Classified Ads are not like they use to be. The boring black and white newspapers. Classified ads on the Internet have taken a whole new look. You can add pictures and sounds, and links to your ads. Now with the Internet there are many free classified ad sites out there. So no more paying for them!! Do classified ad sites work? My opinion YES! Classified ads are what started this business and I will continue to use them.

How To Write a Compelling Ad

Writing your own copy for a classified ad is easy. There are so few words you need to use that you don't have to worry about being a writer or a professional in advertising. You are your own expert in selling your product. The selection of words is the most important aspect of classified ad copy. You need to choose precisely, by not skimping on words to save the cost in the ad. The best way to prepare copy is to first write about your product or service at length.

Go ahead – list all the benefits. Scrutinize the features and write them down. What sticks out? What is so great about your product? What can it do for the reader who will take the time to write for more information? How can your product help? Will it show how to earn money, does it offer self-improvement, can it help accomplish something appealing and significant? Choose a heading that points out the most significant aspect or feature of your product. Follow up with a few words or details, and finish with a request to write for more information. The best word in a classified is "free," but you must follow up with something free.

Where ever you go on the internet these days you see the words "Join our affiliate program". It seems very tempting, but before you jump in and submit your information you should be aware of some of the basic facts.

There are several different types of affiliate programs. Some examples are:

1. Pay Per Sale: You get paid a commission for each sale you generate. If you refer a visitor to the merchant's site and s/he makes a purchase, you get a percentage of the sale as commission. Depending on the merchant, the commission may be for that purchase only, for all purchases that customer makes within a fixed period of time (usually six months to one year), or for all the purchases that customer makes in his or her lifetime.

2. Bounty: You get a one-time bounty payment for the customer you referred. You will not get commission on any future purchases that customer makes. Usually, companies pay a bounty of $10-$20 per customer.

3. Pay Per Click: You get paid for every visitor you send to the online merchant through a banner or text link, regardless of whether or not a sale is made. Usually, companies pay $0.05 – $0.10 per click, per visitor.

4. Two-Tier Programs: You get commission on direct sales that you generate, plus you get commission on sales generated by affiliates that you recruit. Companies typically pay 15% commission for direct sales and 5% for sales generated by the affiliates you recruit.

5. Pay Per Lead: You get paid a one-time fee for generating a lead for the merchant. Similar to a bounty program, you usually earn $2-$5 if the visitor you referred fills out a questionnaire or an application.

Some people feel that affiliate programs are a waste of time. My personal experience with them has been a lot of trial and error, but most have paid off. The best thing that you could do if you would like to get involved with affiliate programs is figure out what your customers want. Try not to just follow the next person because what works for them may not work for you.

Here is a statistic that show you how big affiliate programs really are;

According to Jupiter Communications Inc., affiliate programs will directly account for 11% of the $5.8 billion in consumer transactions over the web this year. That figure is expected to grow to 24% of $37.5 billion in total sales by 2002.

Affiliatee programs may not be what you need or want, but only you can decide that. There are many places to go where you may find information on affiliate programs. There are also many place to go to sign up for them.

I have tried to compile a list of affiliate programs and resources that will help you get started. You will find them on the left and at the bottom. As with all my information , if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Success in business comes as a result of planning. You have to have a detailed, written plan that shows you what the ultimate goal is, the reason for the goal, and each milestone that must be passed in order to reach your goal.

A business plan is a written definition of, and an operational plan for achieving your goal. You need a complete business tool in order to define your basic product, income objectives and specific operating procedures. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN to attract investors, obtain financing and hold onto the confidence of your creditors, particularly in times of cash flow shortages – in this instance, the amount of money you have on hand compared with the expenses that must be met…

Aside from an overall directional policy for the production, sales efforts and profit goals of your product – your basic "travel guide" to business success – the most important purpose your business plan will serve, will be the basis or foundation of any financial proposals you submit. Many entrepreneurs are under the mistaken impression that a business plan is the same as a financial proposal, or that a financial proposal constitutes a business plan. This is just a misunderstanding of the uses of these two separate and different business success aids.

The business plan is a long range "map" to guide your business to the goal you've set for it. This plan details the what, why, where, how and when, of your business – the success planning of your company.

Your financial proposal is a request for money based upon your business plan – your business history and objectives.

