Will Your Startup Online Business Be Profitable? Here’s How to Know

You’ve come up with a winning business idea and you’re ready to get to work building your startup. But before you put in the work to make it a reality, there’s one crucial step that will save you a great deal of headache. You need to start with market validation.

 

What Is Market Validation?

 

Market validation means finding out whether there’s demand in the market for your business idea. It tells you how likely it is that your business will be profitable in a reasonable amount of time. If you find that it’s not a potentially profitable idea, you can abandon it or refine it so that it is.

 

Validation is important because you can’t tell all by yourself whether an idea is viable. You need objective data from your market, not just assumptions. This step in the process saves you time and trouble because it prevents you from launching a business that’s not going to take off.

 

Check out the Competition

 

A good way to get started is to see if your idea already exists and is out there making money. Get online and search. See if your competitor has an audience and if they’re selling. If so, this is a profitable idea. 

 

You just have to put your own spin on it. If you find that it’s taken, this doesn’t mean you can’t launch a similar business. In fact, it could tell you it’s a good idea.

 

If you find that many businesses are out there using your idea, you might want to refine it. This could mean the market is already saturated. You’ll face tough competition unless you can find a good way to differentiate yourself. 

 

Does Your Business Offering Solve a Problem?

 

Another way to assess your idea’s viability is to consider it in terms of problem and solution. The best business offerings solve a problem for their customers. What issues and challenges do your customers face? Does your product or service help to solve them?

 

Research your target audience. Follow them on social media, join groups where they’re members, and look for questions they’re asking. 

 

Use Web Analytics

 

You can gain a great deal of insight by looking at web analytics. Start by using a free keyword tool to investigate search terms. Enter terms related to your business idea and look at search volume. If people are looking for these keyword terms, it means they’re looking for what you’re offering.

 

This is also a great way to refine your idea. Keyword search tools will show you other high-volume words and phrases. You can discover what people are searching for.

 

There are programs that analyze social media behavior as well. Don’t forget also to look at Amazon and affiliate network programs and see what products are selling. 

 

Reach out to Your Audience

 

You can get great feedback on your idea by reaching out to your audience and asking them directly if they’re buying what you’re offering. You can start with friends, family members, colleagues, and employees. Reach out to social media followers, email list subscribers, members of your online groups, or any other access you have to your target audience.

 

Ask them whether they’re interested in your idea. While you’re talking to them, see what problems they’re facing. Find out what products they currently use and what faults they have. You can also ask how much they’d pay for a service like yours.

 

Validation Is Just the Beginning

 

Remember that market validation is no guarantee of success. It just tells you that there’s a market out there for what you’re offering. If you take the time to validate, your idea is more likely to earn in the short term. Now, your idea’s ready to launch.

How to Achieve Freedom by Working Online

At its most fundamental, time is freedom. The more time you have that is your own, the more choices you have regarding what you want to do and how you want to direct the course of your life. What this tells you is that you can increase your freedom and stop feeling like you’re being led around in your own life by freeing up more time.

 

And one of the best ways to free up time? Working online.

 

This is perhaps the most common example of lifestyle design: working online so that you can start to choose when, where and how you work. Now you can decide to make your work fit in around your lifestyle instead of being forced to squeeze your life in when you can.

 

The Digital Nomad

 

What does one do with this freedom once they have it? Well, a common choice is to become a ‘digital nomad’. This term describes someone who travels the world while working online. They use the ability to work not in an office as a way to work on the move. These people travel from country to country, meet new people and see incredible sights during the day. Then, in the evenings, they use the rest of their time to work in cafes and bars – anywhere with a power socket and an internet connection.

 

This is true freedom. These people are able to support themselves but in doing so they are also getting to climb mountains, see famous landmarks and discover other cultures. They aren’t tied to any one place and surely that’s one of the truest demonstrations of freedom.

 

The Alternatives

 

But the reality is that not everyone would enjoy this lifestyle. Some of us need colleagues to avoid going mad and many of us have partners or families that depend on us – we can’t afford to go travelling for days on end.

 

So instead, you can use the same thing to just have more freedom at home. 

