Friday, April 12, 2013

The Internet has made freelance work easier


The life of a freelance worker before the Internet was very different than it is today. In the past, any freelancer would need great mobility or a very sympathetic pricing plan from their phone company. In order to get around to pitch yourself to potential customers, you would require boundless energy, and an ability to deal with being told “no” face-to-face or over the phone.

So much of freelancing is about speculation, after all. You can try and sell yourself a hundred times and could be told “no” a hundred times – and the chances are that you will get at least fifty rejections even if you are excellent. Although the Internet offers no guarantees of acceptance, it does make things a bit more equal for the freelancer.

There are many sites on the Internet that offer the opportunity for freelancers to pitch to potential customers on specific jobs. A searchable database means you can even check for jobs that match up perfectly with your own specific skills and abilities. You can name your price and tell the customer how quickly you can turn a job around.

The days of having to get out there, pound the pavement and then be told “sorry, we’re not interested” are more or less over. Not to mention, the Internet provides a truly monumental research tool for the jobs that require a bit of extra knowledge. The internet is nothing less than a launch pad from which to set your career in motion.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Using a Blog to sell yourself, or others


Having your own blog not only works in lieu of a website, to advertise your business or sell products, but you can sell for others as well. Online blogging sites, such as WordPress and Blogger, are now a major tool for savvy Internet entrepreneurs to make money.

Although there has been some criticism of the “blogosphere” - as some people will insist on calling it - for being a window on a world of moaning teenagers, the simple truth of the matter is not only are many blogs a more reliable news source than the mass media, they also present the budding businessperson with a way to get money coming through the door. All it requires is a bit of thought, an idea and the motivation to make it happen.

Blogs are easily navigable sites that are equally easy to update. So it is not necessary to have any great knowledge of internet technology to keep one running.

It can be used in one of two ways. You can make your blog a pure information/entertainment site that people will read for the enjoyment of it. A blog with a reputation can attract advertisers, just as any newspaper or magazine can, providing a source of revenue. Or, you can use the blog as a way of promoting a more conventional business.

If your blog gains a reputation for being something that a lot of people read, advertisers may well approach you, or you can approach them offering a not-to-be-missed opportunity to get their product advertising space somewhere people are likely to look. There's also affiliate marketing programs with Internet sites like E-bay and Amazon. This can be enough for an individual to live on, although this is not going to happen instantly.

A blog can also be used like a website to promote yourself, or any number of products that fit the blog's topic. Then all you need is something they are prepared to pay for – and that can be almost literally anything.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Use the Internet to sell your skills


Besides selling products, the Internet can be used to sell skills. Making money from the Internet can be as simple as selling what you do best; that one thing you do well that sets you apart from the majority of people.

What are your skills? If you are unsure, look at what you have done successfully in the past. What business have you worked in most recently, and did you do well at it, and enjoy it? If so, there is a clear indicator of what you can do well.

What were you good at when you went to school? If it was languages, for example, you can set yourself up as a tutor in those languages, or a translator. If you have a college diploma, even better. Few subjects you can major in at college are incompatible with making money.

It comes down, as often as not, to doing what you are comfortable with. Your instincts will tell you what the path to follow is. Then it is simply a matter of honing the business to your key strengths.

Then there's how much to charge. Being a sound business mind includes setting a price that will attract customers, while not leaving you short.

There is some trial and error involved in setting a price, but instinctively you will have an idea what is fair. Some quick research will tell you what comparable businesses are charging for similar services. From there it is all about working to your strengths.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Blogging for customers is free advertising


There have been people – many people – who have set up a website and expected it to become lucrative immediately; without putting in the time and effort to let potential customers know they're open for business. Compared to setting up a business on Main Street, the Internet can deliver results for a relatively small outlay of funds. An advertising budget makes things easier, no one would ever deny that, but it is certainly not essential. Blogging is a cost-free method that only requires putting in the time and effort.

The Internet is crawling with forums and blogs for just about any topic of conversation you can imagine. Certainly there will be a blog that discusses topics that have a connection to your business.

By registering on these forums you can make your business known to a receptive audience. Many forums have anti-spam measures that prevent you from posting irrelevant content or linking without context, but you are usually allowed to link to your business in the signature box beneath your posts.

