Is there really such a thing as a good time to start an Internet business - or, indeed, is it always a good time? A musing over this common area of procrastination.
One question that is paramount in people's minds right now ( in just about every country in the world ) is, of course, whether it is actually very wise to start an Internet business in the current economic climate. To this query I'm tempted to use an old cliché here and say, 'Well, yes, actually because there's no time like the present is there?' I doubt, however, that that is likely to wash with most potential clients. Rather than going into a detailed explanation/argument about the economy and world events that is likely to send y our prospect to sleep, I would be inclined to keep everything very simple ( as ever ).
Explain that there are either of two things that can happen in the immediate future:
1.The economy can turn around either slowly or rapidly
2. The economy can get worse.
Whichever of the two it happens to be, I really cannot see any disadvantage to starting your own business either from a practical or psychological aspect. Let's take point one to begin with. Imagine that things start to pick up and you have just set up in business - people will suddenly start to feel buoyant again and the thrill will allow them to feel that the world is their oyster. Psychologically, then, they are likely to be feeling a little elated and keen to get in on something that is growing - before all their friends beat them to it, perhaps? I would anticipate that if this becomes the case, there will be a surge in people wanting to come 'on board.' The practical reasons are obvious because people will see the bottom of the recession as the right time to start investing ( in a new businesses, shares or other venture ). From a psychological viewpoint, they are now more likely to go into something a little bit more entrepreneurial than your usual run of the mill stocks and shares and banking alternatives than they may have in the past. This is, of course, due to the fact that trust has been lost within those sectors and we all know that trust is what you build a successful business on, don't we?
Let's now assume that the economy gets worse ( as in point 2 ). Well, psychologically, it's my view that the worse it gets, the more likely people are to jump ship from where ever they are operating and not wait to be pushed - rather take the initiative ( people love to feel they are doing that ) and find a new situation over which they hold more control. From a practical point of view, they are also likely to see 'the writing on the wall' for conventional businesses as a whole and so reinforcing the view that getting out is better than being pushed out while they still have some cash to play with!
So, to come back to the old clichés, I'm tempted to use another and say 'The time is right' to start your own show. Indeed, one has to ask the question as to whether we can afford not to start our own businesses rather than trust ourselves to a system that has let the majority of the world down so badly. I know which side of the fence I'm on so perhaps I may finish with a slight amendment to the latter cliché above and that is 'The time is always right to start your own ( Internet ) business.
To see how I started in an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
Hilary Hughes
www.hilaryahughes.com
Article Marketer.
Friday 31 July 2009
Friday 24 July 2009
Can You Be Too Helpful A Helper When Starting Your Internet Business?
The problem with having people under you as you start your Internet business is knowing when to let go and allow people to learn by their mistakes. Does anyone else feel disconcerted by that phrase?
I expect there are some parents ( of whom I am not one ) reading this who will have some idea of what I mean. There will also be people from other walks of life who are in professions where they have responsibility for ensuring people mature in a safe manner. In my case, this refers to my training and experience as an approved driving instructor.
I'm not sure that there is actually a specific piece of advice to this problem so perhaps the best thing is to show how I deal with such situations. I have detailed three stages of action below for when you start to recruit people in your Internet business.
1. Speak to your new recruit on the phone in order to ascertain their level of knowledge and skills. You can then ask them to send in e mails of any queries they may have which you will deal with on , say, an every other day basis to begin with. Give specific instructions to help them get up and running, especially if the system is complicated. You can, of course, use auto responders to keep them informed.
2.Start to move away from having a too hands on approach by responding to questions in a more Socratic way - that is to say, if they ask a question and you think they should be able to work out the answer for them self, then ask another question back which will lead them towards their own answer. I understand that Socrates only ever answered a question with another question - if you value your life, I would take this with a pinch of salt. Frankly, he sounds to me like an irritating sort of guy but I'm sure you get the picture.
3. Begin introducing them to Internet forums and any technical support channels that may be open to them as well as encouraging further self and professional development through reading, DVD's and courses etc. Reduce the e mail replies to about once a fortnight.
A less conventional idea ( but one which I've found helps people gain confidence ) is for you to ask them to help you with something that you know they are competent with. Only ask if you're sure they will be able to help so that they begin to feel appreciated and valued. Nothing brings on a person's self esteem/learning more than that - believe me! It is through developing people's self esteem that they will grow confidently and perform to their best.
