This part 4 of a 4 part blog series on How to Start an Internet Business.
The purpose of this series is to journey with you in your search for home based business ideas, helping you to understand that personal development and mindset are critical to the entrepreneur’s growth and survival, explaining a few terms and strategies relating to internet marketing and offering a micro sample step by step plan of action.
These are by no means things you have to do. You make your own decisions as a free spirited entrepreneur. There is no right or wrong, but a matter of common sense activities that allow you a place to at least get started. These are simply some “getting started” action steps that top leaders in network marketing have used themselves and as a guideline for their business partners.
In these sample getting started steps, I will be taking an entrepreneur who partnered with a network marketing/MLM/direct sales company since that is most likely the case. As an entrepreneur who is taking a hobby or current marketable skillset online, some of these will apply, some won’t. Look through and take what makes sense.
In a nutshell, here’s what your first month’s action steps may possibly look like.
NOTE: This is a very brief overview. There’s so much to elaborate on I could write volumes on this stuff, but for lack of space on this platform, I will just be touching on some basic steps. Check back often for featured articles where I’m able to go more in depth on some of these actionable steps.
Defining Your Business Hours and Time Commitment:
If you still have a 9-5 job, it’s very likely you will be tired when you get home from work. However, putting in the time to work on your business is a must if you ever want to quit the grind. The samples I show will be based on a 12-14 hour work week which is equivalent to a part time job… not even.
Establishing a Welcome Email and Training Blog
This is a professional and convenient way to allow your new business partners the benefit of these very same steps I’m sharing with you here. You can copy some of this or come up with your own content. But having a plan of action for your new partners (and even prospects who want to know what to expect ahead of time) will be of tremendous help to them.
Your email will have a welcome paragraph and your written out ‘fast start action steps’ for your new business partners. Save this to your desktop so you can quickly attach it to an email when you receive notice of a new business partner. They will love to hear from you right away.
You also want to establish a training blog and post your fast start action steps plan as one of the pages of your blog. You will use this to build out over time and it holds all your training. As you learn and grow, you will post articles and videos about what you’ve learned. This gives your business a very professional and inviting look.
Securing your automated system and start sending traffic to it
If you have an option to use a third party marketing system that has capture pages, autoresponders and marketing for the product or service you represent, you may choose to do this. There will be a cost associated with the set up of the automated system and there will be some configuring to do on your part but it allows you to at least be up and running quickly while you build your personally branded website. There’s normally a good amount of training on the inside by way of live webinars, recording videos and audios as well some written documents. Every system is different.
Of course you do have to market (advertise) the automated system. It’s not a magic bullet like some believe. Some entrepreneurs love this idea, others hate it. Do what’s right for you.
Building Your Website
This is your personally branded website that introduces your prospects to you first then you introduce your product or service. You will be given a website by the company you choose to represent but that site will not be branding you, your value, your leadership, or your personality. People want to do business with those they know, like and trust and therefore, this is a very important piece to your marketing.
There are several website software programs on the market. Check with others you are associated with in your organization and find out what they use and what their recommendations are. I have some resources listed below if you truly are at a standstill with regards to building your website.
Securing a Few Domain Names
A domain name is your website address. You will want to secure a few. Domain names run about $10 each per year plus your hosting. I use www.GoDaddy.com and have the deluxe hosting plan. Call GoDaddy and ask them your best option. Here are three I would recommend for sure you grab.
• One for your primary business website that you will be building. Be sure to read your company’s terms and conditions and policies and procedures to see what they allow and disallow in terms of using their company name within your own domain name.
• One for your automated system (if you’re using it) that you can forward your affiliate link to. If you have any questions about your automated system’s domain name processes, consult with the system’s support staff.
• Yourname.com. This will be your blog. Your blog will become your home online. It’s a place to share your passions, your mission statement, your products and services, your family life, offer your value, whatever.
Setting up YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and OnlyWire Accounts
Social media marketing is a big deal in starting your own small business. You definitely want to have a strong presence on these platforms. And, the good news is that these are all free to use.
Setting up your Email Campaign
This is your email follow up campaign (series of emails) that will automatically be sent to your subscribers as you program them in. You will be designing your own emails and inputting them into the autoresponder. You will want to deliver value, insight, inspiration, and every so often, an offer to purchase something you recommend.
Making your First Few Videos
It seems this is the most uncomfortable marketing strategy that new business owners have to come to terms with. But video marketing is very relevant to communication and developing relationships with prospects. It’s how we communicate in today’s society. So it’s time to take out the ole’ video camera, dust it off and put your best foot (ok, face 
) forward.
Creating your Incentive Gift
This is simply a piece of content that you want to offer anyone who opts into your list. People love getting stuff for free. So come up with a report, a video, a cd, something, that you can give as a bonus or gift or thank you as an incentive for people to go ahead and join your list.
Becoming a study of PPC (pay per click – Google Adwords)
PayPer Click is the fastest way to build your list. But doing it the wrong way can financially hurt. So take some time and study. Invest in a course, hire a coach, and start out small. You can set up a free account at adwords.google.com
Personal Development Goes without Saying
I shared some personal development ideas in a Part 2 of this series if you need a refresher.
