phone rang this morning a little after 3:00 am. I was tired and thinking I didn't want to answer it. I hate middle-of-the-night calls.

Most parents hate 3 o'clock calls because they worry that there could be some bad news about one of their children or grandchildren or another relative. Why else does the phone ring at 3:00?

When you do business online, you have to get a little personal with your customers. There's no way around it.

Being personal is fine with most of us, if we like and trust the person that's moving into our space. But online, being personal is a real challenge and a very sensitive issue for the business owner.

From the very beginning, you'd like to know how to reach your prospects individually. So, you go after a first name, last name, and an email address at the very least.

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.

Of all the trends, promotions, sales, and marketing ploys I witnessed, I am continually amazed at one particular selling strategy I've seen that has enormous power and sales potential yet very few marketers ever consider using it.

Here it is:

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.

That presents a great challenge - one that can certainly be overcome - but one that must be recognized and met head-on.

You see, operating a business is like most other professions. You don't just declare that you want to be in business for yourself and all of a sudden possess all the skills and knowledge that you need to be successful.

Over the next few posts we will be looking at things you can do in your business to:

- gain the education and experience you need to learn important and useful business skills directly related to your success,

- present your business in the best light as one that is real and credible,

- grow your business beyond being just a startup that doesn't go anywhere,

- expand your mind and your opportunities for new business ideas, new products, and creative solutions to business problems,

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.

Here's the next step: Search out one or more experienced mentors to guide you in your business.

If you can find experienced business people that are willing to provide you some direction, advice, and counseling, you will be miles ahead of the pack of those who simply "go it alone" with no additional help.

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.

What does it mean to be a student of your business?

Some who go into business become so focused on the daily routines and operations, they never take the time to study and learn about doing business in a more efficient and effective manner.

I've seen a vicious cycle, a treadmill that catches business owners in a kind of "time warp" or trap. The owner starts running on the treadmill and can never seem to jump off.

He finds himself running faster and faster to keep his business afloat as he becomes more successful, but he's never able to slow down, catch up, and he can't jump off.

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.

Goal-setting is sometimes viewed as nothing more than the worthless act of day dreaming. After all, how can anyone see into the future? Why waste time in guessing where your business will end up 5 or 10 years down the road?

There are three main hang-ups or difficulties with setting goals that keep most folks from realizing the power they hold in their hand when they establish proper goals.

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.

I am guessing that the business owners of these web sites have full time employment away from home and just figure that since they can't be around to answer the phone, it's better to just not list a number.

I won't deal with businesses that don't allow contact. Do you?

Regardless of the size of your business, you should separate all your business financial information and record keeping from your personal banking.

It does not look like you're very serious about your business if you continue to co-mingle your business and personal checking accounts, credit lines, credit cards, etc.

Legitimate companies keep their financial transactions totally separate from those of the owner. So should you.

Separate accounting will help you to avoid confusion, keep your information organized for tax purposes, and it will give you a "check" on the health of your business.

I don't know of a large profitable corporation that doesn't regularly seek professional advice on a whole range of business issues.

As a solo business owner, you may have a tendency to rely strictly upon your own knowledge and skill for all your business needs. You may figure that since you're in business for yourself, it's up to you to find answers to your questions and problems.

In actuality, the smart business owner is one that recognizes and admits he has limitations in certain business areas and will seek out professionals who can advise and help him over the rough spots.

I get a number of calls every week that go something like this:

"I want to start a business. I have a wonderful idea. I have no money but so and so told me there were government grants available for new businesses. Can you help me get $50,000 so I can start right away?"

Not wanting to burst the bubble immediately, I might say something like, "What do you want $50,000 for?"

"That's how much I need to rent a building, make some improvements, and set myself up in business. I figure I'll make it all back in the first year."

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

Americans dream about owning a business. 56% of recent survey respondents said that was their great ambition in life. Yet very few ever see that dream materialize.

Most of us work for someone else from our mid twenties until our mid sixties. That's 40 years of our lives, roughly 83,000 hours.

Bruce Judson reports that a Gallup survey of over 1 million U.S. employees found that over 70% are disengaged from their jobs. They have no real commitment to their work or their company. 70%! Wow!

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.

The term "risk" has a very negative connotation for most of us; it suggests a situation that we'd prefer not to encounter.

Why do we dislike risk? As a young child and throughout our schooling we are taught that risk is bad, that we should avoid risk whenever possible . . .

In the past, creating a small business has been a very risky proposition.

You could quit your job to start a new business and not be able to get it back if your business failed.

You could severely cramp you lifestyle if the new business required more time to operate than you expected and didn't return what you wanted.

You could risk losing all your company health insurance benefits, your life insurance, and your 401K.

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.

Risk #1: You could quit your job to start a new business and not be able to get it back if your business failed. A simple approach to online business doesn't require that you quit your job.

You will need to spend time, a considerable amount of time, on your new business; but since it's operated from home (or wherever you have Internet access) you can work on your business before work at your regular job, after work, at lunch, at night and on weekends.

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.

Years ago, traditional businesses would set up shop in a physical location, stock shelves with the goods the owner expected to be in demand, and lastly open the doors to customers and hope they would buy what was offered.

The solo information business of today is different. No longer does the owner need to make such an expensive commitment to his guess or hunch about which niche is profitable and which products will sell.

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.

Why trust important activities like communications, product development, customer relations, financial management, or fulfillment to an outside firm or several firms that won't have the same concern over these functions that the owner would.

And why pay someone else when the owner is trying to conserve cash and keep operational costs as low as possible?

Here are five good reasons why every Lone Wolf owner ought to seriously consider outsourcing some parts of his operation:

I'm not suggesting anything like copying or plagiarizing someone's profitable business model and products to push them out of their own chosen niche.

Although this very practice happens all the time on the Internet with cloned or stolen and copied products and services, you should never consider such a blatant attempt to shortcut your way to success.

What I am suggesting is that you put on your thinking cap, get creative, and look at the solutions that successful businesses in other niches come up with to solve the problems they find in that niche.

Nowhere has the Internet made a more dramatic change in the existing power structure than in the business world.

It used to be that companies wielding the most power and influence were those that operated from a position of strong cash reserves and seemingly unlimited access to professional service muscle like Wall Street financial advisers, Big Five accounting expertise, and legions of powerful corporate attorneys.

The "Big Boys" could buy their way into business advertising that dwarfed their competitors.

What you end up doing with what I am about to tell you could have a great bearing on your ultimate future as a solo Internet business operator.

I can't over emphasize this point. I hope you pay close attention and get the message clearly.

