7 Tips On How To Start An Internet Based Business On A Budget

If you are eager to look at the opportunities that starting your own internet based business can provide but money is a problem that doesn't have to stop you from getting started.There are ways to run an internet based business with little or no money until you are earning an income from it.

I recommend that when you start out this way you make a commitment to put back all the money you earn into your internet business because you cannot survive on free or low cost forever!

1.Start a blog and add advertising on it.
This is the easiest way to start an internet based business if you have little or no budget.You sign up at one of the many free blog providers and add advertising to your blog.

A low cost option is to buy yourself a domain and some hosting and run your blog from your own server.This provides you with more flexibility and with a domain costing $10-15 a year and hosting $50-90 a year this is still very low cost and so will suit anyone looking to start an internet based business on a budget.

2.Affiliate Marketing
You can sell products on behalf of other people and receive a commission.
This is called affiliate marketing and you do not need to buy anything to do this.You simply register to become an affiliate and use your blog to promote the products by reviewing and recommending them.

3.You can write eCourses, Special reports, booklets
People love information and if you can provide information that really helps then they will sign up to receive it.
Again this can be done using your blog to save you needing hosting or a domain.You write a brief eCourse and then give it away or add it to your blog.In each of your lessons you recommend an affiliate product worth buying.When you do that and someone buys you get paid

I just want to add here that in writing your blog you should also focus on providing value.

No one wants a blog full of 'buy this' stuff so make an effort to provide information and content worth reading.

4.Open an eCommerce Store
If you are creative and have a logo or design you would like to see on tshirts this is a great way to do it.
You are given a free store and you add your image to different products including clothes and household goods like mugs, clocks etc.

5.Create your own social network
Social networks are hot right now because they bring people together.
You can start a free social network and invite people to join.You can include affiliate products on the site and include advertising too.Running a social network means you are also building a list of names and address.You will be able to email everyone that joins and send them information about affiliate products you recommend.You have to build trust with your network before bombarding them with emails about buying stuff and if you build trust first this becomes a great internet based business to start on a low budget.

6.Creating audio and video podcasts
People love audio and video.
You can start an internet based business on a budget by creating audios and videos then uploading them to your blog.Again, you can promote products and video is a great way to sell more affiliate products.For example if you are selling a piece of software, if you can show people how easy it is to use it in your video with a link to buy it that will be your affiliate link people are more likely to buy.

7.Running a membership site.This is a low cost option rather than entirely free.
You can enhance your blog (that must be hosted by you) by adding a membership site.There are tools available that you plug in to your blog that let you set up membership site features or you can buy a membership software solution.Doing that allows you enjoy a monthly income from paid subscriptions.If you charge $9.97 per month and 100 people sign up that is $997.00 every month!

There are many ways to build an income online and you need to spend time deciding which one works best for you.You can actually use a combination of all seven of the tips I have provided because you are not limited to just doing one or the other.

My recommendation is that you host your blog, find out what people want and write about it, sell affiliate products by writing and by creating videos.If you have a lot to say and some valuable information run a membership site too.

Starting an internet based business on a budget is possible and not having loads of money does not have to stop you from getting started.

About the Author

Online business building for mothers provides free videos, audios and special reports on how to start and run an internet based business.

Visit http://www.blogpodcast.net

Relaited Links:

• Professional Partnering The Key To Effective Growth For You and Your Clients
• The Right Way to Measure Your Customer Experience
• Can You Tell Me How Affiliate Marketers Use RSS Feeds To Make Money Online?

The Importance of Marketing Mix and the 4 Key Mix Elements

The marketing mix section of your small business marketing plan concentrates on the tactics used to achieve the marketing and business plan. Those tactics can be categorized as the four Ps of marketing: product, price, promotion and placealso known as the distribution channel.

A common analogy used in describing marketing mix is relating the mix in marketing mix as being the ingredients in a recipe: you need to get the quantities of each element right or the result will not be what you need or expect.

Consider the following questions carefully when you build your marketing plan:

When developing your marketing tactics for the product, you must consider the features, advantages and benefits of the product. Define all the characteristics of your product. Define and rank which are most valuable to your target market Why are they valuable to your market Define what is unique about your product and why it has a competitive advantage something that is not easily duplicated. Consider conducting a marketing research survey to test your assumptions. You may be surprised to find out that what you thought was important to your market is not. Make sure you can address all these questions in your marketing plan.

Pricing your product sounds like a straightforward process but the reality is that it is a very complex process. At what stage in the life cycle is the product Product life cycle stages will influence price. Are you the high cost, high value provider Or the low cost, high volume provider Does your product have unique attributes that can not be easily duplicated Does your product have a competitive advantage not easily overcome Are you trying to buy your way into the market Be very careful with this buy-in strategy --it is often very challenging to move a low price up. Is this product a loss leader for your sales of another, more profitable product There are still more questions to consider when developing your price and you must analyze each answer carefully before determining the price for your product. Typically it is a good idea to plot your price attributes on a grid - you can visually see where you are on a grid and better assess if that is the right place to be.

Promotion includes a number of marketing communications tactics. Should you build a direct mail program is your product conducive to a printed description; do you have a good targeted mail list Can you market your product online Are traditional advertising methods print, radio, television the most appropriate What kind of budget do you have Does your product have a strong enough brand If not focus on building a stronger identity and brand. How can public relations efforts help you promote your product Can you successfully participate in trade shows and industry events to sell your product How will you craft your sales story: from sales letters to sales pitches Have you build measurements into each of your promotional vehicles Do you truly understand your market and your audience Recognize that you will need to use more than one of these tactics to launch a successful marketing campaign.

Place is how your product moves to market. What distribution channel will you use Will it be a business-to-business channel or a business-to-consumer channel Will you sell using your own sales staff, or will you outsource sales and use distributors or sales agents Can you sell your product online or must it be offline and in-person Is your market geography wide or narrow What are the implications of the answers to these questions on your marketing mix

When building and creating your marketing plan you must consider these elements of your marketing mix because they will have a significant impact positive if well planned and managed; negative if poorly planned and not managed on your products success or failure.

All small business owners go into business expecting success; not all plan for success. Ensure that your small business enjoys success by developing a strong strategic marketing plan that includes a comprehensive marketing mix.


About the Author

Kris Bovay owns Voice Marketing Inc, the business and marketing services company. Kris has worked for, and with, a range of small, medium and large businesses and has been able to help business owners focus on their challenges and improve their business results. Kris has a masters degree in business administration, with a specialty in marketing, operations, planning and strategy. For more business advice, visit

Relaited Links:

• Law Firm Marketing Strategies to Use after Securing the Client
• Providing What Attendees Want at Your Trade Show Exhibits
• 5 Law Firm Marketing Tips to Turn Prospects into Clients