Internet Business Ideas - How to Start Your Own Internet Marketing Business.
So you're fed up with working for The Man, you hate the daily commute, you're tired of the office politics and you're sure there must be more to life than this...
Or ... your company has let you go because of the economy and you have debts piling up.
Whatever the reason, you're not alone. Thousands of others are in the same position.
For all these reasons and more, it's estimated that over the next 3 years more than 75 million people will start their own business working from home.
Whether it's to earn some extra money to tide you over these difficult times, or to create more financial security for you and your family, everyone should be making sure they have a Plan B - an alternative source of income.
If you've been racking your brain for internet business ideas but nothing seems to click, here's some good news:
There are a growing number of business opportunities that you can join that will provide you with help, training and a support infrastructure that will give you the best chance possible of being successful quickly.
They're known as Online Direct Sales programs or Online Network MarketingSome Helpful and FREE Resources For Internet Marketers
- Creating an Awesome Home Business
- Tips, techniques, tools and resources for anyone running their own online business.
I publish 2 or 3 new articles each week explaining different aspects of blogging and Internet Marketing. - Free Internet Marketing Report
- Discover different types of businesses you can set up online and ways to promote them.
If you've not run an Internet Marketing business before this is a great and completely hype-free introduction.
It explains some different types of business you can set up and different ways you can market them. It's packed with tips and guidelines on what to look out for and explains how to start earning an extra income with minimal outlay. - WordPress 101 - a FREE tutorial
- A free tutorial setting out how to install and configure a self-hosted WordPress blog.
It covers installation, configuration, plugins (a recommended set and how to install them), themes (where to find them and how to install them), how to find material to write about and how to promote your blog.
If you're thinking about setting up a self hosted WordPress blog, or just done so, you cannot afford to be without this guide!
What Are Online Direct Sales Programs..?
They are Network Marketing online, MLM online (the MLM industry has been around for decades, since before the Internet was ubiquitous) or variations on the theme.
They are also called 1-Up or 2-Up programs, direct sales programs, or network marketing programs.
The concept is that a company has a product or range of products that it wants to sell. Instead of selling through traditional sales channels it decides to sell through a network of independent sales people.
In order to support these independent sales people the company will develop a support infrastructure which assists the independents with marketing and promotion, tracking and following up leads, training and support, etc.
Joining up with these companies is then positioned as a business opportunity which involves you making an investment with the company up front. This gives you access to the support, the marketing and promotion activities and the back office system - and, of course, the right to sell the product or range of products.
They are also called 1-Up or 2-Up programs, direct sales programs, or network marketing programs.
The concept is that a company has a product or range of products that it wants to sell. Instead of selling through traditional sales channels it decides to sell through a network of independent sales people.
In order to support these independent sales people the company will develop a support infrastructure which assists the independents with marketing and promotion, tracking and following up leads, training and support, etc.
Joining up with these companies is then positioned as a business opportunity which involves you making an investment with the company up front. This gives you access to the support, the marketing and promotion activities and the back office system - and, of course, the right to sell the product or range of products.
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byThe Latest Internet Marketing Article From My Blog:
I publish 2 or 3 new articles a week - and this will be the latest one. Click the headline to go through and read the full article.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand bySome Powerful Ways to Get Your Business Going
Links to 3 articles describing how to find a market niche, how to market your business and how to make sure your site figures well in the search results:
- How to Find a Profitable Market Niche For Free
- A simple but effective way to find a profitable market niche
- How To Market Your New MLM
- Some different ways you can market your business
- How to Promote Your Site For Free - Part 1
- The first of a 6 part series I wrote on different ways to promote your website for free and get targetted traffic - the kind you need!
How Do I Make Money With These Direct Sales Programs?
You, as the independent sales person, are encouraged to build your own sales organisation (often called a downline) as well as sell the products themselves.
As a result - you get a commission on each new independent sales person who invests to join the company as a result of your activities, and a commission on all the product you sell.
This is also called commission on system sales (people who invest to join) and commission on product sales.