 

How about working in cafes near you? Or perhaps there’s a beauty spot you could enjoy working in? Because there’s no commute though, you can spend an extra hour in bed. And if someone invites you out for an impromptu lunch? Then you’ll be free to take them up on that offer!

 

You can travel more but still come home in between to spend time with your family and with your creature comforts (like tea…).

How to Look and Feel Like a Highly Successful Digital Entrepreneur

There are many reasons that you may have been attracted to the idea of working online. For many, the allure of being completely free to work when and how they please will be enough. For others, it comes down to the feeling of satisfaction that comes from financial independence.

 

But for some, it’s the allure of being highly successful. For some, it’s the appeal of being successful, accomplished, powerful and wealthy – of being able to live that hedonistic lifestyle of travel, partying and womanizing/manizing (?).

 

In other words, some of us just want to be highly successful in the traditional sense and to get the feeling of reward and power that comes from that success. Internet marketing makes this possible because it gives us a way to earn money that isn’t ‘limited’ by conventional career trajectories.

 

You have the prestige that comes from being an entrepreneur, and you have the theoretical ability to learn limitless money. You just need a good idea, a little business savvy and the dedication to put in the work. Do all that and you can quickly become highly successful.

 

You can rub shoulders with bankers, lawyers and other highly successful individuals, enjoying tailored suits and lavish parties – all without putting in the time at the bottom of the heap.

 

The Problem

 

But there’s a problem and that is the fact that many of us don’t know how to live this lifestyle. Many of us want that successful lifestyle but we miss the vital steps. Many of us end up simply working our behinds off at home, not remembering to brush our hair or do our teeth, and then looking completely dishevelled whenever we do leave the house.

 

Working alone is not highly conducive to presenting ourselves will and what many people don’t appreciate is that running a business is a lot of hard work. Without a boss to motivate you, you can end up falling behind quickly. And then you end up making up for it in the evenings, or by diving straight into work without getting ready for the day first. This is especially true if you are so driven by being ‘successful’ or wealthy. Kind of ironic!

 

The Solution

 

The solution is actually to make sure you leave space in your day for looking after yourself and investing in your look. We all know the saying: dress for the job you want. This is just as true when you work for yourself because dressing well will make you feel more successful and effective. 

 

But knowing that and actually acting on it are two very different things. If you want to spend time on yourself, then you need to ensure you give yourself that time – and more importantly that you give yourself that energy. That means clocking off at a set time and dedicating some hours in the day to getting dressed and ready.

 

Develop a morning routine. This will make it easier to ensure you get dressed and ready the same time every day and will ensure you start your day with the right enthusiasm, mood and footing.

 

How Working Online Will Change You

Lots of articles have been written about the kind of person who becomes a blogger or an SEO, and the ways that you can make yourself better at blogging or running a website. What is less often discussed however, is how working online can actually change who you are as a person and influence your personal development. There are many ways that this can happen and a number of common effects that blogging can have on your personality and your attitudes. Read on to meet the person you might become... 

 

How Jobs Impact On Us 

 

I used to proudly claim that I hadn't changed, because I became a blogger and never bowed down to the man. I have no colleagues as a blogger meaning that there was no one for me to become ‘more alike’, but this in itself can have an effect on you. And likewise, working from home and earning passive income has probably had some impact on me too. Blogging/optimizing changes you just like any other job, only it changes you differently. Once I was self-aware enough to recognize this, I set about finding out what had changed about me. Here's what I came up with... 

 

Care Free 

 

I would say that compared to my other friends, I am more carefree and less restricted. While my friends have to work 9-5 jobs and get very stressed if they stay out too late one night, I can remain flexible and free to work when I choose and where I choose. If I'm honest, this has also led me to somewhat resent those people who aren't free to hang out because they have work the next day. I guess it's fair to say that I've become somewhat detached from the 'real world' and regular routine. 

 

Opinionated 

 

Writing online regularly has also made me somewhat opinionated. Sure, I'm opinionated in my views on employment (and self-employment), but I've also become very used to expressing myself a lot online and sharing my opinion. This undoubtedly crosses over into my daily life, as I tend to wax lyrical about pretty much any subject that I get the opportunity to talk about. 

