How to start an errand business

If you’re looking to start your own retirement business and work from home, consider starting an errand running business. This type of business offers you the ability to help people, make personal connections with customers, and make a nice income. Here’s what you need to get started:

Customers

An errand running business has a number of potential customers. New mothers and mothers of young children are a fantastic audience. Additionally, the elderly or people that are home-bound can also benefit from your services. Finally, also consider targeting affluent customers who work twelve-hour days and don’t have time to complete many tasks.

Services

As a concierge or the owner of an errand running business, you have many options. You can offer a number of services or you can specialize. Some options include:

• Dry cleaning
• Grocery shopping
• Shopping
• Post office/shipping
• Banking
• Appointment making
• Buying tickets
• Walking/caring for pets or taking them to the vet

You can also specialize in a specific type of task or service like financial errands which would require a high degree of trust. Research your competition to choose what services you offer and how you price them. You can charge by the hour, by the errand or offer package or membership pricing.

Start-Up Equipment

The wonderful thing about an errand business is that the start-up costs are extremely low. If you already own a reliable vehicle, your costs may be less than £100. However, you’ll also need a telephone and email address. If your phone has email capability and texting and instant messaging options, that will help your customers stay in touch with you. You’ll also want a computer, a website, and the means to invoice your customers.

Marketing Your Business

Initially your marketing campaign will be local. You’ll want a website for customers to reference and you’ll want to be listed on local search engines like Google Places. You will also likely want classified advertisements in your local papers, Gumtree or Craigslist and the yellow pages.

Networking and word of mouth are perhaps your biggest sources of clients. Help your clients spread the word and consider offering a referral bonus. Flyer and brochures will help spread the word too.

An errand running business is a wonderful business if you’re personable and responsible. Additionally, it’ll help if you’re excited to start and grow a business focused on helping people. Research your competition, plan your business, and help meet the needs of your community. What are you waiting for?

How to start a green house cleaning business

The demand for house cleaning has been on an upward trend for years. As more and more households now have two working parents, the need for extra help within the house is often necessary.

And now there’s a trend that’s growing even faster – green house cleaning. As more of us are becoming aware of the dangers of using toxic chemicals in our home environment - as well as the conscious drive to take better care of the planet, we’re aiming to be a little more “green” when it comes to cleaning.

This is where the green house cleaning business model comes into play. By starting your own green cleaning business, you’ll set yourself apart from the general cleaning companies and you’ll target a niche customer base – those that want green house cleaning services.

How Do You Get Started?

The first step is to find an area where the demand for green house cleaning is evident. Your customers will tend to have disposable income and have an interest in all things green, such as recycling and hybrid cars. It’s important to identify who your key customers will be and whether or not they're in your current locality. If not, then you’ll want to target a different area.

The next step is to take care of all the paper work. A house cleaning service is not difficult to start but you’ll want to ensure your business is registered (if you're in the US) and that you have the necessary insurance to cover yourself as much as possible.

If you’re going to start as a one-man/woman operation, you won’t need to worry about hiring employees just yet. But if you’re starting out with employees, you’ll need to advertise to hire the right people and ensure that you have the correct insurance to cover your employees.

You’ll also want to ensure that your business really is “green”. You should aim for all of the items you use - from your cleaning products to your car - to be environmentally friendly. Your potential customers will be interested to know just how green your credentials are, so be prepared to tell them.

Finally, you’ll need to find customers. Good marketing is the key to success for any business. You can start small by printing and sending out flyers in the local area. A small ad in the local paper may also be relevant for this type of business. And don’t forget the internet - even local customers may use the net to find you. Ensure you have a user-friendly website that represents your business in the best light possible.

Green house cleaning is a growing trend that looks to increase in the future. If you like the idea of starting your own housecleaning service, this may be a great option as you’ll have a tight, targeted market with plenty of disposable income. You’ll also feel great for helping others and the planet at the same time.

How to start a pet sitting business

If you love animals and are good with them, then a pet sitting business may be a great option.

So how do you start your own pet sitting business?

It’s not really all that difficult. Your main requirements will be enthusiasm and a love for animals. For a pet owner, leaving their pets in someone’s care may be the equivalent of leaving their children in child care. This means that in order to be successful in this business, a true love of animals will help you stand out from the competition.

Here’s how to get started:

You’ll want to identify what type of services you’ll offer. For example, will you care for pets in their owners' homes or your own? Will you offer dog walking as well? Will you offer extended pet care for people going on vacation?

Writing a detailed list about the services you feel you’re able to offer will help you get organized and know where to place your marketing efforts.

Once you have a clear idea of what you’ll be offering, you’ll want to make the business legitimate. (If you're in the US, you can get information about registering your business at your local county office.) This will ensure you present a professional image and that you’re meeting all regulations. You’ll also want to look into any relevant insurance you may need.

When all the legal aspects are taken care of, your next step is marketing your business – i.e. finding customers!

You can easily get started by sending flyers out in your local area. You may also want to consider advertising in your local paper. Getting a sign with your business logo and placing it on your car is also a very effective method of local advertising. Just ensure your details are clear for all to see.

And don’t forget your internet presence. Even a small local business can benefit from an online presence. Here are just a few reasons why:

• People may find your website when using local searches for pet sitting or pet care. This will increase your client reach.
  
  
• People will have time to look through your website and learn more about you and your services. This means that once someone contacts you, hopefully your website will already have pre-sold your services. This is great news because the prospect will probably need very little convincing to now use your services.
  
  
• People can get recommendations. A good website will include testimonials from other customers.

This creates trust and reassurance for any potential new customers who may find your website. Again, this helps to pre-sell your services.

Starting a pet sitting business can be both fun and profitable. If you love pets then this may be just the right venture for you.

How to Start a Kids' Party Organizing Business

Do you love kids and parties? Are you super at organizing and do you have a great eye for detail? Are you enthusiastic and outgoing? Do you still have bags of energy? If so, then a kids' party organizing business may be just right for you.

Party organizing is a growing trend. Birthday parties seem to be getting more and more elaborate and this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down!

A kids' party organizer will help plan and create fun and unique parties that may range from a cowboy-themed barnyard party to an elaborate party in a castle with all the works.

How Do I Get Started?

Firstly, you’ll want to ensure that your personality is suited to this business. You’ll need to be creative as well organized. Having an outgoing personality will also help a great deal.

The next step, and a crucial one at that, is to decide who your target market will be. Parents willing to hire a party organizing service will likely have disposable income and be quite happy to spend it on their children.

You’ll also want to be clear on what type of services you’ll provide. Some party organizing services will handle everything from finding the right theme, to setting up and organizing the party, to decorating and even catering.

