Are you already in business for yourself? Do you currently have a home-based business? Are you working a full-time job while launching your internet business? Why do you want to start an internet business?
Identifying your “Why†will be one of the most fundamental steps you will take on the road to building a successful internet business. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized because it is knowing your “Why†that will help you to deal with the challenges that will come your way as you embark on creating an online presence.
Your initial response may be, “my why is to make money,†and that’s generally the response from the majority of people. However, I’d like to encourage you to dig deeper and find the real reason why you are willing to do what it takes to succeed. Money does provide you with options, money allows for choices, money allows you to do more for others, but identifying specifically what you’d like to achieve by making money will give you a greater reason to stay focused. Just ‘making money’ will not be enough of a motivator. You need to have such a deep-seated reason that will cause you to go over, under or around any obstacles that come your way. Tied in with that is what you short-, medium, and long-term goals will be.
Do you believe it's important to determine ‘Your Why'? If so, why? If not, why do you say so? If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will reply to you directly.
Creating a presence online may take different forms as the internet provides a smorgasbord of options. You may be in Direct Sales and already have a static website provided by the company you represent, you may be a stay-at-home mom or dad who is looking for a way to reach out to others, whether for friendship, or to find money-making opportunities. You may be a self-employed professional or the owner of a brick and mortar store who wants to expand his/her reach, or you may be an employee looking to transition. Regardless of your background, there is one important point to keep in mind: Exercise care in what you say and enter on various websites because once they are there they are like marks made by a permanent marker or indelible ink that cannot be erased. They may be submerged, but can always be found with a little effort and can come back to haunt you later on.
We will discuss how to build your brand in another post, but today we are going to look at some reasons why it is important to build your brand. What is a brand? Wikipedia.org defines brand as a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business. From the outset branding sets you apart and distinguishes you or your business from others who may be marketing the same product or offering a similar service.
If you are new to the internet you will become aware that you can start in various places; for example, many persons will encourage you to start by joining one of the social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. There is value in doing so because you can observe and eventually participate in interactions, become aware of groups that you can join, create networking opportunities and expand your reach. However, on each of these sites you will be asked to create a Profile. What will your Profile say about you? When people click on your profile what will they find? What do you want people to know about you and how much of yourself will you reveal? It is truly important to be authentic, but at the same time caution should be exercised that you do not reveal information that could make you become a victim of ID theft.
Building your brand is important because –
1) You need your brand to create an effective presence on the internet
2) Your brand builds credibility, which can only be achieved over a period of time.
3) What will be your USP – Your Unique Selling Proposition? It's important to identify this so you can express it clearly. The first person who asked me that got a ‘Huh?” answer as I had no idea what they were talking about. This is one thing that will set you apart from others and identify your brand.
4) Deciding on a niche may take time, but is a highly recommended step because you cannot be all things to everyone and it's important to determine what or where you will focus on. Your niche will be one of your branding tools.
5) One of the basic items you will need for your online business is a Domain Name. You can select a domain name with keywords that reflect the brand you will be building, or you can select your own name.com. You will also need to determine how you will brand your name. What do you want people to associate your name with?
From the foregoing, you can appreciate that to have an building your brand is important. Tomorrow we will discuss how to build your brand in order to have an effective presence on the internet.
In the past, persons in Direct Sales relied heavily on person-to-person/one-on-one contact and word of mouth referrals. These methods are still effective; however, you now have the ability to extend your reach far beyond your local community. Of course, depending on the type of service or products you are marketing, there may be some challenges or limitations, but these can usually be addressed on a case by case basis.
Starting your online business is a step by step process, and the basic principles are the same as for starting any other type of business online. It starts with the correct mindset. Believing in yourself if the first requirement. Being all the you can be is not just for a particular segment of society, you can be all you want to be as long as you are willing to do the work – take the time to learn the steps required to build a successful business on the internet and then take action. One of the first actions steps you may need to take is to change your thinking.
If you have been in Direct Sales for any length of time you are aware that it is possible to supplement your income or even replace your income in a very short time. Note, ‘it is possible!' You will usually get out of it what you put into it, and this has been the case for many, including myself. However, it's important to recognize that while it is possible to make a lot of money on the internet, it does take time, patience and work. At the same time you may be asking as I did a year and a half ago: “Where do I start?”
My goal for anyone, including Direct Sales Consultants, starting a business online is that you do not waste money as I did purchasing e-book after e-book and courses online that proved to be all fluff and no substance. Other courses told me what I needed to do but gave me no idea how to do it. Working with great Mentors is the key and I'll be providing more information on some of those who have contributed to my progress and the success I've experienced to date.
Are you already in business for yourself? Do you currently have a home-based business? Are you working a full-time job while launching your internet business? Why do you want to start an internet business?