Posts from Online Business
I like January. It's been frigid this year (-27 Celsius a few days ago), but when a new year comes around, it helps me focus on the future and brings fresh energy and hope into the workplace. Granted, feelings pass quickly and without careful resolutions and follow-through, it's easy to squander the new year's energy. So after a good deal of thought, I've decided to make a few 2009 resolutions. Note that these are my resolutions and I don't expect everyone to agree with them. But perhaps you'll find a useful point or two amongst them and then share some of your own 2009 goals.
Living in a world of instant information is a two-edged sword. On one hand, you can find help on nearly any subject, from learning HTML to setting up an LLC. On the other hand, a little knowledge can be dangerous, convincing people that they know more than they actually do about a ceratin subject. We've all heard someone or other refer to the necessity of "meta tags" for search engines or try to confidently explain that they need more "RAM" so that their computer can hold more photos. Most people tend to think themselves "pretty good at" most subjects and tasks. [Read More]
Once upon a time, when businesses were all "offline," you didn't concern yourself as much with "niches." A store that sold rugs in San Diego didn't have to compete with a rug store in Miami and in many ways, your location was your niche. But then came the internet, which in effect, "flattened" the world. So although there is still some regionalism when it comes to online businesses (an online rug store in the US may never compete with one in the UK), there are still only so many rug stores that can succeed in one location (in this case, online). So what has happened is that niches on the internet are not so much about location, but a lot more about the actual idea. And consequently, you have no shortage of experts and books discussing subjects such as of finding these new markets (Blue Ocean Strategy) and leveraging specialty products (The Long Tail). So the question is, whether you're considering a new web app or a blog concept, how do you come up with an idea that is "niche" enough to be original, but not too "niche" so that you make up half of your visitors? Here are some questions that may help you: [Read More]
Back in a time when life had less cynicism and more Ramen, I imagined that being a writer would be a noble profession. So I began reading books about writing, from the classic The Elements of Style by Strunk and White all the way to On Writing by Stephen King. Of course, I soon gave up that aspiration once I found that my web development skills had greater marketability (and I had bills to pay). However, there were more than a few lessons I took away from that time. For example, every book I read shared the same two points that each made very clear. First, if you ever want to be a writer, you must be an avid reader (as King wrote, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write"). This point was made in yesterday's post about blogs to read. Secondly, and germane to today's post, is the fact that at some time, you must stop reading and begin creating. More specifically, King wrote that you should find a place where you can be most productive and just write (or perhaps in our case, create a website or start a business). From his book: [Read More]
In today's age, people are more responsible for the information they disseminate than ever before. The moment you claim that something is not possible, your average Googler can find some website that claims the contrary (or even worse, actually implements the contrary). So as a website creator (or any other freelancer), you have a great responsibility to stay up-to-date with the industry. This is even more important when considering what kind of online business or opportunities to pursue. Thankfully, the advent of blogs and newsfeeds makes this task a snap. So here are 40 blogs that you can read via RSS over your morning coffee, orange juice, or Tang. By using a good RSS reader and only reading necessary or interesting topics, I can usually get through them all in about 15 minutes (as long as I keep up daily). [Read More]
TechCrunch is easily the best source for news about online companies and startups. One of the more instructive sections over there is their "DeadPool," a collection of companies that have ceased operations for one reason or another. Although it's always a little sad to see a company and its employees close shop, I also find it helpful to see in what ways a company can fail. The DeadPool list also keeps me and my ideas grounded in reality, realizing that failure is often a large part of success. That said, here are three startups that have ceased to be in the last few months. [Read More]
There are many ways to make money online, and blogging is probably one of the most accessible methods. Here are a few recent blog posts that are helpful and original, from bloggers who speak from experience and success. [Read More]
I began creating websites over 10 years ago, after my folks bought a 486 with a tiny 4.8k modem (though soon moving to a 56k modem). Over the years, I've seen many online trends and web companies rise and fall (although I missed some of the more "exciting" internet years occupied with college studies from 1999-2003). Yet despite being a semi-early internet user and website creator, not one of my internet business ideas have ever made any cash until this year. Why? Because I never implemented any business ideas! [Read More]
I like January. It's been frigid this year (-27 Celsius a few days ago), but when a new year comes around, it helps me focus on the future and brings fresh energy and hope into the workplace. Granted, feelings pass quickly and without careful resolutions and follow-through, it's easy to squander the new year's energy. So after a good deal of thought, I've decided to make a few 2009 resolutions. Note that these are my resolutions and I don't expect everyone to agree with them. But perhaps you'll find a useful point or two amongst them and then share some of your own 2009 goals.