Offering an all-in-one service is ideal because this is probably what your customers will want – someone to plan the whole thing from start to finish without too many complications.

Write a list of what services you’ll offer. As you do your research, you’ll notice the list may be endless - from providing an ice cream van to hot air balloons! Of course, you don’t have to start at this level and many of these services can be subcontracted out. However, it’s important to know exactly what you can and can’t offer customers at the start.

What about the Legalities?

If you're in the US, you’ll want to start by registering your business. You can do this at your local county office and they'll let you know of all the requirements you need to meet. Depending on what type of services you provide, this may vary.

If in doubt, contact your local county office and they should be able to provide you with all the details.

How Do I Find Customers?

Advertising locally through banners and perhaps a small ad in the paper is a great starting point. A magnetic sign on your car with your company logo and information is another good option.

But the main way of finding new clients in this business is through word of mouth. If parents attending the party see and like what you’ve done, they’ll ask for your details and before you know it, you’ll have a full client list. Word-of-mouth marketing is extremely important in this type of business so you’ll want to do your absolute best to provide a great service.

If you love kids and parties, are highly organized and outgoing and still have the energy for it, this may be a fantastic retirement business idea to pursue.

A Membership Work At Home Business Model Means Continuous Income

Here's how you see it coming down the line... you set up an online retirement business about something you already are an expert at, then you set up a payment processor that collects the money and delivers your product without you being there, then you start earning passive income night or day, and, finally, you (mostly) sit back and enjoy your retirement! This may seem like a dream, but it has the potential to come true when you set up a membership retirement business model.

Here's how membership sites work:

People subscribe to your membership site to get your digital info, physical info, discount coupon, software, or whatever you offer, and pay you every month for it. It's up to you to feed your members new stuff - the stuff they want - every month to keep them happy and continuing with their subscription.

You create the material once and sell that same material over and over again with the membership business model. You can even limit the membership to a certain time period, such as three months or one year, and continue to offer the membership to new potential customers. This is continuous passive income at it's best!

Here's how to get a membership site going:

Make a list of what you know, or what you feel you can become an expert on fairly easily. Remember, an expert means you know more than someone else; you don't have to know everything on the subject.

Do research and find out what topics people are willing to spend money on. If you find a good one that meshes with what you know, you might have a winner.

Decide on the details - the best way to set it up, method of delivery, how often delivered, how much material and in what form, and so on.

Get to work creating the material and establish the framework for each month. Think pdfs, audio interviews, how-to screenshot videos, ebooks, PowerPoint presentations, Q and A, member-only webinars, etc. Consider outsourcing to get some help with the creation. Always give your subscribers more than they expect.

You can start your membership site before you have all the material created, but know that it can be stressful always trying to stay one step ahead of the members. It's better to stay at least 3 months ahead to give yourself some breathing room.

Once you've got the whole thing up, it's time to market your membership. You may have completed your membership info for a whole year, but your job is not finished. You need to market the heck out of it to get subscribers. Never stop marketing it because for various reasons, some people will leave the membership before it's finished and you'll want to replace them.

Having a membership site(s) means creating the material once and having continuous income coming in from your many members through the lifespan of the membership site. This is steady income you can be proud of.

5 Benefits of a Digital Product Business

If you're looking for a retirement business model that allows you to generate genuinely passive income and to make a lot of money in the process, then a digital product business might just be right for you.

Digital products are products that exist solely in a digital format and include the likes of software, eBooks, e-courses and computer games. They also just so happen to offer perhaps the best business opportunity of any type of product, so read on to find out what makes them such a great choice for making money online.

1. No Overheads

Right away, with a digital product you have no overheads. That is to say, you might have overheads initially while you're developing your product but from that point on you will then be able to sell as many copies as you like with no need to pay for materials or anything else. Apart from Paypal fees, every sale will be 100% profit - which can't really be said about any other business model.

2. It's Truly Passive

Of course some services are also like this. If you're a writer or web designer for instance, then you probably won't have to spend any money to make money and that means that you can keep 100% profit. But where a service business falls down is in the fact that you'll be exchanging your time for money. This, in turn, means you'll need to constantly be available at specific times of day and you might even need to travel.

A digital product though is truly passive. Once you have set up an online store and you have people visiting your site, you can make money while you sleep or while you're on holiday somewhere sunny.

3. No Stock

With a digital product you require zero digital space for stock and that means you don't need to rent a warehouse or fill your front room with books.

4. No Investment

Just as there are no overheads, there is also very little investment necessary. This means it will take barely any time for you to break even and to start generating real profit. In turn, this also means that there's no risk so you'll be able to start your business without taking out a huge loan and putting your family's finances and livelihood in danger.

5. No Delivery

As though all that wasn't enough, digital products don't even require delivery. That means you won't have stock going missing or customers claiming they never received their goods. Digital products are cheaper and faster in every way.

Websites That Earn Ad Income, Another Work At Home Business Model

Maybe you've thought you'd like to earn some online income now that you've retired but you're not sure where to start. So what should you do? Well,,, you could get an online income stream started by building AdSense sites.

What Are AdSense Sites?

AdSense sites are typically websites you set up with keyword-rich content and strategically placed AdSense ads. You can never encourage people to click on the Adsense links as that will get you tossed out of the program, but when people do click on the links you earn money for each click. They don't have to buy a product, although the originator of the AdSense ad hopes they will; you get paid for the click.

Typically, the site is set up and usually not manually maintained, meaning you don't keep adding content. There are ways to keep content coming with the advent of plugins that pull in news feeds, EzineArticles, eBay auctions, Amazon product reviews and so on. Each of these serve a different purpose and should be investigated as to their efficacy and reliability, and whether they are legitimate.

Aren't AdSense Sites Dodgy?

Sometimes sites made for AdSense get a bad name because unethical marketers use content they've "scraped" illegally from other legitimate sites. Do it the right way, add content you have legal permission to use, and you won't have to worry about your sites getting banned or sandboxed by Google.

Your income on one or two sites probably won't be enough to pay the bills so you might need to have a lot of sites. One other thing you need is a lot of is traffic. If people don't come to check out your website, they certainly can't click on your AdSense links.

Selling Ads Directly

Another way you can make money from ads on a website is through offering ad placement on your site for a fee. Before you do this, build up your site with good quality content and use ways such as article marketing and backlinking to help build up your traffic. The more traffic you get, the more you can charge for an ad. If you have high traffic numbers, the company placing the ad will be willing to pay more for it because the exposure to viewers, and possible sales, will be higher.

