Many people these days are looking to start a business part-time – and the idea of starting an internet business does really make sense when you think about the rising cost of gas and the monetary and time cost of getting to and from your job, not to mention the cost of child care.
But is it right for YOU? Here are some things to consider for you take this leap…
The Disadvantages of starting an Internet Business…
Although starting a business part-time is safer than just jumping in with both feet and working around the clock, you probably won’t see profits rolling in right away. Getting your content noticed is like making friends in a foreign environment – it takes quite a bit of persistence to get noticed in the beginning. However, once you start a make a splash, viral marketing can be a great friend as more and more people will want to share what you have to say with their friends.
A good rule of thumb for starting an internet business is that the more time you spend on your business, the less money you will need to invest. And, conversely, the less time you have to invest, the more you will need to invest monetarily.
How much to you need to invest for paid marketing when starting an internet business?
It’s really up to you… many people have been successful in starting an internet business with Facebook pay-per-click. The thing you need to remember with pay-per-click is calculating how much you’re paying on a daily or weekly basis vs. the number of leads you get.
Divide what your cost is by the number of leads to determine your cost per lead. Then, compare this to how much the “value” is for each of your leads based on the sales to lead ratio.
You need to be careful and do these calculations before deciding on a paid marketing strategy. And, with any paid marketing, you need to be willing to “waste” a lot of money before you learn what works.
Nobody starts out with leads costing only $1-2 or less with paid strategies. The people who are successful with this way of starting an internet business look at paid marketing in a different way… the money you “invest” is not “wasted” as long as you use the knowledge you attain through the money lost – consider it your “education” in marketing.
Compare that to the cost of a college education. I recently heard that the reason schools were originally designed was to teach factory workers how to follow directions and be productive. This is why many entrepreneurs have actually made the decision NOT to finish college and instead begin to invest in their future by starting an internet business.
Advantages of Starting an Internet Business…
Well, for starters, it’s an opportunity to work from home. This is what attracts most people to starting a business part-time because there’s grown potential, and you can elect to grow at whatever rate you want. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.
And, even though you might need to invest monetarily, you can rest assured that, once your business grows to the point where you can work full-time at home, you’ll have that added monetary “income” of saving on gas and child care.
Furthermore, speaking of child care, there are several “full-time” moms who decide to start an internet business, because it’s a way to interact with other adults of like-minds while feeling the gratification of making an income to help cover the household expenses.
Many people have decided that the best way of starting an internet business is through blogging. This is especially powerful if you have no idea what you really like to do or what you might be good at, because blogging is an excellent way to determine what your inner passion is, because you’ll naturally gravitate towards writing or creating videos around the stuff that interests you and that you’re passionate about, and you’ll be surprised how this will “attract” other people who share your same interests.
And the monetary benefit of blogging when starting an internet business?
The most obvious benefit is free leads. Granted, it’s slower starting than paid marketing, because you’re actually working for your leads rather than buying them. However, the leads you get are attracted to YOU because of the content you’re putting forth.
This is extremely powerful when it comes time to get out the credit card because people tend to buy from those who they know, like and trust. And you’d be surprised how people tend to think of you as their “friend” online just from reading your stuff – even though they may have never met you!
What’s the guarantee of starting an internet business?
I’m not gonna lie to you here. There is no guarantee of making money online. However, compare this to the guarantee you have when you start any business. What’s the guarantee when you start a franchise or restaurant? And, what’s even the guarantee that you’ll actually get a job in what you trained for after four years of college?
But I do have one big fat guarantee for you…
If you decide to do nothing about the idea of starting an internet business, you are GUARANTEED that nothing will happen. You are guaranteed to stay in your “comfortable” lifestyle.
So the thing you need to ask yourself is, “how comfortable is my life”? Do you love you job well enough to work at it until you die? Or would you rather begin the process of starting an internet business?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nancy_Harnell/807851
Pros and Cons of Starting an Internet Business - Is It Right for YOU?
