Choosing Your Niche Market - Developing Laser Focus

 One of the keys to being a successful Internet Entrepreneur is choosing a niche.  One of the challenges of the World Wide Web is its expansive reach and versatile nature.  As the old joke goes, the best thing about the Web is that you can do virtually anything, the worst thing about the Web is that you can do virtually anything.

Pick a starting point that you're interested in and stick with it until you are successful or you have established that you idea is not as profitable as you originally thought.

Okay, when you begin to market, where do you start? You know you don't want to compete with some of the large companies on the Net. However there are great opportunities for small and nimble operators.

Analyze what you are selling or what you want to sell. It should be in an area that you know a lot about or want of learn about.  It may have wide appeal, but think of those it appeals to most. For example, does your product appeal to musicians? That's a pretty wide market. Narrow it down. Who is most likely to be interested, singers or instrumentalists? From there you might want or need to narrow it even further. For example, your product might appeal to musicians of a certain age, or musicians who favor a certain kind of music or even a particular singer.

After narrowing it down as far as you can, think of appropriate keywords. Check with Google to see how many sites come up using these  keywords. Next use a site that tracks keyword usage (such as Word Tracker or Overture) to see if there are plenty of users looking for that information. If there are enough potential customers and the competition is low, you may have found your niche.

After you have chosen your niche, try to use it in your Website title. This can help your Website ranking. Another tool for choosing a niche is to study the competition and find out how to make your site unique. 

Choosing a niche will help your Website stand out. Find one with plenty of potential customers and little competition and you have a very good chance of watching your business grow.

Choosing a Concession Business Location

 When running a concession trailer business, there are several aspects to take into account. Many issues arise that need to be dealt with in order to make a food service business run smoothly. With a mobile concession business, one of the most important things to make a decision on is the location where you plan to set up to sell. There are several different things to keep in mind when you are choosing a location for the operation of your business. First you need to consider the population of the area you plan to sell in. Another important thing to consider is whether or not you are willing to pay to set up. One final thing you need to consider is getting permission to set up.

One of the first things to consider when you are trying to choose a location for your business to operate is the population of the area. In order for your business to run successfully, you need to make sure the location you choose is well trafficked and fairly densely populated. The more populated the location, the more potential customers you have. If you choose a location that only has a few houses and businesses, you might consider a location that has more houses and businesses. Businesses are great to be around because employees who need a quick lunch break can be a great source of income. They can also be a great source of word-of-mouth advertisement, getting friends and even fellow employees to come sample your culinary delights.

Another important thing to remember when choosing a location to sell from is finances. You have to determine how much money, if any, you are willing to pay for a spot on someone’s property. For the most part, to park on the property of another business or a private individual, you must expect to pay for the rental of the space. Prices for renting a spot are usually dependent upon the size and location of the space. Be on the look out for the least expensive place you can find that will still provide you with the customer base that is necessary to be able to make money at your business.

This brings us to another thing that must be kept in mind when choosing location is that you must have permission to set up on private property. You are not allowed to just set up anywhere there is a space. You must first check with your city and county about the laws that concern concession food sales. Once you know these requirements, when you decide to settle in a spot, you must always ask the owner of the property you would like to set up on if that is ok. Many times, the offer of a nice chunk of monthly space rent will convince a person to allow you to be on there property. Either way, written permission must be obtained to make sure that no legal problems arise.

Wherever you decide to set up your concession trailer food business, several details must be seen to before that can happen. Choosing a location for your business must include consideration of population, cost of space rental, and gaining permission of the city, county, and private party who owns the space. This can be a very profitable business. To make your chances of making money better finding a great location can certainly play a part.

Characteristics Of A Successful Entrepreneur

Studies have shown that successful entrepreneurs possess these characteristics: 

1. Self-confidence 

This is that magical power of having confidence in oneself and in one's powers and abilities. 

2. Achievement Oriented 

Results are gained by focused and sustained effort. They concentrate on achieving a specific goal, not just accomplishing a string of unrelated tasks. 

3. Risk Taker 

They realize that there is a chance of loss inherent in achieving their goals, yet they have the confidence necessary to take calculated risks to achieve their goals. 

Entrepreneurs are people who will make decisions, take action, and think that they can control their own destinies. They are often motivated by a spirit of independence which leads them to believe that their success depends on raw effort and hard work, not luck. 

So which of these three main characteristics is the most important? Believe it or not, it has to be self-confidence. Without self-confidence, nothing else is possible. If you don't believe in your abilities, then the first challenge that arises may knock you off the path to achieving your goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind for maintaining a higher level of self-confidence. 