Depending on the nature of your business, the possibilities for promotion on the Internet are many and varied, and they make for a real opportunity to drive your business forward, usually at no extra cost to yourself.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Advertising your business without the cost


Advertising your business is important if you want to bring in customers and be successful. There are numerous ways of doing this, some of which are expensive and others which, as a matter of relief to the person looking to get a business up and running quickly and on a budget, are free of charge. And, it can be used whether you want live customers to walk through your door, or attracting visitors to your website.

Free promotion of a business has its drawbacks compared to paying for it; it is less direct and will not be as prominent. On the other hand, however, there are clear upsides to free advertising. For one, well, it's free, and for another it's really quite simple.

Getting free advertising is something that need only take half an hour – and that is allowing for writing the advertising copy and ensuring that it looks good. There are sites devoted to free advertising, such as Free Advertising Exchange and Craigslist. Both of these sites simply require you to write a short description of your business, prices and some contact details so that interested parties can get details from you and arrange a deal. An online search will list many more such sites.

These sites make their money by placing advertisements on the site from companies who will pay for exposure in a setting where people are looking to conduct business. You make your money by placing an attractive advertisement that will make potential customers want to know more. After that it is a matter of handling enquiries and arranging deals. All of that for zero outlay, too. Isn’t it amazing?

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Tips and Tricks when designing a website


When setting up a website for an Internet business there are a few tips and tricks you need to be kept in mind. Certain dos and don’ts like these can be the difference between success and failure, and are the reason many companies outsource their Internet work to real experts.

The Internet is a serious business tool, and incorrect use of it can drive potential customers away. Keep this in mind when it comes to setting up a business website, and get unbiased feedback on it before you “go live”. It may take a bit of time, and may even require some spending, but the benefits of a good website are unarguable.

Having the content of the site written and designed professionally can be worthwhile. If you are good with words, it is less so. It is important to do as much of the work as you comfortably can. Badly worded text, however, can hold you beneath the water line.

A memorable URL for your site is also just as important. Trying to get people to remember a long website address is likely to result in them upping sticks and going elsewhere.

Try also to present a welcoming image on your site. Sometimes just being made to smile can persuade a customer to spend their money.

Other tips
  • Good spelling is an essential. The potential customer may have doubts about your ability to deliver a good service if you cannot proof-read your documents.
  • Readability is also important; no long, rambling sentences can be allowed.
  • A poor choice of color combination is also bad; navy blue text on a bright red background will not do.
  • Poor use of images is also dangerous. The wrong image, the wrong size, the wrong placement;  these are just three things that can make a potential customer’s mind wander. And if you let their mind wander, it may just wander all the way over to one of your rivals.


The site should also be easy to navigate and carry prominent contact details. Your potential customer may be very impressed by the flashing text and the snappy images, but if they cannot phone you or send you an e-mail, it won’t be much good to you. 

Friday, April 5, 2013

To be on the internet you need a website, or do you

The conventional wisdom is, "In order to make money and become successful on the Internet, the first thing you will absolutely need is a decent website." Admittedly, a website is what most people think of first when considering advertising on the Internet. And, things have certainly changed since the early days.

When the Internet revolution started web pages were simple text on a screen, with possibly a little bit of color and graphics if the webmaster was experienced. Now, with technology improving by the day, a basic website is not generally acceptable in business.

Information Technology classes in schools now cover Internet resources quite thoroughly, as the use of computers has been revolutionized by the Internet. The major reason people now use their computers is to go online, for any number of reasons.

Many people, particularly the youngsters, have some knowledge of HTML and in many cases can put together web pages that would have made the original experts blush. It is likely, then, you know someone with this skill – and for a good rate, they will create a website for you that will bring in plenty of customers.

With a numerous selection of website design programs available today, knowing HTML isn't even necessary. Also Google, for example,  provides a website section as a free service. With many templates to choose from, and other features, you can design a layout that best suits your needs.

If, however, you lack the creativity gene and don't have a friend or family member who can put together a good website, then you may need to outsource the work to a professional. This can be expensive depending on what you want, so as a holdover it is worth setting up a free blog.

There are many free blog sites available including WordPress.com (.com not .org) and Google. They can be customized to look like any other website, and will aid you in making enough money to pay for a professional to design your website later. You may even find it fun and simple enough to skip the website and say "I did it myself."

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The Internet gives you access to potential customers world-wide

The Internet is a global marketplace which allows people living in small towns in one corner of the country to trade with someone half way across the globe. Twenty years ago such transactions would have been enormously tricky and would have taken a lot of time; by which point a customer could well have reconsidered, or circumstances made the deal impossible.

