Every business, whether online or offline, needs a plan .
in this post I’m going to be talking about the five steps you need to start an online business
I don’t really like having to wake up by 5 am in the morning. Just because I have to catch the bus and get to do a job that is not mine .
I know there are a lot of people that relate to this statement. If you are reading this post, you will want to work for yourself!
They will like to have the freedom to get up anytime they like and to work as long as they want for themselves.
That is a great idea.
For a lot of people, it remains an idea for the rest of their lives.
they never get to start .
For those that are employed the reason is they do not have the time to put in to start a business online
HOW DO YOU START YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS
The answer is, just start! once you have discovered your Talents and have acquired some soft secondary skills to go with it the next thing is to start.
Before you start with the steps I’m going to give you please work on your mindset.
If you’ve not read my take on having an entrepreneurial mindset please take a look at it and then come back to this blog post .
A lot of people give up from their business after 1 to 2 years. I don’t want you to be that person.
That is why for me having an entrepreneurial mindset is number 0 before I start to give you the steps of building an online business .
FIRST STEP TO START YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS-WRITE DOWN YOUR PLAN.
Any business not planned, is a business that might not last.
Writing down your online business plan will give you a sense of direction. Also a guide on how to progress in your online business .
Your business plan is an executive summary of your business.It is an Entrepreneurship theory of what you’re going to be doing in practice.
In writing down your plan, you’re going to describe what your business model is going to be all about.
For example ,are you going to be offering Consulting services or coaching.? On the other hand, are you going to be selling physical products or digital products? .
When I first started my online business I did not write down any plan and that was really a gross failure on my part that cost me lots of wasted time.
When you have a well laid out plan ,you know how to set your goals according to that plan .
Your plan should also include designing a marketing and sales strategy for your business .
don’t forget to put in the financial cost of the business .
For example registering of your domain and your web hosting costs.
Possibly your marketing costs.
The cost of acquiring some extra online skills like digital marketing skills is also part of the financial cost..
You can get some tips here on how to write a business plan
REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS NAME
website registration is already covered when you purchase your Domain name.
This is the name people will use to locate you online.
I use Name cheap to register all my domains .For over 5 years I have not had any problems with them.
Here is a short video on how to register your domain name with name cheap.
most times you may not need to do anything else .
It is advisable to check with the laws of your country for any additional requirements.
If you will be making money on your website, it is advisable you register a company then open an online site so that the blog becomes just a part of your company’s overall operation.
I have a registered limited liability company.All my 4 websites are all parts of my company.
This is just to be on the safe side when it comes to taxes and so on
3 STEP TO START UP YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS IS TO GET HOSTING PLAN
When you have an offline business you need a physical place to host your business.
The place where you carry out all your services and sales of your product.
It’s the same process for an online business
You need a hosting company to host your online business. So that when people put in your domain name it will take them straight to your business site.
It is very important that the hosting sites that host your business is a very fast one ,
Nobody likes a website that takes forever to open.
I have tried a lot of web hosting companies since I started online business .
Eventually I ended up with siteground web hosting. In my 2 years of using siteground I’ve not had any course for worry .
All my Websites always pop up fast whenever I put them in Google Search .
Here is a short video on how to register for Site ground hosting
SET UP YOUR WEBSITE
After getting your Domain name and web hosting account,its time to set up your very own online website.
When you think of setting up your website, it sounds a little scary .Especially if you dont have any IT experience.
Dont let that worry you.I dont have any IT experience either but I set up this website from scratch.
Today it is quite easy for any body without IT experience to set up a website.
To make it even easier for you,I put together a free course on HOW TO SET UP A WEBSITE FOR BEGINNERS.
So take your time and go through the free video course.Before you know it your website will be up and running.
If you still feel overwhelmed,you can book an appointment or contact me
and we will help you set up your website
5TH STEP IN SETTING UP YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS IS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS
Now that your website is up and running,ITS TIME TO START THE REAL THING.
Having a beautiful website with a lovely theme and wonderful graphics is good.But that will not bring you costumers or make you money.
You now need traffic.Not just any kind of traffic.!
It is important for your website to be seen by the people that are interested with what you have to offer.
You must have heard the saying that THE MONEY IS IN THE TRAFFIC!.But I say that THE MONEY IS IN THE TARGETED TRAFFIC.
The only way to market your online business for targeted traffic, is to learn some Digital marketing skills.Digital marketing ,is wide and diverse.
It took me quite long to learn the different aspects of digital marketing. There are a lot of free and paid digital marketing courses online.
I put together a simple Digital marketing course that will save you a lot of time.
IN CONCLUSION
Thats my take on 5 steps to start your own online business.
follow theses steps, and with hard work and dedication,success will come.If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to comment below.
