Learn Programming Language and Software Testing

Introduction

Internet Business—The Opportunity of Our Lifetime

Communicating with customers and other businesses has changed dramatically

over the past century. It started with print, then radio, television, phone,

and fax, and now all of us are operating in the fastest medium yet—the Internet.

The future is bright for businesses that utilize the Net as a primary medium

of communication and sales.

The number of Internet users and the amount of business done online around

the world is growing at a staggering rate. The world’s population currently

holds well over 1 billion Internet users, and the majority of these web-savvy

humans have online access at home. They research, study, e-mail, chat, download

podcasts, and shop online.

Why question the amazing rate at which the average business is moving

onto the Net? It makes too much sense to deny the obvious answer. Having a

business online is the opportunity of our lifetime. Besides the greatly expanded

market reach afforded by the Net, there is also the reduced cost of doing business

online. Look at all the time, money, trees, and travel costs that are spared

from the average business’s operating budget due to this new medium. The

collective business world realizes the bounty of opportunity to be seized in

cyberspace.

All businesses that have a Web presence are seeing the advantages of selling

online. They are committing more and more of their marketing dollars to online

activities, where they are seeing a greater return on investment.

Expansion of the Internet into all business and personal communications is

inevitable. What was once considered a trend is becoming the norm. Overall

familiarity and trust in online transactions and consumer relationships improve

each month as new security-based technologies are developed. New media support

groups hasten the learning curve of the average Internet user, a factor that

earlier had hindered the speed at which consumers feel confident enough in

their own understanding of the Web to make money-related decisions based on

their own online research. The time is now for everyone to get online. In our

lifetime, “newbies” will cease to exist.

Introduction xiii

The future is really bright, so put on your shades and a thinking cap! Hot

items are software, music, books, electronics, and travel. Broadening the gamut

of goods sold online will happen quickly.

The opportunity is there for you to create a dynamite business online if you

do it right. It’s not a matter of throwing a Web site together, putting it online,

and having the world beat a path to your door. You have to choose the right

business, develop the right Web site for your target market, and build substantial

traffic to your Web site. The online customer is extremely demanding, with

expectations that exceed those of the offline buyer in many ways. Online buyers

want what they want, how they want it, when they want it, at the right

price. The product and service must be exactly what they ordered, delivered

immediately to the correct place and for the lowest price they can find. Competition

is fierce, so you have to create a professional and secure online presence

for your business, target the demographic of Internet users with an affinity for

your product or service, and work diligently to attract traffic. Serious marketing

research is required to successfully access and captivate these eyeballs.

It’s a challenge, but the opportunity is substantial. Many who have gone

before you are reaping the benefits today. This book will provide you with a

myriad of online business ideas for your consideration.

Defining What’s Important to You

“What are the benefits of this new age?” you ask. Today and in the future,

personal lifestyle plays a significant part in career choice. Perhaps you have no

inclination to commute in traffic each working day. Maybe you want more

time with your family. If your dream is to be self-employed, this is your era!

Run a successful global business from an island in the Caribbean or from

the comfort of your living room. Hours are flexible, and the business is operational

24 hours a day, all year round. No matter how small your business is, if

you set it up correctly, you can compete with the big boys.

Before embarking on an e-business venture, it is very important that you

very clearly define your objectives. Take your time—brainstorm with family

and friends. Find out what’s really important to you, and then find a business

that you can build that will help you achieve those objectives. Starting a business,

online or offline, is serious business. Without adequate preparation in

defining your objectives, researching for the best business for you, and then

developing an adequate business plan, you are asking for problems.

When you are defining your objectives, you will have to ask yourself a

series of pertinent questions. What type of time commitment do you foresee?

xiv 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

Do you want this to be a full-time or a part-time endeavor? The options are

wide open. Many online businesses are ideal for extra income to leverage your

regular salary and make the budget of daily life easier to manage. The beauty of

working online is that it’s sustainable without having to quit your regular job if

you don’t want to. The point is that you should allocate in your business plan

how much time you are willing to spend on the venture, and then you can

decide which online businesses fit with the time you are willing to invest.

Would you prefer to work out of your home or have an outside office?

Where you work is important too. For many, a major benefit of having an

online business is the luxury of working from home. Another advantage is to

work while you travel or from remote areas. Not all online businesses guarantee

complete mobility and staying home, but you can decide on these critical

lifestyle options before choosing which specific online avenue to pursue. It’s all

up to you—for a change.

If you already have a physical “bricks-and-mortar” business location, do

you want to use the Web as a marketing outlet? There are many ways to run a

successful online business. Traditional storefronts and catalogues can be mirrored

on the Web site, which expands the sales capacity significantly, but you

must make sure that there is enough inventory and internal organization to

accept, fill, and deliver incoming orders. The other option if you have an existing

bricks-and-mortar setup is to use the Web site as a responsive marketing

force and information source for your business. The design and content should

urge customers to come to your location and return to your site.

What kind of start-up costs are you considering? Budget is everything. Research

the investment you will have to put into the Web site. Ask around to see

how much people are spending on their online presence, and remember that

you can grow gradually as funds and profits permit with an online business.

There is no rule saying you have to spend everything you’ve got in the beginning

to succeed in the long term.

Would you like to develop an idea and sell it, or sustain the management

and grow the business in the future?

Want to run your business from home but not have to be there 24/7 to

answer the phone? No problem! For every challenge there is an opportunity.

There are companies that will answer and screen your calls based on scripts

you provide, provide information to your callers, take your orders and messages,

and offer a whole myriad of professional and personal services; they can

even screen and respond to your e-mail and fax messages, do research for you,

and provide a ton of administrative services. One such company that I am affiliated

with is PatLive. I have arranged a special deal for any of my readers

who are interested in this service—go to http://www.patlive.com/signup/ssc for

this special offer if this is something you might be interested in.

Introduction xv

What is your risk comfort level? Trying anything new is slightly nervy. Just

remember that if you embark on the online journey now, you share a common

technology learning curve with those who remember what it was like before the

Internet existed. Soon this group will be extinct, so this is the time to go for it!

What are your revenue and profit expectations? (Fun question, isn’t it?)

How rich do you want to be? Seriously, there is huge potential for major profit

in online business. While picking the right virtual business for you, make sure

to factor in the start-up costs and continuing operating costs. Begin with a

modest revenue projection (to stay on the safe side), and if the result pleases

you, stick with it.

Do you want employees, or are you looking for a business you can start and

maintain on your own? If you are planning to have a staff to run your business,

how many are you comfortable with? Employees are an added responsibility. If

the online business you choose to enter requires employees, make sure you are

prepared. What do you know? What are you comfortable with? What do you

enjoy? If you are going to be spending lots of hours in your new e-business, it

might as well be doing something you enjoy.

Once these questions have been answered and you have done a lot of soulsearching

with regard to defining your objectives, it is time to take a closer look

at all the e-business opportunities that are available to you. The next chapter

offers this closer look.

Doing Business Online 1

1

Part 1

Doing Business Online

The term e-business means different things to different people. To some,

e-business is simply having a Web site and e-mail capability through which

customers can place an order, request a quote, or make a reservation. For other

people, e-business is having a Web site that enables customers to order and

submit their credit card information online, even though their orders may then

be processed manually just like a fax or telephone order. For others still,

e-business means being able to place a secure online order, having immediate

credit card verification, and having fully integrated back-end systems that are

dynamically updated and inform the customer of the latest prices and whether

or not an item is in stock. The point is, the appropriate e-business solution for

you will depend on the type of business you operate, the products and services

you intend to sell, your budget, your target market, what your competition is

doing, and so on.

For instance, a software development company that sells a downloadable

software application (i.e., has no physical boxed version) has no inventory per

se. Therefore, they would not require a back-end inventory database to be integrated

with their e-business system. All they might need is an e-business system

that includes payment processing capability. On the other hand, if you have an

online business that intends to sell books and you want to become the next

Amazon.com, you will require a full-blown, full-featured e-business system to

compete with the Amazon.coms of the world. Otherwise, potential customers

will shop at Amazon.com because their e-business system is more convenient

and easier to use. In this chapter we discuss the features of e-business sites,

2 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

online storefront options, taking online payments, and selecting the right

e-business model for your online business.

Getting the Point Across

The consumer is king. This statement is especially true in the e-business realm.

For instance, if you were to visit an offline bookstore to do your holiday shopping,

you might browse through the aisles for a few hours, pick out a few books

you wanted to buy, and take them to the cashier to pay for them. If you asked

the cashier whether the bookstore offered gift-wrapping or shipping services,

the response from the vendor would probably be “no, we don’t provide those

services.” You would be satisfied with this and make the purchase anyway. You

would then take the gifts home, wrap them, and ship them to their various

destinations.

If you are making the same gift purchases in an online bookstore, you expect

to be able to have them gift-wrapped and delivered to any address you

desire. It defeats the purpose somewhat if you have to pay to have the books

delivered to your address, only to turn around and pay to ship them someplace

else. If you are purchasing the books as gifts, you want to have them gift-wrapped.

Again, it defeats the purpose if you have to have the books sent to your address

so that you can gift-wrap them and then reship.

Online it’s a whole different world. Consumers have higher expectations.

Often they shop online for the convenience and expect the online merchant to

meet all their needs. Consumers expect the online merchant to deliver what

they want, when they want it, and how they want it. If you don’t provide what

they want the way they want it, another vendor is just a click away.

Not all possible features of an e-business site are applicable to every business,

but if you intend to be competitive online, you must give your consumers

what they are looking for. You might have something they want, but if they

cannot conduct transactions easily on your site and competitors offer more

point-of-sale service, people will leave your site and shop at another site that is

easier to buy from. This section focuses on some possible e-business features

that you might want to include on your site. Decide which features are most

applicable to your business and implement them into your e-business system.

Storefront Development Options

Depending on your online objectives, your products and services, and your

budget, you might have to develop an electronic storefront for your business.

Doing Business Online 3

An electronic storefront is the interface that a customer sees when purchasing

goods on a Web site. The need for an electronic storefront varies with the level

of e-business that your company chooses to implement. The various levels of

e-business are discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

When developing a storefront for your business, you have three options

available. You can

• Use the ASP (Application Service Provider) model

• Purchase storefront development software

• Program and develop your own storefront.

Each option has its strengths and weaknesses, and some are more appropriate

than others, depending on your business’s budget and online marketing

objectives. In determining how to develop an electronic storefront for your

business, you should evaluate the following options and select the one that is

most appropriate for your business.

ASP Storefront Model

ASP stands for Application Service Provider. The ASP owns the storefront software

and operates its own e-commerce server. An ASP licenses out the use of its

software and e-commerce hosting services to clients that desire to sell products

and services online. The software is hosted on the ASP’s server, and as the client

you pay the ASP to use its software and server. This option is often much cheaper

than purchasing your own storefront software package.

When using the ASP’s storefront solution, a client can be quite confident in

the fact that the system will always be up to date. The ASP’s server handles all

system updates, back-ups, and technical support on a regular basis. There is no

need for a business to purchase any extra on-site equipment or software, and

the installation process is fast, straightforward, and affordable.

The ASP’s storefront solution can be integrated with your existing Web site.

The portion of the storefront that is hosted on the ASP’s server can be customized

to duplicate the appearance of your site. This adds to the level of professionalism

and maintains a sense of consistency across all pages of your site and

the purchase process.

The ASP’s storefront model is known for its high reliability, as well as an

unfailing online selling security system. A great benefit of using an ASP’s server

is that business owners are able to access their data from any place, at any time.

The only equipment needed is an Internet connection as well as your ASP server

ID and password.

4 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

Each client is given a unique user name and password to allow for easy

management of its account. The information hosted on the ASP’s server can be

modified at any time—you can add or remove products at your convenience,

alter the layout, and so on.