Check out some of the bigger blogs and see how and what they offer in the way of advertising. If adding advertisement to your site doesn't seem like enough income for you, try a three-prong approach - sell advertising, sell affiliate products, and sell your own products for greater income potential.

10 List Building Tips For Growing Your Subscriber Base Fast!

When it comes to building a business, we all want to see results as fast as possible. And, while building a list of email subscribers will be a long term effort, you can help improve the speed at which it grows by employing as many of these list building tips and techniques as possible.

1) Use Forms On Your Website: Make sure you place opt in forms in a prominent location, above the fold, on the homepage of your website. Add them to other areas, such as above blog comment areas, to get them noticed even more. Whatever you do, make sure that your subscribers can see a way to sign up on every single page of your website.

2) Provide An Incentive: No matter where you choose to start promoting your list, you’re going to find it difficult to get people to actually hand over their email addresses unless you provide them with an incentive for doing so. All list building tips will start with providing a good incentive, whether that's an eBook, a coaching session, an eCourse or anything else of value to your visitors.

3) Post In Forums: Most niche forums will allow you a signature where you can place a link back to your site. Include a link back to your newsletter page and make sure to post a number of helpful posts around the forum, several times a day.

4) Place Ads In Forums: Prominent forums in your niche may have a classified ads section where you can post a big incentive for people to sign up to your newsletter. In the internet marketing niche, for example, you can pay $40 for a Warrior Special Offer and expect a number of sign ups. This is perfect for new email lists where you aren't yet well known.

5) Write Articles: Submit informative, useful articles in your niche to some of the many online article directories. In your author bio section, include a link to the page where interested readers can sign up to your newsletter.

6) Create A Facebook Page: Create a Facebook Page for loyal customers and fans of your business to "like". At the same time, make sure you include an email opt in form on the welcome page to take advantage of the interest you get.

7) Sign Up Your Buyers: If you use an automated shopping cart system then most will allow you to automatically add customers to a designated customer list. Use this to send them product updates or offers tailored to what they've already bought.

8) Blog: The more people come onto your website, the more times they'll see your opt in forms and your freebie incentive, and the more likely they will be to sign up to your newsletter! How do you get people to visit your site regularly? Start a blog with the latest updates, tips and insights!

9) Ask Subscribers To "Tell A Friend": If you've got a fantastic freebie, or are sending out very useful information, then your subscribers will want to share it with others. Include a note in each of the emails letting them know that, if they want to share it, they should direct friends to your newsletter sign up page.

10) Participate In Ad Swaps: This means promoting another marketer's list in exchange for them promoting your list to their own subscribers. This works best if your lists are a similar size, and if you're very careful about the people you promote to your subscribers (i.e. make sure you trust the other party!)

Remember, none of these list building tips are going to do you any good unless you start employing them TODAY!

How to Start Your Own 'Writing for Pay' Business

If you enjoy writing or have a way with words, you can turn that skill into a retirement business.

There are numerous opportunities for aspiring writers online and off. Businesses need people to write content, to blog, to write sales copy and advertisements. They also need writers to write books, articles and technical manuals. In short, there’s a high demand for writers. Here’s how to start your own writing for pay business.

Step #1 - Decide what you want to write and if there’s a demand for it. For example, do you want to write articles and blog posts? Would you prefer to write books and eBooks? What about sales copy? Additionally, do you have a preference for the topics you’d write on? You can specialize in an industry as well as a content format.

For example, you could position yourself as a brilliant blogger or a fitness expert. You could be an eBook ghostwriter or a writer that specializes in animals and pet care. Choose a speciality that you enjoy. If you don’t like writing about a certain topic, chances are you’re going to procrastinate and not give your client your best effort.
 
Step #2 - Create your business. This will include choosing a business name and a website address, and creating a website. You’ll also want to consider creating a standard work for hire agreement. This will outline the rights and responsibilities of both parties. (If you're in the US, also consider registering your business as an LLC. It offers a few more protections than a sole proprietorship does. Ask your accountant or lawyer for advice.)

Finally, you’ll want to create an invoicing system. Many writers require a fifty percent deposit to begin a project with the remainder due when they deliver the content. This helps ensure a writer gets paid for their work. Sometimes, not often, you’ll run into a client that isn’t professional. You’ll need to decide in advance how you want to handle this. Sending someone to collections isn’t fun.

Step #3 - Market your business. You’re a writer, so one of your best marketing tools is the written word. Article marketing, blogging and a well-written sales or landing page are great ways to begin to drive traffic and clients to your website.

Get out and network too. Online and offline, networking offers a valuable way to connect with potential clients and partners. Join your local small business association or chamber of commerce. Comment on blogs in your specialty areas. For example, if you’re a pet writer then visit and comment on blogs about pets. Link to your website to drive traffic and customers to your front door.

Also participate on industry forums and chat rooms. Social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can also be good traffic-generating and awareness-building tools.

How to Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business

Virtual assistants are in demand worldwide. As a virtual assistant you could find clients in your own community or half way around the globe. It’s a great way to make a living and work from home. You’ll meet interesting people, learn new tasks and responsibilities and perhaps best of all, enjoy the freedom that comes with being your own boss. Here’s how to start your own virtual assistant business.

#1 SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This is a personal assessment. Take a look at what strengths you have that will contribute to a successful virtual assistant business. Communication skills, organization skills, professionalism are some strengths. However, you likely bring a lot more to the table. List your strengths.
 
Take a look at your weaknesses as well. You’re not looking for reasons to not go into business for yourself. You’re simply making sure you’re aware of all you’ll need to do to run a successful business. If you have a weakness, and we all do, then you’ll want to create a plan to manage it. For example, if your weakness is writing and you need to have sales and marketing copy for your business website, you can learn to write or you can hire someone to do it for you. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses helps you create the best business for you.

Opportunities and threats are the next part of this assessment. Opportunities can be anything from the fact that you have a friend who designs websites to a growing demand for virtual assistants. Threats are things that may challenge you, like competing virtual assistants and a sluggish economy. When you’re fully aware of your assets and challenges, you can plan for them.

#2 Create a business plan. Plan the services you’re going to offer and how you’re going to offer them. For example, will you charge by the hour or by the project? Will you offer a discount for ongoing clients? Research your competition and decide whether you want to specialize.

You can specialize in a certain task, for example transcription. Or you can specialize in an industry like real estate. Specialization is a way to demonstrate expertise and adds credibility to your business. That being said, there are many clients who want a one-stop solution and would prefer a virtual assistant that can do a number of tasks.