 

Independence and Confidence

 

You also get a lot of confidence from working online. Once you’ve made money yourself – completely yourself – you realize you’re capable of anything. This helps you to feel more successful and generally means you get used to ‘being the boss’.

 

And with that comes increased independence too. You don’t rely on anyone, and you have countless projects to pass the time when you are alone.

 

An Unusual View of Money 

 

In some ways, being an online entrepreneur has made me stricter with my money. The money I've earned has been entirely down to my own effort and is a reflection of my success, so I feel more personally affronted when I spend it. On the other hand, though, I also think of money now very much in terms of overheads and profits. Spending a little money on a friend is just another 'overhead' and I can earn it back by working a little extra hard for a while. 

 

These are just some of the ways you change when you become a blogger or a digital marketer. Of course, the precise changes partly depend on who you are to begin with. Either way, expect to grow and change and to get more from the experience than you necessarily bargain for…

 

Power User Tips for Internet Marketers

Being a 'power user' is a term that sounds much cooler than it is. Actually of course this just means being able to 'work even quicker on the computer' which when you think about it isn't something you'd probably have bragged about back in the playground. 

 

Nevertheless, being a power user means that you can get more done, be more efficient and ultimately earn more and create more in a shorter timeframe - which is pretty cool. 

If you’re a digital marketer, then this is especially important. So read on and learn these power user tips that can help you work faster and smarter.

 

Use Google Keep 

 

Google Keep is a web app that Google designed with similar note-taking features to Evernote but a less steep learning curve. The concept is great - allowing you to quickly take a note in your browser then access it from your phone, and in practice it really is very convenient for accessing your ideas and photos from wherever you are in an intuitive, minimal and quick way. 

 

Use Your Bookmarks 

 

If you aren't using your bookmarks properly then you are missing out as they can help you to work a lot more quickly online. Bookmarks can let you navigate instantly to the pages you use regularly, and that can include your work e-mail or the collaborative site you use at work. If you want to prevent yourself from procrastinating so much in the morning, then just make the page you need for work your homepage - that way this will be the first thing you see, and you won't be tempted to browse Facebook before getting down to it. 

 

Better yet, consider using the Google Chrome app ‘join’ which can be used to send tabs, bookmarks and more directly from a phone to a PC and back again.

 

Get a Headset 

 

Having a headset for your computer can liberate your hands while you're talking on the phone or taking notes, and this can be incredibly useful for multitasking. Use a headset and you can chat to clients while answering e-mails, or dictate notes with voice recognition software. 

 

Learn Keyboard Shortcuts 

 

Learning keyboard shortcuts can save you a great deal of time when it comes to getting through large workloads. A few taps of your keys and you can have opened new documents replaced elements and saved and once you get used to doing this it will become almost like breathing. 

 

Have Multiple Monitors 

 

Working with multiple monitors is something that almost every power-user swears by. This way you have more screen real estate for running multiple applications and you won't find your workspace so crowded. If you don't have space for two monitors, then bear in mind you can use a television or even an Android tablet as your second screen (the latter of which will probably also impress colleagues). 

 

Another option is to get an ultrawide monitor, and studies suggest that this can increase your productivity by as much as 30%.

 

Organize Your Folders 

 

If you want to work as quickly and efficiently as possible then it pays to think ahead and to set everything up to be easy. One way to do this is to organize your folders so that everything you need is right at the top and in a logical place where you can find it quickly. 

 

Step by Step Instructions for Becoming a Digital Nomad

A digital nomad is someone who works entirely online in order to be able to travel freely wherever they want. A digital nomad will normally be found wearing just a single backpack with a small laptop or hybrid slate computer slipped in, and will spend their time moving from WiFi-providing café to WiFi-providing café in all kinds of sunny countries. 

 

The idea is that they get to travel and see the world, while being able to easily fund their movements and not have to worry about getting into major debt. Sounds ideal right? 

Well for the right person it is. As long as you can bear to be away from your creature comforts and you don't need the social stimulation that comes from working in an office, then you can use this as a way to live the kind of life that most people only dream of. 

 

But how do you go about making that leap? Going from an office worker to a digital nomad? Here's the process in a simple step-by-step form. 