Undertaking a solo business is like placing yourself in the pilot's seat of a commercial airliner. Your customer's pay to climb aboard and have you fly them to wherever it is you've advertised.

No doubt you have heard this famous phrase many times before - it is used in context with both scientific application and general business principles.

I will borrow it today to talk about an important habit that I think all entrepreneurs ought to adopt and practice for the rest of their lives.

I have mentioned many times that the most successful solo business owners are the ones that ride the crest of the wave of trends and technology in their niche.

One of the ways they do that is by keeping themselves informed about the environment in which they operate (their niche subject) and the world of business both nationally and globally.

One of the things that most business owners look for are ways to add value to their businesses.

The usual thoughts are to add more products to the mix of things sold thereby increasing the profit potential. They reason, "More to sell = more sales!"

If you sell other people's products and if you have a source of additional offerings, this strategy may make sense for your business.

But what if you create your own products and can't readily add new offerings? What if you sell a single item and your business revolves around just that product?

II tend to be personally aligned with perfectionists.

I believe in doing the very best I can no matter what I'm doing. I sometimes spend hours on trying to get something right, even though that pursuit is mostly meaningless.

I'm a sucker for puzzles, brain teasers, and word games.

As an entrepreneur, I have to fight this tendency toward perfection and "coming up with the very best solution" all the time.

One of my favorite mentors (even though I have not personally met him) is a gentleman by the name of Seth Godin. He was formerly the Direct Marketing Vice President at Yahoo!

I call him a mentor because I feel his direction and guidance have helped me immensely in my business career. He keeps in contact with his readers through his popular blog found HERE .

Seth is also a prolific writer and a creative genius when it comes to understanding human behavior in the context of online marketing psychology and how companies can be successful as they develop relationships with their customers.

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.

You need to understand that it may be impossible to compete against some businesses in some ways. No matter what you do, they will be better at some things than you could ever be.

But that's OK. There is room for many good businesses in most every niche.

Your challenge will be to pick what you want to be good at, let your customers and prospects know what that specialty is, then execute your business and build your products around that strength.

Don't try to compete in things that you can't excel at. Figure skaters are excellent ice skaters, but their talents may not be of much use to a burly hockey player. They become known for their specially developed and honed skills.

Can you imagine the satisfaction, pride, and profitability you could enjoy if your solo business was something very extraordinary?

Most businesses online these days are comparatively bland. They sell products and services that are accepted by customers and the companies for the most part operate as mirror images of one another.

But once in a great while, a business elevates itself to the apex of its niche because it is so radically different and remarkable as to be incomparable and considered in a league of its own.

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.

There is a lot less open talk about what it means to position your business in a certain way or stance and how to do it within your specialized niche.

"Positioning" very simply refers to the choices you will be making about how you desire your business to be viewed by others. You will be determining your positioning either consciously by the actions you take, or automatically if you don't do anything to influence your position.

You business positioning differentiates your company and brand from others in the same niche, your competitors, by:

I was asked recently by a lady that had decided to operate a home-based business, what it meant to "niche your way" to a business fortune.

I didn't ask her where she picked up that phrase, but I have a good idea it was something said in an ad or a "how to" article somewhere online associated with running a business in today's environment.

It's a pretty trite expression these days, but the concept is still relevant and should be the basis of most every business entrepreneur that's thinking about doing online commerce.

This gal's question took me back a bit - I guess I just assumed that everyone knew what a niche business was and that it was pretty much a "given" for today's highly segmented business market.

Malcolm Gladwell, a talented and observant staff writer for "The New Yorker," has written a little book that you, the entrepreneur, should read as part of your basic small business education.

Here are the details:

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell, Feb. 2000, 288pp.

Gladwell understands human behavior and social trends that have shaped the American economy and influenced the business world so profoundly.

If you're a businessman, an advertiser, customer relations specialist, product developer, or web site owner, The Tipping Point holds many nuggets and gems that will influence the way you view your job and execute your mission.

On my reading list for all online solo business owners is Michael LeBoeuf's little paperback called The Perfect Business.

The corporate salaried employee stereotype with stock options, a hefty 401K, and holiday pay may soon become a relic of the past.

Job security is no longer prevalent. Corporate downsizing, mergers, and take-overs can spell unemployment for even the most proficient and tenured of workers.

LeBoeuf's book is perfect for the employee that decides to leave structured business life and test the waters of self-employment.

His writing is motivational, inspirational, and filled with solid reasons why solo business may be just the solution for those ousted from the 8-to-5 routine.

In a lot of online business situations, email is the lifeline between you and your customers and suppliers.

You don't have face-to-face contact and you may never converse over the phone.

Since your emails are so important, so critical to your communication with both customers and vendors in the business world, it is very smart to pay particular attention to both the substance and presentation of your emails.

All of us get in the habit of becoming lax in the business "chores" that are commonplace and routine. Email is no different.

In 2005 I purchased and read Seth Godin's latest contribution to new age business thinking and culture and immediately was struck by it's logic, practicality and seemingly correct vision of how we must sell our products and services now and in the future.

Seth Godin's book, called All Marketers Are Liars - The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World, is a fun read and certainly challenges traditional thinking about marketing products and services.

According to Godin, successful companies will be those that invent good products worth talking about and then come up with good, believable stories about what they've invented.

Godin writes, "Make your story bigger and bigger until it's important enough to believe."

Another book that I like to recommend to entrepreneurs and existing small business owners is The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki, a columnist for The New Yorker magazine.

It was published in May 2004 and has 320 pages. The subtitle is: "Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations."

That's quite a mouthful and suggests that there really is wisdom, influence, and, in particular, power in the thinking and opinions of the masses, either to the benefit or detriment of every society, organization, and economy in the world.

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.

The first function is marketing. Regardless of the product you sell, the size of your company, or the underlying bankroll you operate from, if you don't market what you sell, and market it well, you will never be successful.

The second daily business function that is critical to every business that I know is customer service. That is the topic for this post.

How many people do you know personally that don't really care how they're treated? How many folks enjoy being put off, ignored, lied to, ripped off, pushed around, run around in circles, or treated like they were criminals?

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.

4. Set up a responsive help system or customer support mechanism. It doesn't have to be an expensive and complex hosted solution.

The main thing customers want to know is how to easily, quickly, and reliably get in touch with you should a problem or concern arise.

Customers online understand that small companies may not have full time "operators standing by" waiting to answer every question thrown at them. But by all means, return phone calls and emails just as soon as you can, preferably within a few hours of receiving them.

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.

If you want to become such, you should execute your business as though it is an extension of yourself. Your company is built around the skills, knowledge, education and passion that make up your life.