Understand the differences. They are closely related, but they are not interchangeable.

Writing and putting together a "winning" business plan takes study, research and time, so don't try to do it all in just one or two days.

The easiest way is to start with a loose leaf notebook, plenty of paper, pencils, pencil sharpener, and several erasers. Once you get you mind "in gear" and begin thinking about your business plan, "10,000 thoughts and ideas per minute" will begin racing through your mind… So, it's a good idea when you aren't actually working on your business plan, to carry a pocket notebook and jot down those business ideas as they come to you – ideas for sales promotion, recruiting distributors, and any other thoughts on how to operate and/or build your business.

Later, when you're actually working on your business plan, you can take out this "idea notebook" – evaluate your ideas, rework them, refine them, and integrate them into the overall "big picture" of your business plan.

The best business plans for even the smallest businesses run 25 to 30 pages or more, so you'll need to "title" each page and arrange the different aspects of your business plan into "chapters." The format should pretty much run as follows:

• Title Page
• Statement of Purpose
• Table of Contents
• Business Description
• Market Analysis
• Business Location
• Management
• Current Financial Records
• Explanation of Plans For Growth
• Explanation of Financing for Growth Documentation
• Summary of Business & Outlook for The Future
• Listing of Business & Personal References

This is a logical organization of the information every business plan should cover. I'll explain each of these chapter titles in greater detail, but first, let me elaborate upon the reasons for proper organization of your business plan.

Having a set of "questions to answer" about your business forces you to take an objective and critical look at your ideas. Putting it all down on paper allows you to change, erase and refine everything to function in the manner of a smoothly oiled machine. You'll be able to spot weaknesses and strengthen them before they develop into major problems. Overall, you'll be developing an operating manual for your business – a valuable tool which will keep your business on track, and guide you in the profitable management of your business.

Because it's your idea, and your business, it's very important that YOU do the planning. This is YOUR business plan, so YOU develop it, and put it all down on paper just the way YOU want it to read. Seek out the advice of other people; talk with, listen to, and observe, other people running similar businesses; enlist the advice of your accountant and attorney – but at the bottom line, don't ever forget that it has to be YOUR BUSINESS PLAN!

Remember too, that statistics show the greatest causes of business failure to be poor management and lack of planning – without a plan by which to operate, no one can manage; and without a direction in which to aim its efforts, no business can attain any real success.

On the very first page, which is the title page, put down the name of your business – ABC ACTION – with your business address underneath. Now, skip a couple of lines, and write in all capital letters: PRINCIPAL OWNER – followed by your name if you're the principal owner. On your finished report, you would want to center this information on the page, with the words "principal owner" offset to the left about five spaces.

Example:
ABC ACTION
1234 SW 5th Ave.
Anywhere, USA
00000
PRINCIPAL OWNER: Your Name

That's all you'll have on that page, except the page number…

-1-

Following your title page is the page for your statement of purpose. This should be a simple statement of your primary business function, such as: We are a service business engaged in the business of selling business success manuals and other information by mail.

The title of the page should be in all capital letters across the top of the page, centered on your final draft – skip a few lines and write the statement of purpose. This should be direct, clear and short – never more than two (2) sentences in length.

Then you should skip a few lines, and from the left hand margin of the paper, write out a subheading in all capital letters, such as: EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE.
From, and within this subheading, you can briefly explain your statement of purpose, such as: Our surveys have found most entrepreneurs to be "sadly" lacking in basic information that will enable them to achieve success. This market is estimated at more than 100 million persons, with at least half of these people actively "searching" for sources that provide the kind of information they want, and need.

With our business, advertising and publishing experience, it is our goal to capture at least half of this market of information seekers, with our publication, MONEY MAKING MAGIC! Our market research indicates we can achieve this goal, and realize a profit of $1,000,000 per year within the next 5 years…

The above example is generally the way you should write your "explanation of purpose," and in subtle definition, why you need such an explanation. Point to remember: Keep it short. Very few business purpose explanations are justifiably more than a half page long.