Positive Thinking 

Well, it all starts with a positive attitude, doesn't it? Believing that something good will happen is the first step. Negative thinking simply is not allowed. You must truly believe that there are no circumstances strong enough to deter you from reaching your goals. Remember too, that positive thinking can be contagious. When positive thinking spreads, it can open doors to new ideas, customers, friends, etc. 

Persistent Action 

Now all of the positive thinking and believing in the world is useless if it is not applied towards a goal. You have to take action, no excuses are allowed. This action must also be persistent. Trying once and then giving up is not going to be enough. Keep at it one step at a time. If you can't get by a certain step, then find a creative way to try again or just go around it. 

At the beginning of this article we identified a few traits that are common among successful entrepreneurs. You should be able to look ahead and see yourself where you want to be. Now just maintain a strong belief in yourself and your skills, stick with it, and don't give up. If you can do that, you're already half way there!

Catch the Spirit of the Entrepreneur

 Grabbing opportunities with open arms is often easier to talk about than to actually do. Most people find themselves dreaming about being rich but never actually doing anything about it. A combination of procrastination and 'what if' syndrome can cripple your creative spirit and might mean your idea will never become a reality. 

Socrates said "Action equals knowledge'. He was one of the greatest philosophers of our time. What he meant was that it is through action that we achieve results. 

For example, you could think about learning Spanish for months, imagining the holidays you will take and the people you will communicate with. You can dream forever but accomplish nothing unless you actually make the effort to start taking lessons. 

Much like the martial arts approach - the idea is to take action immediately and avoid over analyzing the situation. 

Do you want to start your own business but are afraid of what kinds of things can go wrong? What if your initial investment doesn't pay off? There are millions of things that could go wrong but likewise there are many things that can go right! Fear can be paralyzing. When thinking about starting a business particularly if you keep waiting for the right time. There will never be a perfect time. It's now or never when it comes to starting your own business. 

Overcoming your fear is a step by step process. 

- Do you have a clear idea of what kind of business you want to start? A clear plan will help keep your worries at bay.  

- Do you have access to the resources you will need? This includes the necessary start up cash as well as anything else you will need.

- Do you have access to clients or do you know enough about marketing basics to ensure you will have enough interest in what you are offering? 

Just like anything - taking action is the most important part. Make an itemized list of what you feel needs to be done in order for you to start that business you always dreamed of. 

Prioritizing your list will help too. Don't wait for all your ducks to be in a proverbial row before you begin but make sure you have all the basics covered.  Don't wait for that 'perfect someday'. Make an imperfect start. 

Don't over think everything. Sometimes the best approach is to just jump into the deep end.

Don't wait to start discovering your own entrepreneurial spirit. Take action today!

Crazy Money Making Ideas

Sometimes new money making ideas are immediately usable. However, sometimes you just have to let your imagination run wild and be impractical. This is a way to get that creativity going, and no matter how crazy the ideas may seem at first, there is usually a way to bring them down to earth, as in this first example.

Rental Cabins In The Air

I started with a crazy thought: "What if people could rent a cabin up in the sky for the weekend?" Right away my mind tries to make sense of the idea, and because the over-all goal is to have profitable innovations, it looks for ways to make it into a money making idea. I first imagined cabins which are suspended under large hot-air or helium balloons.

As much fun as it might be, this didn't seem very practical. When I explored the idea further, though, I wondered if existing balloon-ride businesses could tap into other markets. If, for example, the gondolas were outfitted properly, and the balloons tethered, so they could be allowed to float two thousand feet overhead, would meditators then pay for a peaceful meditation retreat in the sky?

Another thought came to mind. Balloons could be high in the air, but easily cranked back in on a line. This might be simpler and cheaper than traditional rides, which involve chase vehicles and unpredictable landings. Perhaps this could be another way to make money with the balloons, charging a lower rate for simple up and down rides, and so getting new customers that couldn't afford the usual rides.

This is how a crazy idea comes back to earth. Perhaps even the "weekend cabin in the sky" idea could someday be a money making idea, but if not, that's okay. The point here is to get the creative flow going, and then find more practical ways to channel the output.

<b>More Crazy Money Making Ideas</b>

The following are pure imagination. I leave it to you to find a way to make these ones into potential money making ideas. Good luck and have fun!

- Put seats on the wings of an airplane and sell rides to thrill seekers.

- Sell advertising scratched out on the face of the moon.

- Rent out the animals at the zoo.

- Start an underwater school.