So in terms of both subject matter, and executing the daily business operations, you are the business. Without you, the company is nothing.

Some business owners prefer to deal with problem customers by writing them off and shoving them out the door. They don't want or need to be bothered with further dealings or more headaches.

I think there is a better way, however, to attempt to appease and "soften" an irate customer.

Why not turn him 180 degrees around and convert him into one of your most loyal and valued customers?

You won't be 100 per cent successful with this strategy, but it will work often enough that you will soon understand the benefit to your business of this approach.

Often, new business owners figure the only way to increase sales is to put your product or service in front of more people.

Such a strategy usually means that you spend increasing amounts of money on advertising so you can extend your reach in to more and more markets.

Increasing sales by ramping up advertising is one way to pump up the bottom line. But there may be other more effective uses of your business operating budget.

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.

Maybe we don't need an English word for entrepreneur - it's used so commonly these days in the English language that most business-minded people, at least, have a pretty good understanding of the term.

My dictionary states the word "entrepreneur" comes from the Old French "entreprendre" which means, "to undertake." An entrepreneur is one who undertakes the creation, organization, operation, and risk of a business venture.

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.

Chris reminds me that there is a legion of potential solo Internet business candidates among us - the future business leaders that will blossom in the coming generation.

Most of the attention I pay to solo business owners goes to those who have a wealth of knowledge and experience under the belt. They are folks that already have some life and business experiences in the work place.

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.

There was a very distinct minority that took the side of believing in student run businesses. I was not one of them.

I felt that education shouldn't be interrupted by business world training and pressures. The classroom needed full attention and focus at this critical time.

I was actually born about 40 years too soon.

If I were a teenager today I'd be busy creating a network of web site businesses that I'd set up to grow over time, that could be run mostly on autopilot, and that would passively generate growing income for me for many years to come.

I'd study and learn (mostly online) how to use computers to automate business operation. I'd carefully watch which online business owners were being successful and I'd try to follow their lead.

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.

I have come to the conclusion over my years in dealing with small business owners that some of them (the true entrepreneurs) are exceptionally good at the skill of listening, and others (let's call them business road kill) haven't a clue what listening entails and don't ever do it.

Successful Internet business owners know that a consistent, fresh, value-packed email newsletter is one of the best marketing tools at their disposal in terms of both cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

Here are some tips that will help a solo business operator create and develop a valuable and profitable newsletter.

1) Before you begin publishing, answer these four questions:
- Who is my perfect customer? (My targeted prospect)
- What do I intend to accomplish? (My purpose)
- How can I be different and unique? (My specialty)
- What do I have to offer? (My personality, experience, skills, etc)

I think some people are born to complain.

We've all been acquainted, or at least come in contact, with this type of personality at some point in our lives.

It seems that if the person is not registering a complaint, he's out of character.

It's sad because we all tire of this constant criticism and negative attitude, even though we may be good friends with the person.

But this type of personality can be damaging to a small business in a number of ways.

I'm no expert on the subject because I've only been blogging a short time now (since February 2006 on a blog different than Business Alone).

However, I have been a writer for quite some time and many of the same rules apply to blogging as well.

I have taken the time to do some research on the subject.

Specifically I have been reading about "How to Blog" and trying to follow the instructions of some who have been successful bloggers for quite some time now.

I've also spent a fair amount of time visiting popular blogs, watching what other authors are doing, and trying to follow their lead by seeing and incorporating their techniques into my own blog.

One of the great advantages of being a blog writer (author) and a blog reader (viewer) is the fact that there are few hard and fast rules about what a blog has to look like, say, deliver, and accomplish.

Every blog is a little bit different and unique.

Some actually go way out on a limb and try to be extremely different to the point of overstepping the boundaries of good writing.

Nonetheless, blogs are a form of digital expression and learning.

By their very nature they are personal, custom, and a reflection of the blogger's preferences and wishes.

We've been discussing how to write a blog. I've given six suggestions so far that will help you to be successful and attractive to the readers in your niche.

7. As much as possible, include a title that grabs your reader's attention and forces him to stop and read more.

Some have suggested that the title is 80% responsible for the post being read. Some just skim through titles and short blog excerpts to determine if they want to take the time to read the whole post.

If your title is weak or sounds boring, there is a very good chance the viewer will skip on by to something else. Try to fit key words from your niche into the title if you can.

One of the greatest secrets to successful solo small business seems to escape many entrepreneurs.

If you are one that can't see the handwriting on the wall, I hope you'll take a lesson from this post.

Here is the secret: women drive most of the purchasing decisions these days, both online and off-line.

Now if you're a small business owner and are paying attention to the profiles of your buying customers, you will have recognized this trend a few years ago.

But it's still surprising to me that so many web site owners never seem to cater to ladies in their business or at their web site.

Here are a few additional suggestions of practical things you can do in your business to gain the trust of your prospects by calming their fear of purchasing on the Internet and dealing with an unknown company:

6. Be very clear and precise about what the customer is getting with his purchase. Don't leave anything unclear or in doubt. If anything, be overly specific and descriptive so the customer doesn't wonder what his dollars are actually purchasing.

7. Make the actual buying process as easy, straightforward, and intuitive as possible. Don't ask for more personal information than is necessary. Now is not the time for a customer survey. Explain each step you ask the customer to take. If the buyer is going to be taken away from your web site (for instance, to have a credit card transaction approved), explain to him why he is leaving the site and how he will be returned automatically.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I thought press releases were one of the most effective yet misunderstood tools the business owner had at his disposal to market his business and drive targeted traffic to his products.

No one ever taught us how to write a good press release!

The single most important rule to remember is to focus on the wants of the reader. Write what the viewer wants, what will make him happy, save him time, or solve a problem he has.

Forget what you (the business owner) want. It's not about you.

In addition, here are some simple suggestions to boost your copywriting effectiveness and increase your chances of having the release published:

I have often made the comment, "You are the business." As a small business owner, you are the solo creator, founder, operator, and employee of your business.

Without you, and everything that you know, do, and are, your business is nothing. There is no business if you don't make it so.

I am a proponent of the solo small business strategy because I believe in digital information business as the "perfect" strategy for this day and age, especially for those that want to control every aspect of their life in the business world and beyond.

When you do business as a solo small business owner, you alone are responsible for every aspect of the business.

If there are breakdowns in your product sales, customer relations, or financial management, there's no one to shake a finger at except the guy in the mirror.

Now in a typical "regular" business, each of the employee managers that handle a department like those mentioned above will be scrutinized and evaluated in their performance.