This solution is ideal for those businesses that are looking to maintain their

own site but do not want to be responsible for configuring and maintaining the

technical aspects of the e-commerce system. The ASP model is easy to configure

for those individuals with limited HTML knowledge and can be set up and

running in a very short timeframe. For more information on a few great examples

of ASP storefront applications, go to the Internet Marketing Resources

section of my site at http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

Storefront Software Packages

There are a variety of storefront software development packages available that

enable you to develop your online storefront for your business. If you choose

to use this approach, more technical knowledge of computers will be required

and you will have to find an Internet service provider to host your electronic

storefront.

Storefront software is commonly installed on the same server as your site.

This can be a more involved process, and in some cases it may be necessary to

hire a person with the appropriate technical knowledge to set up and maintain

your storefront. Many medium-sized to large businesses have their own inhouse

team to manage their e-business operations, so this is not an issue for

them. Do some research on features needed and select the storefront option

that best fits your business requirements.

Program and Develop Your Own Storefront

If you have a broad product line, a complex system with different prices for

different customers, or volume discount levels, or if you want a high level of

integration with your accounting, inventory, and sales systems, you may want

to consider developing your own storefront. This requires in-depth technical

knowledge and programming capabilities. If you don’t have the technical capability

in-house, you can outsource this activity to a firm capable of developing

such a program for your business or hire an employee or team to handle the

storefront development.

If you decide to develop your own storefront software, you should ensure

that everything is running smoothly before you launch the storefront into cyberspace.

Every aspect of the storefront selection and purchasing procedure

Doing Business Online 5

should be tested and retested to ensure that there are no bugs, miscalculations,

or errors in the process. Once you are sure that everything is working correctly

and smoothly, you then have to find a place to host the storefront, whether it be

on your own server or on an ISP’s server. From that point on, your only recurring

expense is that of hosting your storefront and payment processing and

authorization charges from a payment processing company.

Storefront Features

There are many different features available with different electronic storefronts.

Features vary depending on the storefront option that you have selected. Typically,

higher-end software has more advanced features than that of a template

service; however, some of these features may not be essential to running your

particular online business. The following is a list of features that you should

consider when selecting your storefront development option for your online

business:

• Shopping cart

• Purchase notification

• Inventory management integration

• Client database management

• Integrated mail list

• Searchable product database

• Thumbnail image capability

• Customer e-mail notification

• Unlimited autoresponders

• Shipping and delivery options

• Coupons, discounts, and special offers

• Technical support

6 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

• Affiliate programs.

Shopping Cart

An electronic shopping cart is an excellent feature for sites selling multiple products

or services. The online shopping cart system operates much like an actual

shopping cart. Buyers can add items to their cart as they please, and they can

remove items just as easily. As the customers add and subtract items from their

shopping cart, a running total of their purchase choices is dynamically updated.

This is a great feature that shouldn’t be overlooked when you choose your

storefront software.

Purchase Notification

This software feature enables merchants to be notified via e-mail whenever a

purchase is made on their Web site. The e-mail typically states the product

purchased, the purchaser’s contact information, and the credit card information.

This feature is terrific if you use offline methods (e.g., the telephone) to

authorize credit card purchases. You can simply pull up the e-mail message on

your screen and call in to receive an authorization number.

Inventory Management Integration

Does the software enable you to integrate the storefront with your back-end

system? Back-end systems refer to the company’s internal accounting, inventory,

contact management, customer service, and other supporting software

systems. This is a fantastic feature for companies selling multiple products online.

By integrating the back end with your storefront, you can track inventory

levels to (1) ensure that you don’t run out of a certain product or (2) notify

customers that you are out of stock before they make a purchase. More information

on integrating your back-end systems with your storefront is explained

later in this chapter.

Client Database Management

A client database is essential to any business that would like to keep track of the

people utilizing its site. This includes all users who interact in some way with

Doing Business Online 7

your site, either by filling out one of your forms, becoming an affiliate of yours,

or purchasing something through the shopping cart. All users will have a record

of their actions in your client database. You can find out information such as

who bought a particular product, who is subscribed to a particular newsletter,

the time a client has been added to your database, and so on. Once a search is

conducted, you will get a list of all clients and their online actions on your site.

With this list, you are able to create a customized mailing list.

Integrated Mail List

Many ASP storefront solutions integrate private mail list software with their

application. It just makes sense that when someone makes a purchase, they

might like to give permission for you to send them your e-zine or newsletter,

your e-specials, or coupons. The mail list application should be able to be fully

integrated with your Web site and should provide good tracking and management

reports. Today it is essential that mail list software have an integrated

spam checker so that your mail can have the best chance of getting through to

the intended recipients.

Searchable Product Database

Practically a necessity for companies selling hundreds of products online, this

feature enables a consumer to visit your site and search through your database

of product listings. Normally consumers will know what they want when they

visit your site, so offering this feature will enable them to go directly to the

product SKU (stock keeping unit) they want, rather than searching through

multiple pages trying to find the product. An SKU is similar to the ISBN number

you find on the back of books—it is a numerical value that identifies an

individual product.

Thumbnail Image Capability

Your storefront software should enable you to place small thumbnail images of

the products next to their listing. The user can then click on the image to enlarge

it and see a better view of the product. This enhances the overall listing

for each of your products in your storefront. Thumbnails also assist in optimizing

your site’s download time. It takes much less time to download several

thumbnail 2K images as opposed to several full-sized 50K images.

8 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

Customer E-mail Notification

This feature enables you to automatically send your clients an e-mail directly

after they purchase an item on your Web site. The message will confirm that

you have received their order, and you can also take the time to thank them for

doing business with your company. This is a great way to provide quality customer

service to your clients.

Unlimited Autoresponders

An autoresponder is a customized e-mail notification with a few added features.

Autoresponders can be used for different purposes, and you can send an

unlimited number of sequential messages. For example, you might have one

general autoresponder for all your customers and a few more-detailed

autoresponders for customers who purchase a particular product. This way

you can ensure a great follow-up for future repeat sales. By using this method

you can offer classes with the lessons delivered by autoresponder e-mails once

per week, as well as train your affiliates on up-and-coming news with your

business. An autoresponder can be set to go out over a period of time and be

composed of one or more messages. Autoresponders are becoming a very powerful

Internet marketing tool.

Shipping and Delivery Options

Another way to provide excellent customer service is by offering different shipment

options to your clients. This feature enables your customers to select a

shipping option that best suits their needs during the checkout period, when

they are finalizing their order on your Web site. Some people like to receive

their purchases in the mail sooner than others. By offering a variety of shipping

and delivery options, you have an opportunity to up-sell, utilizing different

price points for different delivery periods. You could set a specific price point

for each of your delivery options, which may include “next day,” “two or three

days,” “surface, one to two weeks,” and so on. In addition, some customers

may prefer to send individual items to separate locations—perhaps they are

doing their Christmas shopping. Giving the user the option to send each item to

a different location is a great feature to include.

Doing Business Online 9

Coupons, Discounts, and Special Offers

Many storefront solutions provide the ability to offer discounts, accept coupons,

and provide for special deals to generate urgency to drive up your sales.

Technical Support

Above all, whether you purchase storefront development software or choose to

use a template service, you should always ensure that the service provider has

excellent customer support. If you have any problems with your storefront, you

should be able to call and receive immediate assistance to remedy your problem.

Downtime or malfunctions in your storefront can hinder your business’s

professionalism, so you should have the best technical support available to help

you solve any problem you may encounter.

Affiliate Programs

A major challenge for new Internet businesses is how to drive traffic to their site.

Some possible shoppers come to your site; they look around and really like what

they are seeing. On your Web site you have a “Join Our Affiliates Program” link.

They click on it, fill out a quick form, and choose a user name and password.

They then will receive an e-mail with instructions and access to referral URLs.

Once they have the URLs, they must send their prospects to your site either through

outbound e-mail or via links from their own Web site. Along the way, your new

site viewers will get tagged as having been referred by the affiliate. If they become

customers and make a purchase, the affiliate will be credited with the sale. Both

you and your affiliate can see this in the order record, using a login page with a

full history of all their commissions. Affiliates are wonderful because they send

traffic your way, and you pay them only for paid customers.

Payment Processing Methods

One of the key components of doing business online is the ability to take payment

for goods and services online. Essentially, taking payment online involves

10 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

the ability to successfully transfer payment from the buyer to your bank account.

There are a number of factors you need to be aware of before venturing

out and developing your online business. The main form of payment online is

the credit card, which is the focus of this section. Currently 95 percent of all

purchases online are made using credit cards.

The Advantages of Taking Online Payments

The ability to take payment for goods and services online presents several significant

advantages to you as a business owner. Many Internet users expect

speed and convenience. They want what they want, when they want it. By

offering Internet shoppers the ability to make a purchase and pay for it online,

you’re helping to facilitate their needs and desires. You’re enabling them to

make their purchase at any time of day or night. Basically, your online storefront

is open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. By

allowing users to purchase goods and services online, you’re allowing them to

pay for items on their own terms as well. Independence and freedom play a

role. Users are able to make purchases on their own without any reliance on

another individual. They do not need to wait for the assistance of a sales associate

to make their purchase, they do not need to wait an extensive period of

time for approval of their purchase because everything is automated, and they

do not need to write down a phone number or other information to contact

someone to make their purchase. It’s on their terms, and they like that.

Automated online payment processing can benefit your business in the form

of reduced costs. You do not need to pay someone to process your transactions,

and you do not need to pay to produce paper invoices and statements. Think of

the additional time automated online payment processing can save you as well.

You or an employee will not have to spend time processing payments yourself.

Your time will be free to be better used on more important business matters.

Having your site set up to take online payments portrays a professional

image and boosts the credibility of your operation in the eyes of the consumer.

It shows that you have taken the time and have invested the money to develop

a well-run operation.

You may experience increased sales. Why? Many of the purchases made

online are impulse buys. Living up to consumer expectations is key to your

success!

Acquire an Internet Merchant Account

Before you can accept credit card payments online, you need to acquire an

appropriate Internet merchant account. (Your other option is to utilize that of

Doing Business Online 11

third parties, which we discuss later.) A merchant account allows you to accept

payment for goods and services. You may be saying to yourself, “I already have

a merchant account” if you currently operate a business; however, you will

need a merchant account that allows you to take payment over the Internet,

and you will need a merchant account for each credit card you plan to accept.

To get an Internet merchant account or to change your merchant account to the

correct type, you must contact your financial institution or bank.

When you approach your financial institution for a merchant account,

you will have to prove to them that you deserve it and that you are a safe

investment. They will want to know a significant amount of detail about your

online business, but the most important issue is your credit history. Your type

of business (products and services you offer), the length of time you have

been in business, and your existing relationship with the financial institution

will influence their decision on whether or not to issue you an Internet merchant

account. They will likely also want to know how you plan to process

transactions, what your payment processing company of choice is, and so on.

They may ask you to provide details of how an actual transaction on your

Web site will work.

Doing business on the Internet is significantly different from doing business

at a traditional bricks-and-mortar storefront location because the credit card

and the cardholder are not present at the point of sale. Some banks have no

problems issuing an Internet merchant account because as far as they are concerned,

it’s just like any other sale where the transaction does not take place at

the point of sale (e.g., a mail-order catalogue). On the other hand, some banks

are a little uneasy when it comes to doing business online and will be hesitant to

issue you a merchant account for such transactions. In fact, they may not be

willing to work with you at all, in which case you will have to approach another

financial institution for assistance.

Because there is a higher perceived risk with doing business over the Internet,

the issuing financial institution may present you with a higher discount

rate. Feel free to talk to other banks and find out their feelings on online business—

you may be able to get a lower discount rate. Those banks that are accepting

of home and mail-order businesses generally tend to be more accepting

of online businesses and will likely offer a better discount rate. A discount rate

is simply a percentage fee of each transaction charged to the merchant, based

on the perceived risk. The higher the risk, the higher the discount rate.