With the increase in efficiency the Internet has brought it is now possible to move goods, services and money between nations at almost instantaneous speed. While this may have removed some of the browsing time, it does mean you can make money quickly.

Although there are many reasons why people go into business, we would be kidding ourselves if we claimed that there was not one factor which motivated business above all others; money. Being able to make money at the click of a mouse has made the Internet an indispensable item for those who have learned how to use it; and there are several businesses now which will not trade any other way.

The costs a business used to incur have disappeared in large part and every bit of money you make can be profit if you do things the right way. Advantages the Internet provides are really quite startling.

The Internet is a way for businesspeople to maximize their potential to make money fast; money which they can use to streamline their business further, make more money and make it faster.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Internet makes doing business easier, including getting paid

The Internet has made starting and running a business much easier than your typical bricks-and-mortar store on Main Street. You don't need a building, stock on shelves, or even a cash register. Getting started now requires nothing more than a computer, an Internet connection, a bank account and a PayPal account.

The online payment site PayPal has become hugely popular in the space of less than a decade. It is a way of transferring payments electronically from one account to another. 

The funds leave one person’s PayPal account and hit their intended destination almost instantaneously. The receiving account holder can then transfer this money to their bank account, or use the electronic funds to purchase goods or services.


While cash is still king, PayPal is now welcome on an ever-growing number of websites. The world of business is no longer impenetrable and murky; it is simple than ever.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

It's no longer a major undertaking to start a business

Starting a business today is not the major undertaking it once was. The large outlay of capital required to get a business going is no longer necessary, if you use the Internet.

You don't need to spend potentially thousands of dollars on getting a store on Main Street into operation, buying supplies and obtaining various government permits to operate a business. You can set up a basic website and potentially be selling in mere hours.

This means, essentially, the only thing holding people back is the lack of a concrete idea of what they are going to do, or sell. If you want to attract external funding, you will still have some hoops to jump through – but that is optional when your premises is in cyberspace.

You don't need to be a cyberspace genius to make money from the Internet. You can be up and running with a very simple site.

The best way to do this is to set up a blog. Sites like LiveJournal.com started the blogging boom, but others like Blogger and WordPress have taken up the baton. They have made blogs easier to customize, meaning even multi-page sites are not beyond a novice.

A page of information on the services you provide, another with a price list, and another with other pertinent information – customer testimonials, for example – can reach the Internet within less than an hour. And that is when you begin promoting your business in earnest. As you are on the Internet, this should not be hugely problematic.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Getting quick cash on the Net, without your own website

While, at one time, in order to sell ANYTHING on the Internet you needed a website; that is no longer true. Now, all you need is a computer, an Internet connection and something to sell.

It is often the case with a bricks and mortar business, you will have been selling products for months, or longer, before you have anything resembling a steady income. In addition to this, presentation is everything in face to face business and you can lose a sale simply because of completely superficial factors.

But, if you want to sell an item quickly, without a website of your own, the Internet has a major advantage; one you cannot afford to turn down. With the advent of sites such as E-bay and Amazon, which allow you to sell items with the click of a mouse, you can decide to sell something one day and receive the money for it the next.

This ability to sell something and see the money instantly may not be anything new, if one takes into account the existence of pawn shops. But, the ability to reach a much wider marketplace, and potentially get a good deal more than you otherwise would have, is something that was impossible prior to the Internet.

If you need working capital in order to take advantage of an opportunity, the Internet has made it a whole lot easier. People sell all kinds of things on the Internet; from extremely small, cheap items to cars and even in some cases their house. While selling your house is generally not a good idea in such a short space of time, it does show what is possible.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Making money online made easier with handy tips

By: Lisa Avery
While most people still work in some type of factory or office, more and more are earning a living from home. The internet not only allows individuals to access information at the click of a button, but it also provides an easy method for making money online; while sitting in the comfort of their own home.

In today's competitive world, everyone works towards making the most of their abilities. Making money online is like any other job that requires skills, patience, hard work, and strategy to make the best of the resources available. If done properly the benefits and rewards are bountiful.

How to Make Money Online
Sell Things - Selling things is perhaps the easiest and fastest means to make money online without much effort. Online forums like E-bay and Amazon provide a place on the Internet where a variety of products and materials are sold every day. These type of online markets have a huge following of buyers who generally look there first when searching for a specific item.

