How Start an Online Business With Free Online Training
You’re surfing the internet and then BAM! It whacks you in the face again. Small online businesses are popping up all over the place and hundreds of thousands of people are making a boatload of money. You watch the recorded testimonials, you read the reviews, and you are excited to start one yourself. But then the doubt sinks in when you see that you have to pay to take a course. You then talk yourself out of making just the first step. The next day, you’re back to work at the 9-5 job that you hate. There are so many people that have the exact same experience. They just can’t seem to find the perfect online business so that they can experience this type of financial freedom for themselves.
The fact is, internet sales are through the roof and traditional retail stores are struggling to keep up. I mean, it really is a no brainer. While you sit comfortably at home in your pajamas, you can make an online purchase and have it at your doorstep the next day. It makes shopping so much easier and stress-free. Retail stores are unfortunately closing by the droves because they simply can’t compete. Online businesses are on fire and they are not letting up. So, if you want a piece of the action, take a look at the following steps.
1. Start on Youtube
Do you know how every time you see an opportunity to learn about online businesses you get turned off? STOP THAT! You’re not hurting anyone but yourself. And besides, you cannot venture into the world of e-commerce without some knowledge. It is true that there are pricey courses online that offer to teach you the basics, but you don’t have to start there. The best place to start is YouTube. They have experts on every subject you can imagine. The best part is- it’s all FREE! You can’t beat that. Most people don’t take the time to research how to start within their niche.
Whenever you start a new job, don’t you get extensive training? It’s the same when you are starting a company of your own. You have to be willing to put in the effort and learn on your own. Being your own boss means that you have to be a self-starter. A lot of people want to go into business for themselves because they are tired of having a boss tell them what to do. But then your given everything you need on a silver platter and all you have to do is partake, you don’t. That’s what the internet is. It’s a smorgasbord of information. Every day that you don’t train yourself to be your own boss is because “you’re not told” to do so. That’s backward thinking. You need to tell yourself to get started and when to get started. It’s all about the mindset.
Once you find an expert on Youtube that you like, take lots and lots of notes. If you have questions, write it down and then research the answer elsewhere if it’s not in the video. Soon, you will be able to draw up a potential business plan and how you personally would like to start, but just yet. Gather as much information as possible because every company is completely different. Some startups, such as copywriting services, have a startup cost of less than $200 if you already have a computer. Other startups can cost you millions to start. You have to put everything to the perspective of what you are able to manage and draw up your own plan.
At times, business owners start working on the beginning stages of one type of company and later decide that it is more feasible to go another route. And guess what? They’re successful because they did the research first. You don’t know what treasures are going to unfold for you unless you start. YouTube is a goldmine. You just have to be willing to go digging for gold.
2. Join Social Media Groups
You can also locate social media groups online and join them for free. Not many people think about this but it's so easy. There you will find individuals at the beginning stages of their company, and those that have been in business for decades. A lot of them are willing to answer your questions if you just ask. They will lead you to books, websites, or other sources to get the answers you are looking for. It’s a priceless opportunity and you should definitely try it. Don’t stop at joining just one group. Join as many as you can. Each group has its own value and its own twist on the same process. This gives you multiple options for accomplishing the same task. If one doesn’t fit your budget or time, you can easily choose another.
3. Draw Out Your Business Plan
Once you have learned a substantial amount of data, it’s time to start putting some things into action. You can start as small as recruiting an interested friend or family member to help you. It’s always helpful to have a support system to push you in the right direction, even if it’s just one person. This will help you to remain accountable for your actions. There is no slacking when both you and your business partner decide on deadlines. You don’t want to be the one that shows up to the meeting with nothing done.
Next, take your plan as far as you can go without making a large financial investment. You want to grow with your business and not begin certain parts of the process before you are ready. For example, if your company is going to sell sunglasses online, then you want to find your supplier. Typically, you would go to aliexpress.com, Alibaba.com, or another overseas supplier, since their production costs are minimal. This does not mean that you are going to purchase a bulk supply of glasses in every style. You want to pay a very small amount and get samples. Not every product is made with the same quality. Good quality products are essential when you have a physical product because you don’t want to have a massive amount of returns.
If you plan of starting your business in your home, you can start to set up the physical space where you are going to work. Getting the supplies necessary for shipping is free when you open a business account with USPS. Getting your physical space slowly set up changes your mindset and you begin to think like a boss.
4. Plan Your Business Finances
This is the area that can be a little tricky. By this point, you should already know how much it’s going to cost you to purchase your product and have a successful launch. It is normal to take months or years to start so there is absolutely no rush. You have to begin things under optimal conditions or you may fail before you even start. Some feel more comfortable working a second part-time job to earn the money to start their business. Some feel more comfortable getting a loan from the bank. This area is all you. You are the boss and you need to decide precisely how you are going to finance everything. No one can tell you this but you.
Therefore, it's essential at this stage of the process to choose the final products that you are going to sell. Then you must decide on how much physical product you are going to have on hand to ship to customers. Lastly, you have to crunch the numbers on how much it will cost you to make it happen. It’s always better to overestimate to make sure that unexpected expenses are paid for and does not stop your business from launching on time.
5. Get Additional Training if Necessary
At times, there is a need for more information to keep you moving forward. Internet research can only take you so far and you may find gaps in the information which may cause you to hit a brick wall. That is the point where you turn to the training courses for help. Some people like to cut right to the chase and make the investment right away. But you want to be sure that you are making the right decision before taking such steps. They are a great investment if you are willing to put in the hard work to make sure you complete it. One great online training course is The Six Figure Mentors. They have taught business leaders and students from all over the world how to grow their online business. No matter where you are in the process of learning, they will have the answers you’re looking for.
Having a community outside of social media with like-minded entrepreneurs is always helpful. No one is ever going to knock you down for asking for help because not everyone is an online guru. But you can certainly learn to be one! You will also have the peace of mind that each person you speak with is serious and providing legit information because they also paid a small fee to be part of the program. The topics of discussion will at times surprise you because they will bring up points you more than likely did not know. A good example is using FreshBooks application to accept payments because they accept every payment method out there. Information like that is very helpful and reduces the stress of trying to figure out what to do on your own.
Six Figure Mentors provide videos presented by a digital business coach, which can be played over and over again until you memorize the information by heart. You can also avoid making critical errors and overcome major obstacles, whether you are a month or three years in. It doesn’t matter.
Alright! It’s time to hit the ground running. Just don’t sit back and watch everyone else around you gain financial freedom and independence. Be part of the small percentage of people that decide to be their own boss.