Once you've let go sufficiently - your relationship may become one more of a business partnership than student and mentor but what happens when they make a mistake - which they will do one day - assuming your clients are human beings? My answer is always to make it clear that mistakes should not be taken personally and we all make them ( well, I do ) and that the situation should be corrected as soon as possible to limit the damage. You can be there for them as moral support, but try to encourage them to sort out their own problem - even if it's easier to do it for them! This is often where the use of Socratic questioning mentioned above comes in to its own. That is to say where some level of knowledge on the subject is already held.
And, on that note, I shall leave you with the question of how you are going to use the above pointers to solve said paradox of being too helpful a helper when starting your Internet business.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com
I expect there are some parents ( of whom I am not one ) reading this who will have some idea of what I mean. There will also be people from other walks of life who are in professions where they have responsibility for ensuring people mature in a safe manner. In my case, this refers to my training and experience as an approved driving instructor.
I'm not sure that there is actually a specific piece of advice to this problem so perhaps the best thing is to show how I deal with such situations. I have detailed three stages of action below for when you start to recruit people in your Internet business.
1. Speak to your new recruit on the phone in order to ascertain their level of knowledge and skills. You can then ask them to send in e mails of any queries they may have which you will deal with on , say, an every other day basis to begin with. Give specific instructions to help them get up and running, especially if the system is complicated. You can, of course, use auto responders to keep them informed.
2.Start to move away from having a too hands on approach by responding to questions in a more Socratic way - that is to say, if they ask a question and you think they should be able to work out the answer for them self, then ask another question back which will lead them towards their own answer. I understand that Socrates only ever answered a question with another question - if you value your life, I would take this with a pinch of salt. Frankly, he sounds to me like an irritating sort of guy but I'm sure you get the picture.
3. Begin introducing them to Internet forums and any technical support channels that may be open to them as well as encouraging further self and professional development through reading, DVD's and courses etc. Reduce the e mail replies to about once a fortnight.
A less conventional idea ( but one which I've found helps people gain confidence ) is for you to ask them to help you with something that you know they are competent with. Only ask if you're sure they will be able to help so that they begin to feel appreciated and valued. Nothing brings on a person's self esteem/learning more than that - believe me! It is through developing people's self esteem that they will grow confidently and perform to their best.
Once you've let go sufficiently - your relationship may become one more of a business partnership than student and mentor but what happens when they make a mistake - which they will do one day - assuming your clients are human beings? My answer is always to make it clear that mistakes should not be taken personally and we all make them ( well, I do ) and that the situation should be corrected as soon as possible to limit the damage. You can be there for them as moral support, but try to encourage them to sort out their own problem - even if it's easier to do it for them! This is often where the use of Socratic questioning mentioned above comes in to its own. That is to say where some level of knowledge on the subject is already held.
And, on that note, I shall leave you with the question of how you are going to use the above pointers to solve said paradox of being too helpful a helper when starting your Internet business.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Friday 17 July 2009
The Fundamentals Of Running An Internet Business.
There are three fundamental things to consider when starting an Internet Business though some would say four - I touch on that later - and we'll look at these individually in the article. These are :
1. Your product or service.
2. Your sales/marketing process.
3. Book keeping.
Let's take each point individually.
1. Your own product or service.
There are two ways of looking at this. Some would say that if you have a fantastic product, then it will sell itself. Others will tell you that it doesn't matter what the product is, if you have he right sales person. As ever, I have to disagree with both norms and say that for the best results they both matter to a degree. I would suggest that the ultimate business machine is one where the seller is second to none and also the product is one about which he feels passionate. Chances are if he does, then someone else will too. Realistically, though, it's likely that you will have minor deficiencies in either the sales technique or the product itself. In this case, I would say that combination of average product and sales process is better than an imbalance of one or the other.
2. Next is your sales and marketing.
Once you have your product, this is where we sort the wheat form the chaff. Some people say that sales and marketing are one and the same thing - I say that marketing is the sales process in print that draws the client in and ready to close. Having said that, there are occasions when the marketing will complete the sales process, as well. The marketing should be done in small stages, thereby slowly revealing a little more about the product or service a little at a time - so keeping the customer fascinated enough to keep wanting to know more. Sometimes, the customer will need a telephone call to complete and this is he part I cal the sales process. A good system will have people for you to call on to carry out this procedure if you are not comfortable with it ( and most people are not ).