In addition to the discount rate, you will be responsible for various other

fees. There may be an account application or setup fee, a per-transaction fee, a

monthly fee, a statement fee, support fees, and possibly other related fees. Make

sure you cover these details with your financial institution! One financial institution

may require a security deposit of up to 20 percent of annual sales before

it is willing to issue you an Internet merchant account; another may have you

set up and operational in 24 hours.

12 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

You can opt to use a third-party alternative, also known as an Internet

payment service. One such company is PayPal (http://www.paypal.com). PayPal

is a quick alternative to having your own merchant account. The main advantage

of using another company’s Internet merchant account is that you avoid a

lot of the hassle of getting and setting up your own Internet merchant account.

The third party will let you use theirs for a fee. Like the bank, there will be

various fees such as setup fees and transaction fees. These fees are sometimes

more than those of having your own merchant account because you’re paying

for the privilege of using someone else’s account. The choice is yours as to

whether you use a third-party company or acquire your own Internet merchant

account, but base your decision on your needs and objectives.

What Level of E-business Is Appropriate for You?

E-business involves having the right e-business model, the right Web site, and

the right volume of targeted traffic to your site. When developing your e-business

strategy, you have to take into account your online objectives, your budget or

financial position, and the size and type of operation you run. The extent of

your e-business strategy relates directly to these criteria. For some businesses it

is not necessary to develop a fully integrated e-business strategy because it is

not required in day-to-day business. Nonetheless, it is important to understand

your e-business needs before you implement your e-business strategy. Additional

costs not discussed within each level of e-business include the design and

hosting of your Web site as well as any costs associated with the promotion of

your products or services.

E-business Level 1—Interactive Order Taking

The introductory level is the most basic form of conducting e-business. It consists

of the ability to take orders or reservations through e-mail or via an online

form on your Web site. You will find this level of e-business used by newcomers

to the online business realm who have a low budget and little to worry about

with respect to inventory, as well as by businesses that cannot put a specific

price on a product or service. For example, an engineering or marketing firm

often cannot put a standard price on their services, as this is decided on a caseby-

case situation, but they do encourage the site visitor to request a proposal or

to contact the firm about their services. These businesses must communicate

extensively with their target market about their needs and objectives in order to

Doing Business Online 13

determine the extent of work required before agreeing to do a project for a

certain value.

The primary advantage of this level of e-business is that it allows the

business to conduct business online with minimal effort. The business does

not need to worry about selecting and setting up an e-commerce software

package, finding and paying to use a payment-processing company, or ensuring

that all of its online and offline systems are integrated and working properly.

A bed-and-breakfast operation may choose to provide a reservation

form on its Web site to encourage bookings. An online form certainly makes

booking a room simple for site visitors and allows them to take care of it

while they’re online without having to write down information in order to

make a reservation at a later time. You’re providing visitors with the convenience

they look for.

If you are a business looking to sell a variety of products with set prices

online, this level of e-business will not be adequate for you. One of the other

levels described here will fit your online strategy more appropriately.

E-business Level 2—Taking Electronic Payment

The next level of e-business incorporates the ability to accept payment for goods

and services online. This level of e-business is appropriate if you are selling

products or services with a fixed price and inventory is not an issue.

Your online business consists of two core functional areas—the front end

and the back end. The front end of your online business is essentially everything

that your target market interacts with. It is your Web site, your online

storefront. The back end refers to all supporting operations that take place

behind the scenes, such as inventory management, accounting systems, and processing

special offers or discounts. This level of e-business does not involve

integrating the front end of your business with back-end operations. Each operates

as a separate entity, but in such a way that the business runs efficiently.

Businesses using this level of e-business often do not have the budget to integrate

systems or have a business setup that makes integration inappropriate or

unnecessary. Some examples of business types that would follow this strategy

include businesses that sell:

• Downloadable software

• Accommodations where a deposit is required

• Seminar or course registration

14 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

• Theme park admittance

• Memberships

• Ski hill lift tickets

• Magazine subscriptions

• Gift certificates

• Products where supply is not a big issue.

You can tackle processing online payment for goods and services two ways

on your site. Some businesses operating at this level of e-business will choose to

process payment information manually. Quite often you will notice that sites

using this type of payment strategy will require the user to fill out some kind of

form that requests the customer’s personal information, purchase information,

and credit card information. When users submit their information through the

form, it is transferred to the site owner’s e-mail account. The site owner then

manually verifies the user’s credit card information and processes the sale. Once

the sale is authorized, the site owner or whoever takes care of ensuring that

sales are processed should notify customers that their transaction was approved

and their item or items are on their way.

Using the services of a payment processing company is the other alternative

to managing credit card transactions on your Web site—we covered this in

depth earlier in this chapter. You must select the most appropriate method for

your business. Processing payment manually may be more time-consuming than

having your transactions processed automatically in real time by a payment

processing company, but it may be more cost-effective for smaller businesses.

Also, if the company is doing low volumes of business, the additional time

required to process transactions may cause no interference in daily operations.

This level of e-business is very simple to implement and is quite affordable.

A good example of a business that would use this level of e-business would be

a software company that allows clients to download the software directly from

its Web site. There is no inventory issue for this type of company. The company

can simply design a generic payment form that takes all contact and payment

information. The form may have a couple of additional fields asking users about

their hardware configuration or marketing research questions, but other than

that the form would be straightforward. This e-business strategy has low cost

and low overhead, and is easy to implement.

Doing Business Online 15

E-business Level 3—Storefront Selection and Payment Automation

This level of e-business takes the previous level of e-business up a notch. It is

similar to operating a catalogue sales business, but does so online. Companies

that operate solely online as well as companies that have an offline presence use

this model, but it is more common among online-only businesses. The key is

that inventory does not pose much of a problem in day-to-day operations.

This e-business solution encompasses the use of an online stand-alone storefront,

but the back end is not integrated with other systems in the business. A

company could have a number of reasons for not integrating supporting systems.

For example, current business systems may not support back-end integration,

it may not be necessary for the business to integrate the back end, or the

company may not have the available funds at its disposal to make integration

worthwhile.

There are many storefront options available to the user. More information

on storefront options can be found in the Internet Marketing Resources section

of my Web site at http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html. It is up to the

company, its needs, and what its budget allows for when deciding whether to

develop its own storefront solution or to purchase a package solution.

As with the previous model, you are responsible for setting up your payment

processing system and acquiring a merchant account. Once this has been

established, you will receive payment for your products automatically when a

consumer makes a purchase. At this level of e-business, the ability to process

transactions over a secure connection and in real time is extremely important.

Because company systems are not integrated, businesses that choose to use

this e-business strategy have to constantly monitor inventory levels and ensure

there is adequate supply, must remove the out-of-stock items from the site, or

need to see that an appropriate “item temporarily out of stock” message is

displayed to the consumer. The business may consider creating an opt-in mail

list to automatically notify individuals when out-of-stock merchandise is replenished,

as this will encourage the potential customer to revisit the site.

E-business Level 4—Total Integration

Total integration is the final and most complex level of e-business. It encompasses

all details of the previous e-business levels as well as much, much more.

Total integration is exactly what it sounds like—the integration of your online

business with all or some of your back-end systems. This means that your inventory,

accounts receivable, accounting systems, special offers and discounts,

16 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

consumer database, and so on, are completely integrated with one another,

enabling your business to operate like a well-oiled machine.

Companies that are committed to selling online are common users of this

level of e-business, and you will usually find that the investment required is

fully supported by management. The costs associated with operating a fully

integrated Web site can be significant. Integration costs are higher than most

small businesses can afford, and as such, it is usually medium-size to large businesses

that opt to use this level of e-business. Companies that sell large volumes

will also find this model more convenient. Sometimes competition will force

the implementation of this model if you wish to remain competitive and meet

your target market’s needs and expectations. Often the consumer demand requires

this level of integration; if you are booking a hotel room and require a

non-smoking room with a king-size bed and an ocean view, the hotel’s storefront

or reservation system has to be fully integrated with its inventory system

to be able to book the specific type of room for you.

Integrating your consumer database with your online business provides a

number of significant advantages. For one, it facilitates the consumer. The first

time that users buy from your site they will be required to fill out a personal

profile. Once the profile is filled out, users are assigned a user name and password

so that when they return to your site they simply log in using their user

name and password—they do not need to fill out their personal and credit card

information each time they return. Your customers will certainly appreciate

this. Integrating your consumer database facilitates easy referencing of customer

information for: Selective ship-to addresses, credit card details, user preferences

and personalization features, new-product notification, order history,

order tracking and status.

Knowing a consumer’s personal information and product preferences can

be very important when you are announcing new products that you are offering

from your site. If you know that certain customers enjoy a particular product

brand, you can use this information to notify them when you carry a new

product from that brand. This retention strategy is a great way to encourage

repeat traffic and repeat sales.

Integrating your inventory management system with the rest of your online

business is terrific for providing optimal customer service. If you’re out of stock

on a particular item, it is good customer service to place a “temporarily out of

stock” message near the product in consideration. If you can provide an estimated-

availability message, that’s even better. You could ask users if they would

like to be notified via e-mail when the item does become available. Integrating

your inventory management system and your online storefront allows you to

automatically update your virtual storefront and keep your customers informed.

This frees up your time, and it is of great assistance to the consumer.

Doing Business Online 17

Integrating your accounting systems with your online business can also be

quite beneficial. This enables you to easily track your accounts receivable and

customer purchase history. Having a fully integrated and automated accounting

system can also cut down on the amount of time and effort your staff will

have to allocate to accounting details, since the system will run self-sufficiently.

The most prominent example one can give of an online business that currently

uses this level of e-business is Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com).

Amazon.com’s fully integrated e-business approach enables them to provide

customers with past purchase history, customer discounts, and purchase tracking.

Amazon.com also allows customers to set up a user account so that upon

return they simply log in using their user name and password—this makes

using the site more efficient and convenient for the consumer. Each time the

customer logs on to Amazon.com’s Web site, he or she is presented with “recommendations”

based on past history and information Amazon.com has acquired.

Amazon.com’s inventory management system is tied in with its

storefront software, which automatically updates product listings whenever

inventory is out of stock. Amazon.com also gives the user the option of requesting

to order the out-of-stock item and have it shipped automatically once

stock has been replenished. This high level of integration and organization

enables Amazon.com to provide its customers with the ultimate online shopping

experience.

Closing E-business Comments

There are a lot of steps to the e-business process and many decisions to be

made. Unless you are a coding genius yourself, you will likely require e-commerce

software, a Web development firm, or your ISP to customize an e-business

system that works for your business. The methods used to reach an effective

e-business solution will vary depending on your business, your products and

services, and the expertise of the particular contractor you are working with.

Please keep in mind that customized e-business solutions can be rather expensive

to have designed and maintained. If your business is a small start-up

operation, if you develop and manage your own Web site, or if you have a

limited budget for this project, you may want to start small and add e-business

components as your business or your budget grows. Companies such as

Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) and CDNow (http://www.cdnow.com)

have had years to design and refine their e-business presence. These enterprises

are also well capitalized and can afford their own in-house e-business team.

However, if you have a product or service that a lot of people want, the e-business

system will pay for itself.

18 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

18

Part 2

101 Profiles of Top Internet

Business Concepts

1. Ad Network

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Ad networks are among the top methods of online advertising. The “network”

component is organizing the sale of ads and finding high-traffic sites on which

to place the banner ads or hyperlinks for your clients. Ad networks are just like

other ad agencies. They research Web sites that attract the target demographic

of their clients. The revenue comes from the percentage of advertising dollars

that you retain during each campaign.

SKILLS NEEDED

Knowledge of online advertising techniques is an asset to run this type of business.

If you decide to offer banner ad design services, knowledge of graphic

design would benefit your business by eliminating the costs associated with

outsourcing to a graphic designer.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 19

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

You will have to pay for the development, design, and hosting of your Web

site. Computer hardware and software will be the main start-up expense.