#3 Set up your business. You’ll want to create a website to market your virtual business. Most of your clients will be online and they’ll often find you through online searching. A website is also a way to demonstrate your expertise. You’ll also want a business address, a phone number, email and a way to accept payment. PayPal is an easy way to invoice and track your income and expenses.

Once your business is established, the next step is to spread the word. Consider social networking, advertising, SEO and article marketing to market your business. A blog is also a good way to demonstrate credibility, enhance your brand and drive traffic to your website.

Virtual assistants are in high demand. Whether you’re looking for full-time work or a part-time income, it can be the perfect solution. Create your business and start making money from your skills.

How to Make Money Online - The Basics

If you ask how to make money online, you’re generally going to hear one of two things. You’re going to hear people telling you that you can’t make money online. That all the good topics and business models are taken up. (That’s untrue, by the way.)

You’re also going to hear people who will promise you that you can make millions online. While that IS true for some, it’s not common. What is true about making money online is that anything is possible, and it’s quite likely that you can make a very comfortable living doing something that you love. So here’s the lowdown on how to make money online.

What Makes Money Online?

There are a few basic business models that generally achieve a good deal of success online. They include:

• Information marketing – Information is sold online, generally about a specialty topic
  
  
• Membership marketing – Profit is made by selling memberships and selling advertising space
  
  
• Service provider – Profit is made by providing a service. For example, virtual assistants provide administrative services online
  
  
• Retailer or ecommerce – Profit is made by selling a product online
  
  
• Affiliate marketing – Profit is made by promoting the products or services of others and earning a commission

There are a few things these five business models have in common. They all operate online - that’s a given because we’re talking about online business. They also all need people to visit their website in order to survive. How do they get people to their website?

Content

Content is the unifying theme behind successful websites. People go online to be entertained, to be informed, to connect and communicate. The single unifying thread for all of these interactions is content.

Content can be read, watched, listened to and shared. It can be an article, a blog post, a report, a book, an online course, a video or an audio. Without content a website doesn’t stand a chance. Information is the reason for the internet. If a website doesn’t provide information, it has no value to online users.

The Basics

Okay, so you choose your business model. You choose a business topic or specialty; this is often called a niche. A niche is a speciality topic. For example, you could decide you want to start a membership site. Great - about what? Recipes, because you love to cook and share recipes. Fantastic! Now it’s time to create the content for your website. You need to give people a reason to visit your website and become a member. The next step is to continue to provide value. What are you going to offer your members to motivate them to stay members?

What information are you going to provide as an information marketer that will motivate people to buy your books? What information can you provide clients to motivate them to hire you as a service provider?

Online, regardless of the model you choose, people want to know one thing: “What's in this for me? How will this benefit me?” Choose your topic and model wisely. Create fantastic content and provide value. That’s the core of any successful online business.

 

How to Become an Online Infopreneur

Information marketing has taken the internet by storm. As more and more people begin utilizing digital information, and reading and learning online, more opportunities open up for information marketers. If you have specialty information or have a passion for a topic, information marketing may be the perfect business model for you.

What Is an Online Infopreneur?

An online infopreneur is someone who makes a living selling information. It can be a very profitable business model. An example is someone who is an expert when it comes to bird training. They have a passion for or a strong interest in training birds. They might create training manuals, videos and courses on how to train your pet bird. The information could range from beginner to advanced tricks like how to train your parrot to play dead. Sounds crazy, right? I mean, who needs to train their parrot to do that? Believe it or not, there’s a market for it.

An online infopreneur’s first job is to determine what their passions are and if there’s a market for it. You might begin by making a list of the topics you’re knowledgeable in or passionate about. Then you begin your research. Using keyword research tools and investigating online, you’d look to see if people are searching for that topic.

Continuing with the parrot training topic, perhaps that infopreneur began with a passion for birds. They found during their research that many people were struggling with their exotic birds. They were biting and screaming and being generally unruly. This infopreneur then saw that there weren’t a lot of other businesses providing information on the topic. In short, there was a good demand for the information but not much supply. This is the perfect opportunity to create an information marketing business.

So your first step is to find your interests and passions. Your second step is to research them for profitable niches. A niche is a specialty topic. It can also be a demographic like teen bird trainers or bird training in the desert south-west. Or it can be a skill level - beginner bird training, for example.

Once you’ve chosen a niche, it’s time to create your website and information products. Your website will be dedicated to helping your audience learn what they need to know or want to know about your topic. You might post free article or video content. You may offer free reports and digital downloads.

Once you have people interested and accessing your free information, you can take them to the next step which is to offer them a product to buy. Often this is an ebook, an online course or a video series. The information products that are successful generally solve a problem for their audience. For example, “How to stop your parrot from biting.” You may uncover common problems during your research or you may need to do additional research to find the answers.

If you have a passion, interest or specialty knowledge about a topic, consider using that to create an information marketing business. It’s a great way to make an income. Some information marketers have gone on to make millions from their books, courses and videos. Here's to your retirement business success!

How An Accountability Partner Can Help You Meet Your Goals

The new trend in goal achievement is finding an accountability partner - a friend that's available online or in person who you can share your goals with can help you monitor your success and ultimately achieve your goals.

Gaining the support of a friend, spouse, partner, or a co-worker that understands your goals and their importance to you can make all the difference when it comes to sticking to your plan. Here are some of the ways in which an accountability partner can help.

1) Keeps You From Procrastinating

When you have someone constantly checking on your progress, you'll be far more likely to work on your goals daily. It will virtually become impossible to put off tasks that you need to complete today, because you know at the end of the day you'll need to check in with your accountability partner.

Procrastinating is easy when you're working on a goal or goals yourself, but when you have to check-in with someone else, it is almost embarrassing to procrastinate. An accountability partner is more likely to keep you working each day towards your goal or goals.

2) Keeps You Accountable

Certain checkpoints can be established where you will be forced to be accountable, such as reaching certain benchmarks at designated dates. Whether it is daily, weekly or monthly, you have to be accountable for the goals that you are planning on achieving when someone is checking in with you.

An accountability partner will ensure that you maintain your responsibility in meeting your set timelines for accomplishing certain parts of your goal or goals. If you're not good at this, use some extra incentive like giving your accountability partner a sum of money that they can only return to you if you check in each day!

3) Keeps You Motivated

Receiving support from someone else gives you the motivation to work at achieving your goals. Sometimes, just having someone available to talk to can really motivate you to keep going when you hit a roadblock. Talk the problem through with your accountability partner and you may just renew your energy.

4) Keeps You Focused

A strong accountability partner will keep you focused on achieving your goal and the steps you need to take to gain that achievement. You want a strong person, because he or she will ensure that you don't give up or slack off in meeting your benchmarks and ultimate goal.

