“Save on Startup Costs with Your Online Business”

Starting a business takes determination and preparation. Oh, and it also takes money. How much money you need depends on the type of business you want to start. For an online business, you can make that dream come true and save some green in the process.

What is the first thing that people ask about with a business? Usually it’s “What will it cost me in the beginning?” With an online business you are already ahead of the game because you avoid many of the costs that come with owning a traditional brick-and-mortar company.

Even so, there will be some costs that you have to shoulder. If your capital is limited, you can still get things going. It may take some legwork and time but it is absolutely doable.

Here are the 3 main costs associated with starting an online business.

Domain Name Purchases – In order to have a presence online, you’ll need a website address or URL. There are specials all the time for domain name purchases, but you can get your domain name for less than $10 a year in most cases. Be careful not to get sucked into buying all the extras most domain name registrars try to get you to purchase when you purchase a domain. Stick to only purchasing the domain name.

Hosting – In order for your website to actually show up on the Internet you’ll need to purchase hosting for your domains. You can purchase this inexpensively with hosting companies such as Hostgator. Award winning web hosting. Affordable rates and tremendous customer service.

Email list management made easy starting at 9.00 a month with ImnicaMail
http://www.imnicamail.com/?aff_id=5204

Website Design – If you aren’t proficient in web design or HTML, you’ll need someone to set your website up for you. There are a few different options for getting this done:

• Hire a Designer: This is the most expensive way to get things done.

• Site Builder: You can build your site yourself with programs like SiteBuildIt. Learn how and save money by doing it yourself.

• Included with Hosting: Look for deals with your hosting company. For instance, when you purchase a ReliableWebs.com hosting package you can get a WordPress blog (using the WP platform as your main site is very common due to its ease of use and flexibility) installed on your domain for free. Any customization is up to you, but it’s a start that doesn’t cost anything extra.

If you need fresh content try PLR

Here are some tips for purchasing additional items you’ll need to run your business online.

1. Negotiate – All you can do is ask for what you want. When it comes to buying computers and other office equipment, there is some room for haggling. Find the best payment plans you can to help you to offset the cost. This goes for telephone services, answering services and high-speed Internet rates too.

2. Shop around - Buying computers online at sites like Dell.com allows you to add the features you need and pay the price you want to pay. Printers don’t cost as much as they used to. If you need a fax machine and a printer, look for deals on all-in-one equipment so you can save money.

3. Buy in bulk – When you need paper, printer ink and other office supplies, buy as much as you can when a deal comes along. Even if it takes you an entire year to use the paper, you know that you will use it so it doesn’t matter.

4. Ask for advice from others – For example, you’ll need hosting for your website. While there are dozens of web hosting companies out there, both paid and free everyone’s needs differ. What are your needs? If you know other online entrepreneurs, ask who they use. Keep in mind that high price doesn’t necessarily equate with good quality, just like low price doesn’t always mean poor quality.

5. Use what you already have for now – The best thing about an online business is that it is operated from your computer. Most people already have one of those. It may not be the top of the line model, but if it has high speed Internet access and a word processing program, you can get started. 

There are costs that you can avoid by starting an online business versus an offline one, but you still have to spend some money. The above five tips will help you to whittle down the costs you do have even more. This allows you to get your new enterprise up and running as soon as possible. And, don’t forget all these costs can be written off on your income taxes so don’t forget to keep records.

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“Essential Tools Every Online Entrepreneur Needs”

Are you an online entrepreneur? If you make your income or part of your income on the Internet, you most definitely are. With more and more people earning an income online,many tools and software have been created to help them with their online business chores.

If you know about these tools, they can make your life as an "online warrior" a lot easier. There's a lot of work involved with running your own Internet business. You need to wear many different hats and be at least slightly skilled in many areas.

Let's take a look at some of the resources you should have in your "Entrepreneur Toolbox."

1) Websites: The structure and design of your site is very important. It needs to look "clean" and professional. You can use software to create your site from scratch, pay someone else, or use an online template.

A) Some resources for learning HTML:

Dave's HTML Guide:
http://www.davesite.com/webstation/html/

HTML Goodies
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/

W3 Schools- Online Tutorials
http://www.w3schools.com/

B) For Templates, see:

Template Monster
http://www.templatemonster.com/

Basic Templates
http://basictemplates.com/

C) For Software, some free:

The Free Site
http://thefreesite.com/Free_Software/HTML_freeware/

A handy tool to check your website for broken
links online:
http://www.stickysauce.com/cgi-local/linkcheck/linkcheck.pl

To make sure you haven't created an overblown site
that takes forever to download, use this online tester:

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/

2) Utility Programs: There are a few basic utilities you'll need to have on hand for everyday tasks. These include a good FTP program for uploading your files to your web server and a program to zip and unzip files. You'll need to zip files when they are large, to compress them for Internet downloading.