You will need a software program that delivers the appropriate ads to the

sites in your network every time it has a visitor. The software should also be

able to provide reports of results for your clients. Estimated cost is a minimum

of $3,000 to $10,000 to start. Some of the sophisticated software, if

your clients want extremely targeted banner ad placement, could run you

over $100,000.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

The minimum number of employees needed to start and run this type of business

is one dedicated individual.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business has strong international potential. Online advertising is an important

part of the marketing strategy for many businesses, in all countries.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

As the advertising campaign needs to be developed with the client and decisions

must be made about where and when the ads will be appropriately placed,

e-business level 1 or 2 would be appropriate for this type of business. For more

information, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

The software you develop or purchase to administer the ad network should

be researched and be suitable to your level of operation. You should be

available by phone for prospective and current clients to contact you. You

should plan what you are going to do with the excess capacity ad space—for

example, you may want to offer last-minute volume discounts. Concentrate

on associating yourself and including in your network those Web sites that

have sustained high traffic levels. Always get paid up front for an advertising

campaign.

You will need to address the sophistication levels you want to get into with

the site advertising. Are you offering static ads, or are you going to provide

keyword advertising, geo-targeted advertising, behavioral advertising, and the

like? The level of sophistication will impact the software and the cost of that

software.

20 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Developing a comprehensive affiliate/associate program would not only

increase the awareness of your ad network, it would also send referral

business to your site.

• Get linked from online advertising directories.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Participate in newsgroups and discussion forums related to online advertising

or the industries that your ad network targets.

• Launch your own strategic banner advertising campaign on Web sites

frequented by your target market.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

You could generate additional income for your ad network by providing graphic

design services to businesses. You could design banner advertisements for businesses

that are not capable of handling this task in-house. This additional service

would add value to your online business.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

AdForce

http://www.adforce.com

AdForce is an independent centralized ad servicing and management solution

on the Web. Focusing on pay-per-click marketing, they offer expertise in the

management of online advertising.

.Com Marketing

http://www.commarketing.com

Having managed thousands of online operations, .Com Marketing’s strength

has focused on maximizing online media placements. .Com Marketing assesses

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 21

each component of our clients’ campaigns prior to, during, and post-launch.

Consideration to detail is what sets .Com Marketing ahead of the rest.

2. Apartment Locator

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Moving to a new city is never easy. Everyone needs a place to live, but not

everybody has the time to look. This is a problem that is being solved by many

businesses in major cities across the world. Many savvy individuals are launching

their own apartment locator Web sites and are turning quite a profit from

doing so.

Your main source of income will be referral fees from rental offices of apartments,

condominiums, and other real estate structures. You could also charge a

fee for sublets, apartment sharing, and private rental listings. Requests are sent

via e-mail from those seeking an apartment to you, the site administrator, with

a description of the desired apartment location, size, necessities, and so on, that

the individual is looking for. You then take the request and find the best possible

location to suit the person’s needs. Once you have found a match, you set

up a time for your client to view the apartment. You collect a referral fee if the

client signs a lease.

Another way to run this type of business would be to set up a searchable

database. Those with apartments to rent or sublet would pay a fee to add their

listing. People looking for an apartment would search based on specific criteria

such as location, maximum rent, number of bedrooms, etc.

SKILLS NEEDED

This business is great for someone with a thorough grasp of the available living

space in the local area and basic Web publishing skills. You should be a clear

communicator via e-mail and phone with your clients and the owners of rental

buildings so they take you seriously.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Costs associated with starting this business range from $1,000 to $5,000. Initially

you will have to pay to design and develop your Web site along with all

costs associated with this (e.g., hosting service). If you want to develop the database,

there will be additional costs involved—the amount will be determined by

the level of sophistication, the number of fields, and the number of searchable

22 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

fields. Additional costs associated with opening this business include online advertising

costs and any offline promotion that you may implement.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

Typically this business can be run by one individual to start and will increase

depending on the volume of referrals.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

Although people from other countries may use this service if they are moving to

the country, city, or state that you represent, this business generally has national

and regional potential.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 or 2 would be most appropriate for this type of business—level

1 if you are providing hands-on services and level 2 if you want to go the database

route and have the site run itself. For more information, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Although you want to receive as many referrals as possible, it is important not

to let the apartments that you represent take advantage of your site as a free

advertising opportunity. To avoid this problem, don’t list the specific names or

addresses of the apartment complexes that you represent. You can provide pictures,

and general location information. If you give the specific address of the

suggested match, your client may go directly to the apartment without even

using your service. Of course, if you run this Web site as a database, this will

not be an issue as you will be paid up front for all listings.

Collection of referral fees is an important issue. Ensure that you have contracts

in place with the apartment owners and safeguard procedures that help

you to keep your incoming fees organized.

Your Web site has to be constantly updated and maintained. When an apartment

is rented through you, make sure to show this on your site. When an

apartment is no longer available, remove it immediately from your site.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop links from as many Web sites and meta-indexes as possible

that target your geographic audiences.

• Purchase banner ads on geographically targeted Web sites (e.g., if you

represent apartments in New York, purchase a banner ad on a Web site

about living in New York).

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 23

• Participate in sponsored listings with the search engines by bidding on

appropriate keyword phrases.

• List your site in the classified ad section of nearby online newspapers.

• Participate in real estate or geographically specific mailing lists with a

cleverly designed signature file.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

You should consider partnering with businesses that could benefit from your

referrals. For example, local moving companies or furniture rental businesses

could benefit from your referrals, since you target the same market. This could

prove to be quite profitable for your business. An alternative to this would be

selling advertising to these businesses on your site.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Sami-Apts.com

http://www.sami-apts.com

This is a great student apartment locator service.

AOK Apartment Locators

http://www.aokapartmentlocators.com

A dynamite apartment location service in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area.

3. Art Supply Store

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Today everyone is buying products and services online, even artists. The number

of potential customers for an art supply store is tremendous. Many artists

frequent the Internet to buy supplies such as paint, canvas, brushes, carving

tools, and more. The Internet makes it easy for artists to buy products, especially

uncommon supplies that are not carried by your local art supply store.

24 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

Offering uncommon supplies also enables you to practice niche marketing and

can produce high returns for your business.

Here’s how it works. With the click of a button artists can easily browse

through your selection of art products, adding what they like to their shopping

cart. When they are finished they can simply check out, pay for the products

online with a credit card, and wait to receive the products in the mail. It’s as

easy as that.

SKILLS NEEDED

Knowledge of different art supplies and techniques is an asset, as you want to

provide the best customer service to your clients. You can’t do that without

understanding their needs.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The cost to set up and run this type of business ranges from $2,500 to $5,000.

Initially you will have to pay for the design, development, and hosting of your

Web site along with your storefront solution and merchant account setup. All

additional costs are associated with promoting your business online and offline,

and purchasing and holding inventory.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

To start this operation all you will need is one person. This operation is ideal if

you are looking to start a business part-time.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This online business has strong international potential, as its products are of

interest to artists around the globe.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 3 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

The site must be kept current. When items are discontinued or out of stock, the

Web site and storefront should be updated. The shipping operation of your

business should be timely. The prices have to be competitive with the same

products available off the Web. Keep in mind that shipping and handling charges

have to be added for products bought in your online store.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 25

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop as many links as possible from art-related Web sites and directories.

• Participate in newsgroups and discussion forums related to art with a

cleverly designed signature file.

• Host your own art advice column or daily art tips that will feature your

products and current promotions. You could leverage your exposure

through an RSS feed.

• Participate in sponsored listings by bidding on appropriate keywords

with the popular search engines.

• Develop a permission-based mailing list of potential customers and send

weekly e-specials or a newsletter with Art Tips and Resources.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

In addition to selling art supplies on your site, you could also help artists sell their

artwork. You could auction other artists’ work from your site and then take a

percentage of the sale for your services. This would be a great way to earn additional

income and would also help to generate repeat traffic to your Web site.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

MisterArt.com

http://www.misterart.com

MisterArt.com is a large discount art supply store that uses a fully integrated

e-business strategy to provide art supplies to consumers.

Island Blue Art Supplies Catalogue

http://shopping.islandblue.com

26 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

This is a great site (Figure 2.1) with a huge catalogue of art supplies that can

easily be purchased directly from their site.

4. Association Management

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

The number of associations related to different industries and interests is phenomenal.

Many of these associations cannot afford to hire (or do not have the

volume to warrant hiring) one or more full-time employees to handle the dayto-

day administrative duties involved with running the association. Associations

are now outsourcing all of these administrative duties to an association

management firm.

Here’s how it works. The duties that associations want taken care of are

administrative. Common tasks include billing, bookkeeping, and accounting,

taking minutes at meetings, collection of annual dues, association event promotion,

Web site maintenance, and distribution of weekly or monthly newsletters.

Since these tasks will be repetitive and not very time-consuming, you are able to

handle the association management for multiple associations, and because the

tasks will remain similar between associations, you will be able to work much

more efficiently.

Figure 2.1. IslandBlue.com offers a wide range of art supplies from its site.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 27

The key to success in this business is organization. Make sure that you are

always on time with your work. If you don’t keep yourself organized or you

take on too much work, you increase the chance that you might not perform up

to the associations’ expectations of your firm. This could result in the termination

of a management contract and ultimately will affect the professionalism

and overall appeal of your organization’s services.

SKILLS NEEDED

Excellent organization and communication skills are necessary for starting this

type of business. Other skills that would be an asset include knowledge of accounting,

creative writing capabilities, and other basic administrative skills.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Since you are providing a service that has no inventory, your initial costs will be

minimal. The cost to start this type of business ranges from $1,000 to $10,000.

This type of business typically can be run out of your home, which eliminates

overhead costs of setting up an office for your management firm.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

One person can run this business part-time to begin. This is a perfect idea for

someone working from home.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business does not have strong international potential due to the nature of

the service provided. Common tasks include taking minutes at weekly or monthly

meetings or attending other functions held by the association. This will require

your business to be located in the surrounding area of the association, so this

business has a more regional appeal. Of course, if this is a national association,

most meetings may be online, with one or two a year being face-to-face with

everyone flying to a common location. If this is the case, the business could

have national or international appeal.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

With all your clients, make sure to have a detailed contract that clearly outlines

all the services and duties you will be providing. The contract should indicate

important dates and contact lists, and someone within the association should

28 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

be appointed to provide you with all the necessary information and approvals

to run the association efficiently.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Participating in newsgroups and discussion forums related to your target

audience would be a great way to increase the traffic to your Web site.

• Launch a strategic banner advertising campaign on Web sites frequented

by your target market.

• Develop links from as many Web sites, directories, and meta-indexes

related to your target audience as possible.

• Participating in mail lists and discussion groups related to different industries

and associations with a cleverly designed signature file would

be a great way to generate awareness for your services.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

In addition to handling the daily administrative tasks for associations, you could

also provide your clients with promotional services. This would help to promote

the association’s membership benefits to prospective members and would

also increase the awareness of the association. Providing a newsletter circulated

to association members where you may feature paying advertisers is a chance

for additional income.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Maguire/Maguire, Inc.

http://www.maguireinc.com

Maguire/Maguire, Inc. is a dynamite business that provides not-for-profit association

management and marketing services.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

http://www.smithbucklin.com

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 29

Smith, Bucklin & Associates provides unparalleled association management

and professional services through strong client relationships.

5. Auction Site

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Online auction sites are one of the fastest growing businesses on the Internet

today. Almost everyone knows at least one person who has either bought or

sold a product through an online auction service such as eBay or Yahoo!

Setting up an auction Web site may seem easy at first glance. However, the

popularity and success of online auctions has led to an explosion of these sites.

This has resulted in stiff competition among auction sites. You must find a

niche market—for example, rare collectibles, baseball cards, celebrity memorabilia,

or autographed items—to set yourself apart from the competition.