I think this is an important question that every entrepreneur needs to ask of him/herself. I'm not talking about turning a dollar bill into coins.

You've probably noticed that everything related to Internet business changes quite rapidly. It's business at the speed of light, so to speak.

Your niche market changes and morphs over time as new innovations come on the scene and old traditions die out.

You targeted customers change. It is a rarity nowadays to keep the same customers as regular purchasers at your site for more than a couple of years.

That's a critical question for the solo entrepreneur.

When you are the sole business owner, employee, product creator, customer service rep, and shipping clerk you literally become the business.

You have no one to blame, no one to rely on, no one to pass the buck to.

You stand alone bearing your torch to the world and you either make it or you don't on your own skill and wisdom.

You attitude about yourself and the business you've created will make all the difference in the world when it comes to projecting your business in front of your customers.

There is one huge roadblock that stops men and women from accomplishing great things in their lives. It's the four letter "f" word . . .

No, not that one . . .

It's FEAR!

I want to let you know that most all of us have an unhealthy attitude toward fear. It's not your fault that you shy away from your fears. That's what you've been taught to do every since you were a child.

When you were afraid of the dark, rather than helping you meet your fear, Mom helped you avoid it by getting you a nightlight.

I had to chuckle a bit when I read the following statement in the biography of a local politician that was used to describe his philosophy:

"I've seen many changes in (community name) and I've been against most of them!"

He wanted to bring back "the good old days" when traffic was sparse, crime was low, taxes were much less, and folks were friendly.

Such may be the view of this old-timer, but it is a philosophy that can be very damaging to a company.

Most great entrepreneurs welcome change, embrace change, and seek ways to profit from the opportunities brought about by change.

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?

One of the most evident changes that the U.S. economy has undergone in the past 15 years or so is the flight of industrial and manufacturing companies away from the U.S. Why?

Well there are a lot of reasons, but the basis of this exodus is the fact that labor in the U.S. is increasingly expensive and hard to find.

One of the true challenges facing every Internet business is the process of turning prospects into paying customers.

Lots of people can be directed to a web site by various means and incentives - but getting those prospects to spend money with your business is a whole different proposition.

How do you optimize your conversion rate - turning lookers into buyers - that certain percentage of surfers that will actually give you a credit card number and deposit their money into your bank account?

We'll save the details and numbered lists of tactics and strategies for another day.

What I wanted to get across as your sole "take away" (bit of wisdom you can use in your business) from this discussion is:

Of course the Internet small business has many formats to choose from when advertising its products and services.

I believe using a variety of methods is generally preferable to always relying upon one format. Your customers may tire from the same looking message received repeatedly.

One of the most effective selling formats is the personal letter from you (the small business owner) to the customer. It's a proven strategy that often works better than any other because it's:

(1) personal - most of us are much more likely to buy a product that is personally recommended than one we have no human tie to;

(2) intimate - we feel that a personal letter is not something that would be shared with lots of other people, hence we view it as tailored to our own needs or geared to our own circumstance (even though that may not be the case since the same "personal" letter might be sent to thousands of prospects);

It seems that the new American Dream is to own a business of your own. No longer is it much of a dream to own a single family home. Everyone seems to have one these days.

I want to caution you, though, that you need to be very cognizant of why you are going into business for yourself.

Of course there are many different reasons why you start a solo business.

But when an entrepreneur tells me that his main reason for going into business is so that he can get way from his demanding boss – I begin to see some red warning flags about that person.

I wonder if he really has what it's going to take to be successful as a solo small business operator. Why?

As the title implies, there is a business principle that all great companies adhere to that produces wealth and abundance beyond the infusion of cash into a business.

It is the principle that value can be created in a business in ways other than by direct cash deposits. It's a pretty simple concept, really, but many folks looking at business from the outside (like an entrepreneur deciding that he wants to create a business) don't think about growing a valuable company from within without spending money to do it.

Why is owning a business so profitable? Why is small business such a prized and universal dream for so many people?

Most would tell you that the reason they want to have a business is for the income stream that it can provide.

I'm always amazed that entrepreneurs are so anxious to spend their money.

I think the traditions and practices of the past have spilled over into the Internet generation of entrepreneurs and clouded the view of some soon-to-be business owners.

They feel that the old business cliché "you have to spend money to make money" still holds true.

I want to challenge that notion and tell you that you can play that game if you want to, but I would strongly advise a different approach.

I want to suggest that you conserve as much cash as you possibly can as you begin your new small business. Look for ways to save money instead of focusing on all the possible things you could spend your money on.

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.

But how many of those same folks are going to see their dream happen this year, or next, or the next . . .?

If you have this same dream of creating and owning a small business, there's a very high probability that no one in your lifetime is going to step up and hand you your own business.

If you're waiting for the right opportunity to come knocking, I doubt that you'll recognize it.

You see, that opportunity is standing in front of you right now, staring you right in the face.

I believe that every business has the opportunity to "make a difference" in the world today, even if only in a small way.

There are lots of ways of doing that besides merely providing valuable and useful products and services that help people and make their lives better.

By being productive and profitable, a company has the opportunity to contribute to the economic stability of the city and region in which it operates.

Small businesses will also have a number of opportunities to become socially responsible.

Here are a few ideas for the small business owner:

It seems somewhat incredible that many entrepreneurs go into business without knowing exactly their true business purpose.

Have you ever taken the opportunity to boil down your purpose to its very essence?

"What is my business?" Try to find an answer that covers all the bases in just a word or two. Usually that's a very challenging task.

Your company may sell a number of different products and services and it's purpose may be multi-faceted. Here's maybe a different way of defining what it is that you do.

One of the things that small business owners often forget is the fact that customers come to a small business often for the experience, not just for the products or services that are offered.

Yet many small businesses don't capitalize on that fact. Instead, they try to act like large sterile non-personal corporations. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about.

I was recently in Park City, Utah with my wife and family. We had made the one hour drive from home specifically to walk Main Street. For those of you unfamiliar with the place . . .

Nothing grabs a prospects attention like seeing his own name printed in a hand-written letter from a friend.

When a business customer feels like he is appreciated, singled out by the owner for some personal attention, and given the opportunity to join in the membership of a group of "insiders," he will likely commit to being personally involved in the niche with this business.

Personal involvement invites activity in forums, registration as a member of a community of serious like-minded folks (either free or paid), and status as a preferred customer (one most likely to buy products from the business.)

Whether you decide to publish information in a paid newsletter, a "members only" web site, or an email or notification service, the questions you'll have to answer are basically the same. Why do you want to do this?

Is the decision based on your love of the niche and desire to share what you know about it? Is it because you already have the advantage of possessing the knowledge and experience that will be needed?

