5 Step Online Business Checklist

So you want to start a business but you have no idea how to get started. Then here's what you do. Follow this checklist. As you make decisions, write your answers down. Then use this to formulate your plan for your business.

1. What type of products will you sell?

a. Youe Own Products
b. Affiliate Programs
c. MLM
d. Services

(Remember, as your business grows, you can also add to this and use any combination. For now, just pick one.)

Will these be digital or physical products? Depending on what you are selling, they may be both. For example, if you sell computers, then you'll want to sell software too. Write down several things you are passionate about that you think you want to start a business about: i.e. health, fitness, sports, gardening, etc. (You can always clarify your topic later through keyword research.)

2. Will you build a website? If so, will it be a lead capture page, a content site or blog, or a combination of both? (One page sites can be a sales letter to sell a product, a review page, a lead capture/list building page.) What's important is that you determine the purpose of your website first before creating your site. Then it's easy.)

Reasons to build a website:
a. Build a list
b. Add more value to the content you are selling
c. More ways to market
d. Recycle your traffic

3. How will you market your business (This is if you have a website)?

a. Search engine optimization
b. Article marketing*
c. Free and paid classifieds*
d. Joint ventures (only if you own your own products)
e. Affiliate programs
f. Press releases
g. Blogging*
h. Forums*
i. Social marketing: sites like Facebook and Myspace*
j. Video marketing*
k. Pay per click (paid)*

Although there are others, these are the most effective ways I have found to market, and they're all free.

*These can be used if you don't own a website. Just make sure you use a link cloaker to make your links look "pretty." This will protect your commissions and make it easier for you to get the click.

4. How much writing will you need to do?

Examples of writing tasks you will need to complete:

a. Articles
b. Sales letters
c. Ads
d. Product reviews
e. Website content
f. Blog posts
g. Emails
h. PPC ads

The amount of writing you do will be related to whether or not you own your own products, whether you provide your own customer service, and which marketing techniques you choose.

5. How do I get started?

a. Choose one of the business models from the top. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Your own products - You make more money, but you need to know something about a particular topic that you can sell.

Affiliate products - Don't require customer service, and you can even get away with not building a website, but it's harder to market because you aren't building a list.

MLM - Don't have to create your own product, but it can be the same problems you have with affiliate marketing. MLM can sometimes have a certain reputation that's hard to overcome with others.

Services - You have to have some type of trade that converts to a service.

b. Choose how you will market. If you are willing to write, you won't have much trouble. Personally, I recommend you get started by writing ads. Learning to write and post ads is definitely the easiest, and you can find plenty of information about this in my members' area.

c. Get started. Choose just one thing and work your way through it. It's easy to get distracted.

d. Find out what works for you. Then do more of it. This is what will make you more money.