If you decide to open an online auction site, you will be using a special

computer program that places items up for auction on your Web site. People

interested in the auctioned item place bids. If you are using a good auction

program, then your computer will keep track of these bids and will finally close

the auction and notify the seller and the successful bidder. The bidder and seller

must arrange for the shipping of the item privately. Your sources of income will

be the commission earned from the sale of each item on your site or the fee

charged to submit an article and banner advertising revenue. Some auction sites

also include a membership fee for access to selling on the site.

SKILLS NEEDED

What you’ll need to embark on this opportunity is basic Web publishing and

digital imaging know-how, and an in-depth knowledge of the auction software

program you are going to use. You will also want a robust list of contacts with

items available for auction on your site or knowledge of Internet marketing to

spread the word about your business online.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The cost to set up and run this type of business ranges from as low as $10,000

into the millions for a presence like eBay. The most expensive elements of the

startup will be the auction software and the extensive marketing needed to

launch this type of business. You will also have to pay for the design, development,

and hosting of your Web site.

30 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

The number of employees needed may change as the business grows. It will

depend on the volume of business you handle and the degree of automation of

your online presence. To start, one competent person can handle operations.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

Online auctions have strong international potential. Unless you are a specialty

site, anyone can place anything up for auction. It is the customer’s responsibility

to arrange for the transfer of auctioned items. So it is entirely possible for

someone in Zimbabwe to use your site to buy a lock of Elvis’s hair from someone

in Greenland.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 3 is most appropriate for an auction site. You will need some

sophisticated software and online payment processing (if you are going to take

care of the financial arrangements from your site) to be competitive in this

market. For more information, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

There is already a saturation of auction sites; some have proven to work and

others have flopped. Getting the buyers to your site will be the biggest challenge,

so once you build a somewhat dedicated audience, it’s important to be

responsive to their needs by incorporating a rating system that is regulated by

the users of your auction site. You want to develop a system to ensure that you

are paid your fee or commission if you don’t handle the financial transaction

from your site.

Niche auction sites still provide a great opportunity. Stamp auctions, coin

collector auctions, and similar types of niche auctions provide for easier marketing.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• By asking if your customers would like to be kept updated on any great

deals in their field of interest, permission marketing could be one of

your greatest assets. For example, an Elvis fan might be interested in

knowing when an Elvis-related item comes up for auction.

• Banner exchange and banner advertising on sites that have the same

target market you do can be very effective.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 31

• Consider using viral marketing. This will allow your customers to invite

friends to join the auction site. If users see something a friend might

like, they will most likely pass on the information.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keywords

with the popular search engines.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive link strategy.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

Banner advertising can generate a substantial income as long as you have a lot

of visitors to your site.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

eBay

http://www.ebay.com

eBay is synonymous with online auctions in the same way as Nike is synonymous

with sneakers.

uBid

http://www.ubid.com

Another well-designed auction site. Not as omnipresent as eBay, but a welllaid-

out site nonetheless.

6. Auto Advice

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Through providing sound advice to visitors wondering how to solve a problem

with their current automobile or whether or not to purchase a certain year or

make of automobile, you have the opportunity to develop a nice little business.

32 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

If you offer your visitors quality auto advice, they will return to your site again

and again to see how your advice can help them to maintain a better, longerlasting

automobile.

Advice Web sites allow you to “data-mine” in targeted markets. Consider

your users as your source of income. The more visitors you have and the more

information you gather from the people you counsel, the better. There are a lot

of permission marketing opportunities available with this type of business. You

can ask your visitors for permission to send them specific types of information

and then you can charge a sponsorship or advertising fee to those suppliers

who have information they want distributed to these opt-in lists.

Your main source of income will be from selling banner advertising on your

site to businesses that share the same target market—automobile retailers, used

car dealers, after-sale product suppliers, and auto parts suppliers. Since this

type of business targets individuals interested in automobiles, you are providing

an optimal banner advertising opportunity for all businesses in the auto

industry.

SKILLS NEEDED

This form of business requires that you have expert knowledge in the area of

automobiles. If you don’t offer quality advice, your visitors will notice and will

not return to your site. This could seriously hinder the profitability of your

business.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The cost to start this type of business ranges from approximately $1,000 to

$5,000. Initially you will have to pay for the design, development, and hosting

of your Web site. Additional costs associated with starting this type of business

include online and offline advertising costs.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

Typically, one part-time person is needed to run this type of business, depending

on the volume of requests received from visitors.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business has high international potential.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 33

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

It is important that you offer sound advice on your site. If you offer advice that

is incorrect or inappropriate, it could seriously hinder your business potential.

You should place a disclaimer on your site in case this problem arises. This will

exclude you from any legal action that may result from accidents or damages

resulting from your automotive advice.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Viral marketing with a catchy “Tell a Friend” element would be appropriate

for this type of site.

• Make sure there are plenty of areas on your Web site that encourage

users to provide their e-mail address—for example, “Click here if you

would like to be notified when we update our advice column.” You

could also have product-specific mail lists to which visitors could opt

in. Having an RSS feed to let subscribers know when you add new

content is another neat feature to generate targeted traffic.

• Participate in newsgroups, mailing lists, and discussion forums related

to automobiles with a cleverly designed signature file.

• Have your Web site listed and linked from as many auto-related directories,

meta-indexes, and Web sites as possible.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Develop online press releases and have them distributed to as many

automotive-related publications and e-zines as possible.

• Web ring participation can have a significant impact on traffic, as there

are many auto-related Web rings accessible from Webring.org and

Looplink.com.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

34 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

ADDITIONAL INCOME

There are plenty of avenues to create additional income in the advice Web site

business. You can set up mailing lists targeted toward specific car owners and

sell or provide sponsorship opportunities to industry partners that want to reach

that target market. For example, you could have a Volkswagen mailing list, or

for an even more targeted approach you could have a Volkswagen Beetle mailing

list. The possibilities are endless. You can ask people if they would like to

receive different auto maintenance advice via e-mail daily. This form of permission

marketing enables you to send them an e-mail at their request. Proper use

of these targeted lists could result in a tremendous money-making opportunity

for your business due to the nature of readership.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

AutoAdvice.com

http://www.autoadvice.com

An in-depth site offering auto advice and tips on how to buy a new car.

FreeAutoAdvice.com

http://freeautoadvice.com

This site is operated by a collection of mechanics and technicians who repair

cars.

7. Banner Ad Designer

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

One of the primary forms of advertising on the Internet today is through banner

advertisements placed on high-traffic Web sites. Banner ads quite often are

designed by a graphic designer. With the Internet growing at an exponential

rate, more small businesses are going online. Most of these small businesses

can’t afford to have their own in-house graphic designer, so they have to outsource

the creation of their ads to outside firms.

As a banner ad developer, you will take requests for banner ads via e-mail.

After consulting with customers via e-mail or phone, you will construct a banner

ad that meets their requirements and price. The revenue will come from the

payment for these services.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 35

SKILLS NEEDED

The most important set of skills for creating banner ads lies in superior graphic

design abilities. Familiarity with the standard graphical programs is a must.

More recently, however, animated banner ads have become quite popular. To

create these types of ads, you will need to be familiar with the Java programming

language or Macromedia Flash.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Costs can be minimal to begin this business if you have a computer and the

proper software needed to complete the work. Most graphic designers have the

necessary hardware and software and are more than capable of designing and

developing their own Web site.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

One part-time person can start this business.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

The international potential for this business is without limits. If your graphics

are catchy, your ads will be noticed and you no doubt will be contacted for

your services. If a client requests banners in another language, have them provide

the text and there should be no problem.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 or 2 is appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1. You will be taking requests through e-mail, but since the

customers will desire input into the creative process, you will be in contact with

them over the phone and they can pay you directly.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Online competition could be formidable. For this reason, great design and excellent

customer service are very important. The graphical presentation of your

own Web site is of particular importance. Show off your stuff and have an area

for client samples and testimonials viewable to the public.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Establishing links from related

sites such as online marketing e-zines, ad agencies, and newsletters is an

excellent way to bring targeted business to your Web site.

36 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

• Circulate a series of dynamite banner ads for your own services.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Participate in marketing mail lists, Usenet newsgroups, and forums.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

By increasing your services into related fields such as graphic corporate ID

development, e-book covers, e-brochure development, and Web site development,

you could expand your income.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Addesigner.com

http://www.addesigner.com

This Web site lets you design your own banner ads in a short time and then

download them if you are a member. The banner ads are of the simplest kind,

but it is a good low-end solution for some businesses.

Mouser Art

http://www.mouserart.com

A typical small entrepreneurial Web site. However, the excellent site design and

layout gives the site a really professional feel.

8. Beauty Products

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Buying beauty products online is very popular with busy female professionals.

They have certain brands they buy regularly, know what they want, and have

very little time for shopping. Sometimes they are looking for special products

that are not carried by regular vendors. Online beauty stores solve this problem

by accommodating the needs of the business professional. Online beauty stores

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 37

can sell everything from lipstick and makeup to bath oils and aromatherapy

products. With the increasing product demand for this industry, selling beauty

products online provides an excellent online business opportunity.

SKILLS NEEDED

Knowledge of health and beauty products is a must.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The cost to set up and run this type of business ranges from $1,000 to $100,000,

depending on how much inventory you plan to carry. Initially, you will have to

pay for the design, development, and hosting of your Web site along with your

storefront solution and merchant account setup. All additional costs are associated

with promoting your business online and offline as well as purchasing and

holding inventory.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

This business can easily be started by one individual. This business can also be

started and run as a part-time venture.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This online business has strong international potential as its products are of

interest to consumers across the globe.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 3 or 4 is most appropriate for this type of business. Level 3 is

appropriate when the business is online only. Level 4 is appropriate if you have

a fairly large operation with many products or where you have an offline location

as well, with a Web-compatible inventory system. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

You will have to be very price competitive on those products that are generally

available online or locally. Keep in mind that when purchasing from your online

store, the customer will have to pay for shipping and handling in addition

to product cost. To the extent that you specialize in niche products or hard-tofind

items, this will be less of an issue.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop a strategic online banner advertising campaign on health- and

beauty-related Web sites.

38 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

• Participate in newsgroups, discussion forums, and mailing lists related

to health and beauty with a cleverly designed signature file.

• Offering health and beauty tips from your site would be a great way to

encourage repeat traffic. Perhaps consider setting up a beauty tip of the

day that you would send via an autoresponder.

• Practice permission marketing by asking visitors if they would like to be

notified via e-mail when you add new products to your Web site.

• Participate in e-zines related to beauty, health, and hair care as well as

those e-zines that have the same target market you do—busy professional

women and teens. Your participation could be banner advertising,

story or article submission, sponsorship, or providing a prize for

their contests.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

In addition to selling beauty products, you can also sell accessories such as

makeup cases, towels, lather-builders, handbags, and so on. By offering these

products, you would not only add value to your online beauty store, you would

also have the opportunity to generate additional income for your business. Gift

certificates and gift baskets may provide an additional source of revenue. You

can also sell banner advertising and sponsorship opportunities to companies

that target the same group that you do.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Just for Redheads Beauty Products

http://www.justforredheads.com

This is a great online beauty store that uses a Yahoo! Storefront template

service to sell its products online. It also has a very unique target market—

redheads!

Life Plus Vitamins

http://www.lifeplusvitamins.com

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 39

This is a great online site that sells vitamins, beauty products, and other healthand

hygiene-related products.

9. Blog Software/Blog Directory

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

A blog is a Web site or part of a Web site that can be used to post news, thoughts,

and updates as well as interact with others. Many people use blogs and would

be quite happy to use a blog service where they can quickly and easily develop

and maintain their blog on a blog portal. The number of people using your blog

service, the number of people they promote their blog to, as well as the number

of references to publicly promoted blogs (in the case of maintaining a blog

directory) will be the key to many visitors, and then your pages are in turn

worth advertising dollars. Blogs can be as specific or as general as the owner

pleases—some might relate to an individual’s travels so friends and family can

keep up to date with where they are and know that they are safe; others relate

to corporate products and uses; others are used to provide useful information

to customers and potential customers. There are as many uses for blogs as there

are products and services.