Establishing Your Short, Medium and Long Term Goals
Starting your own small business takes lots of planning. Establishing goals are critical. You may have heard this quote; “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. It’s very true. Most people never plan and then work their plan. Instead they jump into a business and splash around for a couple weeks, experience the deer in headlights syndrome and quit. Don’t let that be you. Come up with your immediate, short, medium and long range goals.
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4 Sample Weeks: Activities and Time Commitment Involved
Here are 4 sample weeks of activities and reasonable time frames for those wondering how to start an internet business using a network marketing platform.
To give you a realistic look at the time commitment and activities to be focusing on the first month or two in your business, here are SAMPLE schedules that you will modify to fit your schedule and speed of learning and implementing.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU COMPLETE YOUR TASKS THIS MONTH:
Blog Set Up: www.ProBlogShop.com
Website Assistance: www.FastWebCoach.com.
PPC Training: www.HoversonCoachingClub.com Or Mike Dillards PPC Course
Marketing Training Systems: www.Your7FigureSystem.com
Autoresponder Services: Aweber (Renea – hyperlink this to aweber www.grnautoresponder.com) or Get Response
Sample Week 1: (13 hours for the week — less than a part time job)
• Prepare a welcome email for your new business partners; save to desktop (1 hour)
• Set up your YouTube.com account and profile (30 min.)
• Get your video camera out & make a practice video and upload it (2 hours)
• Buy any domain names you know you will be using; *personally branded website *your name * training blog (30 min.)
• Order automated system, take tutorials and get it up and running (4 hours) (If Applicable)
• Schedule and meet with webmaster to start on website (3 hours)
• Secure your autoresponder, watch tutorials on creating a webform and entering and editing emails. Set it up. (1 hour)
• Secure a PPC training product so you can begin to learn. Take a class (1.5 hours)
Sample Week 2: (14 hours for the week — less than a part time job)
• Make your opt-in and 1 training video and upload it (3 hours)
• Create your incentive gift for opt-in page (3 hours)
• Continue refining your website (2 hours)
• Take a couple of classes from your PPC course (3 hours)
• Create a handful of emails with value in your autoresponder (3 hours)
• Outsource your training blog basic setup (15 min)
Sample Week 3: (13 hours for the week – less than a part time job)
• Complete website (1 hour)
• Take more classes inside your PPC course (5 hours)
• Make a couple videos on what you’ve learned and get them uploaded (4 hours)
• Outsource your www.yourname.com blog (15 min.)
• Set up your Google Adwords and place your first ad going to your website (1 hour) NOTE: Be sure and set your daily cap!
• Make any adjustments in your automated system ads (If applicable)
Sample Week 4: (15 hours for the week – less than a part time job)
• Tweak your personally branded website if needed (1 hour)
• Finish classes within your PPC course. (4 hours)
• Make a couple videos on what you’ve learned and get them uploaded (3 hours)
• Refine your training blog with all basic company information, events, etc. (1 hour)
• Fine Tune your www.YourName.com blog with fun features you want (1 hour)
• Add your first couple posts to your blog (2 hours)
• Set up a Facebook Profile (1 hour)
• Set up a Twitter Account (15 min.)
• Set up your OnlyWire Account (1.5)
30 DAY CELEBRATION!
Order out a pizza and a movie! Yeah!
So, here’s what you’ve accomplished in your first 30 days of business.
• Automated system up and running with leads entering
• Website up and running with leads entering
• Created a product
• Set up an autoresponder Account
• Designed 5 emails
• Set up a YouTube Account and videos are live
• Set up a Facebook Profile
• Set up a Twitter Account
• Set up OnlyWire Account
• Learned a little bit of internet marketing lingo
• Shifting attitudes and mindsets about success
• Have written out goals of where you’re going
• Learned a bunch about PPC
• Have Google PPC campaigns set up
MOST HAVE ALREADY GIVEN UP
Most People Would Have Given Up By Now because:
• Possibly no sales yet
Too frustrated with the learning curve:
• No personal development and goal setting
• No plan of action
• No commitment to put in the time
These are Everyday Activities and do not Count in your Weekly Time Commitment Schedule.
* Personal Development. Mindset and Leadership is a must! (30 min a day – fit it in) * Writing and monitoring goals. Game plan is a must!
Learn 1 New Skillset Each Month and Master it while Building on what you Already have in Place. And Remember….
• Enjoy the journey
• Embrace learning
• Learn from mistakes
• Have fun and meet a bunch of new people in your industry
• Don’t be in a race, work at your speed.
• Take the next couple of years and become a master marketer
You’re learning how to start an internet business. You are starting your own small business. These things are new adventures and therefore there are new things to learn. You are back in school for a short while. Welcome to class!
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This concludes Part 4 in this Blog Series. Be sure to catch the rest of this blog series. I journey with you as we look at how to start an internet business.
In Part 1 of this Blog Series, you will discover some of the most common home based business ideas offering different options for entrepreneurs seeking to get started in a small business and taking it online.
In Part 2 of this Blog Series, I share openly about the entrepreneurial mindset in starting your own small business.
In Part 3 of this Blog Series, you will discover the realistic learning curve, what that looks like and what internet marketing really is.
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I appreciate your feedback, comments, inspiration, strategies and thoughts about your journey and entrepreneurship. If you like this post, please share it with others by tweeting, bookmarking and leaving your valuable comment.
Thanks!
Debbie Turner
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