Anybody who wants some easy and fast cash can sell things from their own house they no longer need. That old saying, "one mans trash is another man's treasure" certainly applies here. If you don't want it someone else will.

Another option, is to setup your own online shop where you can sell your own products. But, you need an endless supply of product.

Write Online - People who have a knack with words can find easy jobs as content writers for various online forums like sponsored blogs and various websites. People who are good at creative writing can also write and sell e-books. This allows you to be a "published" author without having to deal with a publisher.

Creating Websites - Technology lovers who are skilled at designing websites could market their skills as website designers. Small brick-and-mortar business owners who want to use the Internet to grow may not have the talents to design a website. They will need a good website developed for them by someone. That someone could be you.

Affiliate Marketing - Making money online has been made much easier by programs like Google AdSense. Blog writers, for example, who develop a following will get paid a percentage if anyone buys a product from an AdSense ad on their blog.

E-mail Marketing - E-mail marketing is one area where online businesses will and should invest, if they can afford it. Getting their message to potential customers in their market is of ultimate importance. If this is something you're qualified to do, you can sell your services to companies that need original copy written for their E-mail alerts.

Learning how to make money online can help you improve your financial situation while working from home. The suggestions above are only a few instances of online money making opportunities.

About the Author:
Lisa Avery offers many useful tips on how to make money online. He recommends the purchase of a readymade website
that is integrated with multiple affiliate programs. If you want to learn about making money online, take a look at ScriptGalore.com for the right solution.
Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

The Internet, your personal money making machine

Some basics for the newbie

By: James Brink
Switching over to a virtual job has become more commonplace these days. The Internet has made it possible to make hundreds of thousands of dollars using just a computer. A decade ago, it was used primarily for chatting with friends, interacting via e-mails and listening to music. However, with the birth of new techniques to generate income, the concept of the 'internet' has changed completely.

It's wonderful to be able to work from home every day and still make a great wage. As odd as the concept was years ago, it is very common and very real today. The Internet has turned into a viable option for many to make money from the comfort of their homes. How difficult is it to make money using the Internet?

It is possible to earn anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. There are several domains that assist you with generating a significant amount of money. Article marketing, data processing, reading E-mails' and writing letters are just some of the ways you can turn your computer into a money making machine.

You can also become an online tutor and earn a decent income every month. Online Tutoring, or e-tutoring, has spread its roots in almost every town and city in the United States. Online Tutoring services are not just limited to a state or country; even the Asian countries have joined the e-learning industry. Outsourcing of e-learning services has become a trend these days.

The idea of being an affiliate marketer is not that hard to realize. By using smart strategies in advertising and Internet-based marketing, businesses can increase their profit margin in very little time. The sale of their products and offerings is dependent on the experts they use for online sales agents.

First of all, you need to research current opportunities available in the field of online marketing, affiliate marketing, article marketing and web site promotion. Many times we fail to recognize opportunities that can help us make some serious money using the internet. Be alert when searching for money making tools on the Internet.


How to make money with Internet videos

A guide to the best web sites that will enable you to convert your video into cold, hard cash


By: Mark Shapiro
Are you a moviemaker or video maker? Have you been creating and posting videos to sites like YouTube, Metacafe and MySpaceTV? You have been getting lots of great feedback, viewers have been favoriting your videos and sharing them among their friends, and maybe now you are thinking, how do I make some money on this?

You may be an upcoming video producer, videographer, or editor and you recognize the web is the wild frontier of video and film; now you want to get a piece of it. Or, maybe you are running a business and you're smart enough to recognize that maybe you can make some additional money by leveraging your products and services via web video.

Yes, you can make money in web video. You don't need to be a big-time producer with deep pockets. You don't need to have graduated from a top notch film school. You don't even need fancy video cameras and video editing gear.

There are various paths and directions you can take depending on what kind of video you are making and what your goals are.

For the professional video or filmmaker, the creator of short videos or independent films, the best choice is to hook up with a major content provider that already has a presence on the web as well as in broadcast. Companies like Atom Films, Break, iFilm and the My Damn Channel all buy and license video streaming content from professional video makers. See the list of Sites that pay for video at Internet Video Magazine.

These web video distributors license your videos to other content companies and also exhibit your film on their Internet site, sharing the various advertisings and licensing revenues they get with you.