Blogs are quite versatile; they offer posting options such as inviting friends

to post, having your blog open to the public to post, or keeping the posting to

yourself. Blogs are making it possible to hold ongoing conversations in public

with thousands of people.

A blog software site or a blog directory has many revenue-generation opportunities.

You have banner advertising, sponsorship, and subscription opportunities.

You can promote additional products and services that you provide

related to technology products and services.

SKILLS NEEDED

If you have the programming skills to build the blog software, portal, and directory,

you will be able to do this yourself. If you don’t, you will have to

outsource or contract these elements out.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

You will need a computer and the appropriate blog software. Start-up costs

will also include the design, development, and hosting of your Web site, which

will include the blog software, blog portal and the blog directory. The start-up

40 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

costs for this type of business will generally run between $4,000 and $30,000,

depending on how much of the programming you have to outsource.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

Starting off you need only one employee—not even full-time if that’s not what

you can fit into your schedule.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business’s international potential increases if it’s translated into the major

languages of the globe. English is widely accepted, however.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

Ideally, a blog directory should charge advertisers throughout the year. E-business

level 1 or 2 would be appropriate for this type of online business. See Part 1

for more details.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

In order to utilize your blog software service to its full potential, you will want

to invest in advanced blog tools as they are available. These tools today offer

such things as e-mail notifications when updates are made, sending the blog

content via e-mail to subscribers, and the option of collaborative authors; tomorrow,

who knows, as this is a fast changing environment.

You should have a Web traffic analysis package on the server that hosts your

site so that you can show advertisers accurate information about your site traffic.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Participating in newsgroups and discussion forums related to your target

audience would be a great way to increase exposure of your blogs

and the traffic to your Web site.

• Launching a strategic banner advertising campaign on topic-specific Web

sites would generate targeted exposure for your blog.

• Develop links from as many Web sites, directories, and meta-indexes

related to the topic of your blog as you can.

• Make sure your site is optimized for organic search engine positioning

and also consider participating in pay-per-click campaigns with the more

popular search engines.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 41

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Participating in publicly accessible opt-in mail lists related to the topic

of your blog would be a great way to communicate with your target

market.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

Additional income comes into play by charging a fee if the blog is educational

or is an area of expertise. Also, you may be able to host a blog directory, be it

all the same topic or various types of blogs. You can join the affiliate programs

of providers of products or services that your target market may be

interested in.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Free Webs

http://www.freewebs.com

A large online blog software provider. There is a chance to join the affiliate

program and advertise as well on this site.

Globe of Blogs

http://www.globeofblogs.com

An online blog directory. This site is very easy to navigate.

10. Bookstore

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

Online bookstores are one of the most widely accepted forms of online businesses.

You can start an online bookstore that sells many titles, but for a more

targeted approach you may consider starting a bookstore that specializes in a

particular type of book. This will differentiate you from the larger online book-

42 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

sellers like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, and will also allow you to

use highly targeted traffic-building techniques.

Setting up a bookstore online gives you some leeway with distributors as

compared to other online business opportunities. Typically, book distributors

grant longer terms of credit than other distributors or wholesalers. This is

great, since books can sit in your inventory for extended periods of time. You

don’t want to have to pay for stock that does not turn a profit for your online

business.

To help enhance your online bookstore, you should try to develop a database

of value-added reading for each selection you have listed on your site. This

could be anything from author reviews and biographies to a chapter excerpt or

table of contents. Whatever you decide to use to help enhance the listings on

your online bookstore Web site, you will be adding more value to the products

that you offer, which ultimately could decide whether a consumer will purchase

the product or not.

SKILLS NEEDED

If you decide to launch a specialized online bookstore, you should have knowledge

of the particular subject and you should understand what your target

market’s needs are. You will need to learn the retail book business—returns,

remainders, and so on.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Costs to set up this type of business can run anywhere from a low of about

$3,000 for Web site design, development, and hosting (where the business is

basically a member of Amazon or another bookstore’s affiliate program and

provides recommendations and links to specific books), to a setup cost in the

millions for the design, development, and setup of the next Amazon.com. An

online bookstore where you set up your own storefront and carry a small inventory

will likely cost you between $3,000 and $10,000.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

You can start this business with one person. In the beginning, this type of business

could be run on a part-time basis.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business has high international potential.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 3 or 4 is most appropriate for this type of business if you are

operating a storefront or catalogue. For more information, see Part 1.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 43

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

A common issue that most online bookstores face is having an efficient delivery

service. If you tell your clients that your products are available for shipment

within a 24-hour period, you should follow through with it. Nothing displeases

customers more than having a purchase arrive two to three weeks after they

have made a purchase. To offer the best possible shipping methods for your

customers, investigate your local postal carrier for the most effective way to

ship your products.

Keeping inventory information current on your Web site is critical.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Developing a comprehensive affiliate/associate program would not only

send referral business to your bookstore, it would also increase the overall

awareness of your site.

• Launching a strategic banner advertising campaign on Web sites frequented

by your target market will send high volumes of traffic to your

Web site. Your banner ads could contain coupons for specific titles.

• You should enable visitors to tell friends about certain book selections

directly from your site via e-mail. This viral marketing technique is a

great way to increase traffic to your Web site.

• A comprehensive link strategy should be developed and implemented.

Links should be developed from cybermalls, meta-indexes, and sites that

relate to your bookstore’s niche.

• You should develop a mail list where you will provide news on new

releases, reviews, and author interviews.

• You could consider developing a loyalty program for frequent shoppers.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

In addition to selling books, you might also consider selling other, related products

such as bookmarks, book bags, or coffee mugs. Gift wrapping and custom

44 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

cards could be additional services that you could provide to customers who are

sending books directly to friends as gifts. You could offer gift certificates as

well. These added features would enhance your Web site’s overall appeal.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com

Amazon.com is arguably the world’s most famous online bookstore.

Adventurous Traveler Bookstore

http://atb.away.com/index.html

A great specialty bookstore that targets a particular market segment.

11. Business Opportunity Center

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS

Developing a business opportunity center is a great resource for your target

market and a good way to bring in some additional income. On this site, people

can post resumes and businesses can post available opportunities. You can earn

money by selling advertising on your site and by allowing businesses to subscribe

to your site, whereby they receive information pertinent to their needs,

or you can allow businesses to feature their opportunity (e.g., franchise). In

addition, you could provide resources for people looking for employment as

well as entrepreneurial resources.

SKILLS NEEDED

If you are focusing on business opportunities within a specific sector, such as

the dental industry, then knowledge of the industry is necessary. If you are

going to provide a general business opportunity site, a general knowledge of

computers, the Internet, and Internet marketing is what you need.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

To set up this informational resource, your costs will primarily consist of Web

site design, development, promotion, research, and regular site maintenance.

You will have computer hardware and software costs. You will likely have a

database development cost, as all your opportunities likely will be stored in a

searchable database. Expect costs to fall between $4,000 and $10,000.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 45

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

One person can administer this business. Depending on the activity of the site,

it’s possible to do it part-time. You may wish to have an additional person to

assist with site maintenance and visitor inquiries.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business offers very little international potential. In fact, as a small operation

you may wish to focus on your local area rather than compete directly with

the countrywide opportunity sites.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. If you want to automate

the input process so that anyone can submit an opportunity and have it listed

for a fee, you may want to use a level 3 model. For more information, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Make sure you have a plan laid out before you approach this topic—know how

revenue will be generated and who the potential clients are in your area. Be

aware that maintaining up-to-date information requires organization. You might

want to look at a fully automated style for this business.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Participate in newsgroups, mailing lists, and discussion forums related

to entrepreneurship or business with a cleverly designed signature file.

• Develop links from as many business-related Web sites, meta-indexes,

and directories as possible.

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Establish links to your site from

the classified sections of regional online publications.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Participate in business- and entrepreneur-related e-zines. You can do

this by writing articles to be published in the e-zine or by purchasing

advertising in the online publications.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

46 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

Additional income would surround the sales of any products and services you

offer that complement the primary function of your business. Perhaps you could

offer resume writing or business plan development services. You may even choose

to sell products relating to your topic, such as books on resume writing or

business development.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Bizopp.com—Business Opportunity Center

http://www.bizopp.com

A nice-looking business opportunity site with plenty of resources.

Business Opportunities Classifieds Online (BOC Online)

http://www.boconline.com

A list of business opportunity classifieds.

12. Business Broker

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

The number of people who want to go into business for themselves is increasing

every day. There are thousands of potential entrepreneurs and investors

searching for new business opportunities daily. This provides you with the perfect

opportunity to capitalize on this entrepreneurship frenzy. There are two

ways that you can approach this type of business. One is very simplistic; the

other is more complex.

The simplistic approach to starting this business is by providing a listing of

potential business opportunities on your Web site. To generate revenue, you

can charge businesses a monthly or annual fee for having their business listed

on your site. You can then offer businesses the opportunity to purchase banner

ads on your site or to enhance their listings with a company logo, e-mail links,

or direct links to their Web site. This is a very simple and easy approach to

launching this type of business.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 47

The more complex approach to starting your own online business brokerage

firm is by actively seeking business opportunities for business buyers and

investors to review. This requires a more in-depth knowledge of business fundamentals

and excellent sales skills, as you are ultimately negotiating to sell

someone else’s business. Revenue is typically generated on a percentage-of-sales

basis when you operate at this level. You typically list the businesses that you

are selling directly on your Web site at no charge. You do this to expose the

business opportunities to potential buyers.

SKILLS NEEDED

The skills necessary to launch this type of business vary depending on which

approach you take. If you go with the more simplistic approach, experience

with marketing online would be a definite asset, as you are going to want to

actively promote your Web site and generate substantial traffic. If you decide to

take the more complex approach, knowledge of business valuations would be

an asset. There are also several designations available for business brokers. If

you were to obtain one of these designations, you would add tremendous credibility

to your business brokerage firm.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Since you are providing a service that has no tangible inventory, your initial

costs will be minimal. You will need a computer and appropriate software, of

course. Initial costs will also include the design, development, and hosting of

your Web site. The cost to start this type of business ranges from $3,000 to

$10,000. If you take the simplistic approach, you are going to face more extensive

costs associated with the development of your site in that a database will

need to be designed and developed to list the businesses for sale. You will also

need a strategy to develop considerable Web site traffic, as people are not going

to pay to have their site listed on a site that receives no traffic. If you take the

more complex approach, you will face different costs: You will have to develop

professional marketing collateral and invest more in research and business promotion

to find businesses that are looking to sell.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

The number of employees needed to run this type of business will depend on

which approach you take. The simpler approach can be started by one person

part-time. The more complex business should have a full-time person

ready and available to communicate with clients and meet with them at their

convenience.

48 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business has strong international potential, as business investments are of

interest to people all over the world. Using the Internet as a medium to promote

this type of business makes the potential for international investment even greater.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

If you decide to use a more simplistic approach to this type of business, you

should do whatever you can to develop traffic to your Web site. People are not

going to want to purchase advertising or a listing on your site if you are not

receiving any Web site traffic.

If you are taking a more complex approach to this business, you should

monitor the quality of businesses that you are trying to sell. It can take months,

even years, to close a business sale, so you want to ensure that you are not

wasting any time on a business that will not provide you with a return on your

investment. This is especially important because you are typically receiving payment

based on sales commissions.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Participating in newsgroups and discussion forums related to your target

audience would be a great way to increase the traffic to your Web site.

• Launching a strategic banner advertising campaign on business- and

investment-related Web sites would generate targeted exposure for your

business.

• Develop links from as many Web sites, directories, and meta-indexes

related to business and investments as possible.

