Elayne Whitfield, BA, MVA ~ VA Industry ExpertSubscribe Now

Top Internet Business Ideas

Internet Biz IdeasAs far as business opportunities go, there’s no place like the Internet. You can become a part of someone else’s business or create one of your own in an almost endless sea of enterprising options. There are also many advantages to starting an Internet business as opposed to entering the traditional world of employment. Here are a few of the top Internet business ideas right now to help you find an appropriate area to direct your job seeking endeavours.

Every day people search the Internet for all sorts of business opportunities. In the modern economy, something that many people search for is ways to make money without having to cover a lot of overhead costs. To begin an Internet business, most people will have much of the required equipment at home already. If you have a computer with a high-speed Internet connection, a telephone, a desk, and a printer, you can get going right away with minimal additional costs.

Blogging

This is one way to create an online presence for yourself without having to worry about the technical issues of owning your own website (that will come later). Many blog websites offer free hosting and provide already installed features to make setting everything up easy. Blogging can be valuable to you and fun as you can blog about anything that you find interesting or that you think other readers will be interested in. More specific blogs directed at niche groups will perform better than simple personal ones. Blogs can also make money with programs like Google Adwords and AdSense. Pay per Click advertising works great for generating revenue.

Internet Research

Anyone who can navigate the Internet well and filter out the quality content, can market themselves as an Internet researcher. Large and small companies alike pay researchers to find out various types of information for them. They also generally require reports and analysis from such research.

Selling Products

If you have a hobby like making and selling crafts you can expand it into a business online just by making a simple website. Set up a website that caters to your product offerings and the market you generally sell to. Market these products online through various means to drive traffic to your website.

Selling on eBay

If you don’t want to be in charge of your own website, you can sell things through the online marketplace that is eBay. You can sell products you created or items you own and want to get rid of. Many people now make a living from selling items on eBay. If your business grows and becomes more successful, you can expand to involve other product markets.

Freelancing

Many online and offline businesses are looking for help with various types of content creation. Freelancers lower the overhead of the company and make many jobs more profitable by not having to pay for in-office work. Depending on your talent, market yourself as a freelance writer, graphic artist, website designer, or programmer.

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are an invaluable asset to many businesses today. For many years, virtual assistants have performed the administrative duties of companies from their home. Now, VA’s can be found specializing in many different industries such as medical, real estate, marketing, and publishing. VAs also perform tasks above just administrative duties such as website administrator, report creation, and Internet research.

Membership Sites

These are becoming more and more popular these days. With a membership site, you can choose a niche, such as online marketing, to appeal to. Customers pay to join at a certain level (ex. gold, silver, bronze) and are rewarded with certain perks from their membership that include newsletters, videos, or articles on marketing and related services to help expand their own business. You can create the website and supply the materials yourself, or by outsourcing each month to your members.

Do you have an idea for what your Internet business might do? Hopefully this list gave you some ideas to get started with. Best of luck with your Internet business endeavours!

How to Find Great Clients

How to Find Great ClientsAlthough running your own business can be difficult at times, it can also be extremely rewarding. Often the differentiating factor is the type of clients that you do business with on a regular basis. The better your clients, the smoother things will run and the more satisfied you will feel. It makes sense to create a strategy to find great clients so here are a few tactics to consider when doing so.

Get Referrals

When you find clients that you enjoy working with don’t be afraid to ask them for referrals. People tend to be attracted to likeminded individuals and clients referred from existing clients tend to be of the same caliber. Good clients will lead you to other good clients.
If this is something that is working for you, you can even consider offering a referral program for your business. Give back to your customers who refer others by giving them a credit towards your services or a discount.

Network

One of the best ways to find people you enjoy working with is to put yourself out there and network whenever you get the opportunity. Sometimes you’ll click with another business owner and a simple, “I’d love to see how we can work together” may end up producing profitable results for years to come.
Networking both online and off is a fantastic way to find great clients. In fact, you may find that networking is the best source of ideal clients for your business.

Partnerships

Consider forging partnerships with other business owners that you enjoy working with to expand your potential client pool. For example, if you’re a virtual assistant who provides social networking management services you might partner with someone who creates social networking graphics. Together you could offer a complete social networking package.

Ask

Put the word out there about you. Let your friends, family, and associates know that you’re looking to bring on two or three quality clients to your schedule. You might be surprised at what you find and you could even end up with more quality clients than you have time for.

Before You Get Started

There are a few steps to take before you begin searching for more clients. Taking these steps will ensure you’re attracting the type of client you want and will also make sure you are able to accommodate their needs.

  1. Make sure you have the resources to take on new clients. If not are too swamped with work and other commitments at the moment, consider eliminating some other clients or tasks from your calendar. If you want to bring on new clients you need to make sure you can meet their needs.
  2. Identify exactly what you want in a client before you start searching. What makes a client great to work with? Are they easy to communicate with? Do they provide minimum enough instruction for you to get the job done? Do they pay well and on time? Define what makes a good client for you.
  3. Take steps to make sure that all of your clients know how much you appreciate them. Creating some sort of customer appreciation strategy will go a long way for you. Finding those great clients is only the first step; you want to make sure to keep them too.

Finding great clients isn’t difficult. Know what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to ask for new clients, and pay attention to the specific service you provide. A good client can stick with you for years. It’s worth the time and effort to show your appreciation.