The new year often brings renewed ambition and resolution (Photo by Per Ola Wiberg)
[Read More]
Living in a world of instant information is a two-edged sword. On one hand, you can find help on nearly any subject, from learning HTML to setting up an LLC. On the other hand, a little knowledge can be dangerous, convincing people that they know more than they actually do about a ceratin subject. We've all heard someone or other refer to the necessity of "meta tags" for search engines or try to confidently explain that they need more "RAM" so that their computer can hold more photos. Most people tend to think themselves "pretty good at" most subjects and tasks. [Read More]
Once upon a time, when businesses were all "offline," you didn't concern yourself as much with "niches." A store that sold rugs in San Diego didn't have to compete with a rug store in Miami and in many ways, your location was your niche. But then came the internet, which in effect, "flattened" the world. So although there is still some regionalism when it comes to online businesses (an online rug store in the US may never compete with one in the UK), there are still only so many rug stores that can succeed in one location (in this case, online). So what has happened is that niches on the internet are not so much about location, but a lot more about the actual idea. And consequently, you have no shortage of experts and books discussing subjects such as of finding these new markets (Blue Ocean Strategy) and leveraging specialty products (The Long Tail). So the question is, whether you're considering a new web app or a blog concept, how do you come up with an idea that is "niche" enough to be original, but not too "niche" so that you make up half of your visitors? Here are some questions that may help you: [Read More]
Back in a time when life had less cynicism and more Ramen, I imagined that being a writer would be a noble profession. So I began reading books about writing, from the classic The Elements of Style by Strunk and White all the way to On Writing by Stephen King. Of course, I soon gave up that aspiration once I found that my web development skills had greater marketability (and I had bills to pay). However, there were more than a few lessons I took away from that time. For example, every book I read shared the same two points that each made very clear. First, if you ever want to be a writer, you must be an avid reader (as King wrote, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write"). This point was made in yesterday's post about blogs to read. Secondly, and germane to today's post, is the fact that at some time, you must stop reading and begin creating. More specifically, King wrote that you should find a place where you can be most productive and just write (or perhaps in our case, create a website or start a business). From his book: [Read More]
In today's age, people are more responsible for the information they disseminate than ever before. The moment you claim that something is not possible, your average Googler can find some website that claims the contrary (or even worse, actually implements the contrary). So as a website creator (or any other freelancer), you have a great responsibility to stay up-to-date with the industry. This is even more important when considering what kind of online business or opportunities to pursue. Thankfully, the advent of blogs and newsfeeds makes this task a snap. So here are 40 blogs that you can read via RSS over your morning coffee, orange juice, or Tang. By using a good RSS reader and only reading necessary or interesting topics, I can usually get through them all in about 15 minutes (as long as I keep up daily). [Read More]
TechCrunch is easily the best source for news about online companies and startups. One of the more instructive sections over there is their "DeadPool," a collection of companies that have ceased operations for one reason or another. Although it's always a little sad to see a company and its employees close shop, I also find it helpful to see in what ways a company can fail. The DeadPool list also keeps me and my ideas grounded in reality, realizing that failure is often a large part of success. That said, here are three startups that have ceased to be in the last few months. [Read More]
There are many ways to make money online, and blogging is probably one of the most accessible methods. Here are a few recent blog posts that are helpful and original, from bloggers who speak from experience and success. [Read More]
I began creating websites over 10 years ago, after my folks bought a 486 with a tiny 4.8k modem (though soon moving to a 56k modem). Over the years, I've seen many online trends and web companies rise and fall (although I missed some of the more "exciting" internet years occupied with college studies from 1999-2003). Yet despite being a semi-early internet user and website creator, not one of my internet business ideas have ever made any cash until this year. Why? Because I never implemented any business ideas! [Read More]