Next comes your table of contents page. Don't really worry about this one until you've got the entire plan completed and ready for final typing. It's a good idea though, to list the subjects (chapter titles) as I have, and then check off each one as you complete that part of your plan. By having a list of the points you want to cover, you'll also be able to skip around and work on each phase of your business plan as the idea or the interest in organizing that particular phase, stimulates you. In other words, you won't have to make your thinking or your planning conform to the chronological order of the "chapters" of your business plan – another reason for the loose leaf notebook…

In describing your business, it's best to begin where your statement of purpose leaves off. Describe your product, the production process, who has responsibility for what, and most importantly, what makes you product or service unique – what gives it an edge in your market. You can briefly summarize your business beginnings, present position and potential for future success, as well.

Next, describe the buyers you're trying to reach – why they need and want or will buy your product – and the results of any tests or surveys you may have conducted. Once you've defined your market, go on to explain how you intend to reach that market – how

you'll alert these prospects to your product or service and induce them to buy. You might want to break this chapter down into sections such as… publicity and promotions, advertising plans, direct sales force, and dealer/distributor programs. Each sect ion would then be an outline of your plans and policies.

Moving into the chapter on competition, identify who your competitors are their weaknesses and strong points – explain how you intend to capitalize on those weaknesses and match or better the strong points. Talk to as many of your "indirect" competitors as possible – those operating in different cities and states.

One of the easiest ways of gathering a lot of useful information about your competitors is by developing a series of survey questions and sending these questionnaires out to each of them. Later on, you might want to compile the answers to these questionnaires into some form of directory or report on this type of business.

It's also advisable to contact the trade associations and publications serving your proposed type of, business. For information on trade associations and specific trade publications, visit your public library, and after explaining what you want, ask for the librarian's help.

The chapter on management should be an elaboration on the people operating the business. Those people that actually run the business – their job titles, duties, responsibilities and backfilled resume's. It's important that you "paint" a strong picture of your top management people because the people coming to work for you or investing in your business, will be "investing in these people" as much as your product ideas. Individual tenacity, mature judgement under fire, and innovative problem-solving have "won over" more people than all the AAA Credit Ratings and astronomical sales figures put together.

People becoming involved with any new venture want to know that the person in charge – the guy running the business knows what he's doing, will not lose his cool when problems arise, and has what it takes to make money for all of them. After showing the "muscle" of this person, go on to outline the other key positions within your business; who the persons are you've selected to handle those jobs and the sources as well as availability of any other help you might need.

If you've been in business on any kind of scale, the next chapter is a picture of your financial status – a review of your operating costs and income from the business to date. Generally, this is a listing of your profit & loss statements for the past six months, plus copies of your business income tax: records for each of the previous three years the business has been an entity.

The chapter on the explanation of your plans for the future growth of your business is just that – an explanation of how you plan to keep your business growing – a detailed guide of what you're going to do, and how you're going to increase your profits.

These plans should show your goals for the coming year, two years, and three years. By breaking your objectives down into annual milestones, your plans will be accepted as more realistic and, be more understandable as a part of your ultimate success.

Following this explanation, you'll need to itemize the projected cost and income figures of your three year plan. It'll take a lot of research, and undoubtedly a good deal of erasing, but it's very important that you list these figures based upon thorough investigation. You may have to adjust some of your plans downward, but once you've got these two chapters on paper, your whole business plan will fall into line and begin to make sense. You'll have a precise "map" of where you're headed, how much it's going to cost, when you can expect to start making money, and how much.

Now that you know where you're going, how much it's going to cost and how long it's going to be before you begin to recoup your investment, you're ready to talk about how and where you're going to get the money to finance your journey. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll want to use this chapter to list the possibilities and alternatives.

Make a list of friends you can approach, and perhaps induce to put up some money as silent partners. Make a list of those people you might be able to sell as stockholders in your company – in many cases you can sell up to $300,000 worth of stock on a "private issue" basis without filing papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Check with a corporate or tax attorney in your area for more details. Make a list of relatives and friends that might help you with an outright loan to furnish money for the development of your business.

Then search out and make a list of venture capital organizations. Visit the Small Business Administration office in your area – pick up the loan application papers they have – read them, study them, and even fill them out on a preliminary basis – and finally, check the costs, determine which business publications would be best to advertise in, if you were to advertise for a partner or investor, and write an ad you'd want to use if you did decide to advertise for monetary help.