Why are they called 1-Up or 2-Up programs?
Because you usually have to forgo the commission on your first sale (1-Up) or first 2 sales (2-Up) as these are considered training sales. This commission is passed to your 'upline' - the person who persuaded you to invest and join.
Also - the people who join as a result of your first 2 sales (in a 2-up program) go into your 'upline's' team.
This process is repeated - so after your 'qualifying sales' you then get full commission on all new sales you make, and the new people in your downline pass their first 1 or 2 sale commissions to you.
Some of these programs encourage you to 'build deep'.
This means that this process of passing up commissions is repeated several times (often with a decreasing commission percentage) as your new member signs up their first new member, that new member signs up their first new member and so on.
This process can be repeated to 8 - 10 levels down in some programs
Other programs encourage you to build wide - meaning that you only get commissions 1 or 2 levels down (rather than 8 - 10 levels down).
As a result - you get a commission on each new independent sales person who invests to join the company as a result of your activities, and a commission on all the product you sell.
This is also called commission on system sales (people who invest to join) and commission on product sales.
Why are they called 1-Up or 2-Up programs?
Because you usually have to forgo the commission on your first sale (1-Up) or first 2 sales (2-Up) as these are considered training sales. This commission is passed to your 'upline' - the person who persuaded you to invest and join.
Also - the people who join as a result of your first 2 sales (in a 2-up program) go into your 'upline's' team.
This process is repeated - so after your 'qualifying sales' you then get full commission on all new sales you make, and the new people in your downline pass their first 1 or 2 sale commissions to you.
Some of these programs encourage you to 'build deep'.
This means that this process of passing up commissions is repeated several times (often with a decreasing commission percentage) as your new member signs up their first new member, that new member signs up their first new member and so on.
This process can be repeated to 8 - 10 levels down in some programs
Other programs encourage you to build wide - meaning that you only get commissions 1 or 2 levels down (rather than 8 - 10 levels down).
How Do These Programs Work?
In addition to the marketing and other support I mentioned above, most of these companies that are offering programs on the Internet will also build and maintain a landing page (sometimes called a splash page or doorway page) that is personalised to you.
This page contains promotional material and an optin box. Once visitors opt in they will find themselves in a (usually) very well designed and extensive website which does a great job of presenting the business opportunity.
All visitors that opt in through your personalised page are tagged with your company ID which they then carry with them as they move around the main site.
Any actions they take (requesting more information, requesting a call back or making a purchase) are credited to your ID - this ensures that your 'leads' are entered into your 'back office', where they can be tracked and managed through until they buy. And, of course, it ensures you get credited with the sale!
Many of these companies also have a team of trained professionals who will make the callbacks and talk to your leads who show an interest in joining.
This saves you from having to go through the potential rejections, or answering difficult questions, that's often associated with sales calls. It will also increase the chances that your lead will buy, since the people who are talking to them on your behalf are professional sales people.
All the technical details are taken care of by the company. They will build and maintain your landing page and the main site - so you don't need any web design skills (or any other technical skills).
All you need to do is build your sales organisation and promote your website.
So To Summarise:
These programs provide a great way for people who do not have their own product or internet business idea to get into a business of their own on the Internet.
This page contains promotional material and an optin box. Once visitors opt in they will find themselves in a (usually) very well designed and extensive website which does a great job of presenting the business opportunity.
All visitors that opt in through your personalised page are tagged with your company ID which they then carry with them as they move around the main site.
Any actions they take (requesting more information, requesting a call back or making a purchase) are credited to your ID - this ensures that your 'leads' are entered into your 'back office', where they can be tracked and managed through until they buy. And, of course, it ensures you get credited with the sale!
Many of these companies also have a team of trained professionals who will make the callbacks and talk to your leads who show an interest in joining.
This saves you from having to go through the potential rejections, or answering difficult questions, that's often associated with sales calls. It will also increase the chances that your lead will buy, since the people who are talking to them on your behalf are professional sales people.