Check out:

Sofotex:
http://www.sofotex.com/download/FTP_Software/

Zipper:
http://www.trans4mind.com/personal_development/zipper/

Zip It Fast: http://www.zipitfast.com/

3) Email: As your business grows you'll come to rely on email as your primary means of communication. The most common email programs are Outlook and Outlook Express which come standard with Windows, and Eudora, which many power users prefer:

Eudora: http://www.Eudora.com

Whatever you use for an email client make sure you're
familiar with how it works, and how to create folders and autoresponders. With today's spam problem, you'll have to use a good filtering program, such as: Cloudmark: http://www.cloudmark.com/ or a third party service like: http://www.spamarrest.com/

4) Mailing List Management: Any website owner worth his salt knows the importance of collecting visitors' email addresses. It doesn't matter if you'll be sending out a monthly newsletter or just periodic site updates, you need software that's up for the task. Make sure whatever you use is capable of handling multiple lists, as when your online business grows you may need to keep lists for different things. For example, you might have one for those who like to swap ezine ads with you, one for those who have
expressed an interest in advertising with you, etc.

Here are a few great resources:

Groupmail: (the one I use) http://www.infacta.com/

Subscribe Me: http://www.siteinteractive.com/subpro/

Aweber- Everyone’s Favorite

Here's a list of some others:
http://www.emailaddresses.com/email_mailing.htm

With everyone using filters on email these days make sure you download this program that checks your email for "trigger words" and improves your chances of making it through to the inbox. It's called Email Advisor

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/emailadvisor.html

5) Graphics Program: You'll find you need graphics for many of your online activities. Maybe for your website, a banner for an exchange, a cover for an ebook, etc. The two most popular online today are Photoshop http://www.Adobe.com and Paintshop Pro http://www.jasc.com/products/paintshoppro/

If you don't want to part with your cash, there
is a free one:

http://oriens-solution.com/enhancer/default.asp

6) Autoresponders: An autoresponder works much like Fax on Demand and automatically replies to any email sent to it with a pre-formatted message. For example you might have a "thanks for emailing me" response that replies to all incoming messages or you might want to set one up for "price lists," "product information," "advertising rates," etc. Autoresponders are very powerful and can help to automate many aspects of your daily email chores. You can use a third party service, or install software on your server, or configure them from within your email client itself.

Aweber the Best Autoresponders in Town
SendFree: http://www.sendfree.com/
Get Response: http://www.getresponse.com/

7) Online Payments: If you're going to be doing business online, you'll need to be able to accept online payments. If you don't want the expense of a merchant account there are plenty of other inexpensive third party services you can use.

PayPal: http://www.PayPal.com
ClickBank http://www.ClickBank.com
Ikobo: https://www.ikobo.com/
2 CheckOut: http://www.2checkout.com/
Shopping Cart- http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?pr=1&id=119465

8) PDF Software: If you want to offer downloadable
documents from your website or create and sell ebooks or reports, you'll need a way to convert Word and text documents to PDF. There are many other options besides Adobe:

PDF Moto: http://PDFMoto.com
Gymnast: http://www.oakworth.demon.co.uk/gymnast.htm
Win2PDF: http://Win2PDF.com

9) Ebook Creators: Ebooks are very popular and can be sold or given away for free. If you give them away, they become very powerful viral marketing tools that can generate a consistent traffic flow to your site. If sold, they can produce a nice income for you. Most ebooks come in PDF
(portable document format) or .exe. To create an .exe format you'll need what's called a compiler.