Are you trying to gain a dedicated group of subscribers so you can offer them niche products? Or is the decision simply one that allows you to start a business and earn a living in a niche of your own choosing?

Whatever the reason, there are business principles that you ought to think about prior to committing much time and money to your new venture.

Sorry for that title, especially if it offends you in any way. I use it for one purpose: to draw your full attention to the importance of the F-word in small business. That word is "focus."

More than anything else, entrepreneurs need to develop focus in their approach to every aspect of what they do. If the business owner can't focus on what he is trying to accomplish, his efforts will be severely diluted and wasted on things that don't matter to his business.

In no other business is focus so critical as it is in solo business. Why? In solo business, if you don't do it, who else will?

If you don't dream it, or create it, or organize it, or set it up, or follow it through, or finish it . . . whatever "it" happens to be . . . "it" doesn't get done.

In another installment we reviewed the various definitions and synonyms for the word "focus."

In the business sense, focus is critical, even indispensable. If you run a solo business and you haven't mastered the skill of bringing focus to a task, you will be wasting time, effort, and resources which will cause your business to be less productive and efficient than it could be.

By applying focus to everything you do in your business operation, you are selectively directing all your attention and vision toward a narrow and distinct purpose. Once a task or problem is handled, your focus switches to the next issue.

Solo business owners are master jugglers, able to keep many balls in the air at the same time.

One of the great advantages to operating a solo business is that you, and you alone, control what transpires in the business. You make all the decisions, you set the rules, and you alone reap the business spoils.

Solo business appeals to many people, not because they're anti-social or paranoid about taking on business partners, but because they see distinct advantages in the lifestyle and daily routine of the owner/operator. Many prefer to work at home, work from a laptop, or enjoy the autonomy that a solo business provides compared to the "impersonal" nature of corporate society.

But for all the advantages of the solo business model, there is one distinct disadvantage that surfaces for some operators. It is the fact that some become so engrossed in their business that they never step out of it to check the reality of what they're doing and to look around and see what else is going on within the market.

Maybe I should have titled this "Tips from the underground" or "Marketing secrets that few businesses discover."

These are not the kinds of tips you find in textbooks or "how to market your business" courses or articles.

Yet, many of them are common sense based and really pretty logical in their thought and implementation.

So here you have some of the most simple, down-to-earth, practical yet seldom followed ideas that will boost your marketing traffic and success almost immediately.

Buying trends emerge online over time to give business owners, product developers, and marketers clues as to the kinds of things that sell and the strategies that perform best in putting the products in the hands of the customer.

One trend that many have noticed of late is the attraction of "simple and easy" with regard to online purchases. It seems that the public prefers to buy products that are easy to use, easy to understand, take little or no set up or skill to activate, and that are simple to maintain.

Why does this trend seem to be so prevalent? Is it that the population is generally lazy? Do we not have the time to worry about learning to use and care for things? Are there better uses of our discretionary time?

The owner of a solo digital information business is the perfect candidate for a targeted niche blog authored by the business owner and directed to support and advertise the business and the product.

Remember that the solo business owner is generally an independent, a free spirited thinker, one who prefers to do business alone without the constraints of employees, physical overhead, or management induced policies and rules.

This is exactly the profile of a successful blogger: one that is not shy about forming his own biases and opinions based on his life experiences and then publishing and sharing his knowledge and ideas with other like-minded nichers that hunger for the same type of information.

One of the keys to selling products online is to somehow personalize your approach to the prospect.

Impersonal, sterile, boring sales letters and advertisements aren't attractive and convincing.

They tend to put the prospect to sleep. Unless the prospect is already sold and anxious to buy one particular product, he will not pay much attention to generic and faceless advertising.

On the other hand, have you ever noticed how friendly people attract a crowd?

Their demeanor and friendliness are compelling! They act like magnets for most of us because we like being around upbeat and happy, gregarious people.

Have you ever noticed how customers like to be given very specific instructions or detailed directions from those they consider to be an expert?

I used to work retail in the sporting goods industry when I was a struggling college student trying to get my education and support my young family.

My great passion and hobby was fly fishing and I took every opportunity I could to help fly fishermen who came into the store to become better at "my sport."

I was an evangelist, a mentor, and an instructor for the sport of fly fishing even though the store was paying me to be a salesman.

Often small business owners have little or no formal training or skill in advertising and marketing their products.

Whenever they write copy, whether it be advertising, a press release, narrative at the web site, or in answer to client's questions, they tend to be driven by the facts.

Business minds just naturally are tuned in to think in terms of facts, numbers, dates, deadlines, instructions, policies, etc.

These are the details that a solo operator has churning around in his mind every waking moment it seems.

Here's the problem, in terms of marketing at least, with this mindset.

Of course you would want to do that. Here's why!

Everyone likes to be stroked. We all enjoy the praises of others and the acknowledgement or validation of our own talents and worth.

Even celebrities gush over fans that sing their praises and idolize their image.

You can use this knowledge to your advantage in the online business world.

Here's how you do it and why it's a good idea.

Don't mistakenly believe that corporate press kits are something reserved for the "big boys" of the business world!

Press kits can be prepared and distributed by any company and they are a great way to get some positive publicity for your solo business.

The idea behind a press kit is to present the media with information and facts about your business in a way that will make it easy for them to publish your story.

You're trying to give them exactly what they would want to see if they were coming to you on their own looking for details about your business.

One of the authors in the Know More Media network of business blogs, Maria Palma, asked an important question of each of the authors in the network that owned a business.

It went something like this: "What is your definition of service?" She runs the blog at Customers Are Always and was interested in getting a wide cross section of responses from the dozens of business writers in the network.

I thought it would be interesting to contemplate the question and make a contribution from my point of view and considering the experience I have had with service in the solo business sector and environment.

There's a very interesting phenomenon that often takes place in small business environments that to some extent can be predicted.

Solo businesses that roll along from day to day and week to week, never trying new methods or strategies, never experimenting with radically different systems or marketing, can be pretty much assured that their results will remain steady and predictable.

I have noticed that it's at times of greatest change and upheaval that some businesses make their greatest leap forward.

In essence, the business owner decides to depart from former or traditional ideas and methods and strike out in a new direction, or with a completely different approach.

The manufacturers of the industrial era had at least one thing in common: they found that mass production could cut both product costs and production times by substantial amounts when work was compartmentalized and the flow of assembly was orchestrated to bring all the parts together at the proper time (on the assembly line) and sequence.

The expectation remains today that products can be made and delivered to the customer in record time.