- Make a roller coaster course people pay to take their personal cars on.

- Sell pets genetically engineered to die young, for those who hate long-term commitments.

- Rent out children to undecided prospective parents.

- Have marriage insurance policies that cover the cost of a divorce, just in case.

- Have a swimming pool restaurant; diners sit in floating seats and eat off floating plates.

Scan the list and stop on any of the crazy ideas that catch your attention. Chances are good that you can find some way to transform it into a more practical idea, and that is the point. This exercise in imagination may be fun, but it is also a profitable technique for generating money making ideas.

Case Study: An eBook Online Business Plan

 Success online depends on having a plan, or more specifically a business plan. Often, very often actually, clients contact a designer with a burning passion to have a new web site online, and fast. Success takes more than waking up bug-eyed at 2:00am with the brainstorm of the century.  You need to outline (and fill in) a real business plan and make adjustments before the official launch.

Citing an actual case for an online eBook business, I advised the aspiring entrepreneur to provide more information.  Thinking through the questions and answers is a vital step towards developing a good business plan.

- Do you have a logo for your company?

- If no logo, what color scheme do you like?

- How many products (eBooks) will you offer?

- Are they all written and ready to go?

- Do you have cover art for your books?

- What system of e-commerce do you intend to use?

- Will you offer just pdf or exe formats, or both?

- Do you have the domain, plus registration and hosting?

- Do you have a projected launch date scheduled?

- How many affiliate products do you have to offer?

Defining what you do, your market, and how you intend to be different are vital considerations. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

For an eBook online business, the competition is fierce and filled with some shady characters.  When you begin the process of planning before jumping in, consider your image first and then answer "How will I establish credibility up front?".  Weave this into your business plan and you should do well.  Don't act before thinking or you may be perceived as just another online marketeer.

To summarize:

1. Your Image - Have a stunning set of graphics for your corporate image to make a favorable first impression.  Hire a pro if it's in your budget.

2. Establishing Credibility - solicit opinions from trusted people to give honest feedback about first impression and credibility, good or bad.

3. The Plan - Outlines or templates for creating a business plan are availble free online.  Get one.  Use it.  Be flexible, and change as you go.

In closing and from experience, I know that many startup online entrepreneurs neglect creating a business plan.  Selling eBooks online without physical inventory except bits and bytes seems so easy.  Your chance for success will improve with a real business plan.

Career Freedom With Franchises

 Franchises – a French word meaning “freedom from servitude” – implies that the dream of being financially independent can come true. Just pay a fee and sign the papers and you become the proud owner of your very own business. Yes, you are the boss, you make the decisions, and you get the earnings. Someone else has done all the ground work, solved the anticipated problems, and is sharing their knowledge and experience with you.

However, thousands of franchisees have lost their life savings and their companies. The innocent purchaser realizes after-the-fact that he has no real choices about how the business will be run.

The rules and procedures that go with the “Name Brand” dictates every tiny aspect of how the business is to be run – color schemes, what is sold and who you buy it from, hours to be open, type of employees to hire and exactly how to train the employees. The innocent purchaser now has a new boss who is a hard task-master. This new boss comes in the form of detailed manuals that must be followed.

Do franchises ever provide true success? Of course they do! There are thousands of happy, successful franchise owners. However, if they are happy it is because they ‘did their homework’ before signing on the dotted line or putting money out. During the 1980s there were hundreds of fraudulent get- rich-quick franchise dreams available, which, because they weren’t all legitimate, gave franchises a bad name. By 1979 the Federal Trade Commission began requiring complete disclosure of all pertinent information pertaining to a franchise business.

Then the public began to have confidence once again in acquiring a dream business which could not fail. Observing McDonald stores opening up around the globe is proof that, even though the product isn’t the healthiest in the world, it still sells and people still head for the golden arches. And someone is making money!

How can one best analyze a potential franchise business? How can people know it’s right for them, even if the paperwork and finances appear intellectually perfect? After asking every conceivable question, and getting the answers that sound right, here’s the best way to really, really know if that business is for you. Go sit in an identical franchise business that is already in operation.

Sit there and watch and listen -- from early morning till they close at night. Learn all you can by watching every aspect. Do this for at least ten days straight. If, at the end of ten days you still ‘feel’ excited and ‘really like being there’ then that particular franchise just might be perfect for you.

If by the tenth day you are making excuses for not going that day,or begin showing up later and later, or just downright begrudge being there, then that is a good indication of how you might feel if you own it. If that’s the case, find a different franchise product to invest in.