HTML Executable: http://www.gdgsoft.com/htmlexe/index.aspx
Ebook Generator: http://www.ebookgenerator.com/
Ebooks Writer: http://www.ebookswriter.com/

Nice directions on how to create PDF Ebooks:
http://www.adobe.com/epaper/tips/acr5ebook/main.html

For professional ebook covers see:
Cover Software http://www.coversoftware.com/
Ebook on Making Covers: http://tinyurl.com/2l4o2

10) Virus/Firewall Protection: It's a dangerous world online and you need to protect yourself from the "bad guys" who create and send out viruses. You'll need to install a good virus protection program and keep it running constantly in the background in order to steer clear of infections. If you have a "constant on" Net connection like DSL or cable, you'll also need to run a firewall program to keep out hackers. Take a look at:

McAfee: http://us.mcafee.com/default.asp
Norton: http://www.symantec.com/index.htm
AVG: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php
Firewall Protection:
http://www.tinysoftware.com/home/tiny2?la=EN
Spyware Remover: http://lavasoft.de

11) Accounting Software: As an entrepreneur, you'll
need to be able to generate invoices and track your
income and expenses for the "tax man." Three of the
best are:

Quickbooks: http://www.Quickbooks.com
Internet Tax Helper: http://www.internettaxhelper.com/
Netledger: http://www.Netledger.com

12) Marketing/Promotional: It may have worked for Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams," but online, the saying "build it and they will come" is just not true. You need to be proactive by promoting and marketing your website constantly  to bring in the paying customers. Here are some excellent resources:

Self Promotion: http://www.selfpromotion.com/
Bruce Clay: http://www.bruceclay.com/
http://www.PRWeb.com

13) Typing Shortcuts: At the end of the day you may feel
you've typed so much your fingers will fall off. Repetitive typing comes with the territory. You'll find yourself answering the same questions about your products and services, as well as posting your sig line to hundreds of posts in discussion boards...all of which adds up to a lot of repetitive typing. A typing shortcut tool stores short snippets
of text for you so when you need them you just hit a key or a combination of keys, and it will type out your pre-stored text for you. This really saves a lot of valuable time.

Type It In: http://www.wavget.com/typeitin.html
ShortKeys: http://www.shortkeys.com/
ClipMate: http://www.clipmate.com/

14) Misc: Here are some tools that don't categorize easily -- but can be extremely useful to you. As you move around the Net, you'll find many useful tools and software that can help you in your daily entrepreneur life. Make sure you bookmark or download them for later use.

TextPad: A more powerful alternative to Notepad
http://www.TextPad.com

FeedReader: RSS is becoming very popular online so
you'll need a reader to subscribe and read them.
http://www.FeedReader.com

Music: For your musical enjoyment while doing
your web work I highly suggest..
http://www.Itunes.com

WebBBS: A shareware discussion board to install
on your website.
http://awsd.com/scripts/webbbs/index.shtml

The Directory of Ezines: A pay for membership site that will give you access to over 800 newsletters you can purchase ad space in or swap ads or submit articles to. http://www.lifestylespub.com/

ICop: If you'd like to join a group of online professionals you'll want to take a look at this organization: http://www.i-cop.org/

PLR Content: One thing you need a lot of is content. And sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to create it yourself, that’s where PLR content can be your best friend.

TweetBrand: Brand your Tweets.

If you need help, then Outsource.

Being an online entrepreneur involves juggling a lot of balls to keep everything running smoothly. By using the right tools for the job you'll save yourself a lot of time and energy that can be used to grow your business in a very successful direction.

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“Finding that Host that Offers the Most”

Whether you already have a website or are thinking of setting up shop online, sooner or later you'll have to deal with the issue of web hosting. Although it may seem like a "no brainer," there are actually many factors you'll need to consider before making this important decision. Your first inclination may be to look only at the cost, thinking "cheaper is better."  However, that old saying "you get what you pay for," is especially true in this situation. Here are some of the more important points you'll want to look at when considering your next host.

UNIX/ NT/ The two most popular hosting platforms to choose from are UNIX and NT. UNIX is by far the favorite, as it was the only choice way back in the early days of the Internet. It is easy to configure, great for setting your own file permissions and the platform for most of the free scripts available for download. It is flexible, reliable and supports scripting languages like Perl and PHP3.

NT is Microsoft's baby. One problem that I have found with NT servers is a lack of readily available scripts that work on this platform. Also, (unlike UNIX) many NT users need assistance from their Web Host Administrators to set file permissions. NT supports MS applications such as ASP, Access, FP and scripting languages such as Perl, Cold Fusion and ASP.

TECH SUPPORT/ When you need help you'll want to make sure you can get it. Some web hosts offer phone support or even live chat. Make sure they have good tech support in place as there's nothing more annoying than needing assistance with your site and not being able to get it.

SET UP FEE/ MONTHLY FEE/ Some hosts charge an initial set up fee to get your site set up and running on their server. Make sure you check on this when comparing prices. I've seen monthly fees ranging from 9.99 to 39.99, depending on the plan and services offered. My advice to you would be to look past the cheapest and most expensive ends of the scale and go with a mid-range pricing plan to be on the safe side. You should be able to pick up a reliable web host for 10 to 20.00 per month.