With a listing of all the options available to your needs, all that's left is the arranging of these options in the order you would want to use them when the time comes to ask for money. When you're researching these money sources, you'll save time by noting the "contact" to deal with when you want money, and whenever possible, by developing a working relationship with these people.

In your documentation section, you should have a credit report on yourself. Use the yellow pages or check at the credit department in your bank for the nearest credit reporting office. When, you get your credit report, look it over ant take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate any negative comments. Once these have been taken care of, ask for a revised copy of your report and include a copy of that in your business plan.

If you own any patents or copyrights, include copies of these. Any licenses to use someone else's patent or copyright should also be included. If you own the distribution, wholesale or exclusive sales rights to a product, include copies of this documentation. You should also include copies of any leases, special agreements or other legal papers that might be pertinent to your business.

In conclusion, write out a brief, overall summary of your business – when the business was started, the purpose of the business, what makes your business different, how you're going to gain a profitable share of the market, and your expected success during the coming 5-years…

The last page of your business plan is a "courtesy page" listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of personal and business references – persons who have known you closely for the past five years or longer – and companies or firms you've had business or credit dealings with during the past five years.

And, that's it – your complete business plan. Before you send it out for formal typing, read it over once a day for a week or ten days. Take care of any changes or corrections, and then have it reviewed by an attorney and then, an accountant. It would also be a good idea to have it reviewed by a business consultant serving the business community to which your business will be related. After these reviews, and any last-minute changes you want to make, it'll be ready for formal typing.

Hire a professional typist to type the entire plan on ordinary white bond paper. Make sure you proofread it against the original. Check for and correct any typographical errors then one more time – read it through for clarity and the perfection you want of it.

Now you're ready to have it printed and published for whatever use you have planned for it – distribution amongst your partners or stockholders, as the business plan for putting together a winning financial proposal, or as a business operating manual.

Take it to a quality printed in your area, and have three copies printed. Don't settle for photocopying… Have it printed! Photocopying leaves a slight film on the paper, and will detract from the overall professionalism of your business plan, when presented to someone you're trying to impress. So, after going to all this work to put it together properly, go all the way and have it duplicated properly.

Next, stop by a stationery store, variety store or even a dimestore, and pick up an ordinary, inexpensive bind-in theme cover for each copy of your business plan. Have the holes punched in the pages of your business report to fit these binders and then slip each copy into a binder of its own.

Now you can relax, take a break ant feel good about yourself… You have a complete and detailed business plan with which to operate a successful business of your own… A plan you can use as a basis for any financing proposal you may want to submit… And a precise road-map for the attainment of real success…

Congratulations, and my best wishes for the complete fulfillment of all your dreams of success!!!

Starting an Internet business? We all have thought about it at one time or another. Now you have decided to go for the gusto! You made the decision to take your Ideas and start an Internet business. Now the confusion and tesion sets in. Where to start, the hows, and whys. Rest assure you are not alone. Thousands of people each day are choosing to work from home on the internet. Knowing what your doing and how it will affect your life is crucial to a successful business.

According to oan article in "Business2.0.com called "Does Your Idea Make Sense" by: Steve Jurreston and Andreas Starropoulus; there are several questions you should ask yourself before beginning your quest for the .com success.

1) Examine your Idea and ask yourself if the "Value of the porduct/or service increases with higher use or distribution?"

2) "Does the idea scale with the growth of the web?"

3) "Are there innovative, web based marketing techniques that can be used to promote the concept?"

4) "Will you adapt?" The growth and continuesly changing internet makes this a vital question to ask about your idea or business.

5) "What are the barriers?" Businesses can grow rapidly and can fall just as quickly. Competative barriers and customer retention is a key element in internet success.

6) "Are there personnel buttlenecks to scalablility?" New businesses find it hard to support good employees for many different reasons. Mostly due to finacial reasons. Using strategies such as consulting and customization are how some businesses are avoiding this as a downfall for their business.

7) "Do you have a 'Market Shrink Strategy?'" By lowering product prices and offering free products/ or services, establishes competition witht hose businesses that retain an established distribution.

Several other points that I feel are important to consider in starting a home business are;

A) Do you have what it takes! I know from my own experience that starting and managing a home business can be very time consuming. There are many obstacles that need to be challenged as well sa the time it takes to establish the business. It's a doggy dog world out there and you will need to be strong if you want to succeed.