 

Speak to Your Loved Ones 

 

What stops most people becoming a digital nomad is not their jobs really, but rather their relationships. If you're in a romantic partnership now, then you'll need to talk seriously with your partner about the prospect of you travelling the world. Hopefully they will be supportive and recognize it as something you need to do. If not? Then you'll have to decide what's most important to you. 

 

Speak to Your Employer 

 

Before you give up your job, you should first ask if there's any way you can set up a remote-work arrangement. Explain your ambition and your manager may help you to make it a reality with no career-change necessary. If not, you'll need to try another tact… 

 

Start Earning 

 

The next thing to do is to start earning some cash off of your own back online. Do this by writing articles for webmasters, by creating web designs or even by providing proof reading services. You can advertise these skills on a webmaster forum or a site like ODesk or even Fiverr. The aim is to start generating just a little work so that you can start to gain confidence and 'wean' yourself off of your 'main job'. Once you're earning enough to be confident you can quit – remember you don't need that much money to do this. 

 

Better yet, consider becoming an internet marketer. By selling affiliate products, PLR products or your own digital products, you can earn money even while you sleep. Or how about becoming a travel blogger and that way turning travel into a financial asset rather than a burden?

 

Speak to Your Mum and Dad

 

You will need a lot of money if you want to pay rent and travel the world at the same time, but if you are willing to throw out a lot of your things and get your Mum to look after the rest then you can free yourself of this financial burden. You might have friends who can do this, but Mum is your best bet seeing as it’s a rather big ask. Otherwise consider storage, but make sure you'll have somewhere to stay when you get back. In general, you’re probably going to have to cut back a little on your possessions!

The Best Places to Work if You Work Online

If you work online, then you have the freedom to be physically located anywhere in the world and to still earn an income. This is an amazing freedom that so few people are afforded, and it’s one of the top reasons that many of us are attracted to the notion of working online in the first place.

 

It’s a minor tragedy then, that so many people who manage to make their income online, will not take full advantage of this. So many people who work online equate this to working ‘from home’ in a very literal sense. That means working out of a home office, or working in bed. Sure, this has its appeal too, but it’s not exactly taking full advantage of this untethered way of working.

 

You can go anywhere if you work online. So where should you go?

 

Working Abroad

 

Of course, the natural conclusion is that working online should mean working abroad. That way, you can see more of the world, experience other cultures and truly live a kind of life that wouldn’t be possible any other way.

 

I have done this a fair bit myself. One of my favorite memories was finding a friend who also worked online and travelling to Croatia. There we explored and saw the sites during the day (and had some great adventures!) but in the evenings we would work in cafes and bars.

 

Sure, many people would rather be out partying during the evening, but my friend and I are introverts. And we love what we do. So, the idea of being able to sip a beer and watch the world go by, immersed in the atmosphere of the nightlife… it was incredible. One evening in particular, we worked in a bar listening to some Euro music while watching rain hit the cobbled streets outside and watching people pass by on their holidays. It was a great feeling and really made us grateful that we had the opportunity to work this way. On another occasion we hired a small log cabin from AirBnB in the mountains of Switzerland. There we worked while sipping tea and enjoying a view of the mountains from our wooden balcony.

 

For the Non-Digital Nomads

 

I’d like to point out at this junction that I am not a digital nomad. That is to say that I do come home in between trips and you can do the same. You don’t have to give up all your creature comforts or your relationships in order to enjoy travelling as you work. Working online means you can just travel more.

 

And even in your local area, there are no doubt more exotic and exciting places you can work. Anywhere with an internet connection where you won’t get kicked out can make a great place to get work done.

 

Working in a coffee shop is the most popular and sensible option. As long as you spend a little on coffee, you should be able to stay there as long as you like and most will have free wifi and power. Plus, you can enjoy people watching and listening to the background chatter, all while avoiding the many distractions and temptations that come from working at home. Libraries are great too!

 

The Most Useful Tech for Online Entrepreneurs

Are you interested in working online? Thinking of becoming a full-time entrepreneur? Then what you need to realize is that your lifestyle is going to change in some big ways. Simple things like no longer having an office and no longer having colleagues will make a huge difference to the way that you spend your days and your workflow.