HARD DRIVE/ SPACE/  How much space they're willing to give you is important if you're going to compare apples to apples.  You need to keep in mind the size of your site when deciding how much space you really need. Generally, 20 to 30 MB is plenty for a small site. You might want to ask if you can pay for more space should your site ever outgrow its present state.

FTP ACCESS/ TELNET ACCESS/ Even if you plan on using Frontpage to manage your site, you'll still need to have FTP access. It is usually standard, but it never hurts to ask. Make sure you keep your user name and password in a safe place. You'll use FTP to set file permissions and to upload your files to the web server.

Telnet can be very useful for troubleshooting CGI scripts and changing server configurations. There are some servers that will not grant telnet access.

CGI-BIN/ A very important component if you're planning on adding any sort of interactivity to your site like forms, shopping carts, etc. Usually comes as standard equipment, but I've seen some of the cheaper hosts leave it out entirely.

EMAIL BOXES & POP 3 ALIASES/ One thing that's very important to me is the ability to use different aliases with my domain name. For example, if your domain is YourBizName.com, you may want to set up separate addresses to sort your mail like serviceATyourbizname or supportATyourbizname. They may all funnel into the same mailbox, but you can set up filters at your end, making customer service a whole lot easier.

If you have a "wildcard" account, you can set up as many aliases as you like. If you have ther employees who will need their own private box, check with the web host to see how many boxes they will allow.

STATS/ Once you start getting traffic, you'll want to know where it's coming from and what pages of your site are being visited. Some web hosts will throw stats tracking in with their standard package or at least give you access to your log files, which you can then use with third party software to run reports on the traffic your site is receiving.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS/:

1) If you want to use Frontpage: Do they have the FP server extensions installed?

2) Do they offer autoresponders?

3) How about a secured server option for payment transactions?

4) Do they back up all websites in case of disaster?

5) Do they offer assistance in programming or design work if needed at an hourly rate?

6) Do they offer shopping cart software if you're going to be selling products?

7) Do any customized forms come standard with your account, like feedback or order forms?

8) Bandwidth- Be aware that bandwidth is how much data can be transferred in a month's time. This shouldn't be a concern unless you're getting a ton of traffic, but be aware that most hosts do have limitations on what they'll allow.

As you can see, there are many factors to take into account when choosing a web host. Your host is essentially the spine of your site, so you want to make sure that the one you choose is reliable and solid. Nothing can ruin a site faster than an unreliable host. I know; been there, done that.

For a comparison of hosts pop over to http://www.HostCompare.com or to search for a host by the features you need go to http://www.HostSearch.com

Remember, choosing a good host is essential to the success and reliability of your online business. Do your homework and choose the one that's right for you.

10 Tips for a Better Website

By Merle

There are just some things that need to be included in every website. If you integrate these tips into your site your visitors will "thank you" for it later:

1) Navigation:  Keep it simple (KISS), and make sure it's consistent from page to page. No matter where you place your menu bar -- either at the top or down the side --always include a small text menu at the bottom of every page.  To create a site map see http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/

If you're one of those people easily impressed with Flash, don't design your navigation with it. There are still some people who don't have or want the plug-in, so they won't be able to navigate your site. Besides, search engine spiders have a harder time reading it, so that could lead to some of your site pages not being included in their index.

2) Privacy Policy:  With all of the concern over privacy on the Web if you collect any type of information from your visitors (even if it's just an email address) you need to include a privacy policy. There are many online templates that will help you to create one easily. Once made, post a link to it on every page of your site. Here’s a site that will help you in creating a privacy policy http://www.dmaresponsibility.org/PPG/

3) Contact Information: Nothing drives me more insane than having to search through an entire website just to send the owner an email. Post your contact info at the bottom of every page of your site, along with your email address. Don't make me fill out a whole form when I just want to send a simple comment. Include your email address, hot-linked and ready to go.

4) Logos & Graphics: Please keep your graphics down to a reasonable size. No one wants to wait two minutes while your huge, beautiful logo loads onto the screen. If you must use a lot of graphics to get your point across, I've got one word for you: Compression.

5) Fonts: Remember if you stray from using the standard fonts that everyone has installed on their computers (such as Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman) the viewer won't see your fonts as intended. Your users' computers will display your site in their default fonts. Stick to standards. If you must have a certain font used you'll have to turn it into a graphic to maintain its look.

