A Good Idea At The Time

By Author: Mark Askew
Total Articles: 4
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So you had a great idea for an online business but stumbled upon what seemed to be roadblocks in your path to success. And it was then that we utter the familiar phrase, "It seemed a good idea at the time." It's possible that you may have stumbled upon a gold mine but lacked the motivation or know how to jump a few hurdles "at the time." The key to starting and maintaining a successful business is six-fold.
1. Think Positive
2. Find Your Market Niche
3. Don't Sell, Inform
4. Convert Visitors to Members
5. Grow Your Information Base
6. Consider Creative Financing 1. Think Positive
If you have determined that your product or service is practical and in demand, it's time to start thinking positive and be determined to make the thing work. You've heard it said that persistence is the key to success. The true factors to success are a positive attitude, persistence, a positive attitude, self-discipline, a positive attitude, a methodical approach and did we mention a positive attitude? The fact is if you do not respectfully feed a positive attitude with the rewards that derive ...
... from persistence, self-discipline and a methodical approach to your business, the positive in your attitude will get old and you'll be left with just an attitude. Feed on every small success and learn from every failure. 2. Find Your Market Niche
Stay in your market and find your special unique niche therein. How? Survey your competitors and study their approach, product line and targeted audience. What is their specialty in comparison to similar sites. Most important, find out what they don't offer. One way to do this is making by setting up a Like this site? survey form to invite comments from your visitors. Another approach is to set up a message board. While perusing the boards take note of information or services members are requesting. 3. Don't Sell, Inform
As a successful financial information resource provider, we've learned that our site thrives on the sensation produces by the Financial news and information industry. When rates drop people want to know why and how they can take advantage of it. www.RefinanceLoanRates.com takes it from there. On the whole banner ads don't sell nearly as well as information. Therefore it's not surprising that many successful Entrepreneurs are not sales oriented. If you fit this description, take heart. What's paramount is not how sales oriented you are but rather how informed you are. Having the ability to dispense how-to information is of greater value than thinking of a good fast money making sales pitch. Write down topics you consider to be your area of expertise. Write how-to articles, answer questions in message boards. Put this information on your site along side products and service ads or links pertaining to your content. 4. Convert Visitors to Members
Above all find a way to retain your visitors and users. How? Convert users into members. Create a newsletter and allow users to opt-in via your home page. Newsletter mailing lists allow you to keep in touch with your members and keep them informed about needed product and services you offer. An example of the above is at http://www.MortgageLoanSearch.cc. Notice the number of articles, tools and resources offered. The reviews, guides, tips and site recommendations. Very few ads and very little selling. Increasing your client base may be easier and more affordable than you think. There are a number of "city" directories on the rise. The annual cost of advertising in these directories is often quite cheap. These directories tend to be a boon for finding individuals seeking local businesses and services. Post ads on these directories and create a links list of them for your members. 5. Grow Your Information Base
Rather than settle on being a one city or one state directory with links to other directories, think in terms of starting a national directory. Perhaps even eliciting the assistance of city and state "editors" . An example is at the top and lower half of the MortgageLoanSearch site at http://www.MortgageLoanSearch.cc. How do you start? Offer a free page to entrepreneurs like yourself who wish to offer your resource service locally. Sign them up as sub-affiliates if you're an affiliate partner of merchant programs. Or create your own merchant/affiliate program. For every service sale they make you earn a percentage of the profits. Allow them to be featured "experts" and invite them to post articles to be read by the national membership. Take time to call your editors/experts to keep them motivated toward greater contributions to your resource by offering awards and recognition. 6. Consider Creative Financing
Money for promoting your site and marketing your services has always been a start-up challenge. But again there are both creative and standard ways to fund your programs. First think in terms of creative solicitations. There are also various boards created to bring the visionary to sources of venture capital.
You'll need to think in terms of how much control over your business you want to retain as venture capital often means taking on partners and settling for less control. There are local programs specifically designed to offer grants to business with promise of contributing to economic stability. Often employments issues, strict tax regulations and insurance costs must be addressed up-front. The simpler, more standard approach is providing the funds yourself. Home equity loans and cash-out refinancing can be a less complicated more private approach to getting your business off and running. As you can see there is always a way to get a practical idea off and running. The most important contributing you can make to your business is your own positive outlook and determination. Good fortune to you! And all that this implies.