How to start an online business : create a business around your lifestyle

206 Pages·2016·0.86 MB·English

by  Pelletier

HOW TO START AN
ONLINE BUSINESS
EMILIE PELLETIER
AUDIOBOOK AND OTHER BONUS
MATERIAL
Are included with this book:

Audiobook
Workbook
Book Summary
Building Authority and Credibility (PDF)
Guide To Setting Up HostGator and WordPress.org
Guide To Setting Up Google Analytics
List Of WordPress Plugins
You can find the link to download them at the end of the book (see table of
content).
Copyright © 2016 by Emilie Pelletier
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording,
or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission
of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews
and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Disclaimer
This disclaimer governs the use of this book. By using this book, you accept this
disclaimer in full.
The book contains information about entrepreneurship, business and marketing-
related topics.
Although I have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book
was correct at press time, I do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to
any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions,
whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other
cause.
Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, I do not
represent, warrant, undertake or guarantee:

That the information in the eBook is correct, accurate, complete or non-
misleading;
That the use of the guidance in the eBook will lead to any particular
outcome or result;
Or In particular, that by using the guidance in the eBook you will build a
successful online business.
In this disclaimer, “I” means (and “my” refer to) the author of this book, Emilie
Pelletier.
TABLE OF CONTENT
BECOMING AN ONLINE ENTREPRENEUR
CHOOSING A BUSINESS MODEL
FINDING YOUR BUSINESS IDEA
CHOOSING A NICHE MARKET: YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMERS
CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
DEFINING YOUR BRAND
GETTING PAST THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS
BUILDING YOUR EMAIL LIST
GETTING TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE
STARTING TO GENERATE REVENUE
SETTING A PRICE FOR YOUR PRODUCT
CONVINCING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS
GETTING FEEDBACK THROUGH TESTING
OUTSOURCING
WHAT’S NEXT?
HAVE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK?
AUDIOBOOK AND BONUS MATERIAL
Introduction
BECOMING AN ONLINE
ENTREPRENEUR
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Imagine working for yourself, with no one to tell you what to do. You take on
the projects that appeal to you most, and feel proud as you watch them grow and
add value to the market. If this sounds more interesting to you than working for
an employer, then you likely have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Perhaps you’ve always wanted to be your own boss, but have never started your
own business due to a lack of time, money, or even ideas. Maybe you were held
back by the fear of putting yourself—or your family—at risk.
However, it has never been as easy to become an entrepreneur as it is today. The
Internet has brought down most of the entrance barriers to entrepreneurship. You
can start building your business while still working at your regular job and only
investing one hour of your time per day. Plus, you have access to a massive
goldmine of information to help you succeed: podcasts, books, blogs, etc. You
can take advantage of listening to others’ experiences, and use this knowledge to
build your project faster and safer. What you need most is a deep commitment to
learning and the willingness to put some effort into achieving your goals.
The Digital Opportunity
What’s so special about an online business?
The cost of starting and operating an online business is minimal, as is the
financial risk factor. All you need to purchase are a hosting service (about
$5/month) and a domain (about $10/year). For the rest, it all depends on the type
of market or service you’re getting into, but it is possible to start with as little as
$100. Pretty incredible, right?
With an online business, you also have the ability to work from wherever you
want, whether it be your home, a cafe or a co-working space. You can choose
where to live—in your home town or elsewhere—and you have the freedom to
organize your schedule almost entirely as you wish.
No, you won’t have to be stuck in a cubicle all day long, eat lunch at the office
cafeteria, spend hours in traffic during rush hour, hit the gym at the same time as
everyone else and wait in line for the next available treadmill. Perhaps most
importantly, your salary won’t be limited to what an employer is willing to
provide.
The Perfect Business
In the early 1970s, finance writer Richard Russell penned an article entitled The
Perfect Business.[i] According to Russell, an ideal business:

Requires minimal labor
Sells to the world rather than a single neighborhood
Has the lowest overhead costs and capital investments
Generates an income that is not limited to your personal output (is passive)
Allows you more free time
Is portable or easily moveable (location-independent)
Satisfies your intellectual and emotional needs (provides fulfillment)
Does this sound like a professional paradise? It was probably difficult to come
up with a business idea that corresponded to all of these criteria in the 1970s, but
today, with the Internet, it’s easily achievable!
There are many ways to make a living online: monetizing a blog, offering
consulting or coaching through Skype or Google Hangouts, creating and selling
online courses, self-publishing eBooks, joining affiliate programs or selling
physical products through an e-commerce store. There are unlimited
possibilities, and we’ll explore the most popular and rewarding ones later in this
book.
The Online Business Blueprint
In this book, I have compiled all of the information about starting a successful
online business that I’ve collected over time so it can serve others. The book will
take you step-by-step through the different aspects you should consider when
building an online business in order to increase your chances of success. The
information is presented in a logical sequence, with each chapter leading to the
next. The concepts are not to be taken lightly; I can assure you that seriously
considering them as you build your business will save you time in the long run.
This is a book that I wish I would have read a few years ago. I now use this same
framework for all of my projects, even in the writing of this book. Of course, all
businesses are different, and not all questions can be answered in a single book,
but this does provide a solid framework to help you plan your project.
One last thing: In the many examples that will be given in the following
chapters, consider how you could use them in your field. As Andrew Lock,
online marketer, mentions in his book Big Lessons from Big Brands: “The real
magic happens when you think, ‘How can I adapt this concept for my
business?’” That’s a crucial part of creativity: using what is already there to
construct something new. While building your business, keep your eyes open
and stay curious about what others say or do. Paying attention to the dynamic
world around you will help to develop new ideas.