By Gerald Shaw
[November 1st, 2000]

See Also   Why You Need an Add URL Page   A Tale Of Two Sites   Don't Duplicate...Differentiate!   The Continuing Battle Against Online Fraud   Taking Care of the Pennies   How To Recession-Proof Your Business   Your Fulfillment Choices   The Silent Thief - How to Get Rid of TopText   A Checklist for Accepting Credit Cards Online   Five Questions That Will Help YOU Succeed Online   Back To "E" Basics   Beyond SET: Enhanced Security for Online Transactions   Just How Serious is Online Fraud?   Your Direct Channel to Customer Service   Online Customer Service: Best (and Worst) Practices   How to Survive the Dot.Com Shakeout   Step-by-Step to Your Own Profitable Web Business   Where Do Average People Find Business Success?   What's REALLY Required To Start An Online Home Business?   CRM in SmallBiz: Disappointing Misconceptions

[This is the second part of a two part article. The first part can be read here].

7) Your own business model. Many people say for true financial independence you need your own products or services. I say that's rubbish. Instead, what's more important is you have your own *Business Model*.

What I mean is a definite model that you'll work with. If you can successfully market "on the shelf" sites and integrate your affiliate alliances, then there's no reason why you can't produce just as much success.

What's important is that you have a plan to stick to, a business model to work from and a good idea on how you're going to get there. It's common sense.

8) Products or services to sell. These can either be your own, or an existing product line that plugs in well into your own business model. You should give your Website model a theme (for instance, golf) and then you may find that other sites exist that can supply the products you require for your own Website.

Alternatively, your Website may be geared towards another sales vehicle (such as advertising revenue) which will require your own unique plan for success.

9) Your own domain name. You can get a domain for approx. $11 from Joker.com now and hooked up to a Web hosting company for less than $20 a month. Why would you put your own professionalism in jeopardy for the sake of less than 200 bucks a year?

Even if you don't use your Website as a direct sales vehicle, it'll provide you with a new professional foundation needed to effectively start your business.

10) Money. I won't lie to you, you're not going to get anywhere without at least some investment. It may not have to be a lot (depending on your business model). I started with $500 and now can produce that back every single day online. But joining a free affiliate program with your free URL won't get you anywhere. Just like a "real world" business, there are certain overhead costs that just can't be avoided.

11) Common sense. It's amazing how many people seem to lack this. They join a free affiliate program, grab a free Website and promote on search engines and newsgroups... using spam and FFA links, then wonder why they're not yet rich. Here the truth:

The Internet is a communication's medium and nothing more. The rules of good business practice still apply, the only difference is that the economy has changed and introduced the potential for much greater success through ease and cost efficiency of customer reach and the ability to use technology in a big, big way.

You still need to think and act like a business. This one point, unless fully grasped, causes most failure.

12) Contacts. As you go down the route of success you'll network with many people and develop contacts in the industry. If it wasn't for a small group of people I was fortunate to meet along the way, I wouldn't have made so many profitable business alliances. Network, network, network! Once known, your name will be said with respect.

There you go, my "12 points of success". Of course there are MANY individual sub-topics (which is what makes Internet marketing so huge) like good Website design, the right marketing knowledge, the ability to put technology to use, etc. But it's up to you to learn these aspects.

With the desire to succeed, the constant motivation and the willingness to learn, you're limited only by your own mind. Success awaits, you just have to know how to grab it.

Want to hear something crazy? The author of this article, Gerald Shaw, turned his crack-pot marketing skepticism into a $200K per year venture! Learn how for free by contacting him directly.