You order a digital camera over the Internet today on your lunch hour, even from a dealer thousands of miles away, and you should be able to have it delivered to your front door by noon tomorrow, if all goes well.

One of the surest things besides death and taxes, is the fact that change will occur in your business niche. It's inevitable.

Markets for products and services evolve over time.

Innovations in products and technology create new markets and make previous products obsolete.

Changes in economics, politics, and consumer appetites constantly force upheaval and churning in niches.

It doesn't matter that you have a successful product or a profitable business.

Sooner or later (and it's usually sooner), the market that you're in will change and the profits that you're now amassing will dwindle.

A lot has been written over the past ten years about business owners as risk-takers, and the characteristics or qualities that they possess which allow them to be successful in what they do.

But very seldom does this skill show up on the lists that writers prepare extolling the virtues of the top entrepreneurs.

Yes, persistence, attention to detail, willingness to take a risk, and determination are all candidates for the usual list of "must have" qualities for the successful business man/woman.

But there is another ingredient that I have found to be most important - even crucial - to the success of the creator of small business.

Creating and operating a new business can be an extreme challenge.

There are so many details to worry about, so many things that can go wrong, so many unknowns and variables in every niche market . . .

It is a daunting task to undertake such an unnerving challenge.

New businesses require huge amounts of time, owner effort, and uncommon commitment.

Some don't even begin to pay a return on the initial investment for many years . . . and others never do provide a return.

If you have targeted your customers properly, there will be few better or more productive business lead generating tools than to publish a "Tip of the Day" related to the education of your audience in your chosen niche.

Why? Simply because people want to be educated.

They come to the Internet for information in their niche. You can provide what they will consider to be very valuable bits of information learning and assistance.

Most folks are followers. They're like sheep in some respects - they wait in line to get behind a leader, a pace setter, or a spokesperson.

Many of these people could be the leader themselves, except they would prefer to stay out of the limelight, the public eye, or the position of attention.

Some people prefer not to lead out because they fear others will think they're fanatical, or after attention, or that they have a big ego.

Still others don't want to expend the energy, commit the time, or put their reputation on the line for a cause.

Every business owner, at some point in her career, will face sharp and emphatic criticism by a customer, supplier, or competitor.

Whether the criticism comes about as the result of an honest mistake, an ignored customer, a failing product, a wicked competitor or from some other source - it will eventually happen.

No one appreciates being the brunt of verbal tirades and name-calling.

We all take offense to blame that belongs elsewhere and rude customers that get their jollies by preying upon the "hold your tongue" business owner that wants to avoid confrontation at all costs.

If you're a blog author, you've probably contemplated what, why, and how you write.

It seems to me there are several different purposes for publishing a blog and depending upon the purpose you choose, the format and content of your blog will differ significantly from other blogs, even in the same specialized niche.

First, let me say that some blogs I've read seem to have no real purpose. The author might have decided, on the spur of the moment, to start blogging because he wanted to express his opinions to the world. But for what purpose?

If you've read any of the material I suggest about marketing a small solo business, you know that I am a firm believer of very targeted marketing to customers that have shown an interest in your business or products.

I don't like the "shotgun" approach where you blast away at any live body hoping that a certain percentage will have some further interest in your message.

It just doesn't make sense to do that and in an age where spam and interruptive advertising is so common. You (your business) are likely to be labeled something that you don't want to be.

I'll have to be careful with this post because some business owners will think I'm giving some very poor and bad advice about growing a solo business.

Nonetheless, I need to warn you of a temptation that appears before almost every new business owner that gains some traction and realizes some measure of success in his solo business.

Here's the temptation:

Once you leave the corporate world (or any kind of job where you're an employee for someone else) for the adventure of solo business, it only takes a day or two before you realize that you're standing naked in front of the world hoping that somehow others are going to notice your business.

You're naked because all of the props, network ties, and support infrastructure that typically come with a large organization or business are suddenly gone.

It's like standing on a street corner with nothing more than your naked self to give the world.

Yes, you can replace your props over time and focus the attention away from your own nothingness and exposure . . . but it will take time and a fair amount of effort.

In our previous discussion, we talked about the fact that a new business owner cannot rely upon "the corporation" to provide him with contacts, invitations to events and groups, company resources, credibility, etc.

When you strike out on your own, you're basically naked!

Here are some ideas to help you, as a solo business owner just getting started, develop your own business network and support system.

Here are some additional suggestions on ways to begin a business network of contacts and support if you are creating a solo business:

4. Leverage the resources and networks of others as much as possible. Whenever you locate a new contact person be sure to ask if they have other contacts that might be of interest to you and your new business.

Because your contact will most likely have been in business in this niche longer than you, he may know of additional networking contacts that he will share with you that could be a great resource for your business.

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:

7. Own your failures. If you've been an employee of a business that has more than a few employees, you know that often failures in specific campaigns and projects are bantered about without anyone owning up to the blame for the failure.

One person after another deflects the blame from himself and directs it toward another employee.

Soon, the failure is everyone's fault - and thereby - it becomes no one's fault.

Why am I so passionate about solo Internet business?

There are many reasons that I can think of - but there is one that stands out in my mind as being particularly important.

It is the notion that the individual in our society has great personal power.

Some believe that all the business power resides in large corporations. After all, they have the money, talent, and clout to be taken seriously by the public.

They have the wherewithal to perform important research, market to endless crowds, and develop unlimited technological products.

Think back to the time you had your first thoughts about working for yourself by creating a business.

You probably followed your dream and started a lemonade stand out on the front curb, began delivering newspapers so you'd have some spending money, or borrowed Dad's lawnmower to take your lawn care service to the neighbors.

In it's early and very basic form, entrepreneurship means you have an idea of a way to earn some money and you act on that idea or follow through to the point that you do the work and reap the reward.

A friend of mine inherited a small gas station from his father.

The mechanic's blood (oil?) ran through the family genes I suppose as he and two of his younger brothers all worked for either car dealerships (in the service department) or garages in the area.

At the passing of his Dad, Trent decided to quit his job, take over the ownership and management of the business his father ran for many years, and see if he could make a go of being his own boss.

That was the response I got when I suggested this as one way a solo small business owner might spread the word about his company without spending a fortune on advertising.

The owner had a small consulting business (principally conducted over the Internet) in the human resource management field - he specialized in coaching mid-level managers and other mid-career white-collar employees in making job changes.

He was always looking for new ideas on ways to expand his clientele.

What I'm about to describe to you is an actual example of the creativity and ingenuity of a small business owner.

I am changing the names of both the owner and his niche because I am quite sure the owner wouldn't want me divulging this information about him or his business.