Most of these types of sites run ads before your video, as well as a plethora of ads and banners on the web site. They have money coming in and realizing the value of well made content, will pay you for your videos and films.

Atom Films says, "We earn good money from those ads and we share a percentage of the gross revenue with content creators. That money is paid out according to the relative popularity of each movie on Atom Films; so the more plays your movie generates, the more money you make."

Because companies like Atom Films also function as a source for video content to other media companies, they can pay you a slice of that as well. Atom Films supplies content to companies like Comedy Central, Spike TV, Verizon's Vcast mobile entertainment service and Bell South's web portal. These partners pay Atom for the content, and from that revenue they pay royalties to the creators whose movies are shown.

According to Atom Films many of their film and video creators earn hundreds of dollars, some earn thousands of dollars. The most successful creators have made tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

There are some sites that are actually pay per view and work best for content that is either informational like "how to do it" videos or travel videos, or contain "special content" that cannot be easily accessed elsewhere. Some of the leading sites for this are Veoh, BrightCove, VideoJug and ExpertVillage.
If you are running a business and want to promote it via video, you have a few options. You could use one of the pay per view services to distribute educational videos you produce. You could distribute and re-purpose your TV and cable commercials by posting them to one or more of the "free" video posting sites, or you could actually create a "viral" video that drives traffic to your site.

A great example is the "Will It Blend" series of videos by a small company known as BlendTec. Originally done as a one off joke video featuring Blendtec CEO Tom Dickson and his blending antics, it turned viral. The company followed up with an almost endless series of videos of him grinding up objects of all types and sizes; from marbles, to an iPhone, to a rake handle. It has become a wonderful advertising and promotional medium for their company and now almost everyone knows who they are.

Make Money with Online Music Videos
Many musicians are using web videos to promote themselves, their bands and their music. These can be a great way to build a new audience and get music enthusiasts exposed to their work without having to go through the music industry machine. Musicians can add links to their web sites on their videos to drive interest, or actually have roll-over promo appear when a web visitor checks out their video.

Maybe the most interesting channel to make money with your Internet video is by using sites that allow you to post almost any kind of video you create.

It can be a sophisticated, dramatic piece; or a video clip snippet captured from your camcorder or your video phone. As long as you created it, you can make money from it. Once it is posted, whenever someone clicks on it and watches the video, you get paid. It's all about driving content and eyeballs. Some interesting sites include YouTube, LuluTV, Flixya, Magnify, BlipTV, and many others. Also check out how-to video sites HowCast.

For example, BlipTV - Blip TV offers a 50/50 revenue share with the advertising that is streamed with your video. Blip TV says, "Blip.tv has built an open advertising marketplace where you can pick the video advertising company that works best for you. If you've got a hit show we'll even go out and meet with media buyers directly to get you a real, honest-to-goodness high-end sponsorship."

Another option is YouTube. They run ads with the videos and share the revenue with the content providers.

You've Got to Promote Your On-Line Video
Once you have your videos uploaded, you also need to promote them and tell the world they are out there. For example, one of my favorite sites is French Maids TV - The Viral Video of "How To" by French Maids. Their videos are everywhere; on BlipTV, on YouTube, etc.. According to Tim Street, creator and executive Producer, not only do they get paid to create these "viral" videos by each show's tech sponsors, they collect thousands of dollars each month through links on other web sites.

These shows combine a lot of humor and a bit of sex to promote the product or service featured on each clip. In addition to these natural hooks, he also promotes the show using RSS and podcast directories.

Tim said, "You need to make sure that you create a RSS Feed - a podcast of your videos. Then you need to get listed on all the podcast directories including the most important one of all, the one that can change your life forever, the one and only iTunes Store! Seriously iTunes has done more to promote French Maid TV than any other thing out there. It took French Maid TV a month to get listed on the iTunes Store. Three days later French Maid TV was number one and we had twenty thousand subscribers."

There is a lot of money to be made in online video. Whether you are just uploading short clips captured by your camcorder phone, creating infomercials or how-to videos, or producing creative and funny short films or indie full-length features; the online market is hungry for content. Check out some of these sites listed at the Best Web Hosting Sites page at Internet Video Magazine and find out how you can cash in on this opportunity.

