Start An Internet Business

Sat 28th Oct '00 In this issue: 1. INTRODUCTION ==>Priorities, Time-savers, Comment. 2. PLACES TO VISIT ==>Web sites for you to visit. 3. TIDBITS ==>Business news and other interesting snippets. 4. TOOLS AT NOWSELL.COM ==>Useful tools to make your life easier. 5. MARKETPLACE ==>Check out special offers and deals here. 6. FEATURE ARTICLE ==>"Launching the Net Company" by Rob Spiegel. Scroll to the end for subscription details. o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o "WORDS MAKE SALES!" Selling software on the Net? Infoproducts? A service? If you want to sell more, use the right words. Because words sell, not graphics. "Make Your Words Sell!" will fill you with a mission-critical skill - writing to SELL on the Net. The one book that covers it all. CLEARLY and in DETAIL. Use it sell your products, or those of others. Or even use it to start your own copywriting business. Click Here X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X INTRODUCTION X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X Hello, Isn't it weird that the older you get, the faster time goes? Why is that so? It's beyond me! All I know is that we're fast approaching the end of October. Yet despite best intentions, I'm still behind schedule in my preparations for the holiday season (and it certainly isn't due to a lack of work!). Do you find yourself in a similar situation? If so, it's time to prioritize. Get out a pen and paper. Write down all your usual activities. Read over your list. Mark each item with an A, B or C according to its importance. Every day, concentrate on completing the A tasks. If you get all your A jobs done, move on to the B's. Only when these are complete, can you afford to attempt any C activities. I know writing lists can seem boring, but they really do work. BB Recently I was contacted by Mark Levine, co-owner of a string of web sites offering handy, time-saving services. Below you'll find details on two of them, Click&Inc and Click&Copyright. I think you'll find both of these innovative services well worth looking into. If you'd like to take advantage of the benefits that come with corporate status, the first of Mark's sites makes business incorporation a breeze. From $89 (plus state filing fees) Click&Inc provides online incorporation services for small businesses in all 50 states. What a great idea! The process is customized for each individual client, and all of the necessary documentation is provided for you. Documents are completed within three business days and you can make unlimited changes for 60 days. Click&Inc also has a small business center which provides sales and marketing assistance for clients. Plus, through a partnership with 4SmallBusiness, for a limited-time, Click&Inc are offering a one-year-free membership to the 4SmallBusiness Center. The $399 membership is free to those choosing the Ultimate service option. Take a look. The unique Click&Copyright service operates on the same principal - to dispense with all the hassle you would usually expect to face - enabling you to protect books, music, software or websites with ease. Mark says: "There is no faster, more convenient, or affordable way to register one's copyrights than through Click&Copyright. If you want to make sure you're filing the right form, don't want to tie up your printer running off your work, and don't want to have to go to the post office to correctly send your copyright registration and work to Washington, then we're for you. With just a few clicks of a mouse, our clients' creative works are run off by us, packaged up and sent to the U.S. Copyright Office via certified mail. The only time you'll lift a finger is when you click your mouse while completing our quick and easy process!" Sound good? Yes ... that's what I thought. And the cost? Just $39! See for yourself! BB In today's feature article, Rob Spiegel comments: "getting a business off the ground is no easier or less expensive online than it is off line." Whilst usually in complete agreement with Rob, I think this statement is a little misleading. When we consider the "time equals money" equation, it's undeniable that starting a business online is not as cheap as some imagine. However, depending on the nature of the business concerned, it can be considerably less expensive to "get the ball rolling" online than it is off. This is especially true for the small business owner, working from home. Most needs can be outsourced initially, with minimal capital outlay, whilst the cost of web hosting etc., means the lowest entry level for setting up shop is substantially less than with brick-and-mortar premises. On a budget, you'll be sharing your profits at every turn, until you can afford to invest on a larger scale, and bring essential components in-house. By that time, yes, the expenditure of your online business may well match that of those off line. Nevertheless, a great article that raises several pertinent points. Be sure to read it. BB Happy Diwali to you if you celebrate! Actually, that reminds me; I'm thinking of visiting India sometime in the first half of 2001. I would love to hear from any Biz Bits subscribers over there. Drop me a line and let me know whereabouts you're based and what you do online (if anything). Although I've previously spent 6 months there, that was over 10 years ago, and I'm sure things must have changed a lot since then. Some first hand information would be really useful. BB Tell me what YOU think! Send your feedback, comments, what you like, what you hate, etc., to me at: mailto:azam-nowsell.com TTFN Azam PS - Have you visited the Newbie Club yet? No matter how good you THINK you are with Windows, this is a site you'll definitely come away from having learnt something. Free guides, ebooks and tutorials, all bursting with pictures to make everything doubly clear. http://www.nowsell.com/go/to.cgi?l=newbie ----------------------------------------------------------------- Your Privacy: I greatly value your trust in me. I will never, ever, under any circumstances give or sell your email address to anyone. Period! ----------------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO GET TOP RANKINGS?? USE THE FAVORITE SOFTWARE OF SEO PROS! Submitting alone is not enough to bring new traffic to your site. People must be able to find your site in the top 10 to 30 matches. Check out the award-winning new product WebPosition GOLD which optimizes pages to rank in the top 10, submits, reports your positions, tracks your traffic, and much more. ZD Net 5 Star rating! Get your FREE download at: Click Here X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X PLACES TO VISIT X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X

