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Keys to Starting an Online Business
By March 3, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Keys to Starting an Online Business

If you’re thinking about starting an online business, here are some fundamental ideas to help you stay focused and grow. 1. Learn by Helping Others An easy way to learn about online marketing is to help a friend, family member, or organization set up a website to promote their product or service. As explained in […]

Posted in: Getting Started
Learn By Helping Others
By February 22, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Learn By Helping Others

My first big break in the world of online business occurred long before I got my first product idea. It happened the day that I hired a home repairman from an ad on Craigslist. The repairman arrived at our home in very old vehicle, and it was clear from his car and his clothing that he […]

Posted in: Your Website
Your Product Idea (1)
By February 13, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Your Product Idea (1)

Part 1: Find Your Product Idea Contrary to what you might think, it’s usually not difficult to come up with a great product idea for your new company. Start by keeping notes about the products and services you’ve encountered in everyday life that really stink. Are you frustrated because your car mechanic ripped you off? […]

Your Product Idea (2)
By February 4, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Your Product Idea (2)

Part 2: Good Vs. Terrible Product Ideas Encouraged by the success of my first online store – and at the urging of a friend who wanted to become a partner – a couple of years later I started another web business. My friend owns a TV repair shop. He noticed that online TV parts retailers […]

Posted in: Product Ideas
Your Product Idea (3)
By January 26, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Your Product Idea (3)

Part 3: Evaluate Your Product Idea As you plan a new business you should think seriously about whether your product idea is a good fit for you, personally. Will you be happy working nights and weekends to start up a business based on your idea? Will helping people solve this problem – for years if […]

Posted in: Product Ideas
Get the Right Company Name
By January 17, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Get the Right Company Name

Choosing the right company name, in the form of a web address (or root domain, as it’s often called) is essential for your online business. Your choice of web address should determine the legal company name that you register with your government, and not the other way around. Just as important as choosing the right […]

Register Online First
By January 8, 2014 0 Comments Read More →

Register Online First

If you’re going to own a web store, you’ll need a web address (often called a “root domain“) that will appear online in visitors’ search results, or when they type the name into their browser address bar. As discussed in my article about getting the right company name, your choice of web address is critical […]

Register with Your Government
By December 30, 2013 0 Comments Read More →

Register with Your Government

After you’ve registered your company name online, registering your new business with the government can seem almost stress-free. I found our county offices to be surprisingly helpful – and no wonder, since over the years we’ve sent them a lot of sales taxes collected from customers in our state. A first step is to visit […]

Set Up Your Bank Accounts
By December 21, 2013 0 Comments Read More →

Set Up Your Bank Accounts

Your choice of where to set up the bank and payment card accounts for your new business could have a big impact on daily convenience. You should choose carefully, since it could become difficult to move accounts as your business grows. It’s often easiest to create separate, linked business accounts at your current bank. But […]

Set Up Your Website (1)
By December 12, 2013 0 Comments Read More →

Set Up Your Website (1)

Website Basics When starting your first online store, it’s usually best to start simple and keep your costs low. It makes little sense to hire an expensive web designer – or to sign up for an eCommerce service with high monthly costs – until you’ve proven that you can sell your first products and keep […]