 

And with those changes will come new requirements for your tech. In order to get the most work done, you will need specific hardware to help you get there. You will no longer be able to rely on an office desk being there every morning when you get into work. So what tech should you invest in? Here are some important and useful considerations.

 

A Laptop

 

Firstly, you will likely want a powerful computer for handling some of the more demanding parts of your work. If all you do is basic SEO, then you can get by with something simple, but if you intend on doing any video editing etc., then you’ll need something with some more impressive specifications.

 

Getting a laptop is also a good idea, because that way you’ll be able to work from anywhere. The only problem is that getting a computer that is at once highly powerful and highly mobile is not so easily done. 

 

Good options include: the Surface Pro, the Macbook, the Surface Book, the Razer Blade and the Dell XPS 13 and 15. My pick of the bunch has to be the XPS 15. This device comes with a Kaby Lake i7 processor, a GTX 1050 GPU, a 512TB SSD harddrive and 16 GB of RAM and is considerably less expensive than a Macbook.

 

A More Mobile Device

 

Something I highly recommend to any digital entrepreneur though, is that they also invest in an even more mobile device to work on. One of the great things about working online is having the freedom to be able to work from anywhere. Use something like the GPD pocket – a tiny 7” laptop – and you can slip it in your pocket when you’re done. Another option is to get a folding keyboard for your phone, such as the Microsoft Universal Folding Keyboard.

 

A Great Phone

 

You’ll find that you can also actually end up doing an awful lot of work on your phone. Whether you’re chatting with clients and business partners over Slack, or you’re managing your content via the WordPress app – there’s a surprising amount of work that can be done from a phone these days. Invest in a good one and consider the requirements of a power user: such as a large battery, lots of screen real estate for multitasking etc.

 

Kit Bag

 

You’ll also need the right bag for carrying your stuff around. If you’re going to stay productive, then you’ll need to be able to carry a lot with you and you’ll need to have all of this to hand when you need it.

 

Some things to keep in your bag should include:

 

·      Powerbank for getting extra charge

·      Portable harddrive for extra storage

·      Noise cancelling headphones for working on planes and trains

 

Importance of Small Savings

One of the big problems people face when it comes to trying to achieve their goals, is that they want to see certain results immediately. There is something much more appealing about the notion of being richer in a week, or being in better shape by the end of the month.

 

Unfortunately, this just isn’t how it works. At least not in most cases.

 

Rather, in order to see the results you want, you need to put in consistent boring effort on a daily and weekly and monthly basis. 

 

Saving money is the perfect example of this. You won’t save money with some kind of scheme or some kind of trick. You aren’t going to fix your bank accounts overnight.

 

But what you can do is to make lots of small smart decisions that will add up to large savings over time. This is Kaizen.

 

Let’s take a look at some examples of how to do this.

 

Write a Budget

 

It starts by writing a budget. The problem is when people are very vague about this – not knowing quite what they actually spend on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They then make random assertions to spend X amount less in this category or that, or they randomly cut out one type of activity that normally costs money.

 

This tends to not to work. Instead, you should try to create a strict budget that will show you precisely what you spend in each category in your life. That means things like travel, entertainment, groceries, eating out etc. Once you’ve done this, you can assess how much you are spending in each area.

 

This is a very useful exercise because it immediately illuminates the areas where you are spending more money than you need to – the areas where waste is happening and where you aren’t being efficient.

 

NOW you apply a kaizen approach by making a commitment – a SMALL commitment – in just one of those areas. For example, you might say that you’re going to spend $10 less on entertainment next month. That might seem like a small deal, but it can make a big impact over time.

 

Or how about saying that you’ll spend $5 less on transport – this might mean just choosing to walk a little more. Once you manage this, you can then try and cut back by another $5 in another area next month.

 

Keep doing this and month after month you will streamline your savings – and that’s how you can eventually become very wealthy!

 

How to Manage Your Money And Become Rich

Money Management For those who are Debt Free

 

Money management is a skill that comes inherently to some while many of us needs to work on it constantly to keep it under wraps. People with bad money managing skills suffer from many other problems that emanate from this and this can affect many decisions and their personal lives, health and wellbeing. For this reason, it is essential for one and all to cultivate the habit of effective money management, not only to prosper financially but also to have a much more peaceful life.