http://www.SendSpot.com Personal and business correspondence resources. Loads of links. From sample letters and package tracking to paying bills and sending faxes.

http://www.Traffick.com/ A portal about portals and everything related. News feeds, columns, tutorials, directory and forum.

http://www.Sologig.com New site from Headhunter.net to match freelancers, consultants and independent professionals with opportunities. Free until January 1st 2001.

http://www.OfficeTool.com Create a free private Intranet. Includes many wireless and Internet-based applications ready to use. No software to install.

http://www.MGeneral.com "Monthly public service webzine which focuses on management, leadership, news, and opinion." Lots of good content, and all free.

"TRUST YOUR E-COMMERCE TRANSACTIONS TO A COMPANY WITH OVER 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE" Revolutionize your website sales by accepting credit cards and checks. QuickCommerce enables you to automatically accept, authorize and process secure credit card and electronic checks directly through your web site. Plus fast credit card processing for mail, phone order, and non-internet businesses. Batch upload feature makes recurring billing a snap! Click Here X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X TIDBITS X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X IBM'S TALKING WEB BROWSER WORKS WITH E-BUSINESS SITES IBM is introducing a low-cost, easy-to-use talking Web browser that works with e-business Web sites, allowing visually impaired and blind users to buy, sell and trade on the Web. http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=18558&cat=te CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS TOP MOST HOLIDAY WISH LISTS Released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), nearly seven in ten adults, or approximately 69 million U.S. households, plan to visit an electronics retailer when shopping for gifts this holiday season. Digital electronics products, such as DVD players, digital cameras, CD recorders, wireless phones and mass storage devices are at the top of many wish lists this year. http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=18573&cat=te NEW EU FRAMEWORK WILL BAN SPAMMING The European Commission is drafting a new regulatory framework for telecommunications that includes a ban on all unsolicited e-mails unless recipients opt in, or give prior consent. http://www.wh5.com/ncmi/c.cfm?I=3567 DOT-COM JOB CUTS GROW IN OCTOBER Bad news for the Internet sector continued as dot-com job cuts increased by 5,677 in October, according to a new study by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. October numbers were 18 percent higher than September, when 4,805 Internet jobs went by the wayside. This also was the fifth consecutive month that job cuts increased. The primary factor is the Internet shakeup that began in April. http://www.wh5.com/ncmi/c.cfm?I=3546 BUZZWORD BASHING Microsoft's WebTV Networks got nailed this week for sloppy use of the word "complete." The Federal Trade Commission took exception to the fact that WebTV users cannot access streaming media, Java applications or software downloads through the noncomputer appliance. As a result, Microsoft must refrain from making any further deceptive product claims. This may set a precedent for use of the words "turnkey" and "integrated," among others. http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article/0,,12_494841,00.html BULLISH ON HOLIDAY E-COMMERCE Despite a drab retail environment, holiday e-commerce sales are expected to increase 100% over the 1999 season, according to Merrill Lynch. Overall retail sales are forecasted to grow only 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2000, compared with 10.5% growth in the fourth quarter of 1999. http://www.thestandard.com/ GERMANS BANK ON THE NET Nearly 40% of online Germans bank on the Net, well outpacing Net users in the U.S. (18%) and in France (2%), according to a survey by the Federal Association of German Banks. The number of Germans banking online has risen from 1.4 million to 10 million in the past five years. http://www.thestandard.com/ ***************************************************************** Do Your Bit! If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue to one or two of your friends or colleagues. Thanks so much! ***************************************************************** DITCHING THE CART According to a BizRate.com survey, 75 percent of online shoppers abandon their carts without buying anything. Expensive shipping and handling charges were cited as the reason for leaving by 40 percent of abandoners. http://www.thestandard.com/ PC SALES PICK UP Despite recent forecasts of a slowing PC market, global PC sales grew 18.3 percent in the third quarter to 33 million units, according to IDC. High demand in Asia accounted for much of the growth. With 13.1 percent market share, Compaq remained the global leader in PC shipments. http://www.thestandard.com/ ORWELL ONLINE A proposed treaty drafted by the Council of Europe with U.S. government input alarmed civil liberties groups because it grants more surveillance powers to police agencies, putting Internet users' privacy at risk. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39519,00.html http://www.gilc.org/privacy/coe-letter-1000.html BEAM ME A COUPON, SCOTTY http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,39640,00.html A new technology called VEIL can transmit data through your TV and into your cell phone. You did want a coupon from that commercial you were just watching, didn't you CHINA'S DRAMATIC TELECOM REVERSAL http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39740,00.html The Chinese government says it will allow its cable TV and telephone industries to compete, which could open the door to massive foreign investment. MICROSOFT MUSCLES UP ITS PORTAL http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39731,00.html MSN gets a beefier look on Wednesday as the Redmond software giant says it will pursue the leading online sites even more aggressively. USENET SALE: SOUNDS TO SILENCE http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,39622,00.html Deja.com is about to sell its Usenet archive -- six years of Internet communications chiseled into digital stone. The pending change of owner raises the question: Is there a future for the Internet's oral history RHETORIC REIGNS AT NET CRIME MEET http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39642,00.html Lots of statistics and warnings on the growing cybercrime threat are thrown about at an international meeting of Internet experts. But solutions? Nope, no solutions yet. BALLMER: MARKET CORRECTION AHEAD http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39618,00.html Microsoft's CEO tells a crowd in Italy that overvaluations still exist in the tech stocks world; therefore, expect another market correction. FCC Head Takes His Agency to Task http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39571,00.html Federal Communications Commissioner Michael K. Powell gives a candid critique of the FCC's shortcomings when it comes to enforcing telecom regulations in the expanding world of the Net. X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X TOOLS AT NOWSELL.COM X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X Promotion Tools * Keyword Research Tool * Meta Tag Maker * Free Automatic Search Engine Submit * Rapid Manual Search Engine Submit Tool * Position Analyzer to check site rank in the SEs * Link Generators * Multi Search Tool HTML Tools * Multiple Pop-up window code generator * Multiple MouseOver image generator * Frames code generator * Simple CSS template * 216 Web color palette and codes * HTML Special character codes * Useful cut & paste Javascript, and more X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X MARKETPLACE X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X ----------------------------------------------------------------- Marketplace Available In Email Version Only. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "DOES YOUR PC DRIVE YOU CRAZY?" Wouldn't you like to know how to make your PC do exactly what you want it to do? To stop it acting like it has a mind of its own, and just let you enjoy yourself for a change? Take Firm Control Of Your PC And Totally Transform Your Internet Experience With The Most Unique And Entertaining PC Learning Course On The Web! Free Tutorials, Free eBook, Free Magazine, and more! Head over to http://www.newbieclub.com?details Wow!!! X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X FEATURE ARTICLE X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X --------------------------- "Launching the Net Company" --------------------------- By Rob Spiegel One of the most common questions I get from readers is, "What does it take to start an Internet business?" The assumption is that launching an Internet business is somehow different from starting an offline business. In truth, getting a business off the ground is no easier or less expensive online than it is offline. The Internet has certainly changed one fundamental way. Suddenly, the pathway to success has more to do with getting along with others than it has to do with getting one up on others. This is a subtle-but-profound shift. In a conversation with Fred Kuglin, author of "The Supply Chain Network @ Internet Speed" and a VP at Cap Gemini Ernst Young. Kuglin jumped on his soapbox about the failure of business schools to prepare students for this change. Kuglin pointed out