How to Start an Internet Business From Home

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How do I start an Internet business? This is a very common, yet difficult question to answer, since there are so many different kinds of Internet businesses out there. These range from huge Internet companies like Google, eBay and Amazon to small hobby sites and blogs. For the sake of this article I will focus on the smaller types of online businesses that you can easily start from your own home.

A Warning About Scams Targeting People Starting New Internet Businesses

Now I assume you are reading this because you want to start your own Internet business, but don’t know where to start. No problem with that; everyone has to start somewhere. The problem is that many unscrupulous Internet marketers prey on potential new Internet business owners with promises of quick riches. For some of the worst examples see: Get Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free, The 12 Month Internet Millionaire, or Project Black Mask.

Now, I have to admit when I first started thinking about starting an Internet business, that I fell for more than my fair share of these products. I bought eBooks, software programs and pretty much anything that I thought would make me a million bucks in a month. Pretty stupid, eh?

The fact is that most of these guides are total BS and include information that can be found for free all over the Internet. I personally guarantee that if you read this free blog regularly you will get more out of it than 98% of eBooks sold on the subject of starting an Internet business. This not to say that starting a business online is free, just that you should only pay for things that will really grow your business.

Now that you have been suitably warned on what not to waste your money on, lets look at a few simple Internet business ideas.

The Easiest and Cheapest Internet Businesses You Can Start From Home

There a probably hundreds, if not thousands of different Internet businesses you could potentially start from home. However, I have chosen to examine 4 different types of businesses that are relatively cheap, easy to start and have a proven track record. Obviously, this is by no means exhaustive list, instead it is designed to get your creative online business juices flowing.

1. Sell Your Own Products and/or Services Online

Summary: This is probably the most straightforward online business. You make money by selling your own products and/or services online, usually through a website.

Pros:The most tried and true method of making money online. A great way to expand your offline business, if you have one. Allows you to have more control over your sales process than some other types of Internet businesses listed below.

Cons: You have to already have or need to create a product or service people want. Depending on the product and/or service lots of competition may already exist. Generally speaking, higher start-up costs than the other types of Internet businesses listed below.

What You’ll Need: At a bare minimum a website and a way of processing online transactions. If you are new to building websites I recommend looking at Site Build It. I have used it for creating websites in the past and I can honestly say that it is one of the easiest ways to build a website.

If you already have a website or are going to have someone design one for you I also recommend looking at using bluehost.com for your web hosting needs. This is not nearly as simple to use as Site Build It but it allows far more control and customization. Again I have been a happy customer of theirs for over 2 years now.

Finally, the cheapest and easiest ways to process online transactions is either through Paypal or Google Checkout. I have personally used Paypal successfully for many years but I have yet to try Google checkout.

2. Start An eBay/Auction Business

Summary: This another very common way of making money online. You make money by selling products through an auction website, most commonly eBay. These products can either be your own or someone else’s. Also, you could do a something similar through selling things on craigslist.

Pros: Very easy to set-up. You don’t need to own or make your own products, or even own your own website to get started. If you do own your own products, eBay can be another potential sales channel.

Cons: Depending on the type of products you wish to sell, eBay can be very competitive. Also, if you are reselling products through eBay you may have to pay for storage costs. Risk of eBay scams so you have to be a bit careful.

What You’ll Need: Obviously the first things you will need, if you don’t already have them, is an eBay and Paypal account. Almost everyone pays for their eBay purchases through Paypal so it is a must.

Second, if you don’t already have your own products or place to buy things to resell, you should consider a drop shipping company. These companies will ship products on your behalf and you get to keep the profit. My personal favorite is Doba, which you can visit for more information on these types of products.

3. Create Your Own Content Website

Summary: This is becoming one of if not the most popular type of online business. Basically, you create a website on any subject and you can make money by putting paid links on it. The most popular way of doing is through Google AdSense but you can try other things such as affiliate programs.

Pros: Relatively easy to create and set-up. You can create a website on just about anything and make some money from it. You don’t need to “sell” to still make money.

Cons: Certain website topic niches are so competitive that it almost impossible for a new site to break in. Earnings may not be as high selling your own product. Depending on your topic area you may find it difficult to diversify your income.

What You’ll Need: The first thing you will need, obviously enough, is a website. If you have no idea how to create and monetize a website then I highly recommend Site Build It. It will take you step by step through the process of building a profitable website.

If you are a bit more knowledgeable about building websites and want a good web host I recommend bluehost.com. They are cheaper than Site Build It and offer more flexibility but you need to know what you are doing to make money using this method. If you do opt to host your website instead of using Site Built It I recommend you look at Niche Inspector to figure out what kind of website to build.

Finally, you should get a Google AdSense account so you make money of your website content. Also, if you want to find a good list of affiliate programs I recommend Allan Gardyne’s site associateprograms.com.

4. Create Your Own Blog

Summary: This is very similar online business idea to the one mentioned above. Instead of creating a website you can create a blog and still make money from it. Again the most common ways are through AdSense, affiliate programs and Payperpost.

Pros: Very cheap and easy to set-up. Like a website you can create it on almost any topic and still make some money. Also, does not need to sales oriented to still be profitable.

Cons: Needs to be updated regularly to ensure steady income stream. An increasingly competitive field, making it difficult to stand out. Less tolerance of marketing or attempting to sell things than websites.

What You’ll Need: You will need to create a blog. Free options include blogger (owned by Google) and Wordpress. However, if you want to start a serious blogging business I suggest getting your own hosted blog account on your own domain. Instead of having myblog.blogspot.com you will have myblog.com. This looks much more professional and in the long term will result in higher profits. My favorite solution for hosting blogs is through bluehost.com. You can create as many blogs as you would like and only pay $10 per domain name.

Finally, if you want to start making money from your blog you differently need to sign up for AdSense (see link above) since this is the easiest way to earn money from it. Other good options are Adbrite (An AdSense clone, with looser quality controls), pay-per-post and affiliate programs.

So there you have it 4 different Internet business ideas that you could start from home today. But don’t limit yourself just to the ideas I have listed. Think of creative ways of combining two or three of these ideas together and add your own touches. Remember the sooner you start the sooner you can succeed.

Is there anything you would like more information on? If so please ask for it in the comments section below. I will use your ideas to create new content here in the future.