3. Your book keeping.
This should be kept as simple as possible and you do not have to splash out on the latest computer software to start a small Internet business - particularly if you are a sole trader within the service industry where no stock is required. Indeed, all that is required in that case, is a small cash book to show what comes in and what goes out. Get an accountant to do the balance sheet and profit and loss account. They are pretty cheap for very small businesses and some will even do your books for free for the first year - or at least a larger discount.
If you keep things simple to begin with, setting up on your own Internet business should not be an arduous or stressful task. Begin by finding a system that offers you the things mentioned above and you shouldn't go far wrong. Having said that, you will most likely have to work very hard for the first year or so - indeed, I should have made that number four in the of the fundamental point shown above. Most of all, however, enjoy yourself!
To see how I started an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com
1. Your product or service.
2. Your sales/marketing process.
3. Book keeping.
Let's take each point individually.
1. Your own product or service.
There are two ways of looking at this. Some would say that if you have a fantastic product, then it will sell itself. Others will tell you that it doesn't matter what the product is, if you have he right sales person. As ever, I have to disagree with both norms and say that for the best results they both matter to a degree. I would suggest that the ultimate business machine is one where the seller is second to none and also the product is one about which he feels passionate. Chances are if he does, then someone else will too. Realistically, though, it's likely that you will have minor deficiencies in either the sales technique or the product itself. In this case, I would say that combination of average product and sales process is better than an imbalance of one or the other.
2. Next is your sales and marketing.
Once you have your product, this is where we sort the wheat form the chaff. Some people say that sales and marketing are one and the same thing - I say that marketing is the sales process in print that draws the client in and ready to close. Having said that, there are occasions when the marketing will complete the sales process, as well. The marketing should be done in small stages, thereby slowly revealing a little more about the product or service a little at a time - so keeping the customer fascinated enough to keep wanting to know more. Sometimes, the customer will need a telephone call to complete and this is he part I cal the sales process. A good system will have people for you to call on to carry out this procedure if you are not comfortable with it ( and most people are not ).
3. Your book keeping.
This should be kept as simple as possible and you do not have to splash out on the latest computer software to start a small Internet business - particularly if you are a sole trader within the service industry where no stock is required. Indeed, all that is required in that case, is a small cash book to show what comes in and what goes out. Get an accountant to do the balance sheet and profit and loss account. They are pretty cheap for very small businesses and some will even do your books for free for the first year - or at least a larger discount.
If you keep things simple to begin with, setting up on your own Internet business should not be an arduous or stressful task. Begin by finding a system that offers you the things mentioned above and you shouldn't go far wrong. Having said that, you will most likely have to work very hard for the first year or so - indeed, I should have made that number four in the of the fundamental point shown above. Most of all, however, enjoy yourself!
To see how I started an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com
Friday 10 July 2009
Writer’s Block - Cause And Cures
The problem with giving advice when people want to set up an Internet business is when you come to have a problem and you can’t actually follow that same advice yourself. Actually, that’s not entirely true because the advice to which I refer concerns an article I did about deciding what to write about when your chosen method of marketing was writing articles. It has to be said in my case that the problem is not knowing what to write about but rather what to write. Indeed, is there any difference? Let us look at that point in more detail.
I have no shortage of subject matter. In fact, anyone that has had even a modicum of success in business should have something they can put pen to paper about. There will always be someone out there who is at a similar stage of learning to you who can benefit from your newly found expertise! No, the problem here is just a mental block on actually writing anything down at all. In other words, a severe case of writer’s block. I suspect that there is no one out there that has not suffered form this at some time or other and it might be a good idea to look first at the cause and then the cure.
One of the most common is probably having to write under pressure - in other words, when you have a deadline to meet and an editor that does not ( or will not ) understand this particular condition as something that is real. The other cause ( and this is most certainly the case with me ) is when I have a lot on my mind. That doesn’t mean to say when you have a backlog of stuff to deal with - rather a lot of emotional problems that just seem to cause a complete barrier to any creative flow.
Let us now consider the cures for these two cases. With the first example, my advice is get into a routine every day/week as required so that your creativity actually becomes a habit. If you remember being at school and having to be there the same time each day and doing certain lessons on certain days, that was not only to the advantage of the organisation but to enable the requisite part of your brain to kick in at the right time, in the right way, out of sheer habit - if nothing else. The answer then is to find a routine that suits you best and stick to it. The more you practice, the easier it gets.
