Tag Archives: Virtual Assistant

Business Development, Business Strategy, FAQ, Sales & Marketing, Start-ups

Best Small Business Tips and Ideas

Deciding to start a business can be one of the most exhilarating decisions you make in your life. We are living in a world wherever everyone wants to make extra money and add to his income. Most people have achieved this by acquiring great business ideas. When one starts up a company, he must be ready to meet competition. It is important to note that you would not need to become rich or popular to succeed in business but have to think smartly. But there are a lot of moving parts and many different elements to consider.

10 basic tips essential to start a business successfully. Continue reading →

Business Development, Business Strategy, Internet, Online Marketing

10 Reasons Why You Should Start An Online Business

Whether you are attracted to an internet business because you hate your current job, want to improve your circumstances, or would like a more flexible lifestyle, the internet offers all these opportunities.

Why An Internet Business?

1- Flexibility

Many people come to find themselves with an internet business through necessity rather than deliberate creation. For me, I needed a flexible job which I could work around contract work. It didn’t come in often but when the phone rang, I needed to take the work. This presented all kinds of problems. Normal work didn’t pay as well and employers didn’t want me taking large chunks of time off when the other work came in!

I tried juggling several jobs over a number of years but nothing seemed to fit. At around the same time I was attempting to use e-bay to buy and sell for a bit of extra money. It wasn’t until later that I discovered affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing, for those who don’t know is a kind of referral selling. You point links from your website to other people’s goods and services. The link is tracked so that when you make a sale you are rewarded for it with a commission.

Once you know how to do this you can set up links from your online content to other people’s products and services. You can also use paid advertising to find people all over the world to sell to. This was perfect for my work because I could take my laptop anywhere with me and as long as I had an internet connection I could work. It didn’t interfere with the work when it came up, I had no boss to answer to so it was the perfect solution.

2 – Automation

There’s also a number of other reasons why I chose an internet business – and why you should too! The flexibility of the business was my primary concern. I wanted to be able to choose my own hours so I could take work when it came without any complications. But the other reason I chose this particular model was the ability to use technology to ‘leverage’ my time and income.

Once I had a website and content up and running, it kept going and I was able to make sales and deliver products without being physically present. This is the ‘magic’ of an online business. The automation involved with an online business means that you can do the work once and let that work keep running in the background. You can make sales and deliver products over and over through the same piece of content or advert, which can run an virtual autopilot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

Each piece of content you create can send people to a landing page and sell a product. By creating many pieces of content and sharing them online you can build multiple sources of income which can all run continually, working as your own ‘automated sales team’.

3 – Ability To Scale

Along with this amazing automation is the ability to scale your business. Because there is no human intervention in the ‘sales loop’, multiple sales can happen instantaneously through the same platforms. Your content and advertising can be grown over time and scaled instantly (in the case of paid advertising). As your content gets more shares and more people flow through your website and content, your sales grow as a result. If you use paid advertising you can also scale a profitable campaign up easily by increasing your daily budget.

The automation of an online business makes it very easy to scale. In the case of a physical business this often means more staff, sales tools, larger office space and a whole lot more expense and hassle. With an online business everything is already in place. You simply need to send more customers through the automated sales systems with content and/or paid advertising methods.

4 – Low Startup Costs

When I started an online business I did it from my own pocket. I didn’t need a massive loan and I worked at a level which suited my budget. An internet business is very cost effective and you can start from scratch from pretty much any budget. If you have more to invest you can grow it faster with paid advertising. But, if you are on a budget like I was when I got started, you can get started easily and cheaply.

With a regular ‘bricks and mortar’ business there are many overheads to consider. Your costs include a business premises, staff, hardware and stock. Then there’s advertising and delivery costs. With an online business you just need a laptop and an internet connection – two things many people already have. Your main cost is getting the right education and learning the best strategy to build on.

5 – Simplicity

Technology has made it much easier than was previously possible to set up your own website and learn how to use simple online platforms to connect people to products and services. Advertising and content creation is now available for anyone to use. Websites can be set up with a few clicks and anyone with an email can learn to use the tools and strategies of online marketers.

Whereas previously website building was the domain of the tech savvy programmer, now anyone can use simple user friendly platforms and programs. An online business sounds like something for a technical person, but anyone can now learn the skills needed to build their own online business.

6 – Control

An internet business gives you control over your life. Of course it takes time to build up to a stage where it can replace your current income. But the flexibility of an internet business means you can work it around your existing employment until you can make this happen.

Once your income is beyond that of your employment, you are in a very good position to take charge of your life. You don’t have to do the daily commute, or put up with an uncomfortable working situation. If you don’t like your job you can quit. Don’t like your boss? Fire him/her!

One of the very best things about an internet based business is the control it gives you over your life. You can also build your work around your lifestyle, rather than the other way round. Most people are forced to put work first in everything they do. Family time, holidays and hobbies all tend to depend and evolve around work. An internet business allows you to prioritize the things in your life which mean the most. It can put you back in the driving seat of your life, both in terms of what you earn and how you spend your time.

7 – Work From Anywhere

Not only does an internet business offer great flexibility in terms of working hours but it also offers you the choice to work from anywhere globally. This appeals to many people who would otherwise be more trapped by conventional work in a localized workplace.

For me, it was the flexibility of being able to choose my own hours and not have a boss. But for many the ability to travel anywhere globally is the most important factor to owning their own online business.

Take your laptop anywhere with an internet connection and work while abroad and travelling.

8 – Learn Life Skills

The skills I have learned from building my own internet business also make me much more employable. I also worked for an internet based company with the skills I learned from my laptop while sitting at home!