All the technical details are taken care of by the company. They will build and maintain your landing page and the main site - so you don't need any web design skills (or any other technical skills).
All you need to do is build your sales organisation and promote your website.
So To Summarise:
These programs provide a great way for people who do not have their own product or internet business idea to get into a business of their own on the Internet.
What Are The Risks?
Martin's Health Warning!
As with any opportunity where you're investing money, you must do your due diligence!
All of these companies will require that you make an investment up front. Make very sure that you understand clearly what this investment covers!
For example - in addition to the initial investment, many companies will expect you to buy a stock of products that you can then market and sell.
Others will expect you to pay for training sessions, marketing support and use of supplementary systems which enable you to promote and market your business more effectively.
These may be perfectly legitimate expenses, but make sure that you establish all the expenses that are involved and take account of them when you're working out your business plan.
Some of these companies have gone out of business leaving members high and dry, holding stock that you can't sell or with uncompleted marketing support campaigns.
So you need to assess whether the company you're considering is financially sound or not and whether they have any insurance to protect you in the event they go out of business.
Here's a link to a bad news story about two network marketing businesses. This article also contains a link to the Distributor's Rights Association - something you should seriously consider joining if you're getting into network marketing.
You need to make sure that the products sold by the company you're considering joining are products you'd be proud to promote. Products that bring real value to people.
Better still if it's a product that works in both the online and the offline worlds!
You also need to check out the culture of the company. Do the same type of research that you would do if you were joining an off-line company... for example:
- What support do they provide..?
- What kind of training..?
- How open are they with information..?
Remember: There will always be people who try to twist the system to their advantage!
The Internet is full of less-than-ethical people (and organisations) who will take your money and run.
Which is no different from the offline world, by the way - it's just that we're often more comfortable in the offline world and our defenses are better practiced!
Make sure you understand all the costs involved and that the organisation you join is ethical, financially sound, has products that provide real value and delivers on its promises!
All of these companies will require that you make an investment up front. Make very sure that you understand clearly what this investment covers!
For example - in addition to the initial investment, many companies will expect you to buy a stock of products that you can then market and sell.
Others will expect you to pay for training sessions, marketing support and use of supplementary systems which enable you to promote and market your business more effectively.
These may be perfectly legitimate expenses, but make sure that you establish all the expenses that are involved and take account of them when you're working out your business plan.
Some of these companies have gone out of business leaving members high and dry, holding stock that you can't sell or with uncompleted marketing support campaigns.
So you need to assess whether the company you're considering is financially sound or not and whether they have any insurance to protect you in the event they go out of business.
Here's a link to a bad news story about two network marketing businesses. This article also contains a link to the Distributor's Rights Association - something you should seriously consider joining if you're getting into network marketing.
You need to make sure that the products sold by the company you're considering joining are products you'd be proud to promote. Products that bring real value to people.
Better still if it's a product that works in both the online and the offline worlds!
You also need to check out the culture of the company. Do the same type of research that you would do if you were joining an off-line company... for example:
- What support do they provide..?
- What kind of training..?
- How open are they with information..?
Remember: There will always be people who try to twist the system to their advantage!
The Internet is full of less-than-ethical people (and organisations) who will take your money and run.
Which is no different from the offline world, by the way - it's just that we're often more comfortable in the offline world and our defenses are better practiced!
Make sure you understand all the costs involved and that the organisation you join is ethical, financially sound, has products that provide real value and delivers on its promises!
Some Important Resources To Help You Start Making Money
To Market Successfully you need visitors to your site. Targetted visitors, and lots of them.
Here are links to two different but equally good ways of getting lots of highly targetted visitors:
Here are links to two different but equally good ways of getting lots of highly targetted visitors:
- 31 Days to a Better Blog
This is a Blogging Training course from Darren Rowse at ProBlogger.
Blogging is a powerful way to attract readers and searchers to your site, and this course from Darren Rowse takes you through 31 ways to improve your blog.
I completed this course recently and I do heartily recommend it!
