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Is it really possible to start
your own online business for free?
Absolutely!
When first starting out, you really should use all of the free
resources that are available to you. Even if you do have money
to spend, use the free stuff first.
Why?
Do you like to waste your hard earned money? I didn't think so.
Your walking into a whole new world and you need to learn about
it before you start spending your money. Remember the term, try
it then buy it? Use
this term before you spend one penny. In the long run this will
save you Hundreds, if not Thousands of dollars.
So how can you get started for free?
1. First, you have to think of what it is you want to do on
here. What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing? Don't be
so quick as to come up with an answer. Give yourself a few days
to really think about what you really want to do for the rest of
your life. Then when you find your answer, you can begin your
adventure.
2. Now that you know what you want to do, now you have to find
other websites and ezines related to your topic. Go surfing
around and look at other websites that are related to your
content. As you get new ideas, write
them down the moment you think of them. Really focus on the
content and not the design of the websites. Next you need to go
to some ezine directories and subscribe to a few ezines related
to your topic. Read these ezines as you receive them, take in
the info they provide, go take a look at some of the links they
provided for you, and keep writing down your ideas.
To search for a specific topic your looking for, go to any
search engine and put in a keyword. Then a list of websites will
popup and you can go surfing. Here's a few ezine directories I
use to find ezines I'm looking
for.
http://www.ezinelocater.com/
http://ezinesplus.com/
http://www.zineadz.com/
http://www.makingprofit.com/
http://www.homeincome.com/
http://www.diysearch.com/
3. Now you have your topic and some related content. Next you
need to make a web-page. Even if it's just one page, make it.
Don't worry about what it looks like at first. This is your
first time trying this so just add your content, upload it, then
edit as necessary.
Tip: Don't use to many graphics, it slows down the loading
process dramatically. Use text links instead of graphics where
possible. And watch your colors. If you can, use the white
background with black text. Don't use a light color for text and
a dark color for your background. It really puts a strain on our
eyes so try and stick with traditional colors.
If you need a free host for your page, I recommend using Tripod.
Includes extras other free hosts don't offer. http://www.tripod.com
No html required.
4. Now that you have your web-page up, you need to start
advertising it to get some visitors. I don't care what anyone
says, ezines are the best places for advertising. Not only can
you target your market but you can get your ad seen by thousands
for a very small cost. There are ezines that accept free ads so
if your low on money, this will be your best bet. Participate in
the contests provided for even more free advertising. Free ads
do work but the paid ads work better. Once you learn the things
you need to learn, then you can start buying some ads. Don't
fret, ezines offer some incredible deals
to advertisers at incredible prices.
I really do Not recommend posting to hundreds of free classified
and FFA sites. Yes, they used to work but just like in the real
world, things do change. Don't waste your time on things that
don't work. Use the tools that are Proven to work and then
you'll see results. Your time is precious and you should treat
it as such.
The only classified site I still use after 4 years is Adlandpro.
You can submit your free ad and they also offer paid ads as low
as $5. I also Highly suggest
signing up for their affiliate program. This gives you your own
classifieds and now you can offer that to your visitors. You can
signup for free here:
http://ecommerce-resources.org/adlandpro.html
5. I've seen some sites that say if you don't have anything to
sell, then signup at Clickbank and resell their products. This
goes against what I believe which is try it before you resell
it. If your really serious about having your own business, save
yourself a lot of headaches and just buy a product or 2. Go look
for something you can use yourself and buy it. There's plenty of
products out there that cost $20 or below. Give up just one
night out and there's your money for the products. That's such a
small sacrifice to pay but you would be surprised how many
people Won't do that. We all have to sacrifice something to get
what we want but if we want it bad enough, then a sacrifice is a
small price to pay. Especially if it's one of your dreams. Don't
let Nothing hold you back.
6. If you really don't have a few bucks to spend then what I
recommend is you learning about one specific topic. It can be
anything you want, just learn it and understand it. Once you've
learned about that one topic, then start writing about it. Open
up Notepad and type away. Don't worry about errors, just write
what your feeling. Let it flow out of you as it comes. Once your
finished, read it from top to bottom. Did you understand it? Did
it make sense to you? Do you know of anyone that can benefit
from it? Of course you do! Now you have your Special Report to
either sell, or giveaway and you now also have your Own product.
7. Now that your website is up and you've begun your
advertising, it's time to think about how your going to start
building your own opt-in list. Why do you need such a list? Well
who exactly did you plan on selling your products and services
to? What better way to keep your visitors updated on new
products or services added? If you want this business to work
for the long term for you, your going to need your own list.
There's just no other way around this if you really want to be
successful.
This is where your own ezine or newsletter comes in. There's not
to much of a difference between the two other than, a newsletter
is more of a way to keep visitors updated on the latest
happening for that website. A ezine provides more resources and
content. What do you base your ezine
around? The same thing your website is based around. It can be
whatever your heart desires. Your job is to provide resourceful
content to your visitors and readers. That's why I said go
subscribe to a few ezines earlier. You can
get your ideas from reading others. Don't copycat, come up with
your own. Experiment and try different things. Believe me, the
more knowledgeable you become, the more changes you will make.
You can start your ezine for free using these services:
http://www.topica.com
http://www.yahoogroups.com
8. More stuff to do I hear you say. If you don't have anything
to do, then your not working. There's Always something to do
when it comes to online business. Feeling bored? Then go learn
something new. There are No boundaries when it comes to the
internet. The doors are wide open just waiting for you to walk
through them and discover something new.
I just showed you how you can get started for free in this
business. Now it's your choice what you do with this
information. Are you really ready to do this? Are you afraid it
might not work? Don't you think I was scared out of my wits when
I first started? Man I was horrified! But look at me now. Now
all I do is try and help others. Do you think I thought I would
be here writing an article like this? I had no idea what was
ahead. I just gave it a shot, stuck with it and here I am.
It's scary because it's something new to you. You've never done
this before so being scared is a Normal feeling. What you must
do if you want to move forward is overcome those fears. Instead
of being afraid of something, look at it in a different
perspective. Think of it as a new journey you really want to
learn about. You are a strong person and you can do this if it's
really what you want. The only thing holding you back is You.
Don't let You stand in the way of what could be, let You walk
through the doors and experience this awesome thing they call
Life.
Last but not least, if you have a question then by all means,
Ask it. I can't tell you how many people I've come across who
just gave up all because of something simple they were afraid to
ask. If we never asked anything, we would never learn
anything. Believe me, there's plenty of people out there
who would be more than willing to help you if you just
take the time to ask. Ask and you shall receive!
Wishing you the Best,
Audra
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Audra Gehrke is the owner of Ecommerce Resources:
http://www.ecommerce-resources.org
& she's also the
publisher of Ecommerce Resources Ezine:
http://www.ecommerce-resources.org/e-zine.html
& the
Author of: http://www.ecommerce-resources.org/guide.html
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