Remaining focused can be difficult, especially if you can be easily distracted by some setbacks. An accountability partner can keep your mind focused on the prize when you achieve your goal or goals. They can remind you why you're doing it in the first place.

When working on your own, sometimes it’s easier just to give up than make adjustments. Having an accountability partner means you can talk things through and come to a logical decision not based on fear, doubt, or pure laziness!

Domain Flipping Using Flippa.com

Flippa isn't just a place to buy and sell websites - many people have also made a lot of money selling domain names. Domain flipping means buying a domain name, whether direct from the registrar or from another seller, and selling it on at a profit.

Setting Up A Domain-Only Auction

Setting up a domain-only auction on Flippa is much like selling a full website. Simply select the domain option as you create the listing, and you can go on to enter further details such as the date registered, and any listing text you feel is valuable for the buyer. Specific information to include should be the domain age (aged domains are generally higher in value), whether it comes with any content, whether it has any backlinks, Google Pagerank and so on. Once you've set up the listing you'll need to pay the $19 listing fee and verify that you own that domain.

Flipping Newly Registered Domain Names

There's no reason why you can't flip domains you've only recently registered, but there are a few things you need to know before you do. When you try to sell a domain you've bought within the last 60 days, Flippa will display a "recent domain registration" warning to buyers.

The reason why Flippa does this is because domain regulations state that you can't transfer a domain name to a new registrar within 60 days of buying it. For example, if you registered the domain using Namecheap, and the buyer wanted to transfer it to GoDaddy because that's where they have all their other domains, they wouldn't be able to do that until the 60 days was up.

This doesn't mean domain flipping can't be done with new domains - you can still generally transfer the new domain name to the buyer by pushing it to their account on the SAME registrar. So, if you registered it at Namecheap, they'd just have to register a free account at Namecheap for you to push it over to them.

Once The Auction Is Over

Domain flipping is generally a lot quicker to finalize than website flipping, thanks to the fact that all it takes is to transfer the domain name to the new owner. To do this, they will have to go through the transfer protocol of their current registrar, or simply sign up at your registrar as mentioned in the example above. Once the domain has transferred (this could take up to a week) they will have full control and ownership until the expiry date.

Domain flipping can be an extremely popular endeavour once you know what to look for in a domain name!

How to Become a Sought After Website Translator

If you have a second language in addition to English, you can make a good living as a website translator in your retirement.

As internet marketing continues to grow and expand, businesses all around the world are needing to have entire websites translated into English and other languages. Imagine the profitability if you get a handful of large websites to translate. Some websites have more than 100,000 pages. It’s a big project with a potential for significant profits. Spanish, Chinese, and other European languages are in high demand.

So how do you become a sought after website translator?

One of the easiest ways is to bid on projects on freelance job sites. One or two projects under your belt gives you the credibility and portfolio to market your services. These freelance websites are also a good place to research the market.

Generally provider’s rates run at the low end of the scale - to be competitive. However, once you transition away from freelance job sites and are attracting your own clientele, you can increase your rates to meet demand. When working on freelance websites it’s recommended you collect an initial deposit because a translation job can, potentially, take several months and you want to have some money to live on while you’re working.

Among the freelance service-providing community there are a few keys to being successful and having a full schedule. They include:

• Being professional 100% of the time. Don’t talk negatively about your clients, their websites or their business. Always, ALWAYS, deliver projects on time or early. Don’t change rates in the middle of a job (This means you may have to ask a lot of questions in the beginning to provide an adequate quote.) Respond promptly to enquiries and client questions.
  
•  Communicate effectively. Your job is to translate language; this means people will expect you to have good communication skills. Demonstrate your skills by sending clear and understandable email messages, having a website which is easy to read and understand, and by simply being easy to work with and talk to.
  
• Become more than a translator. If you can offer insight and act as a consultant, you will offer more value to your clients than someone who merely translates. If you have a specialty in Chinese, for example, and are translating an English written website for an American company, and if you can provide insight into the culture for the company you’re translating for, you can help them position their website and their business effectively in the global market place.
  
• Once you’re up and running, don’t forget to market your services. Word of mouth may be your most powerful marketing strategy; however, advertising, article marketing and search engine optimization will all help you fill your schedule with translation projects.

There’s a wealth of projects just waiting for your expertise. If you have good knowledge of an in-demand language, you can make a nice living translating websites. The start-up is low risk and you can get up and running without too much fuss. Here's to your success!

10 Quick Tips For Writing Your Own eBook

If you want to start making money from eBook sales, then your options are to outsource the content creation to a third party, or to try and write it yourself. If you can write the product yourself then this is actually the preferable choice as it will mean that you retain full control over the outcome of the product and that you can offer some genuine insight and something truly new. Hiring a writer will usually result in a passable book that covers all the basics, but if you have something truly special to say, you really need to say it yourself.

Writing an eBook is hard though, which is why you should follow these ten tips that can really help:

Plan a Structure

If you're writing a blog post then you can probably get away with making it up as you go along. With an eBook though, it really does pay to have at least a loose structure in mind first - so spend some time planning this out.

Read Other Books in Your Niche

This is a great way to get inspiration for your own ideas and to become better versed in the subject matter.

Write Every Day

Writing that much content takes discipline. Make your aim to write everyday - even if you only write a paragraph, that's better than writing nothing at all.

Add Images and Tables

If you want to add value to your eBook and you're not sure about your writing quality, then adding images and tables is a great way to give your product more bang for the buck.

Choose a Subject You Know

There's no point in writing something you know nothing about. Pick a subject matter you're an expert in - if that's your career, then that's fine!

Choose a Subject You Enjoy

More important still, make sure that the subject you're writing about is one you enjoy. That way, you'll be more motivated and your enthusiasm will come across in your writing.

Pick a Small Niche

That said, writing a fitness book will mean going up against every other eBook author on the planet. Try to pick a niche that's less saturated, with a clear route to market.

Get it Proofread

Even if you're the best writer in the world, it's very difficult to spot your own typos and errors. Hire a proofreader to ensure absolute professionalism.

Focus on the Value Proposition

Your value proposition is defined as the way in which your book is going to change the life of the person reading. Will they be richer? Stronger? Smarter? Famous? Focus on this and tie each point into that.

Say Something New

Finally, make sure to say something new. Don't just rehash old ideas - come up with something that's completely your own!

How to Make a Living Selling Your Inventions

You’ve invented something that you believe will benefit thousands of people. Congratulations! Now you have many decisions to make. The most important being: how are you going to profit from your invention?