that business instructors still teach students the lessons of control domination when they should be teaching the lessons of cooperation. He believes MBA students come out of school unprepared for the reality of partnering, which has become more important than asset acquisition. This shift in how we view the competitive forces around us may be the single most powerful change brought about by the Internet economy. Other than this major change, most of the basic principles of business are the same for Web-based companies as they are for traditional enterprises. You have to find a clearly defined niche and study the needs of your customers. The Net companies that rise to the top and stay there share the same philosophy that helped Wal-Mart overcome Kmart: know your customer and devout your time to serving that customer. Altra Energy, an emarketplace serving the energy market, is one of the few independent exchanges that has broken through to customers and generated a high volume of transactions online. At last count, the site was handling $2 billion in trades each month. Founder and chairman Rusty Braziel has a very simple explanation for his company's success, "We executed this thing flawlessly." By that, he means he figured out what his customers needed, developed a system to deliver what he customers needed, and communicated to his customers effectively. "There are a lot of B2B exchanges doing a poor job executing their business model," says Braziel. Amen Just in case you want a quick 101 course in business launches, here are the high points of success in the Internet economy: No amount of money is enough Don't be surprised when you run out of money. Every new business does. One owner noted that an entrepreneur doesn't really learn how to run a company until the money runs out. True enough. Often the new owner forces the fledgling company to delivery earnings only when loans and investor funding options are exhausted. Study the market before your launch You won't have much time to examine your market in great detail once you launch. You'll be spending all your time reaching out to customers and serving their needs. The time to examine all the details of your niche is before you launch. Seek your competition Watch your competition carefully. You may be able to partner with established companies if you can find ways you complement each other. If you ignore your competition, you could miss an opportunity. Also, studying your competition's marketing efforts can be a great education. Live for your customers Don't wait for your customers to tell you what they need. Ask, implore, badger them for information on how you can perform better. All successful companies share a passion for service. You can't succeed without this passion, so cultivate it within your company. If these points seem self-evident, good. They should be. These principles are the foundation for good business, offline or online. Great technology won't carry you far if these principles are not at the heart of your enterprise. Rob Spiegel is the author of The Shoestring Entrepreneur's Guide to the Best Home-Based Businesses (St. Martin's Press) and the upcoming Net Strategy (Dearborn). You can reach Rob Spiegel at spiegelrob@aol.com. o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o YOU CAN WRITE A PROFITABLE EBOOK! Yes - *even if* you've never written before! Turn everyday knowledge into a product in demand ... and Sell It! Comprehensive hands-on guide to Writing, Publishing & Marketing ebooks. Detailed, step-by-Step instructions. Surprise yourself! NO RISK 1 YEAR GUARANTEE PAYS 10 TIMES YOUR MONEY BACK! Click Here o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o To subscribe to Biz Bits, send a blank email to: mailto:bizbits@nowsell.com Should you ever wish to unsubscribe (hopefully not!): mailto:BizBits-unsubscribe@topica.com To subscribe on the Web please go to: http://www.nowsell.com Archives: Biz Bits Internet Marketing eZine Posts to Biz Bits FFA [mailto:FFA@topica.com]: This is where you can send all of your ads, sales letters, promotions, offers, etc. You may post once every day. Subscribe with a blank email to mailto:FFA-subscribe@topica.com ================================================================= Information on sponsoring Biz Bits: mailto:bbads-nowsell.com ================================================================= Biz Bits is Copyright © 1999-2000 Azam Corry. All Rights Reserved. No part of Biz Bits may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission, though it may be freely redistributed in its unedited form. All guest articles are copyright their respective owners and reproduced with permission. Biz Bits is an internationally registered weekly publication.

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