Nevertheless, this is a true story and one that you may or may not want to use as the basis of your own similar effort to get your business known and to drive more traffic to your web site.

If you've been doing business on the Internet for any length of time, you've undoubtedly heard the term "sticky" or "stickiness" used to describe the ability of a web site to engage it's audience.

If a site is sticky, it is one that attracts customers and keeps them at the site for unusually long periods of time. Sticky sites are a good thing!

Why? The reasoning goes that the longer you can keep a customer, the more apt that person is to eventually make a purchase and to make additional return visits.

For a long time I've felt that the future of entrepreneurship in the United States is very bright. And contrary to many that feel this nation is headed toward an economy based on mega-corporations and giant conglomerates, I've always believed that the key to a strong national economy is a growing and prosperous small business sector.

Of course, an important element of small business is the solo entrepreneur, the one-person company that thrives in a very narrow and focused niche with a business built on the delivery of fresh and detailed information.

Those that have followed this blog know that I am a huge proponent of doing whatever possible to spread the word about your business and products via public relations activities and press releases.

I've blogged on the subject a number of times. Why? Because a small business desparately lives and dies on other people's advertising.

By that, I mean that your business can languish in obscurity or rise to great heights simply by the press and acknowledgement you receive from high traffic and "trusted" online sites.

Small business is never easy.

I don't care what tales and stories you hear of entrepreneurs coming up with the perfect idea at the perfect time.

Most such tales are just that. Millionaires aren't typically created overnight and they don't automatically or magically appear when an Internet company goes public.

So to suggest that a great piece of entrepreneurial advice and wisdom can be boiled down into three tiny words is really heresy in many ways.

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.

My opinion, and that of several others that specialize in online business, was that indeed, small business has changed dramatically for those that have discovered and subsequently embraced the new technologies that empower the small business owner.

Every small business owner wrestles with understanding how to increase his business.

The bottom line is this: "How do I bring additional revenue into the company?"

Well friends, you have just two choices: sell more or charge more.

Regardless of how complicated you try to make this puzzle, these are the only two things you can do to increase your business.

Everything else you do supports your ability to make additional sales or charge more for the products and services you sell.

Now comes the critical question: "What can the business owner do to increase sales?"

Times are changing and every solo business owner needs to design his little company in a way that it can be globally competitive.

Before the Internet, it was often sufficient that a small business only worried about the competition in the local community.

You owned a gift shop and your customer pool was everyone within walking distance, or at least easy driving distance, probably within the radius of your community and maybe a few other small towns within 25 miles.

Here's a very powerful marketing strategy for every small business owner that has ever wanted to "force" his clientele to identify with him.

You realize by now the popularity and effectiveness of including stories in your ads.

Human stories, that is, where the personal emotions of pain, hurt, love, greed, jealousy, sorrow, joy, etc are particularly strong and aroused in the customer.

Gripping stories tend to break down barriers, engage customers, and humanize the sometimes sterile world of Internet business.

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.

Here's what I've come to conclude: solo business is possible today because of the tools and resources we all have at our disposal to leverage the workings of the business.

Said another way: The business owner of today can leverage his personal time and effort in running the business (through automation of tasks) such that, by himself, he can accomplish the cumulative tasks of all the other business employees of yesterday.

You know I have often commented that "you are the business." Of course I'm talking about the fact that your business reflects your own personal ideas, traits, quirks, tendencies, and ability to be successful or not.

You are the solo creator, the founder, the operator, and only employee of your one man/woman business.

Without you, and everything that you know, do, and are, your business is nothing. There is no business if you don't make it so.

That can either be a great asset or a debilitating burden.

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.

Of course, from the title of this post you know the principle in mind is that of SUCCESS.

Whether or not you feel that you are a success really depends upon how you define and measure results that you consider to be successful.

Whether in business, life, in your marriage, in your relationships with family and friends, or wherever your "counting" takes place, the level of success you reach is often determined by the standards you set.

Taking on a business partner is a serious step. Regardless of the project type or business arrangement, you as a business owner should be very cautious that you understand WHY you are trusting your business reputation (and possibly your business health) to another individual. The old phrase "getting in bed with a stranger" is certainly appropriate for your consideration.

Family members, friends, old associates, and others that you have some sort of "tie" with are dangerous partners particularly because you will tend to let your guard down when you scrutinize the move to share your business. You may believe that all of these people can be trusted and that they would never do anything that you don't approve. Watch out!

Regardless of your partner's intent and innocence, you can't afford to take a chance on letting another human become the master of ship (i.e. your business).

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.

There is no doubt that excelling at customer service carries a cost and every business owner must absolutely be keenly aware of all the costs associated with her business. But my feeling has always been that an owner can't afford to decide whether she will choose excellent customer service or not . . . that decision was already made when the owner decided to go into business!

You see, customer service is a mindset, a style of doing business, a method of operating that shouldn't be thought of as an added component to a business that can be turned on or off at the owner's whim.

I was going through some of my Internet business books yesterday and noticed a little red paperback book that I remember reading several years ago. I dusted it off and read it again.

It is a quick read - a little over 100 pages. I remember the conclusion of the book more than anything else . . . probably because I was so frustrated reading the book and waiting for the one bit of information that wasn't revealed until the very end of the text.

The book is titled: The Ultimate Success Secret. The author is Dan Kennedy. Many of you Internet marketers will be familiar with the name, if not the man himself.

Dan is a fairly prolific writer, speaker, and information marketing coach who is recognized in the field for his knowledge and grasp of what it takes to be highly successful at internet business. He commands a very high price for his consulting time - if you're lucky enough to catch him and drag him away from his crazy schedule.

I don't intend to give you a book review in this post. I just wanted to touch upon a few principles that I thought about as I re-read Dan's book.

Being a good solo business owner often means persuading or motivating people to accomplish tasks that you need to have done. Often, you just can't wait for folks to start a project on their own time frame. You need to have services and business execution happen quickly or you will lose money.

When you think about it, being a master motivator is not an option for anyone that sells products or services for a living. If you are a salesman, you by default, should be a good motivator so that your prospects will be "prodded" along down your purchase funnel.

Being a great motivator is also important in accomplishing the leverage you need in order to be successful at things like joint venture marketing, out-sourcing and affiliate selling. You must have the skill set that will allow you to "force" (not a good choice of words but it suggests more than just asking) prospects to join your email list, sign up for your web site, or purchase your products.

Last night was one of those nights that I absolutely hate! And as I grow older, I have them more often than I used to.