This article is here to help. Making a living selling your inventions doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Here’s how to do it.


#1 Identify your target audience

The key to success for your invention is to determine who will benefit from it. What problem does it solve and who does it solve the problem for? Once you identify your target audience it will help you decide the best method for selling it. Identifying your target audience will also help you market your invention successfully.

#2 Determine the best selling approach

There are a number of ways you can sell your invention. They include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Selling at local fairs, trade shows and kiosks
• Licensing - you own your invention and rent the right to make, use or sell it in exchange for a royalty payment
• Private label agreement – you essentially sell the rights to sell your product to one retailer
• A joint venture
• Selling online

Depending on your invention you may need to find a manufacturer to produce it. This can be expensive, so plan your business and your projected earnings well. Don’t manufacture more than you can sell. Licensing and partnership agreements may help you cover the cost of the manufacturing initially.

#3 Set up an online store

Of all the methods to sell your invention, an online store may be the easiest and most profitable. You can market, fulfill and distribute - all from your website. Additionally, this eliminates the need to find office or retail space.

The key to successfully selling your invention online may rest with your marketing. It’s important to create a buzz for your invention. Issue press releases and have a presence on local media. Get out into your community and online. Cater to your niche.

For example, if your product solves a problem for new parents, then join forums and chat rooms where new parents hang out. Advertise on websites for new parents, and in magazines. You can make money from your invention, however, your profits and success will rest on a few key decisions.

Research your market. Identify your target audience. Once you know who they are, you can position your invention optimally. Then create a solid business plan. Make sure it outlines where and how you’re going to sell your product. Include goals and a plan to achieve those goals. Then get out and market your invention. You’ve created a wonderful product. Share it with the world and enjoy the profits!

How to Select a Profitable Affiliate Program

Affiliate marketing has been, and still is, a profitable business model. Whether you’re pursuing affiliate marketing as a retirement business or are looking to add a few affiliate products to your current business model, there are some secrets to selecting a profitable affiliate program.

1. Check out their reputation in the industry. There are literally thousands of companies around the world with affiliate programs and chances are you’ll have plenty to choose from in your business niche. However, not all of them are created equal and it pays to be selective.
  
One key way to make sure you’re signing on with a profitable affiliate program is to research their reputation in the industry. Do they have a reputation for quality products? Do they have a reputation for good customer service? Are they respected? Is the company growing or is it on a downward turn?

2. What are their payment terms? Does the company pay you whenever you make a sale or only when you reach a certain level of sales? This is important because if you have to wait until you make ten sales or reach $500, this affects your cash flow. Cash flow is important, not only in staying afloat as a business owner but also in staying profitable. Make sure the payment terms of your chosen affiliate program meet your cash flow needs.

3. What are their sales pages like? If you’re being paid per sale, rather than pay per view, there’s no profit in sending 1000 customers to an affiliate sales page if the sales page doesn’t convert visitors into customers. Make sure the sales pages of your affiliate product or service convert traffic into sales.

4. What materials do they provide you to promote? Some affiliate programs give you an affiliate link and send you on your way. Other affiliate programs offer you a wealth of content, advertisements, promotional materials, buttons, and more to promote their products. The more materials a company provides, assuming it's quality marketing material, the easier it will be for you to make money.

5. How do they treat their affiliates? This is important. When issues arise or when you need to speak to an affiliate manager about anything, is there someone available to help you? Look for companies that have a good reputation for treating their affiliates like the valuable assets they are. If you have questions about whether an affiliate program is the right choice for you, contact them.

6. Do you feel good about their products or services? Instincts and intuition are important, and so is your ability to sell or promote an affiliate program’s products and services. If you’re unable to promote them with enthusiasm then you’re probably not going to make much money from them.

7. Does the program compliment your other affiliate programs? This may seem obvious; however, the best way to make an affiliate program profitable is to make sure it fits into the needs of your audience and that it compliments your other affiliate programs. If you’re seeking your first affiliate program, then make sure it fits your business vision.

Finally, ask around if you have questions about an affiliate program’s potential profitability. If you cannot find anyone who represents the products, which you should be able to do with a quick search online, then contact the program manager and ask for a few references or the contact information of a few affiliates. Talking to these affiliates will likely answer any questions you may have.

How to Turn Your Jewellery Making Hobby into a Successful Retirement Business

Do you enjoy making jewellery and wish there was a way to make money from it? Good news - there is. You can turn your jewellery making hobby into a successful retirement business.

Full time, part time or somewhere in between, you can create a business selling your jewellery. Here’s how to get started:

#1 Research your competition and your market. The first step to creating a successful business is finding a unique niche or market. If you make a variety of jewellery types and styles, then there’s a great chance you can find a unique niche. Research online to learn who your market is and who your competition may be.
In addition to researching jewellery websites, also visit etsy.com, eBay and other seller websites to see what’s available there. Based on your research, determine the approach you want to take. Do you want to specialize in single stone rings? Do you want to specialize in zodiac jewellery? Or wedding jewellery?  What’s your unique niche?

#2 Create your inventory. In addition to having a range of stock to sell, you can take photos of your items for your online catalogue. Potential customers will want to see samples, and the photos of your jewellery will motivate them to purchase. Have fun with this part of the business-building phase and do your best work.

#3 Price your jewellery. This is the fun part - don’t underprice your jewellery because you want to sell it. Price it for what it’s worth, price it to make a profit, but price it competitively. This will require a bit of research.

#4 Create your website, or have someone create it for you. Your website needs to accomplish several goals. It needs to market your business and your jewellery and provide the opportunity for people to order your creations and pay for them. This can be accomplished by using several approaches, including ensuring your website has search engine friendly content, a product catalogue and information about you and your art. You’ll also need some way for people to order jewellery, a shopping cart system, and a fulfilment procedure.

#5 Consider creating stores on other websites like etsy.com, eBay, or even Amazon.com. These sites offer you the ability to create ‘stores’ and they manage the shopping cart and search engine aspect of business. It can be a great way to start out.

#6 Market your jewellery. There are various ways you can market your business. In addition to creating stores on the websites mentioned in #4, you can also advertise online or utilize content marketing and search engine optimization tactics to drive traffic to your website. However, don’t forget your community. Friends, family, and local advertising can be a wonderful way to get your first few clients. In fact, word of mouth is one of the best marketing tactics there is.

For example, you could host a home party to sell your jewellery, or give it to family to wear with the agreement that they hand out your card every time someone compliments them on their jewellery.

I hope that's convinced you to give it a go!  Launch your business, get your beautiful designs out there and make money from your jewellery hobby. Have fun with it and enjoy the process.

