Questions Answered…

Here are some answers to some of the questions asked by newbies.

Can I run a business in my spare time?

Such a big question! How much time will it take? As much as you are willing to give. A lot depends on how much you want to do for yourself and how much you will let others do for you. (This comes with a cost)

If you are ambitious and driven to work towards a six-figure income, then Initially, you should be prepared to work every hour you can. If you just want to make some pin-money, depending on your business model, you may do it in your spare time. Many are still doing full-time work when they start and manage well until they can afford to live on what they earn from their new venture.

What sort of opportunities are available?

Every opportunity in the world. Affiliate Marketing, E-Commerce, Content Marketing, Authorship and Book Publishing, Product Creation, Free-lancing in Graphics, Technology, Coaching, Office work for regular businesses, Filling in Surveys, Network Marketing, MLM, running online marketing campaigns for local businesses. The opportunities are where you find them and:

Online, the world is your oyster.

What skills do I need?

Truthfully, as far as basic online work is concerned, if you can use a mouse and a keyboard you are good to go. You can take up a business opportunity that provides everything (including training) for you and leaves you with little to do for yourself.

Or, at the other end of the scale,  you can go down the road of independence and learn to run things on your own behalf – be a BOSS, learn all you can with a mentor and an education program and own a substantial, well-founded business.

In the latter case, you would need to learn about different aspects of digital marketing along with the skills specific to your chosen field, e.g. if you entered the world of E-commerce or writing books for Kindle.

So, don’t jump in without doing research about the business models that are available. Decide which one would suit you and what niche would interest you. Then start the process.

Just be aware that you must call a halt if you realize you are trying to be all things to all men. An overwhelming flood of knowledge, combined with a lack of clarity is one of the main reasons for people giving up in total dismay.

Finally, one skill that is absolutely obligatory if you are to be successful in Internet Marketing is from my observation, communication.

Modern techniques and strategies demand that you are able to communicate on a high level with ‘your’ people, that you get to know and to understand them and their needs and wants.

This is what is important and it is on this skill that your success, largely, will rest.

Where do I go to learn?

There are a million and one courses available on every subject imaginable online. Once you get involved, anyone who has ever written a course will be pounding on your in-box offering you their wares. Of course, if you join with certain companies, you will have training as part of your plan. And there are several who offer really good solid training. I partner with 2 such companies and they are both, in different ways, absolutely wonderful to work with.

Once you belong have done some research, you may be asking further questions:

How do I get around my lack of tech know-how?

Tech stuff can be tough and time-consuming, but there are organisations on line that provide technical help for a fee and almost every query can be answered either in Google or on YouTube. Companies like WordPress provide web-sites at no cost that you can set up in a few minutes with no tech. requirements at all. (we are in the modern world now) There are also Facebook Groups and Fan Pages attached to every enterprise. Usually they have a great bunch of members who have gone through what you are going through now, so they are always ready to help. My computer experience was limited to playing Lara Croft Tomb Raider and using Quick-books, a small business Accountancy program. Not the best start at all!

Can I make money with a blog?

Yes you can. A prime example is John Chow. He is one of many bloggers who have had fantastic financial success from blogging.

There are many courses available that will guide you down the right path if you think this is where your heart lies.

What is internet marketing all about?

Internet marketing is all about growing a business both monetarily and in value other than financial. Customer satisfaction and high quality delivery of service and goods is considered crucial and it includes the expectation that you will supply your clients/customers with solid information of true value.

The use of wireless technology and the internet is integral to the model and it includes any strategy you can devise that brings your product, name or brand in front of prospective customers. We can divide the subject into several categories and these will be the topic of further posts.

Can I make money on-line? I’ve tried everything before.

We are told that most people who try to earn money on line have, sooner or later given up in relative despair. Around 90% of new business owners give up in the first four months, either from lack of resources, time, understanding, persistence – the list goes on. Many of the most successful marketers will say that they also counted the years between start-up and success. (Yes, I know that many are frighteningly fast to reach a 6-figure income, but honestly, it is not common)

Personally, I know that it is definitely possible to make money on line, but it is up to you whether or not you will be successful. The ball is in your court! Maybe the problem is that you have tried everything instead of concentrating on one thing. Or you may have the wrong mind-set. Increasingly this is becoming recognized as a major factor in a person’s success or failure in their chosen life-path.

What about leads?

Leads are crucial and most businesses admit that their greatest challenge is maintaining a regular supply of quality leads. This is a topic that you will learn about if you decide to become a marketer.Whatever field you are in, you will certainly need traffic to turn into leads to turn into customers.

Do I really need a list?

Actually no, you do not need a list if you are not going to build your own business. (I can’t believe I actually wrote that, but it is true)

If you ARE intending to go the whole mile and want to ‘own’ your own customers and be your own BOSS, then a list is absolutely crucial to your operation. Your list is really your only asset in an online business, so build it and cherish it.

It’s all just so confusing.

Yes, it is!

Is it my age?

No it is NOT necessarily so! Please watch this video which is one of my favourites.

Age in itself is no barrier to working online. The most common barrier is your mind-set – the way you think about yourself. (and you will learn lots about this too, once you step onto the path)

I do not know anything about social media

Well – I must say that you ARE going to have to make a bit of an effort here. Social Media and Facebook in particular, rule because of their advertising potential and because of the extraordinary technical benefits they offer to advertisers. Many of my friends are so dismissive of Facebook that I could weep.
Now this is the way of the world and if we, as online marketers want to work in it and have some credibility we just have to ‘suck it up’, to coin a phrase.

I promise you – you will learn if you really want to and you may even get to like it.

If you have any questions or suggestions that you would like added to this post, please add them below or contact me on Facebook.