Planning your online business

Starting an online business requires the same degree of planning as starting a "real world" business does. While you may not have all of the same issues that an off-line business has, many of the requirements are exactly the same. Let's take a look.

Off-line Business

  

Online Business

  • Rent
  • Cost of Goods Sold
  • Office Equipment
  • Credit Card Processing Costs
  • Payroll
  • Advertising & Marketing
   
  • Website Hosting Fees
  • Cost of Goods Sold
  • Office Equipment
  • Credit Card Processing Costs
  • Payroll
  • Advertising & Marketing

As you can see, a "real" Internet business requires an investment of money and time just like any other business. Failure to realize and accommodate this fact is one of the biggest contributing factors to both on and off-line businesses today. It always has been.

Before you hang out our digital "shingle" and call yourself an Internet business, take the time to develop a business and marketing plan, and crunch the startup numbers so you know exactly what it will cost you to go online. Only then are you ready to move on to step two

Some relevant links

Next