How to Become a Ghost Writer

Being a ghost writer can be the best of both worlds. You have the opportunity to work from wherever you want, doing something you love to do. And because you hand over the finished product to your customer, you're relieved of the marketing and publicity tasks associated with successfully publishing a book.

Top that off with the fact that ghost writers have the ability to learn about a wide variety of industries and that the pay can be pretty darned good, and you have the makings for a perfect encore career choice. So how do you become a ghost writer?

#1  Choose your niche and business model. Are you going to write on a variety of topics or will you specialize? For example, you can become a health writer. Additionally, will you ghost write any type of content i.e. articles, blog posts, books and reports, or will you specialize in one particular type of content? It’s important to decide this in advance because it will help you not only hone your skills but also market your services and assess your competition. You can always expand your services or reduce them as your business grows and changes.

#2  Become an expert. The only way to prove you’re worth your salt as a writer is to write. And the only way to become better as a writer is to write. If you’re going to focus on a specific industry or topic (and this is strongly advised because it enables you to focus your marketing efforts), then you’ll want to gain recognition in your niche. That means publishing articles, reports and maybe even a book on the topic.

Don’t worry though - publishing can be a very straightforward process. The internet has made the process of self-publishing easy and very accessible. 

#3 Create a portfolio. Using the content you’ve published and other samples of your work, you’ll want to create a portfolio of samples your potential clients can review. This can be a labour-intensive process; however, it’s worth the effort.

#4 Create a website. One of the benefits of working as a ghost writer is that you can work from anywhere and your clients can be half way around the world. That means, it pays to have a website which outlines what you do, how to contact you, what you charge and provides a glimpse into your portfolio.

#5  Begin marketing your business. Some ghost writers make a very good living through a bit of networking and word of mouth. And if you’re a skilled writer, you can fill a year with projects with very little marketing effort. However, it always takes a bit of marketing to get your business off the ground, and it pays to have some sort of marketing strategy to fill in the gaps. Clients come and go, and a solid marketing strategy will help you replace them without too much stress or effort.

Again, one of the best ways of marketing your ghost writing business is to write and publish. Article marketing, for example, enables you to drive traffic to your website. You may also want to attend industry events and introduce yourself to people you’d like to work with.

#6  Continually strive to improve your skills. That means not only staying on top of your chosen niche industry, but also improving your writing skills. Attend conferences and workshops, read publications on writing and consider working with a writing coach.

Being a ghost writer takes a combination of writing skills and business skills. You’re offering a service and, if you remember to balance that with being a good writer, you’re well on your way to a successful ghost writing career.

How to Find a Great Virtual Assistant

A good virtual assistant can be the answer to an online marketer’s prayers. However, finding a good virtual assistant isn’t always easy. You want to find someone who can handle your tasks competently and professionally. You also want someone who is easy to communicate with and charges rates you can afford.

Here’s how to find a great virtual assistant:

Step One: Define what you need. Before you go on a hunt for someone to help you, determine exactly what you need help with. Each VA is going to have their own strengths. Some virtual assistants might offer a variety of services ranging from basic to quite technical and complicated. Other VA's may specialize in an industry or a specific type of service.

For example, one VA may specialize in editing, proofreading and transcription. Another may specialize in forum management or WordPress installation. In order to determine who to hire, you need to first determine what you need them to do.

Step Two: Begin the search. In addition to perhaps posting the job on classified job sites, social networking sites and your own website, start searching. Ask associates who they recommend. Use a search engine to find service providers. Start gathering candidates for the position.

Step Three: Narrow the field. Once you have a list of candidates, start narrowing the field. Use references and recommendations to shorten the list. Consider speaking with the top candidates on the phone to find out how they work, what their policies are and to see how they communicate. Half of an effective relationship is communication. You must be able to clearly and effectively communicate with each other.

Step Four: Test the waters. Ask the top two or three candidates to manage a small project for you. The purpose of this is to, essentially, test how you work together, how the VA manages the project and their professionalism. If you end up with two or three perfect virtual assistants, that’s okay. You can then choose the one that offers the best rates or the one that you most connect with personally.

Step Five: Keep your new VA busy. Once you’ve found a great virtual assistant, or two, then keeping them busy is a great way to keep them. Service providers need to keep their schedules full to keep their business alive. If they can count on you for a certain amount of work each week or month, they’ll make a consistent place in their schedule for you. This means you’ll be able to receive your projects on a timely, and consistent, basis.

Great virtual assistants can be difficult to find. Additionally, a good working relationship with a VA is a two-way street. You want to be able to provide clear and consistent communication about what you need accomplished. Consider creating a system for your virtual assistant to follow. Once you’ve found a great VA, take the steps necessary to keep them.

How to Think Like a Winner

Your mindset has a direct effect on your success in your retirement business. It also strongly influences how much you enjoy running your business. When you think like a winner, nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams because you'll take setbacks in your stride - dealing with them and 'getting back on the horse'.  Here’s how:

#1 Create a pattern of success

One of the best ways to think like a winner is to create a pattern of success. This is accomplished by setting goals and consistently achieving them. There are many ways to set goals. To achieve them and create a pattern of success there is a proven method. Create a realistic but motivating goal. Create a series of smaller goals to help you achieve your big goal. Plan how you’re going to achieve each smaller goal.

For example, if you were a business coach, your larger goal might be to have $100,000 in sales this year,  Then one of your smaller goals may be to launch either a service or information product each quarter. Plan how you’re going to launch your product or service successfully. Create measurements to determine your success. As you achieve each smaller goal, you’re creating a pattern of success. As you become accustomed to succeeding you’ll naturally begin to feel, act and think like a winner – because you'll be one.

#2 Positive affirmations

We all struggle with limiting beliefs and doubts. However, to think like a winner you need to think positively. Turn your fears, limiting beliefs and doubts into positive affirmations. For example, “I'm no good with money” can become “I'm in control of my financial future. I'm capable of success.” Repeat the affirmation each time doubt creeps into your thoughts. Make a habit of repeating the positive affirmation regularly. Make it part of your inner dialogue. Soon you’ll begin to believe and act like it’s true.

#3 Surround yourself with supporters

Make sure your friends, family and associates are of like mind. It’s unhelpful to give your attention to naysayers. Believe you can accomplish anything and surround yourself with people who feel the same. Positive and enthusiastic people are powerful. Their passion is contagious. When you surround yourself with these people you really can accomplish anything.

Finally, accept that some days are going to be more difficult than others. Instead of fighting these days (or longer time periods), experience them with an open mind. Embrace them as learning periods and persevere. Winners aren’t people who never fail or struggle. Winners are people who persevere.