==========================================

Mark Shapiro has been writing about, and promoting, consumer, broadcast and Internet Video for over 20 years. Recognized as a leading expert in consumer and business video trends and production, he has written for numerous industry publications including VideoMaker Magazine, Digital Photographer, and Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine. He is currently editor in chief at Internet Video Magazine.

Three reasons people do not make money with Internet marketing

By: Rich Ramalho
There is no doubt that making money online is not as easy as it sounds. Unfortunately many people are their own worst enemies. In this article we want to talk about three reasons people fail in Internet marketing online, and therefore never make any money.

When you first start off with your Internet marketing career it is very easy to sign up for various newsletters and RSS feeds. It can be one of the worst things you can do in the long run even though it is a great source of information.
  
The reason for this is, you will find yourself every day being hit up to spend money on the next great tip, or report, or e-book. You may be given new opportunities to make money that sound better than the one in your hand and you find yourself switching on a regular basis.

The first thing you're going to need to do if you plan on succeeding at Internet marketing is to focus on one opportunity at a time. You do this by becoming convinced that this is the best opportunity on the Internet today.

Then you spend all of your time and energy promoting your product or opportunity. As you begin to create your own mailing list and follow up and begin making sales you will find it even easier to focus on the opportunity you are in.

The second thing you must have is self-discipline. Self-discipline is something that only you can provide for yourself. If you're an entrepreneur in spirit then you will find it easy to get up and go to work every day on your Internet marketing business.

You will have no boss telling you what to do therefore it is up to you. Many people cannot deal with this freedom, and therefore they fail to get their Internet marketing business off the ground.

The third thing you must do is develop Internet marketing skills. Depending on the type of business you develop you may need to learn how to blog, do basic HTML, load an auto responder with messages, write sales copy or classified ads, and so on.

There is no right or wrong way to build an Internet business. But everyone that is successful, either develops the skills it takes to get to that point, or they outsource much of their business.

1.  These are the three reasons people fail in Internet marketing; they do not stay focused,
2.  they do not have self-discipline, and
3.  they do not develop the necessary skills.

Hopefully, we are not talking about you!

Top Success Coach Rich Ramalho invites you to visit his make money online website where he offers ordinary individuals a chance to work directly with him to make big money. 

How many ways are there to make money on the Internet?

There are many different ways to make money on the internet, as there are reasons. You may just want to supplement your regular income to help overcome the recession. Or, you may want to take the big leap and retire early. Whatever the reason, the big question is; "What can I do to make money at home on the Internet?" Here are some suggestions.

The first method that can be used is selling personal products and services. In this method, it is advisable to have an effectively working website. The website acts as an online shop or store, where visitors can buy your product or service.

The products sold can be both tangible and intangible. Tangible products include physical goods that need to be shipped, while intangible products include services and electronic products that can be sent over the internet, like software and E-books. The website should be designed to allow online payments for order processing.

There are other ways you can go about selling things online without having a website such as social networks, or open trading forums and auctions. Like eBay, for example.

Another method of making money on the internet is through the sale of a third party's products and service, known as affiliate marketing. In affiliate marketing you sell other peoples' products and services and you earn a commission for each sale generated. Select products and services you're interested in and promote them on your website, or on someone else's website.

For additional "How To" information on this subject go to Make Me Money on the Internet and download a free copy of the nine-part video series "Fast Cash, Make Money Today!" (a $97 value free).
Click here for YouTube review of the Fast Cash system.

You don't need a store on Main Street to be in business

Once upon a time, setting up a business meant opening up a store on Main Street where you could be seen by potential customers. You needed to order stock and keep the shop tidy, well-heated or ventilated, and you needed to always be there.

All of this meant starting to sell would be preceded by weeks, even months of extremely diligent work and with no guarantee of success. Anyone looking to set up a business would often decide that, on balance, the risk was too big. Now those problems are things of the past, and the potential businessperson can get things up and running very quickly.

The thing about “brick and mortar” businesses is they relied a lot on location and the other factors mentioned above. With the Internet your sales room can be a small study under your stairs and your customers can be anybody, anywhere.

There is plenty of technology available which allows you to process payments electronically from a customer’s credit card or online banking facility. Even if you are not in a position to do this you can set up a PayPal account and do your selling on eBay.

Scarcely any initial outlay for you, and potential for the money to come flowing in with scarcely any delay. And now, you can do business in your pajamas at 1:30 am. So many of the obstacles to someone hoping to make a way in the business world have been removed, and it is all thanks to the Internet.