Pit Stop Day

Even though I am not an expert at internet marketing, I thought that YOU would find value from how I personally started my journey, three months ago, on  internet marketing. Here’s what lead me to this conclusion.

At the beginning of August, while I was shopping at the grocery store, I met a single mother of two, a five and six year old. We started a conversation and she expressed to me, her desire to start an on line business. She wanted to known how I got started and if I could guide her through the process.

Those who know me personally will tell you, with out a shadow of a doubt, that one of  my passion is helping moms, especially single moms, to use their brilliance as a vehicle for  service to others and make money from the comfort of their homes. This allows them to be involved with their children both at home and at school.

if you don’t have a job with flexible hours (most employees don’t), you are going to miss out on so much. If your boss  does not understand that, from time to time, you may have to  leave work for your children’s school events, emergencies, the dentist etc. – you will lose you job. I have seen it happen too many times.

Being a single (I was once married) mom entrepreneur gave me the freedom to speak with my children when I wanted to. It allowed me to participate in all those parents and teachers conferences and attend all those heart warming school events. Of course, it goes without saying that there were challenges but I welcomed those challenges and reaped the benefits of being accessible to my children when they needed me.

Here’s how I started – With confidence and courage, I began my journey.  Each month I attended several mastermind groups and networking events. I found a mentor and a coach who gave me valuable information as to my branding and my platform. I associated and networked with like minded women. I educated myself about my field and studied the people who were already successful.

Here are six tips to get you started:

Your Brilliance: How can you use your brilliance to serve others? Not only will you make money but you will be helping others to improve their lives. If you are no sure what it is you’re good at, what your brilliance is, allow your creative juices to flow and trust your intuition. Your creativity is housed in the most powerful part of your mind the subconscious and it wants to please you.

Find a quiet place and close your eyes and ask your self those questions and trust the answer you receive. Or find out from the people who believe in you, what your strengths are. For this mom she had fantastic planning, organizing and executing skills. Even though she does not have a college degree, these valuable skills can be used to develop several types of businesses.

Permits: You will need to check with your local government agency, regarding the requirements (such a zoning laws) for starting a home business. You should also contact your state and federal government agencies to see what the requirements are for your start up business.

The Competition: Once you have decided the business venture, do some research. Check out your competition and see what they are doing. How are you going to be different? How are you going to stand out from the noisy crowd? Why should someone buy from you or use your services instead of someone else? What will make you unique? Take time to ponder this and get in the habit of writing down your thoughts. .

Domain Name: You will need to choose a domain name and get it registered. Most single domain names have already been registered. However with a little creativity you can make your domain unique. For example if your business is online cards, you may make it unique by naming it www.everyoccasioncards.com.

From my research, I would suggest that a .com domain is best. Your domain name should include key words that have to do with the product you are marketing. Go here for a list for domain registration and you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

Website: You can build your own website or use the services of a professional web designer. If you are going to use a web designer, get a reference from some one you trust. Keep in mind that some individuals are open to bartering for their services. There a hundreds of templates available on the internet for you to choose from, if you decide to design your own website. Once again, get a referral, if you are going to use someone to build your website.

Web Hosting: You will need to use the services of web host. They will maintain your website and see that it keeps functioning properly. You should exercise due diligence when choosing a web host. Your web host is one of the key components for the success of your online business. They should have excellent customer service and support. They should be responsive and dependable or it could lose customers. You can do you own research; however, asking other business owners or friends for a reference is the better choice. Here is a list of web hosting choices.

There is a lot involved with having an online business.   Should you blog or build a website? I was told by my mentor to do a blog. There is branding – what you want your customers to say and think about you. There’s marketing and many other tools to consider for you online venture.

This is not even the tip of the iceberg. However, it is a good place to start. Stay passionate about your purpose. Keep your curiosity high. Continue to educate yourself about online marketing and build a network of people you trust. Barter when you can, attend mastermind meetings or form one of your own. Find a mentor or a coach to hold your hand  or use my program to keep your confidence level high. You will remain courageous as you navigate the twist and turns of your daily life.

Please let me know if any of these tips helped and share your suggestions. Your sister entrepreneurs can learn  from and be motivated by your suggestions. Like what you read?  Sign up to receive each new post will be sent to your email.

Books:

Thought Stimulator: Our greatest gift is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall – Confucius

Related posts:

1. How Education Keeps Your Business Alive
2. Six Tips to begin Your Day With Confidence
3. Mom Entrepreneur Success Tips
4. How to Prepare to be an Entrepreneur
5. Having Clarity