• Participating in mail lists and discussion groups related to business and

investments would be a great way to communicate with your target

market.

• Purchasing advertising in or contributing articles to e-zines related to

your target market would help generate exposure and would enhance

the professionalism of your brokerage firm.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 49

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

In addition to providing brokerage services, you may also want to offer consulting

services for struggling businesses. This would be a great way to earn

additional income and would also add credibility to your brokerage services.

You can provide business valuation services to businesses interested in selling,

and you can help procure financing for those interested in purchasing a

business.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Business Brokers Network

http://www.bbn-net.com

America’s largest business brokerage Web site, BBN-Net is the Net’s largest

database of quality businesses for sale.

International Business Brokers Association

http://www.ibba.org

IBBA is the largest international not-for-profit association operating exclusively

for the benefit of people and firms engaged in the various aspects of business

brokerage, and mergers and acquisitions.

13. Business Plan Writing Service

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

There are an abundance of budding entrepreneurs out there with great ideas

but who lack the writing and organizational skills to produce a professional

business plan. The Internet is the ideal medium to provide this service, so why

not create a business plan writing service online?

Start-up businesses pay thousands of dollars to have business plans developed

when they are trying to get a loan or receive funding for new projects. A

poorly written business plan can seriously hinder the chances of receiving money

50 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

from anyone, which is why most businesses choose to have their business plans

written professionally. Since this market refreshes itself, there is a tremendous

opportunity to make a lot of money with this business.

SKILLS NEEDED

Expert writing skills and knowledge of regular business practices are a minimum

requirement for operating this type of business. The ability to develop

financial projections can be developed through your business, may be outsourced,

or would be provided by the client. Knowledge of how to work with bank

officers and lenders is also an asset.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The costs associated with starting this type of business range from $3,000 to

$4,500. This covers the cost to design, build, and host your Web site as well as

the necessary investment in computer hardware and software. Additional costs

may result from promoting your services online and offline, as well as overhead

costs such as office supplies and telecommunications bills.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

One full-time capable writer is needed to run this form of business. It can initially

be started as a part-time endeavor.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business has some international potential. Not only will people in your

country be interested in this service, internationals looking to invest in your

country may also need a professional business plan prepared.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

A common problem with start-up operations is that banks and other lenders

are unwilling to invest in the business idea. When this happens, entrepreneurs

often abandon the business idea along with any commitments they have made

while trying to start the business. This could seriously affect your business, so

to avoid this problem you should ask for a 30 to 50 percent deposit up front.

You can collect the remainder of the fee when the business plan has been

completed.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 51

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Establish links from as many

business- and entrepreneur-related Web sites, meta-indexes, and directories

as possible.

• Participate in newsgroups and discussion forums related to online business,

entrepreneurship, or business financing.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Launch a small-business advice column on your site to draw repeat

traffic from entrepreneurs. Ask site visitors if they’d like to be notified

when it is updated or if they’d like to receive a copy via e-mail. You

could provide your advice column or articles to appropriate e-zines or

opt-in mail lists as long as they provide you and your Web site with

exposure.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

In addition to writing business plans, you could also develop a referral service

to other business service providers such as bookkeepers and tax preparers. You

can receive a referral fee for every company that you refer to these businesses,

and they could do the same for you. This is a great way for your business to

receive some additional income.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

New Century Marketing Concepts

http://www.insmkt.com/plan.htm

A great business that offers business plan writing services.

GrowThink.com

http://www.growthink.com

52 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

A dynamite business that offers business plan writing and venture development

services.

14. Cartoon/Joke Writer

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS

There are many options available to you online if you have a knack for humor

or cartoon sketching. A common trend found across humor sites is the inclusion

of an opt-in mail list—a joke of the day, quote of the week, or the like.

Many sites make their money by allowing other companies to sponsor their

mail list or newsletter based on a CPM (cost per thousand) basis. These sites

also often sell banner advertising opportunities as well. Some of these sites will

allow reproduction of the cartoons or jokes they develop for a fee.

As a freelance artist, you have the option of doing custom work for other

companies that they could then include in their media. Depending on your objectives,

you may wish to expand your services to include Web icon design,

gifts, cards, advertising, and apparel.

SKILLS NEEDED

Well-developed artistic or written skills, combined with a knack for humor.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Web development and promotion costs will play a role in your start-up costs.

Investment in equipment to develop the creative side of the business will also

have to be incurred if you do not already own items such as a scanner or graphic

editing software. Expect costs to run between $3,000 and $6,000.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

This is a one-person business. This business can start as a part-time endeavor.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

International potential exists, but only if the foreign culture is similar to your

own. What you may find funny, others may not. Also, if you’re focusing on

current happenings, these happenings may not be of great interest to foreign

countries.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 53

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Copyright issues need to be addressed. If you are charging for the use of your

cartoons, ensure that your contracts are very clear in the usage rights you are

granting. Make it very clear whether the client has the exclusive rights, unlimited

usage, or single usage rights.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Partner with popular e-zines to include your businesses jokes with their

online e-zine distribution, identifying you as the source and providing a

link to your Web site.

• Participate in newsgroups and discussion forums related to online advertising

or the industries that your ad network targets.

• Online press release distribution and regular contributions to periodicals

and publications will be a great asset when promoting your

business.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate phrases

with the popular search engines.

• Develop links from as many comedy- or joke-related Web sites, metaindexes,

and directories as possible.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

You can earn additional income by developing your own line of merchandise

that depicts your comedic material and then selling it online or offline at local

events, fairs, flea markets, and so on.

54 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Funnyjokes.com

http://www.funnyjokes.com

A site containing clean humor, dirty jokes, tasteless cartoons, comic strips, greeting

cards, free downloads, and a large daily mailing list.

Joke-of-the-Day.com

http://www.joke-of-the-day.com

All kinds of humor can be found here, including a few large mail lists. Their

Joke-of-the-Day mail list has over a million subscribers.

15. Classified Ads

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS

Building an online classified ads business is proving to be a very successful

concept. While people generally expect to be able to post text-based ads for

free, you can generate income by allowing people to post enhanced advertisements

(e.g., ads with pictures) or classified ads with hypertext links to a Web

site. Additional revenue would come from direct advertising sales (e.g., banner

ads). An option you may wish to consider is setting up an e-mail system for

your users, where they can register for a free e-mail account. You could then

send them advertisements based on their opt-in preferences.

Coupons, auctions, real estate information, and so on, are all related topics

that would be appropriate for your site.

SKILLS NEEDED

All you need is the drive to succeed, basic computer skills, and a knowledge of

Internet marketing.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Most of your costs will be attributed to Web design, development, and the

initial promotion for your site. You will likely incur database development costs

as well, because your site should include a searchable database of the various

classified ads. Initial costs will likely run between $4,000 and $12,000.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

One employee is needed to run this business.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 55

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

There is lots of international potential for this type of business.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 3 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Organization is your biggest concern. A lot of confusion can come about from

having a site with users posting classified ads. Clearly state the guidelines for

posting and maintaining ads. You also have to be on the watch for inappropriate

postings.

It will require a greater investment, but you might want to have a fully

automated site developed where, upon paying a fee, the client has access to a

form to enter the text and any graphics to be included in his or her ad.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop as many links as possible from related Web sites, meta-indexes,

and directories.

• You should consider having your site listed with various cybermalls

that are frequented by your target market.

• Participate in newsgroups, mailing lists, and discussion forums where

you could easily promote your business with a cleverly designed signature

file.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

You can generate additional revenue by selling sponsorship opportunities for

your mail list. Your mail list should encourage participation from your Web site

by asking if the visitor would like to be notified when you update your classifieds

or when a particular type of item is posted.

You can generate banner advertising revenue from your site. If you have

high traffic volumes, your classified advertisers will be happy and your banner

advertisers will generate higher revenue for you.

56 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Buy & Sell Online Classifieds

http://www.buysell.com

A Canadian buy-and-sell classified ads site.

The Ad Net!

http://www.theadnet.com

Internet classified advertising.

16. Collector Store—Rare Books and Records Finder

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS

There are many people online who collect rare books, memorabilia, and antique

items. A large number of these people head to the Web in search of what

they want. If you’re an enthusiast in this area, what better way to earn some

extra money than using your knowledge of the subject to help others out in

their search? The Internet is one of the first places people go to look for these

types of items these days. You could also set up all or part of your site as an

auction site where people can sell their items on your Web site. You would take

a commission of the final sale or require users to pay an up-front fee (safer) to

list their item.

SKILLS NEEDED

You would need to have an extensive knowledge of rare books, memorabilia,

music, or other collectors’ items, and would need to know their value and where

to find them.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The costs to start this business will include a computer, scanner, appropriate

business software, Web design, development, and hosting, as well as storefront

software. Total cost for the aforementioned could be $3,000 to $10,000. Other

costs may include purchasing product for resale, and these costs are all dependent

on what you carry and how much you carry as inventory. You might also

want to consider purchasing a digital camera to capture graphics of the items

you have available for sale.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 57

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED

This is a business you will likely run as a one-person operation; it can even be

run on a part-time basis.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

There is lots of international potential in this business.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

The level of e-business is dependent on what products and services you offer and

how they are offered. If you provide a finder service, then level 1 is appropriate.

If you offer only a few products for sale, then level 2 or 3 is appropriate. If a

storefront is appropriate given the number of products you are selling, then level

3 is the appropriate model. If you are running an auction as well, you will want

specialized software that you will likely want to be integrated with your backend

systems. For this you will want level 4. For more information, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

If your site follows the auction format and you plan to charge a commission on

sales, be sure you have a secure system in place to ensure that you get paid.

Know how you will track sales and how you will receive payment. If you are

going to provide a search service, be sure you have the right connections and

are able to quickly access items your clients are looking for.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Music sites, book sites, rarity

sites, collectibles sites, and so on, are all appropriate locations to get

yourself linked. Don’t ignore relevant meta-indexes either.

• Participate in newsgroups, discussion forums, and mailing lists related

to collectors, rare books and coins, memorabilia, and music with a cleverly

designed signature file.

• Practice permission marketing by asking visitors if they would like to be

notified via e-mail when you offer new products of the type they are

interested in.

• Develop a mail list with news on new products and articles of interest to

collectors. Prominently display your Subscribe button throughout your site.

58 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

• Provide a “Tell a Friend” program that would allow visitors to send an

e-mail regarding any of your products to their friends.

• Links from cybermalls that focus on collectibles would be very appropriate

for this type of business and could lead to significant traffic.

• Web ring participation should also be considered. There are all kinds of

Web rings that focus on these types of products.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

Think of all the items that go along with the territory. You can sell artwork

reproductions or antique audio equipment, and maybe even perform restoration

services if you have the necessary skills. Consider launching your own

online publication too!

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Record Finders

http://www.recordfinders.com

A publication, but they also sell paraphernalia for out-of-print vinyl records

and the music industry.

Bibliofind

http://www.bibliofind.com

They have a huge selection of old and rare books.

17. Commercial Cleaning

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS

This type of business would operate offline, but would use the Web as a communication

and promotional medium with its target market. Your Web site

would promote your services, and you might decide to include a free-quote

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 59

option or the ability to set up corporate accounts online. A few of the services

you could include are:

• Carpet cleaning

• Furniture cleaning

• Wall washing

• Floor cleaning

• Draperies cleaning

• Water, smoke, and fire damage restoration

• Air-quality testing.

SKILLS NEEDED

Knowledge of cleaning supplies and what works best in certain situations would

be a valuable asset. You may need to acquire certification to do some tasks,

such as air-quality testing or specific types of cleaning.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The development of your Web site and promotional materials will factor into

your start-up costs. Any cleaning supplies needed and certification courses you

are required to take will also factor in. Expect start-up costs to be between

$1,000 and $3,000.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

This depends on how much business you plan to take on. You can get started

with yourself, and as business picks up you can slowly expand your work force.