Set goals, maintain a positive mindset and create a strong support network. You're a winner. Always remember that.

The importance of good customer service

In today's increasingly competitive business world, every company needs to stay on their toes in order to survive in the long term. One way to separate your business from its competitors and build a brand that stands the test of time is to direct more of your focus to customer service. Where many of your competitors are likely looking to cut customer service down to a minimum in order to maximize short term profits, it may actually be a better idea to do the exact opposite and focus on building long term value and a large, loyal customer base.

It's true that offering only the bare minimum of customer service is likely to increase profits in the short term. You could get away with doing the bare minimum, and, as long as you cover the basics, you won't have too many disgruntled customers complaining about your company. However, it's also likely that the customers who are forced to deal with that subpar customer service will probably not return to buy more from your business. They also won't be recommending you to their friends anytime soon.

Contrast that with a situation where they received a hugely positive impression of your customer service - maybe you went above and beyond their expectations, taking every step necessary to guarantee their satisfaction. In that situation they're definitely more likely to become return customers, coming back to buy more from you, time and time again. Most likely they'll also recommend your company to everyone who'll listen, and, in the end, you may receive a handful of loyal customers just from one perfectly-handled customer service situation.

As you can see, offering great customer service is likely to lead to increased profits over the long term, even if it costs a bit more upfront (and requires a bit more effort to pinpoint what works and what doesn't). This is a tradeoff that most businesses should be more than willing to make. What good does it do to make a few extra bucks today if your business isn't going to be here tomorrow?

The sad thing is: many businesses fail to consider this, and, as customers, we're often forced to deal with poor customer service from a variety of companies. The main offenders are usually large corporations who care more about next quarter's profits than their customers, but even some smaller companies fall victim to this mentality. Don't be one of them!

How to Turn Your Ideas into E-Books

Information marketing is a wonderful retirement business model. It can be quite lucrative as a standalone business and you can also incorporate it into an existing business model for more profits and credibility.

However, sometimes taking that leap from idea to e-book can be quite a challenge. Here are a few ideas to get your idea turned into an e-book reality.

#1 Get someone else to write it. No, we’re not talking about hiring a ghostwriter, though that’s certainly an option. Some of the best e-books are actually collections of articles written by industry experts.

For example, if you have a website devoted to dog training and want to write an e-book about training your dog unusual tricks, you could ask ten animal trainers to each contribute their favorite trick to the book. Each dog trainer would get exposure for their business in the book and you’d get a complete, and quite valuable, e-book to sell. And you didn’t have to write a single word!

#2 Break it down. Sometimes the hurdle between book idea and actual product is a feeling of being overwhelmed. There’s an easy way around that challenge. Break your main topic into ten to twenty supporting topics. It may be easier to pose them as questions.

For example, an e-book on sales techniques might have the following supporting points or chapters:

• What are the benefits of better selling?
• How do listening skills play a role in increased sales?
• How important is relationship building?
• Should I network for more sales?

Each of these supporting chapters can then be divided even more into ten or more supporting points. Thus, for a ten chapter book you end up with 100 smaller, almost article size, topics to address. It makes writing a book much more manageable.

#3 Turn to audio. Some people just don’t have the time or the inclination to write a book, but still want the results. No problem. You can create an audio file instead. There are actually two ways to approach this. You can interview people on your topic, have the interviews transcribed, edited and polished. Then compile them into an e-book format.

Or you can simply speak your book and then have someone transcribe it and edit and polish it into an e-book. For some, it’s easier to flesh out their ideas if they’re talking. If this is you, consider recording your book instead of putting fingers to keyboard. Additionally, there is software like Dragon Naturally Speakingthat will transcribe your audio for you. This saves you the cost of a transcriptionist, though you may still want to hire someone to edit and polish your book.

Finally, though we did mention it in the beginning, if you do have an idea for an e-book but don’t have the time or inclination to turn it into a reality, then consider hiring a ghostwriter. Look for one who is experienced with writing books. Discuss your needs and work together to turn your idea into e-book profits.

How to Make Money on the Internet

The Internet has changed the world.  You can shop for practically anything online. You can learn practically anything online. Children do homework and even go to school online.

The Internet has also opened up an entirely new way of doing business. In fact, there are many ways you can make money on the internet and for Baby Boomers who need or want to continue to work (in some capacity) after retirement, the idea of starting their own business via the Internet is an intriguing prospect.  Let's take a look at some of the most popular ways to make money online...

Affiliate Marketing

This business model is one of the most popular. It’s also one of the easiest ways to get into Internet marketing. An affiliate marketer earns money by pre-selling products or services for other companies.

An affiliate marketer begins with a niche - a specialty topic. You then create a website based on that topic. You provide an abundance of article content and information about that topic. This draws traffic to your website. You promote affiliate products by writing information about the products or services you’re representing.

For example, you could create an affiliate website on slow cookers. The content you create on your website could range from reviews of slow cookers to slow cooker recipes or unique ways to use your slow cooker. In the review articles and other content you include a text link or two to the company’s sales page. For each slow cooker you sell, you earn a commission.

Information Marketer

Information marketing, like affiliate marketing, is a fairly easy way to make money on the internet. However, unlike affiliate marketing, as an information marketer you’re creating your own information products and promoting them online. Information products are products that provide information. They include books, videos, online courses and even seminars and workshops.

Like an affiliate marketer, the key to success is to choose a specialty topic or niche. Create content to support that topic and draw traffic to your website. You can then build an opt-in list and begin marketing your information products to your visitors.

Ecommerce

Ecommerce is essentially selling a product online. You can sell a handmade product such as jewelry or bath products, or you can become a representative for another company, or manufacture products. Many internet business owners are artisans. They create what they sell online. There are sites that support this type of business owner. They include but certainly aren’t limited to Etsy, Foodzie, eBay and so on. You can use these ecommerce sites to create a store, or you can create your own website to sell your merchandise.

Service Provider

Finally, the other major business model is to become a service provider. This is a great way to make a supplementary income or to create a full-time business. You can provides services ranging from freelance writing, administrative help, graphic design, personal coaching, or even health and fitness training.

If you have a background in a service, consider creating an online business around that experience. You’ll market your business with a website. It’s a great option because you can choose your hours, your clients, set your own rates and make a living helping other people while doing something you enjoy.

We’ve covered four of the most common types of Internet business models. However it’s not an exhaustive list and, if you’re interested in making money online, start by taking a look at your skills, interests and then try to match them with what people need. Design a business that helps solve a problem and you’re off to a great start.