6) Make It Sticky: Include interactive features if possible, such as live news feeds. or widgets. Use chat rooms, discussion boards, blogs, etc. You want to create a sense of community where people will want to  return.  See http://www.google.com/ig/directory?synd=open

7) Newsletter/Blog: If you're going to have a website you need to offer a newsletter or a blog, even if it's strictly going to be about sale items, specials or site updates. You need to start collecting a list of your visitors'email addresses so you can keep in touch with them. Ezines help to keep your site fresh in the client's mind and helps to establish trust and credibility. For more on how to start your own ezine see http://www.ezineuniversity.com/

8) Browsers: You'd be amazed at how differently your website appears in different browsers. Make sure you take a peek at your site in Firefox and Internet Explorer. Try http://browsershots.org/

9) Index Page: This may seem like a given, but I'm going to mention it anyway. On the very first page of your site (the homepage) the first paragraph should answer the "5 W's"; basically telling them who you are and what you're offering. You'd be amazed at the number of websites that leave this out; making me think "what do these people do, and what's in it for me?" You need to answer these questions and do  it fast. Surfers are a very impatient group. Stop them  before they click away.

10) Disclaimer: Along with your privacy policy you’ll want to include a standard disclaimer page. You could have a lawyer draw one up or use an online generator and modify it to what you need. Here’s a free online one, remember, use at your own risk http://www.easyriver.com/free_disclaimer.htm

If you remember the above 10 pointers when putting together your next website, you'll create a winning site that visitors will want to return to, and not run away from in frustration.

PS. For more help with your site see http://www.merlesworld.com/required_website_elements.htm

"No HTML? Need a Website? No Problem"

So you have this great idea for a website and you're all excited about getting your "feet wet" as an
online entrepreneur, but there's one problem: You have no idea how to create a site. ("HTML? What's that?")

If this sounds familiar, have no fear –templates are here. (Sorry for the rhyme; I just couldn't help myself.)

Templates are prefabricated websites; complete with graphics and sometimes even a cascading style sheet attached. You download them, edit in your information and upload them to your server. Presto, instant website!

If you take some time and do a search around the Net you'll find some beautiful templates, some
even free, that will have you looking like a true online professional before you can say "CSS or HTML."

Let's take a look at some options:

1) APlusTemplates: http://APlusTemplates.com

A professional template membership site where you pay a one time membership fee of $29.95 and
gain access to over 200 Web templates and their "Flash Intro Builder." Browse templates by
category; even download a free template to check out the quality. There's some real nice stuff
here.

2) ATemplate.com: http://ATemplate.com

All Web templates come complete with CSS or image rollovers and PSD files. If you're looking for
something a bit fancier, they also offer an assortment of Flash templates. All templates are compatible with Frontpage and Dreamweaver.

3) BasicTemplates: http://BasicTemplates.com

I really love this site. The templates are top quality and designed using external CSS. You can join as a member for a one time fee and access all of the templates or purchase them individually. Easy to browse by category.

4) TheTemplateStore: http://TheTemplateStore.com

This site offers a nice selection of templates searchable by the editor you plan on using, such as
Dreamweaver or FrontPage. They also have templates for GoLive and even Swish. Most start at only $15.00and they go up from there.

5) Template Monster: http://TemplateMonster.com

Although a bit on the higher end, the designers at Template Monster are a talented group. You'll find
some real gems to download here. Each template comes complete with PSD files. Download the free site template to get a small sample of what you'll be purchasing.

Don't let your lack of design skills stop you from being the proud owner of the site you've always
dreamed of. With the right template you can have a professional looking site and no one need know
you didn't design it yourself. Shhhh, it'll be our little secret!

“Generate Your Own Disclaimers and Privacy Policies”

First my own disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be and this is not legal advice. In case you didn’t know if you offer anything for sale on your website you need to have a privacy policy and a disclaimer. Many times it’s hard to know where to start. This site allows you to generate basic templates which you can then edit to suit your needs.  Check it out at:

http://www.easyriver.com/free_utilites.htm

There are also a few other nifty tools which you can use to generate other items you may need for your site. Very cool.

The Ultimate Website Checklist

When you're getting ready to launch a new website there are plenty of things you need to check and double check. I keep a list myself. You need to make sure you cross yout t's and dot your i's...so to speak. Here's a nice PDF checklist of all the things you need to check before your next website goes live. Very well done.