Sticking To Your Plan

By Edmund Loh

So you have a good idea for a business and decided that the Internet would be the perfect place to start it.

WAIT.

Having an aspiration is only half the battle. In fact, too many people start an Internet Business with only a hunch or a rough idea of what they plan to do. I’ve also heard that if you don’t know where you are going, you are guaranteed to get there!

I can’t stress how important it is to have a clear idea of your goal and develop the strategies to attain it. Too many people overlook that and that, my friend, is why they reached Nowhere Land in their Internet Business vehicle. Wouldn’t it be silly of you to climb into your car just to find that you don’t know where you want to go? On the same token, why should having a goal or financial destination be any exception?

And when times get tough (notice I didn’t say IF), you will have to be tougher. Tough times don’t last, tough men do. Many of the successful Internet Entrepreneurs you see on the Internet have been through tough times, in one way or another, before they succeed. Also notice that most of them coped with difficulties by expanding their Internet Business offerings rather than contracting.

So before you sign up with a web hosting provider, you will want to consider the following:

Know whom you want to reach
Just who in particular will you want to target? Remember that not everyone may like the same thing. For instance, if you are selling a manual on how to cook oriental dishes, then your targets are housewives and chefs. Obviously, don’t expect a 9-year-old kid to buy that product from you.

Tip: Look through Usenet newsgroups where people in your market find out.

Know what you want to accomplish
As discussed earlier, you have to be clear about your Internet Business goals. You will also want to make a one-line mission statement and follow by it. If you would refer to our mission statement, the aim of E-Biz Wiz Blog is helping you to start your profitable journey on the Internet.

Recognize Your Competition
This can be done easily by visiting their web sites or via search engines. You will want to know what they have done and make a list of things they do that you can do better.

Determine Your Internet Business Model
To date, there are 19 existing Internet Business Models. This will depend on the type of product or service you are offering. If you sell an E-book, then you will need just a Killer Sales Letter page to persuade prospects to buy your E-Book from you. If you are selling advertising spaces then you will need many pages of valuable content or write your own E-zine.

Know Your Product(s) and/or Service(s)
If you are selling more than a product, you must be sure that they are relevant. If you are selling E-books on how to be a cartoonist then they must all be related to drawing your own cartoon.

The important thing is not to rush to the Internet with an idea that isn’t well thought or planned out. You will most probably get bored of it quickly or get discouraged when you fail to put your bright ideas together.

As long as you have a business plan, people who will help you along and strategies lined up in place, you are more likely to stay with your Internet Business project through any ups and downs you encounter.