B) If you have a family be sure to discuss your ideas and plans with them. Is your spouse or children going to be able to handle your conquest? Having support from your family not only makes you happy, but it gives you the confidence you need to start this journey.

C) Startup consts!! Know what they are going to be ahead of time. Having the finacial resources available ahead of time can save you stress as well as save you money! Do Your Reasearch!!

D) Like What your Doing!! This is most important. If you are not happy with you business idea, or you get bored easily with the internet then you may need to rethink your plans to start an internet business.

Starting a homebased business is no easy task. Knowing when your ready and what you are doing are key elements to starting. An article published in Entrepreneurmag.com by: Beverly Williams; points out that there are important facets to consider before anything else in starting your homebased business. "Knowing what else will be going on in the house while your work, where the office will be located so you can work comfortably, and how you will 'leave work and be home' at the end of the day." These all need to be considered seriously before you begin.

Be prepared, do your research, and consider others in your household can save you unneeded and unwanted stress in the startup of your home business. Share your thoughts with others, ask for advice, and most important take advantage of the internet. It's not called the information highway for nothing. If you work hard and like what your doing, your home business can be a success.

————————————-
** Information for this article was obtainded from the following resources:
http://www.entrepreneurmag.com (issue Tuesday April 4th,2000)
http://www.business2.com (March2000)
Along with various experiences from myself.

It has come to my attention that some of you Web TV users may be "newbies". I have been on WebTv for almost 2 years, and I have learned quite a bit. One of the first things I have learned is if you are having a problem there are a lot of people on-line that are more than willing to help you. There are also many tutorial sites available. In this article I will be listing some of the many "help"sites that I recommend.

As a newbie once myself , and wanting to make a homepage, I was told to check out Draac's, he has some of the easiest tutorials to read. Well I must say that without his helpful pages my page would never have been built.www.draac.com

I struggled with a homepage for several months…..then along came "pagebuilder" Pagebuilder is a program that WebTv offers.It is located in "community" on your homepage.. With the help of a scrapbook that webtv offers in pagebuilder, and some trial and errors my homepage became a reality.

If you have never tried to make a homepage then you should check out "Pagebuilder" just go to your home page and click on community. There are several newsgroups that are willing to help you if you should get into trouble. They are listed at the bottom here of this article.

Of course there are several sites that are compatible with Webtv for making homepages too. They are Tripod (if you don't mind their banners on you page) , Geocities and Yahoo, Anglefire, and Beseen. These sites all offer free space. There are also many sites that you can pay for too.
Below are a few sites that have been of great help to me.

news:alt.discuss.clubs.public.website.pagebuilder.secretadmirer

Net TV

Introduction

America is coming home to work. Home-based offices are becoming the wave of the future. Tens of thousands of workers are opting for this way of life, a life in which they can make their own hours, commute to work in seconds, make their own choices and become their own bosses.

For many the home office is becoming the location for a full-time job and the primary source of income. For others it is a part-time venture. Many start on a part-time basis and grow their business into a full-time operation.

Current figures available indicate that during 1991 the percentage of self-employed working from home jumped by almost 6% to approximately 12 million. While working at home has an almost irresistible appeal to many, and many have some big misconceptions of what it is like, here is some very useful information that can help you get started successfully.

Legalities of Working at Home

Zoning
Before setting up your new business it would be advisable to check on the legal status of your business. You need to check zoning laws for your community which may dictate if you can legally operate a business from home. We realize that many businesses never check on zoning for their home-based business and chances that they ever get into difficulties with the law are probably pretty slim. If there are no changes in structure and you do not have customers and or employees enter your home, regulations will tend to be far more easy. Laws and regulations change from community to community, but the following 5 factors will generally be regulated items:

1. Separate business and private entrances.
2. Square footage of the home which is taken up by commercial space.
3. Employees working in the home.
4. Certain occupations such as jewelry or clothing
5. Storage of commercial goods, especially any hazardous materials.

Here is an important suggestion: keep relations with your neighbors on a friendly basis. Your neighbors will soon become aware that you are working at home. Some may even be envious, and yes, unfortunately zoning authorities will generally become aware of home office zoning infractions through a "friendly neighbor".

