Recently, I went to a seminar on the virtues of using the internet to start a home business. The company hosting the event was promoting using their service to assist you with the process of setting up your own home business selling everything from chocolate to work boots.

They listed 10 points to consider as advantages of a home business. The following are the 10 points with a brief comment on my experience in these areas. It is my sincere hope that you as the reader will glean from some knowledge that will assist you if you are considering starting an internet business.

There are two areas of cost to consider. Money and Time. From a financial standpoint, creating a business on-line can be low cost. This company was proposing a website for $99 initial start-up and a monthly hosting fee of around $25. However, in order to receive on-going support, you needed to upgrade to their professional package which was considerably more. For my money, SiteBuildIt is a much better value for the dollar. There is a higher up-front fee (around $280), however, there are no monthly fees and they have an extensive training program that will help you with everything from choosing keywords, to building your site, to monetizing your site.

The much higher cost is in your time. If you are not prepared to spend a minimum of 15 - 20 hours/week in the beginning on building your internet presence, then you are kidding yourself. There will also be a period of time, usually around three months, before you will start seeing the rewards of your efforts. I recently read the book The Slight Edge. The author mentions that it is the small things done daily - over a period of time - that will lead to success. Be prepared to invest not only upfront time, but time each day building your business.

Marketing Merge has a great 90 Day plan on their blog that will help you get started. This is a 3 part article and is packed with great information. In my opinion, 90 Days to Attraction Marketing Success is a must read.

With the internet people can shop all hours of the day and night. However, keep in mind - do you want anybody and everybody that is simply surfing to end up at your website or blog? Before starting you business, take the time to investigate your areas of expertise. Experience is the best teacher - and what better way to identify your target market than to find a way to share that experience with others. Who are the people you want to attract? Who is your target market and what are their needs? The answer might be easier than you think. Market Solutions posted a great hub page that will assist you in finding your target market.

Yes, you can now service the world. Do you have a product or service with which you want to service the world? If the answer is no, there are tools to help you narrow your marketplace down - even to a single zip code.

Again, knowing your target market will help you accomplish your goals. Take the time to make sure that you have a plan. Cammy Stubbs has done a great Squidoo Lens on this topic called A MLM Business Plan = MLM Success! Even if you have no intention of getting into a network marketing business, this article will give you get insight into how to start your home business.

And you can be your own worst enemy. Staying focus and learning your areas of weakness - or procrastination - is a must. Having an accountability partner can help you at those times when you seem to be floundering. In the area where I live, we are forming an entrepreneur master mind group. The goal is not to "recruit" others into our business, but to provide support to each other. Having a home business can be lonely at times. I encourage you to look for such a group in your area and if you can't find one - start one.

On-line focus groups and forums can also be a great place to meet others in the same business as yourself. A friend of mine home-schools her children and runs her business around her children's activities. She has found a Yahoo group that shares similar interests and helps her to stay focused.

This is my favorite advantage. My husband and I are very close to retiring and packing up our motor home and hitting the road with our motorcycle and golf clubs. We can travel anywhere and stay connected to our business. Stay tuned for blogs from around the country!

With very few exceptions, anyone can start an internet business - provided they are willing to invest the time and effort. A friend of mine runs what he calls an Economic Enhancement Company. He helps people of all ages and backgrounds get out of debt and build a better future for themselves and their families. We are currently working on a plan to help anyone who has the drive and determination to create their own internet business. Last week, I spoke with a woman who has limited education and is working two jobs to make ends meet. However, she has a son who is very talented on the computer. What a team they will make! She has experiences and life stories to share that will help others in her position to see there is light at the end of the tunnel.

This is a great avenue for someone with limited funds to create a better future. Do you have the drive and determination to succeed? Is there someone you could team up with to make it happen?

As a mentor of mine, Jim Rohn, once said - Is it easy to learn? Yes. Is it easy not to learn? Yes. Again, we are back to the time factor. You need to spend the time to learn the techniques that will help you to succeed. If you need a place to start, the free membership to Renegade University is a best place to start. You can spend a lot of time (and money) surfing the web looking for help (and that may be how you found this article) - but getting advice from someone who has been successful is the best place to start.

There are numerous places online where you can advertise for free. As you build your business you will run across many of these sites. There are traffic websites that specialize in driving traffic to your site. The initial free membership to Renegade University has video training on getting set up on one of these sites.

Be sure to investigate social sites such a Facebook and MySpace. Add your link to your email tag at the end of every message. Make up a simple business card and let people you know - know what you are doing. There are a ton of ideas. I just did a search on "Free Advertising" on Hub Pages and there are numerous articles on this topic. Use your imagination. You don't have to spend a ton of money to get noticed.

Remember William Shatner, Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame? He recently sold his kidney stones for $25,000! Can you sell anything - yes. However, keep in mind that most people buy from people they trust.

You need to establish credibility and attract your target market to you. That is what attraction marketing is all about. You attract to you what you send out. I have learned so much from other internet marketers - both good and bad. Make sure that you are "selling" yourself before you attempt to sell a product or service. If you would like to learn more about attraction marketing, check out the article What Is 'Internet Attraction Marketing' and How Does it Help More Network Marketers Cash-in On The MLM Model?

This is really no secret - the internet is growing very rapidly every day. One of the largest growing market segments is seniors and the baby boomer generation. This is just one more reason you need to narrow your focus and know your target market. You can't be all things to all people.

Because it is growing so fast, you will also run into failures - things that didn't work. Believe me, I know that I did. I recently read that people who are successful got that way because they failed more often than the average person. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Not all of them will work, but you may find a niche that works for you. Renegade University teaches you multiple ways to attract your target market to you. For example, one of the areas of training is in video - this is not an area for me right now, but it is good to know that the training is there when I am ready. How about you, are your ready to take the plunge?

Shoot me an email at suewhite@sccoast.net and let me know what you are doing. What is working and not working. I would love to hear from you.