This type of operation can be started as a part-time business.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

There is very little international potential. Most of your business will be derived

for your immediate area or surrounding communities.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. For more information,

see Part 1.

60 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Do your research. This is a very popular business idea, so you will want to

understand who your competition is. You do not want to get involved in a

business area that is overly saturated.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Participate in newsgroups and discussion forums related to commercial

cleaning.

• Develop links from as many Web sites, meta-indexes, and directories

related to commercial cleaning as possible. You should also have your

site listed in as many online business directories as possible. You will

want to focus on those that target your geographic area.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• To increase repeat traffic, you might want to develop a newsletter offering

helpful cleaning tips. This will encourage people to visit your site

and find out more about your products and services.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

If you are considering expanding your business into other product or service

areas, you could generate additional income by selling cleaning products and

supplies. If you want to expand the business itself, then you might consider

setting up franchise opportunities.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

Regina’s Maids

http://www.reginasmaids.com

A cleaning company located in Hoboken, NJ. They offer residential and corporate

cleaning services to the tri-state area.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 61

Capital Cleaning Services, Inc.

http://www.capitalcleaning.com

This is a Chicago-based business cleaning service for office, retail, and manufacturing

buildings.

18. Community Events Web Site

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

This business takes advantage of several of the primary strengths of the Internet—

dynamic presentation of information, easy updatability, and quick and

easy accessibility. Community events usually are posted in the newspaper or

occasionally are advertised on television. Finding and attending one of these

events can be quite a hassle, especially for people working in an office all day.

The purpose of a community event Web site is to provide easy, up-to-date access

to a complete list of community events. By using the Internet to dynamically

present this information, you will gain a significant advantage over

newspapers and television. With the right online marketing strategy, you will

have a lot of traffic. You will make your money primarily through advertising.

SKILLS NEEDED

Your staff must have basic computer skills. An ability to program in HTML

and design graphics would be useful if you don’t want to go through the time

and expense to have a user-friendly database developed. You will want to develop

online marketing expertise, as the more traffic you attract to your site,

the greater your revenue will be.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

This is a relatively easy and inexpensive business to start online. You will need

to invest in a computer, appropriate software, Web site design, development,

and hosting. You should also invest in marketing both online and offline to

create exposure and traffic for your site. Start-up costs will range from $3,000

to $10,000.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

The number of employees needed depends on the skills of your employees. You

will need at least one of each of the following: a Web developer, a graphic

62 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

designer, and someone to keep your information up to date. A highly skilled

and dedicated individual could perform all three jobs.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

The international potential of your business is extremely low. Only tourists

visiting your city and looking for something to do during their stay would be

interested in your site.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is most appropriate for this type of business. If you choose to

sell tickets for events online as well, then you will need to expand your service

to a minimum of level 3 or level 4. For more information, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Since you are providing an information service, it is imperative that your information

be up to the minute and constantly updated. This should be relatively

easy, however, since your basic service is effectively free advertising for those

interested in exposure for their event. If you choose to allow for online ordering

of tickets, then you will need to arrange a place for your customers to pick the

tickets up or a delivery mechanism.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Asking if your customers would like to be kept updated via e-mail on

events in a specific field of interest is a great way to implement permission

marketing.

• Develop coupons and discounts for various events to be used as an incentive.

Ask site visitors if they would like to join your mail list to regularly

receive these coupons and specials.

• You might also consider using a viral marketing technique like “Tell a

Friend.” This will allow your customers to promote your site to their

friends.

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Request links from as many local

Web sites as possible by offering them in return access to the updated

information for their site visitors from your site.

• Develop a banner advertising campaign targeting local sites that get a

lot of traffic. Having your banner ad prominently displayed on local

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 63

newspaper sites generally is effective. Quite often you can trade the

banner placement for a weekly posting of your Calendar of Events in

their newspaper.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

A way to expand your service is to allow for the online ordering of tickets to the

events through your Web site. Depending on how you choose to do this, it

could work one of two ways. You could make the ticket providers pay for the

privilege of offering their tickets through your service. However, unless you are

well known and have a significant volume of Web site traffic, this is unlikely to

work. Usually you will charge a small fee to the purchaser for your efforts. You

could provide Calendar of Events listings for free but charge a fee if they want

a hypertext link to their site or enhanced graphics.

ONLINE EXAMPLES

The Maine Events Scheduler

http://maineevents.com

A list of events in the state of Maine.

Toronto.com

http://www.toronto.com

A beautiful site that covers most things you would want to do in the Toronto

area. Plus it provides information on the events themselves.

19. Concierge Service

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

As the number of jet-set traveling business-people rises, a serious demand develops

for concierge services that originate online and then turn into a hightouch

service once the client is within your geographic area. Today’s online

concierge service has many advantages over what the word previously meant.

The client finds and interacts with you through your Web site.

64 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

Here’s how it works: Clients can e-mail you their schedule, tell you what

they would like for a grocery list and where they might like to make dinner

reservations, tell you what they need copied and couriered, tell you what transportation

needs they have, and so on. You provide all the services that an assistant,

housekeeper, and personal planner would, and you charge for your services

based on the added value of having all these services done by one business or

capable individual. It saves tons of time for a business traveler, and it’s becoming

popular.

SKILLS NEEDED

To operate this business, you need a personable manner and an organized method

of doing things. Your clients will look to you for advice on how to best get

along in the new city they have come to work in. Having knowledge of the area

and knowing how to make a business traveler comfortable will ensure that you

succeed in this business. You will need basic Web publishing skills to update

your Web site and proper writing skills so your communication with clients is

concise and professional.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

The cost to start this business will include a computer, appropriate software,

and a printer. You will also incur costs related to the design, development, and

marketing of your Web site. Suggested costs for these expenses is $3,000 to

$7,000. There are no inventory or overhead costs that come out of pocket

before your client pays for your services, so this business is perfect for someone

looking to start from scratch.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

To begin, you will need only one capable and organized part-time person. If

you become busy, however, you will have to hire more help in order to continue

to deliver high-touch personalized service.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

There is international potential for this business. Foreign visitors may be particularly

in need of your services.

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

E-business level 1 is ideal for concierge services. There is no need for online

payment processing because the client pays you directly. For more information,

see Part 1.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 65

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

In this business you want to be a careful money monitor. You may want to

get a retainer upon signing the contract for out-of-pocket expenses. The client

will be asking you to complete services that require paying up front, such

as photocopying, dry cleaning, and buying groceries. You should have a budget

for all the expenses and make sure you are not losing any profit due to

poor bookkeeping. Remember that the service you are providing should be

tailored to the individual. It’s your job to make their days run as smoothly as

possible. If you master this, many more jobs could come your way. It’s a

great business for referrals. You want to have your responsibilities and your

client’s budget and expectations for specific expenses clearly laid out in a

contract.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Generate links with descriptive

text describing your services on the main business services sites in your

area—for example, the local chamber of commerce Web site. Get listed

and linked from the regional online directories and publications that

have content geared for the business traveler.

• Develop a sponsored listings campaign to bid on appropriate keyword

phrases with the popular search engines.

• Gather client testimonials and publish these on your Web site.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

Additional income could certainly come from tipping, which is widely practiced

in this business. Other ways to increase your income are broadening your

services to include more sophisticated skills such as taking notes at meetings

and becoming more of an administrative assistant than a concierge. Once you

have a working relationship with each client, providing all the services humanly

possible for them will be the source of additional income. It all depends

on how flexible you are.

66 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

ONLINE EXAMPLE

Worldwide Assistance

http://www.worldwideassistance.com/concierge.htm

Virtual assistant and concierge services provided internationally.

Theconciergeforyou.com (Figure 2.2).

20. Cookbooks and Recipes

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS MODEL

The popularity of online cooking and recipe Web sites is growing constantly.

Similar to purchasing a traditional offline cookbook at a bookstore, many people

are now turning to the Web to find their latest recipes and purchase their cookbooks

online.

There are a few ways that you can generate revenue with this type of business.

Since your site will receive highly targeted traffic, you will provide an

Figure 2.2. An excellent example of an online concierge service.

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 67

excellent advertising opportunity for cooking, food, or kitchen-related businesses.

You can sell cookbooks and other cooking-related publications directly

from your site. You can also charge a membership fee for this type of business

whereby only members would be able to access certain sections of the site by

way of a user ID and password.

This type of business also gives you a tremendous opportunity to practice

permission marketing. You can ask people if they would like to be notified

when you make updates to your Web site or if they would like to receive daily

recipes via e-mail. This will encourage people to return to your site often and

will also provide you with another advertising opportunity to offer cooking,

food, or kitchen-related businesses. If you send out a daily or weekly newsletter,

you could sell advertising space in your newsletter to cooking-related businesses.

You may choose to develop a niche for yourself in this area. You could

develop a heart smart cooking site, a low-cal cooking site, or a macrobiotic

diet site.

SKILLS NEEDED

Since you will be offering your visitors cooking advice and recipes, knowledge

of different foods and cooking techniques would be an asset. This will enable

you to answer any questions your visitors may ask. The more you know about

cooking, the more professional your business will appear.

COST TO START THIS BUSINESS

Initially you will have to pay for the design and hosting of your Web site, computer

hardware, computer software, a scanner (to scan your cookbook covers),

and a printer. If you currently have some of these items, your initial start-up

costs will be considerably lower. If you plan on setting up a comprehensive

mailing list system, you will also have to purchase mailing list software to help

you organize and maintain your mail lists. Other costs that you will incur are

related to the promotion of your Web site. Estimated cost is $5,000 to $10,000

to start.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO START

One dedicated individual can run this type of business. You can start this venture

while keeping your regular full-time job until your business’s revenue surpasses

your current income.

INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL

This business has strong international potential. New recipes and cooking techniques

are of interest to people all over the world.

68 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

E-BUSINESS MODEL/PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD

Since you will be selling traditional offline cookbooks directly from your site,

e-business level 2 or 3 would be most appropriate for this type of business. For

more information on this, see Part 1.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

You should ensure that the recipes that you publish on your site and in your

cookbooks are original and have not been copied directly from another source.

This is an issue that many cooking sites have faced in the past. To avoid copyright

issues, always get permission in writing and cite where you have received

the recipe from. This will avoid any future conflicts that you may face with

competing businesses or copyrighted cooking publications.

ONLINE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

• Participating in newsgroups and discussion forums related to cooking

would be a great way to generate traffic to your Web site. Always make

a valuable contribution, and always include your signature file with a

great tagline.

• Launch a strategic banner advertising campaign on Web sites frequented

by your target market. These sites could include cooking sites, foodrelated

sites, and kitchen accessory sites.

• Develop a viral marketing strategy where people can “Send This Recipe

to a Friend” via your site. This will spread the word about your site.

• You could hold a weekly or monthly contest on your Web site for a free

cookbook. You could ask people if they would like to be notified of the

winner via e-mail. This e-mail will encourage them to return to your

site to reenter your contest, thus re-exposing them to your site.

• Develop a discussion board on your site where visitors can interact with

one another about cooking, great recipes, and past food experiences.

This is a great way to encourage people to return to your site, as they

will love to participate in your virtual cooking community. You can

even participate in the discussion, which enables you to interact with

your potential customers.

• You could choose to have a Visiting Chefs section on your site where

you could profile a celebrity chef and provide some of his or her secret

101 Profiles of Top Internet Business Concepts 69

recipes. You might choose to post in advance the celebrity chef calendar

and ask people if they’d like to be notified when you update the calendar.

If you wanted to incorporate some higher-end technology, you could

have a live webcast or downloadable video accessible from your site.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other

effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101

Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at

http://www.susansweeney.com/resources.html.

ADDITIONAL INCOME

You could generate additional income for your cookbook and recipe site by

selling a database of your favorite recipes on CD-ROM. This would be similar

to your cookbooks. However, the low costs of developing this product would

dramatically increase the overall revenue for your business.