Being able to reach people globally and target specific types of people is a great skill and very desirable in business too. I was also able to use the knowledge I learned online to build one of my other physical businesses much more quickly by using both my website building skills and paid advertising.

The internet is a fantastic opportunity for anyone to be able to improve themselves, learn new skills and build another source of income. Skills learned are yours for life, whether or not you continue down the path of building an online business.

9 – Independence

We might believe ourselves to be independent but many of us are very dependent on our work for income. As such, our employers tell us how much we can earn, how much holiday we can take and what we will be doing while at work. Financial independence is the ultimate freedom.

When we are financially independent we can take a holiday whenever we please and work in our own time and on our own agenda. An online business gives you the automation and independence to live life on your terms, without the agenda of an employer running your life.

10 – Sovereignty

Being an owner gives you sovereignty. The ability to call the shots in your business is what many entrepreneurs aspire to. As a business owner your actions determine whether you make a success of your business or not.

Having a successful online business gives you the kind of freedom which most people will never see in their lifetime. The ability to create your own life on your terms is the reward of having worked hard on your business and on yourself.

Not having a boss, choosing your own working hours and choosing who you spend time with are all luxuries which are earned from working hard on your own business.

 

Learn how to build your own online business from scratch: http://tim-halloran.com

 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tim_Halloran/488644

 

 

 

 

Business Development, Business Strategy

Business Plans – Essential Elements and Your Business Profile

Your business plan and business profile is the roadmap that you will follow not only in the beginning of your company, but throughout your time in business. Therefore, it is essential that this plan be well-developed, focused, and detailed enough to serve as a planning tool and as a reference as well.

Your business plan format should be a careful, systematic evaluation of factors that are both critical and suitable to your business purposes and goals. You should strive to include topics that can be tailored to fit your plan. Maintaining focus on the specialized market that you plan to serve is another imperative factor as you define and describe your business and how you plan to proceed with your plan-which is precisely what you will do with your developed business plan. Following here is a break-down of what should be included in your business plan and profile.

Cash Flow Assessment

You absolutely need to take the time to sit down and project your first year of cash flow, based on projected sales, profits, and expenses. This cash flow assessment should include

o Your capital requirements
o Marketing plans
o Realistic projections of sales and profits
o Plans for expansion
o Your assessments of what could possibly go wrong and how you would handle certain problems

There are many small business websites and government resources on the local, state, and national level (for all locations) that can help you learn more about developing the cash flow assessment portion of your business plan.

Market And Economic Assessments

You must put time into researching your target market. You need to know how your business is appropriate for specific demographics and which ones you’ll deal with. You also need to learn about what costs and expenses those demographics can afford, and what demand they have for your service or products. Demographic studies should be cited and a summary of your research needs to be included to show that you have developed a way to serve a need that is either in demand or will be once available. Local planning departments are one resource for finding demographics for things such as population and population break-downs, household demographics, and more. Trade associations are good resources for information related to supply, demand, and target market characteristics.

Meeting Regulatory Requirements

Some businesses have very few regulatory requirements while others bear quite a large burden. Your role is to know what you are responsible for in your line of business. This knowledge should be represented in your business plan, and you need to account for the costs and expenses relative to them. Include information such as

o Which agencies regulate your industry

o Which specific regulations you need to meet

o Licensing requirements

o Fees and costs

o Regulatory or licensing requirements that you have already fulfilled

o Plan for meeting outstanding obligations

Including Yourself And Others In The Plan

Naturally, the key factor in achieving business success is YOU. Sit down and focus on skills and experiences of the past pertaining to your new business. Prepare a resume for yourself and others who may be involved with your business; ensure it is strongly written as your plan will be reviewed carefully by those you look to forge business relationships with such as vendors, investors, and lenders. If you aren’t skilled at preparing resumes, there are many virtual assistants and ghostwriters who will be more than happy to accept you as their client; otherwise there are many books and online resources to assist you.

As you write your resume, be honest and don’t write any untrue information; if there is a particular function you lack the ability to perform, be sure to include this in your business plan, and address how the need will be filled. Your resume and business plan should inspire confidence for both what you do and do not know, and the skill you show in fulfilling all needs of your business.

Five Steps To Successfully Create A Business Plan

1. Sit down, relax, focus, and concisely describe your business concept-put it down on paper!

2. Perform research and due diligence, and gather as much data as you possibly can.

3. Based upon data you have accumulated focus and redefine your business concept.

4. Outline the specifics of your business, utilizing the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” approach; make sure all of these answers are provided within the text of the plan.

5. Proof and adjust your business plan.

In both the short- and the long-run, arranging your business plan into a compelling form not only provides insight and focus to you, but becomes a valuable tool when dealing with business partners and developing relationships that will become important to you.

Necessary Factors Contributing To Business Success

o Understand your market

Researching your target market and their needs is imperative. Find ways to test market your product or service before starting your business.

o Financial control

You’ll find out sooner than later the importance of accounting, cash flow management, and computer software; many entrepreneurs don’t have accounting backgrounds and either need to learn those skills, or find the right tools and professionals to perform those functions. Still, at some level you must be involved so that those professionals and programs get the most accurate information possible and you stay abreast of how your company is doing.

o Anticipating change

Your original business plan will lay the foundation for your business, but over time, perhaps even before your business gets started, there will be many changes you must adapt to. Obtaining a certain mindset and being prepared for changing circumstances will only expand your knowledge and your success.

Julie-Ann Amos is a professional writer and business consultant. She has over 14 books published in many countries. She runs Exquisite Writing, a large freelance writing agency that produces a wide variety of articles, web pages, website contents, books and ebooks for an international client base. Topic experts available for a wide range of subject areas, including small business and business planning.

 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Julie-Ann_Amos/64822