 

Let us assume that you are debt free and are feeling that money is just trickling out of your hands without your knowledge and you are not able to save.

 

In such a scenario, what are the measures one must take towards effective money management?

 

Increase Your Efforts towards Savings

 

If you are feeling that you are running short of savings, you should concentrate on increasing your savings. This is a good habit to form and the earlier you do it, the more savings you are able to generate that can be put up for good use, like investing in a house, funding the education of children, emergency funds, etc.

 

To increase upon savings, it is best to put all the money that comes in your pay check into a savings account and then transfer only a part of your money that you intend to use for other purposes and payments of bills, etc to a current account. This will ensure that you do not do any spontaneous purchases and improve your savings.

 

Create a Budget

 

Plan your spending budget and try to be with it as rigidly as possible. You will be astonished at how much of unnecessary spending you can curtail if you are have a tab on how much money is being spent every week. Try to avoid overshooting the budget at all costs unless it is a total emergency that needs immediate attention.

 

Analyze your Spending

 

If you have a tab on your expenditure, you will know where you are spending your money. By having a thorough knowledge of this, you can analyze where you are spending money unnecessarily.

 

Once you have identified these unnecessary expenses, it becomes much easier for you to reduce upon this kind of expenses and make adjustments so that you are managing your money much more effectively.

 

Avoid Carrying a Credit or Debit Card

 

If you are an impulsive spender, it is best you avoid carrying a credit or a debit card at all costs. This is best kept safely at home and is only removed in lieu of an emergency that calls for its use, such as some unprecedented medical expenses.

 

Money management is not easy business unless you make it a habit. It requires lots of self-control to avoid unnecessary expenses and to help you take control of your financial situation for you to lead a more peaceful and hassle free life.

 

Different Ways To Make Money

In any economic system the risks are the same. It's challenging for the average individual to make ends meet. Even those who are employed with good wages find it difficult. A few who have income are afraid to spend in an unsound economy and those without are attempting to come up with ways to gain extra cash.

            

I’m going to supply you plenty of opportunities to consider in order to place yourself in a more beneficial financial position by working for yourself. This places you in control without being forced to depend upon outside sources dictating what you can and can’t do financially. Most of the time, when one is pondering going into business for themselves, they're disheartened because of lack of startup capital.

            

You'll be surprised to discover that a lot of the opportunities here don't have any startup expenses, and those that do are really little. It puts you on a path to being debt free.

            

Different Ways To Make Money

            

1) Earnings: The 1st is by working a job where you're experienced and you get paid by an employer to do that job.

            

2) Self-employed: The 2nd way of earning revenue is by doing freelance or contract work.

            

3) Business person: The 3rd way to make income is to invest in a small business that you are able to call your own.

            

A skilled job is hard to come by these days and is even harder if you don’t have the experience and training to back the skills you have gained. Seeking work may be frustrating and making money is decidedly one thing that everyone wants to do.

 

In a skilled job you needed to understand the ins and outs of your trade or line of work. So, if you're a mechanic you need to comprehend how all types of vehicles work. If you don't know how to work on all types of vehicles in your field, it may greatly reduce your chances of work.

 

Many skilled workers who can’t find work normally go to an agency where they become part time workers and work for the agency. Freelancing is a different good option. There are sites all over the net that offer ways for you to discover freelancing jobs.

 

You are able to do freelancing on just about any type of work you are able to think of. There's certainty a free-lancing job available in every area. You simply need to know where to go to find the info for it. There are a lot of ways to go about owning a business. You just need to discover what suits your taste and your budget more.

 

For a business owner the 1st choice you'd have is to be the sole owner. You are able to choose to have an online business in any field of your choice likewise. This means that you control everything through the net from a site controlled by your home computer. Making income is hard in this tough economy today and having just one form of revenue isn't getting individuals out of debt.

 

Working on the net to make income in any sort of field you want is always a beneficial choice because the net will always be there. Just remember that you get out what you put into it. If you don’t put that much effort in it then you won’t see the return on your investment and time.