I got to bed at a decent hour, about 10:30 pm or so. I like to retire after the news so I can get a good night's rest and wake up early to meet the new day. I guess one would say I'm a morning person. I don't do well if I stay up late and work into the early morning hours.

I'm not knocking that lifestyle if it's yours ... I just do better getting up early in the morning than trying to force myself to stay up and think at night when I'm tired.

Anyway, last night was a terrible weather night here in Utah. The thunder and lightning were fierce and didn't let up until about 3:00 am. I had a hard time sleeping early on as the lightning flashes and thunderous booms would startle me each time I started to doze off. After an hour of similar interruptions, I got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the patio door (it was cool but not cold) and watched the stormy displays.

If there was ever a time to say "it rained cats and dogs" this would be it. This summer storm was much needed as our lawn has been burning up with the heat of this July and August so far.

I thought I'd post a little change of pace today. I ran across an interesting bit of wisdom a couple of days ago that I wanted to share with you.

This bit of information was written by Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. The focus is not on business.

Ms. Brett, a columnist, writes about the lessons of life that she has learned from her 70 years of life experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope you find it helpful.

Extract what is meaningful to you. If your life is fulfilling, you will be that much more able to run a successful small business.

In every business it is critical that both customers and prospects trust the business owner.

He must be trusted that he will represent his products and services in an honest and fair manner.

The owner must be trusted that he will live up to his claims of service, guarantee, and product quality.

The owner must be trusted with valuable personal information and honest use of checks or credit cards.

In a very real sense, the customer must find the business owner beyond reproach.

I came across some wonderful advice written by Benjamin Franklin hundreds of years ago. I thought I would share it with you today and also in the next post. There is so much wisdom and sound advice here.

I hope you can appreciate what he is saying.

Yes, I understand that times have changed and today's business world is much different than when Franklin penned these ideas.

However, the principles behind what he is saying still hold true.

Solo entrepreneurs would do well to follow this advice; especially his wealth-building ideas and his abhorrence of debt.

I thought today I would follow up with a few more of Ben Franklin's ideas about money and work. (Please see the previous post)

I have included a number of his sayings or quotes. All have to do with money, finance, debt, saving, work, and similar topics that are especially appropriate to entrepreneurs.

The solo business owner will find great wisdom in Franklin's messages.

Even though Franklin lived over 200 years ago, his advice is still prudent in today's business world. We all would do well to follow his suggestions.

Every solo business owner has a set of core principles or values that determine how his/her business is operated.

Some owners are very methodical and precise. Others tend to fly by the seat of their pants, so to speak.

No two businesses are run exactly the same.

But regardless of your methods and strategies, there are some very fundamental execution principles that all successful solo businesses seem to adopt.

Some business owners catch onto these ideas quickly. They learn them early on in their business career and adopt them as a daily method of operation.

Others gradually move toward these ideas through trial and error as they learn in their own business exactly what works and what doesn't.

Often I am asked something like the following:

"Where do you look for answers if your web site and business are not successful?"

It seems that lots of business owners these days are moving to the Internet as a way to make a living. No doubt they've heard all the hype and raves about how much money there is waiting for those who want to extract it from the Internet.

Business is a complex thing and any one trouble spot could be to blame for an under-performing entity. And if many trouble spots are present, the task of identifying them all and fixing them becomes a major undertaking.

If your business isn't performing ... or if it is performing but not at the level you expect, here are the ten areas of your business that I would first analyze in order to remove potential trouble spots:

In the previous post we began discussing where to look (in your business) to find areas that you might grow in your business. What can you do to become more successful?

"Where do you look for answers if your web site and business are not successful as you would want?"

It seems that lots of business owners these days are moving to the Internet as a way to make a living or even a supplemental income. No doubt they've heard all the hype and raves about how much money there is waiting for those who want to extract it from the Internet.

Business is a complex thing and any one trouble spot could be to blame for an under-performing business entity. And if many trouble spots are present, the task of identifying them all and fixing them becomes a major undertaking.

If your business isn't performing ... or if it is performing but not at the level you expect, here are the ten areas of your business that I would first analyze in order to remove potential trouble spots:

My guess is ... most entrepreneurs don't go into solo business with the exit door in mind.

Why would they? Entrepreneurs are frantically focusing on starting and growing a business and the last thing they spend time worrying about is how to get out of their business when they are done with it.

Simply put, an exit strategy is a game plan of sorts. It's a thoughtful plan for going out of business.

Why would a business owner want a plan for going out of business?

For some profitable businesses, at least, an exit strategy can include realizing a significant profit above and beyond the revenue that comes from daily operations.

As a solo operator, wouldn't it be important to "collect" or receive payment on the sale of your business that you had created, grew, nurtured, and monetized over a significant number of years?

There are a lot, and I really mean A LOT, of entrepreneurs that have a fear of offering products for sale online.

Now, you may not have that specific kind of fear, but many others have mentioned over and over again that their fears are holding them back from moving forward in business.

I'd like to examine that topic and see if we can break those fears down and overcome them be (1) identifying the problem, (2) analyzing how and why it happens, (3) proposing solutions that anyone can implement, and (4) moving beyond the barriers that block action.

We will make this a two part series because of the details that we need to discuss!

Lots of new business owners (or would-be owners) have said that they have not been able to start a business because they have been halted in their tracks by one or more crippling, paralyzing roadblocks that they just can't find their way around.

Here are the most often mentioned reasons (fears) for failing to get started:

We are continuing our discussion of the fear of Internet selling. You see, many would-be entrepreneurs have extreme fear of offering products and services online to potential customers.

Some have expressed their frustration with fears so intense and debilitating that their business has stalled and they have not been able to get past this single obstacle.

In our previous discussion (Part 1 of the same title) we listed the top seven fears that seem to be fairly common among new business owners.

Today's discussion is about how to approach those fears and move past them in order to push a new business idea forward.

Here is a very simple but undisputed fact: only a small percentage of the people that have ideas about making money online ever get to the point of actually doing it!

For many, one or more of their fears have paralyzed their ability to implement their business plan and carry it through for income generation.

All small business owners will be faced with the decision to use less than truthful advertising and promotional strategies in their sales letters, email communications, ads, and other promotional material.

How do I know? It seems to be the way business marketing has evolved on the Internet.

Deceptive practices include all those little white lies, half truths, and marketing tactics that many feel are perfectly legal, excusable, and appropriate in this day and medium.

Some, I know, would question why we are even discussing this topic as they feel anything is game as long as you don't cross the line of outright lying in your presentations.

I don't see it that way.

I believe that Internet marketers has a responsibility to their prospects and customers that includes being upfront, honest, and ethical in everything they publish, say, and do.