Business License

Most cities or counties require businesses to be licensed. Some home-operated businesses, however, are not required to have a business license. Check with your local City or County Clerks Office to obtain regulations for your locality.

D.B.A. Registration

If you are using your own name as your business name it will not need to be registered, but if you use any other name, or even your abbreviated name, almost all localities require that you register the name. This is called a fictitious name registration or D.B.A. "Doing Business As" registration. If your name is:

Randy M Jones and your name your business Randy Jones or Randy M Jones Enterprise you will not have to register it, but if you call it: RMJ Enterprises you will generally have to register the name.

Most states have a name search bureau which is a part of the state government. You will generally be able to call this office to see if a given name has already been registered to someone else in the state. This is important to do, or it could be costly later. If you give your business a name which is already registered to another company, the other company may demand, and even take legal action to make sure you comply, that you cease to use the name.

Your Company as a Legal Entity

Businesses are most commonly set-up as one of the following entities:

• The Sole Proprietorship
• Incorporation
• Partnership

Most new businesses choose the Sole Proprietorship. It is the least complicated. It requires no paperwork. The proprietor you, or you and your spouse as the owner, or owners, are taxed for all net profit from your business. You add the income of the business to other income, or deduct the business loss from other income. Your tax adviser can give you specific information.

The disadvantage of the Sole Proprietorship is that as the owner you can be held fully liable in a lawsuit. An incorporation, on the other hand, will give you some protection. In this case the "INC" rather than you is the legal business entity. If you are starting a business that tends to have liability exposure the corporation may be the way to go. In this and other legal questions, only your attorney can give you competent legal advice.

Partnerships are generally chosen when unrelated individuals own a business. A partnership should be set up by an attorney, or all kinds of problems can develop later.

Designing Your Work-space

First, you must determine how much space you need. Chances are what you may initially think is quite large may be crowed or not enough space. While many businesses are started from a corner of the bedroom or kitchen, if the space is available it would be far better idea to take a spare area of the house and convert it into your office. There may be space in the basement, garage, or a spare bedroom. Having a separate space is more efficient and will make for maximum efficiency. It is also psychologically important. You do not want home activities to interfere with your business, or vice versa.

Financial Planning

It is said and also my own personal experience that owners of new businesses never have enough time or money. The majority of small businesses which do not succeed will fail because they are not properly financed. Plan carefully review all required start-up expenses as well as on-going expenses before revenue will be generated. Estimate your profit margins and all fixed and controlled expenses. Almost all entrepreneurs will tend to be much more optimistic about their estimate of the financial performance of a business taken what is necessarily realistic. There are always unforeseen expenses.

It is a good idea to only invest in absolutely necessary expenses. This applies to furnishings, supplies and all equipment. Computer equipment in recent years has become outdated within a short period of time. So, if what you acquire will serve you well for 2-3 years will be able to upgrade your equipment later on. Your emphasis should be on conserving capital. As your business develops, unexpected hurdles will come along and periods of low revenue. Your capital will make it possible to keep your business operating during these times.

Why Should You Have A Business Plan?

While writing a business plan can be made into a highly sophisticated undertaking especially by large corporations, its easy to do when done for a new or small owner operated-business. Essentially, you will be committing your plan to paper. As you do so your thought will become more formal and concrete and this will tremendously assist you in the development of your business. If you are considering to obtain financing for your new business either through a bank or the SBA, a formal business plan will be a necessity. Home-operated businesses will have a much more difficult time in obtaining financing.

Don't Forget Uncle Sam

As in all undertakings of life from birth to death and beyond, the IRS will be there to watch over you. Almost all small, home-based businesses will start out as "Sole Proprietorship." This legal status is best for ease of handling and for tax benefits. Your net business income or loss becomes an addition or deduction to other income declare at the end of the year. Careful record-keeping of all business revenue and expenses is a must. Keep a separate business checking amount for your business. Do not intermingle business and personal expenses. Other special tax benefits and regulations apply to home-operated businesses. You should obtain professional advise from your tax adviser.

Insurance

One disadvantage of being self-employed is not having health and disability insurance. You may also need liability insurance. Your homeowners insurance covers your belongings in your home, but may not cover all business inventory and equipment. Check with your insurance agent to make sure you have the right coverage.