That second problem of feeling stressed out is what affects my writing more than anything. Without doubt, the cure is to sit down with pen and paper and allow everything ( all those niggly little problems ) to come out onto the page. It won’t be long - I promise you - before your mind clears and you’re actually writing about something a little more enlightening. And, you never know, you might just end up with a piece of writing that you can actually publish. Never forget, people love to read about something to which they can relate at a personal level.
Just in case you haven’t already guessed, I sat down before writing this article with a case of writer’s block and realised half way through that it could well be of use to somebody else. Indeed, one of the rules of writing is that people like to see a conflict or problem with which they can associate in order for them to read on. It is well worth remembering that as you peruse your article marketing with a view to getting off to a good start with your Internet business - with or without writer’s block!
To see how I started an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com
I have no shortage of subject matter. In fact, anyone that has had even a modicum of success in business should have something they can put pen to paper about. There will always be someone out there who is at a similar stage of learning to you who can benefit from your newly found expertise! No, the problem here is just a mental block on actually writing anything down at all. In other words, a severe case of writer’s block. I suspect that there is no one out there that has not suffered form this at some time or other and it might be a good idea to look first at the cause and then the cure.
One of the most common is probably having to write under pressure - in other words, when you have a deadline to meet and an editor that does not ( or will not ) understand this particular condition as something that is real. The other cause ( and this is most certainly the case with me ) is when I have a lot on my mind. That doesn’t mean to say when you have a backlog of stuff to deal with - rather a lot of emotional problems that just seem to cause a complete barrier to any creative flow.
Let us now consider the cures for these two cases. With the first example, my advice is get into a routine every day/week as required so that your creativity actually becomes a habit. If you remember being at school and having to be there the same time each day and doing certain lessons on certain days, that was not only to the advantage of the organisation but to enable the requisite part of your brain to kick in at the right time, in the right way, out of sheer habit - if nothing else. The answer then is to find a routine that suits you best and stick to it. The more you practice, the easier it gets.
That second problem of feeling stressed out is what affects my writing more than anything. Without doubt, the cure is to sit down with pen and paper and allow everything ( all those niggly little problems ) to come out onto the page. It won’t be long - I promise you - before your mind clears and you’re actually writing about something a little more enlightening. And, you never know, you might just end up with a piece of writing that you can actually publish. Never forget, people love to read about something to which they can relate at a personal level.
Just in case you haven’t already guessed, I sat down before writing this article with a case of writer’s block and realised half way through that it could well be of use to somebody else. Indeed, one of the rules of writing is that people like to see a conflict or problem with which they can associate in order for them to read on. It is well worth remembering that as you peruse your article marketing with a view to getting off to a good start with your Internet business - with or without writer’s block!
To see how I started an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com
Saturday 4 July 2009
What To Write About When You Start An Internet Business
I recently read on a forum that someone was about to start their Internet business and wanted to know a little about article marketing. They had absolutely no idea about what they should be writing. I gather they meant in both the technical and imaginative sense. For the purposes of this article, we’ll discuss each of these aspects.
To someone who writes without effort, I found myself feeling both sympathetic and comforted at the same time. Sympathetic, because I think it must be very difficult not being able to put pen to paper at the drop of a hat - especially when you want to get something off your chest! - but rather that you have to make a concerted effort to do so.
My comfort derived from a rather more selfish state - that of feeling empowered by my realisation that not everyone would be out there competing against me as I use my own ( albeit modest ) writing skill for marketing my business.
So, what advice do we give to someone with neither the technical nor the imaginative skills? The best thing is to consider the following points one at a time.
1. Imagination.
2. Value.
3. Keyword Research.
4. Technical skills.
Let’s take the first point - imagination. If this is something that you have a problem with, try picturing yourself doing something that you really enjoy and could do moderately well (at the very least). You will that as you build a picture in your mind, it enables you to get passionately involved as well as increasing your focus. This means that you are now likely to come up with an idea that is both useful and attractive to a like minded person - yes, there will be plenty of them. Indeed, you are probably not quite as unique as you imagine yourself to be.
This brings us to the next point which is Value. Assuming you have managed step 1, you are halfway there. Your next task is to make sure that you offer people something in you article that is going to help them move forward. If in doubt about this, keep in as simple as possible. There are plenty of beginners out there and if you even only know a small amount about your subject, chances are, someone will be grateful for your knowledge. Do not try to be too clever - just be honest about how much you know. The aim is to help people and empower them - not pull the wool over their eyes.
