Someone called me the other day and talked about how he is going to need to make some money soon and wanted to start up a web site. I explained that the two concepts did not necessarily go together.
My advice? Well, for what it’s worth, I would say forget everything you ever knew about brick and mortar businesses and start all over again.
A solid business plan for a web business is really going to elude you until you get in there and get your feet wet first. It ain’t that easy. There are a lot more people selling get rich quick packages than there are people getting rich. You must surf and read, surf and read, surf and read. After a few months figure out who does have some real business credibility and follow that person and the links he or she connects to. Do something you know how to do and dissect it until you can find a niche. Starting a web business without the basic knowledge of whatever business you pick is fool hardy at best. Don’t pay for information you can get for free. Those first months of surfing should give you some pretty good leads. Don’t go it alone. Find a friend, mentor or relative to bounce ideas off of. Be open to honest feedback. You know who will give you honest opinions and who will not. I love my relatives but we will never be in business together.
Study the business you want to get into and how it works on the web.
Research the concept, develop a rough plan and refine as you continue to research. Plan, plan, plan. Don’t touch your retirement savings.
Take a look at a real business plan, (you can find them free on the web) and start sketching in your ideas. Revise it at least ten times. Be realistic about money. It’s expensive to market anything on the web, -you’ll need to learn to find additional ways to get the word out.
Spend much of your free time in bookstores or libraries perusing books on marketing, sales, web design, budgeting, time management and personal success stories. I think book stores tend to have more of the most current stuff as far as web marketing is concerned.
Build an alternate plan for your business plan. Make a contingency plan. Make a goal sheet with target dates. What do you (your name) need to learn more about in order to operate on the web in addition to your craft? Web design? Marketing? Search Engines? Self promotion? Again, follow the leaders – err on the conservative side and stay objective. Can you sell? Selling your goods, selling yourself, and selling your credibility is more important for the success of any web business than you can imagine right now.
You might want to make an appointment with a person at SCORE at the Small Business Administration. They have all been through the fire, can give you realistic feedback, show you how to develop a business plan and where to look for financing.
Don’t give up your dream. But don’t give up your day job yet either.