Factors that will Determine Your Success

Do Your Homework

The more you know about your business, the better your chances of success. Attend seminars and join trade associations. Read books and trade publications. If you do not have a business background a business introductory class at a local college would be advisable.

Planning is Key to Your Success

You and your family's future and livelihood is at stake. So your decision and planning to start a business are very serious matter. Establish a long range plan which encompasses your business and financial plans. You should obtain legal or financial advice from an attorney or accountant before committing to nay long range or major financial transactions. Agreements with suppliers or customers should be put into writing.

So What Are Your Chances

The better you think they are the better they generally are, and don't forget that among thousands of others:
Apple Computer, Domino's Pizza, and Walt Disney all started as home-based businesses.

There is a great deal of expert advice and resource material available to you. Much of it is free of charge. A variety of literature is available, both excellent books on all business subjects and various magazines. The Internet Is all one of your best sources for information. Your local Chamber of Commerce often sponsors classes. Banks can give you advice, or can be used as a sounding board. Local schools offer a variety of classes of interest to business owners. Don't forget the Public Library. Last, but not least, don't forget the U.S. Government.
SBA (small Business Administration) offers a range of services such as loans, financial consulting, computer and technical consulting services and a variety of publications.
Check your local telephone pages, or contact:

Small Business Administration
1441 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20416
(202) 659-6000

United States Chamber of Commerce provides literature, telephone referrals and other services to small businesses. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or:

United States Chambers of Commerce
1615 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20062
(202) 659-6000

Internal Revenue Service offers a variety of services which includes workshops, films and publications to clarify tax matters for small businesses. Contact your local IRs office or:

Education Branch, Taxpayer Service Division
IRS, Department of the Treasury
1111 Constitution Ave.,NW
Washington, DC 20274
1-800-424-1040

Better Business Bureau (BBB) The BBB can be an important ally in checking on potential suppliers and other businesses. Check for telephone listing in the city where the company you are checking on is located.

This essence of a great business site should be of one that follows. Privacy statements, disclaimers, contact information, organization, neatness, original content, and a site that won't crash your computer. Privacy statements are fairly new to the Internet, yet are so important. If you have never read one, I suggest the next site you visit read one. A privacy statement is one that tells the viewer/customer, that any information they provide will be kept private. It should tell you that your information will not be traded or sold in any way. This is important as many sites in the past have done this. It is illegal, and if this privacy statement is broken you can pursue legal action against that person or company. If you are a webmaster and you have a way of collecting information about your customers, it is the law that you provide a privacy statement, according to the "Online Privacy Act of 1999"

Disclaimers are basically the same thing except they should include some aspect to the purpose of the site , and where they obtain their information. Sometimes people combine the two together, so that the viewer only has to read one.

Contact information is essential to any online business. Whether it be a home business or a cooperation. The contact information should include where the site is located out of, name of owner, name of webmaster, email address, postal address, and sometimes phone numbers. Some home business owners are skeptical about putting some of this information on their site, however their should be some way to contact the owner of that site.

Organization is a key factor that determines whether the site is serious about what they do. Many times I have gone into home business sites that are so disorganized, I could not find a purpose to the site. Part of good organization is ease of navigation. If you can not navigate easily through a site this tells me that this person has not taken the time or effort for their business, and therefore could not be serious about it. It could also mean they have no experience in web building, therefore they should hire someone to do it for them. Neatness also falls into this category. Bright colors, fonts that are hard to read, are poor skills with the webmaster. Another thing that takes away from the neatness and organization of a site is to many graphics, and animations. People love these but when the site has nothing to do with graphics or animations they should be limited in their use. Each page of the site should look similar to all the other pages. This helps your site look neat and professional.

Original content is a must with any serious business owner. Anyone can make a site that contains only links to other people sites or work. When a site contains some of it's own original content, you can rest assure that this person or company have put some effort into their business.

Of course if the site you are visiting crashes your computer, I recommend that you do not visit that site any time soon. We all have experienced it, and it is not fun.

So whether or not you are looking for information from a business, or trying to create your own. Doing business online is serious and the owner should also be. You may even already have your site up and running. Creating a website that shows your visitors that you are serious, the more likely they will become a loyal customer. Don't get caught up in Internet scams, and hoaxes, pay attention to what you area looking at, be careful, and don't forget smile!