The third point is keyword research. When you advertise on the Internet, the biggest problem is getting people to know you are there. If you have no audience, you can be the best writer in the world and no one will know. Working on the Internet can be a little like sitting in an empty room and chatting away to yourself. Therapeutic in the emotional sense, perhaps, but not in the financial one. My advice is to check out Wordtracker who do a free trial for a week along with a daily web based training session. Even if you do not purchase the product, you can do a fair bit of research in that time. Look upon key word research as the market research of the Internet.
Finally ( and perhaps easier than people think in this day and age ) is the technical skill you will need to be accepted by one of the many publishers of articles that are out there. Most errors can be cleared up via a simple spell checking program and followed up by a grammar checker ( if necessary ). If your computer didn’t come with one, then there are many such programs available for free on the Internet. Once you are really keen to take article marketing up as a regular item, you may wish to do a short basic writing course which ( in the UK ) can be done at various libraries on computer. Like most things, however, this is a bottomless pit that you can pursue further and in to college, so spending as much money as you wish.
My advice is to start as soon and as simply as possible and you will find out if you are cut out for it - basically, are you enjoying yourself ?- not to mention, generating leads! Article marketing is a vast subject and I only wished to go through the bare bones here in order to help those of you who were thinking of testing the waters. If you take on board the four points mentioned above, I really cannot see how you can go wrong.
Good luck!
To someone who writes without effort, I found myself feeling both sympathetic and comforted at the same time. Sympathetic, because I think it must be very difficult not being able to put pen to paper at the drop of a hat - especially when you want to get something off your chest! - but rather that you have to make a concerted effort to do so.
My comfort derived from a rather more selfish state - that of feeling empowered by my realisation that not everyone would be out there competing against me as I use my own ( albeit modest ) writing skill for marketing my business.
So, what advice do we give to someone with neither the technical nor the imaginative skills? The best thing is to consider the following points one at a time.
1. Imagination.
2. Value.
3. Keyword Research.
4. Technical skills.
Let’s take the first point - imagination. If this is something that you have a problem with, try picturing yourself doing something that you really enjoy and could do moderately well (at the very least). You will that as you build a picture in your mind, it enables you to get passionately involved as well as increasing your focus. This means that you are now likely to come up with an idea that is both useful and attractive to a like minded person - yes, there will be plenty of them. Indeed, you are probably not quite as unique as you imagine yourself to be.
This brings us to the next point which is Value. Assuming you have managed step 1, you are halfway there. Your next task is to make sure that you offer people something in you article that is going to help them move forward. If in doubt about this, keep in as simple as possible. There are plenty of beginners out there and if you even only know a small amount about your subject, chances are, someone will be grateful for your knowledge. Do not try to be too clever - just be honest about how much you know. The aim is to help people and empower them - not pull the wool over their eyes.
The third point is keyword research. When you advertise on the Internet, the biggest problem is getting people to know you are there. If you have no audience, you can be the best writer in the world and no one will know. Working on the Internet can be a little like sitting in an empty room and chatting away to yourself. Therapeutic in the emotional sense, perhaps, but not in the financial one. My advice is to check out Wordtracker who do a free trial for a week along with a daily web based training session. Even if you do not purchase the product, you can do a fair bit of research in that time. Look upon key word research as the market research of the Internet.
Finally ( and perhaps easier than people think in this day and age ) is the technical skill you will need to be accepted by one of the many publishers of articles that are out there. Most errors can be cleared up via a simple spell checking program and followed up by a grammar checker ( if necessary ). If your computer didn’t come with one, then there are many such programs available for free on the Internet. Once you are really keen to take article marketing up as a regular item, you may wish to do a short basic writing course which ( in the UK ) can be done at various libraries on computer. Like most things, however, this is a bottomless pit that you can pursue further and in to college, so spending as much money as you wish.
My advice is to start as soon and as simply as possible and you will find out if you are cut out for it - basically, are you enjoying yourself ?- not to mention, generating leads! Article marketing is a vast subject and I only wished to go through the bare bones here in order to help those of you who were thinking of testing the waters. If you take on board the four points mentioned above, I really cannot see how you can go wrong.
Good luck!
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