Check it out here!- Powerful Training for Affiliate Marketers
This is the Wealthy Affiliate University for Affiliate Marketers.
A lot of the training is focused on PPC - Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing an MSN Adcenter.
But there's a ton of other stuff on Article Marketing, Email Marketing and Social Network Marketing.
The learning center contains 32 different courses which usually take from 1 - 3 hours each to complete and there are loads of other resources:- A Site builder
- An Article Writer
- Web Hosting
- Forums
- Personal Coaching
- ... and a whole lot more.
That's all included in your monthly subscription, which works out at less than $30 a month. It's fantastic value!
Check it out here!
Some Other Sources of Internet Business Ideas
The Internet Idea Book: 101 Internet Business Ideas for the Everyday Ordinary Person
Amazon Price: $20.95 (as of 07/04/2009) 
eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar Ideas: Innovative Ways to Make Your eBay Sales Soar
Amazon Price: $22.45 (as of 07/04/2009)
Street Smart Internet Marketing - Tips, Tools, Tactics & Techniques to Market Your Product, Service, Business or Ideas Online
Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2009)
From Idea to Launch at Internet Speed: How to Identify and Develop Profitable Opportunities
Amazon Price: $39.95 (as of 07/04/2009)
Creativity Sucks! How to Generate Million Dollar Ideas in 60 Seconds or Less!
Amazon Price: $22.76 (as of 07/04/2009)
The First Online Direct Sales Business I Joined
I joined the Global Abundance Program.
What attracted me..? A number of things:
These points were important to me - they may or may not work for you..!!
If you're interested to discover more, I have a website on G.A.P.. Check it out for more information:
Global Abundance Program
What attracted me..? A number of things:
- The commission structure that I described above has been modified by G.A.P.: instead of passing up your first sale commission to your upline you split the commission on your first 2 sales with your upline - this means you get paid from your first sale instead of waiting until your second or third sale.
This, in turn, means you will make more profit, more quickly. It's worth noting that G.A.P. was the first to create this modified payment plan, which others are now copying. - G.A.P.'s products are all about creating wealth, and they stand up on their own.
In fact, the two primary products (Mortgage Acceleration PLUS and Forex Trading) can enable you to create financial independence on their own - even if you never sell the business opportunity. - G.A.P. is committed to giving 10% of Corporate profits to charity
- The training facilities and programs are very good, and free - you have all the support you need to be successful in the business.
- G.A.P. is strongly focused on integrity and ethics in all things, at all times
- G.A.P. is debt free
These points were important to me - they may or may not work for you..!!
If you're interested to discover more, I have a website on G.A.P.. Check it out for more information:
Global Abundance Program
Some More Tips & Resources For People Working Online...
Fetching RSS feed... please stand bySome Random, Completely Useless Facts
Things You Can Annoy People With at Dinner Parties!
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- Please click this link and add a few brief comments that will help me improve the lens.
As a reward you'll get a backlink to whichever one of your sites you choose.
Thanks!
Thanks for dropping by - it would be great if you said 'Hi'
...and I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions!
martin70707 wrote...
in reply to JoDeeVale Hi JoDee, thanks for visiting and for the add! Cheers, Martin.
Posted June 15, 2009
martin70707 wrote...
in reply to Ms_Penny_Wyze Thanks for dropping in - glad you found it useful! Cheers, Martin.
Posted June 15, 2009
Ms_Penny_Wyze wrote...
Really good lens. Loads of information that will keep me busy researching. Thanks.
Posted June 15, 2009
JoDeeVale wrote...
Very nice! Great ideas! I have added you to my lensroll here:
Free Internet Business In A Box - Get Yours!
Posted May 19, 2009
martin70707 wrote...
in reply to InfiniteWebIncomeTeam You're welcome - I'm delighted it was useful! Thanks for coming by,
Cheers,
Martin
Posted May 18, 2009
by martin70707
Hi and thanks for stopping by!
I've been working online for nearly 2 years now. While I've loved every minute of it and learnt a truly enormous amount... (more)
