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 Do you dream of running your own
business? Well, get ready to make that dream reality. The
internet has leveled the playing field so that just about
anyone can bring in big bucks doing what they love.
Welcome to the global marketplace! Thanks to the web, now
you can make business connections the wide world over for
virtually no money... without ever leaving your home or
office. What can you sell on the internet that will put
you on the path to prosperity?
- Products: books, CDs, greeting cards, photo frames,
gifts and collectibles, fashions... the list is endless!
- Services: writing, graphic and web design, coaching,
administrative assistance, marketing, tech support, tax
preparation... if you have a skill, you should be
marketing it on the net.
- Memberships: to a technology forum, to a shopping club,
to a pet lovers' group, to a freelance bidding auction, to
a service swap, to an entrepreneur's network, to a dating
service
- E-books: for dog lovers, for knitters, for aspiring
millionaires, for handymen, for cooks, for astrology
buffs... there is no end to what people will pay to learn
about!
Brainchildren are born on the web every day. You don't
even need a nest egg to make money putting big ideas to
work. What you do need: lots of free time, some computer
knowledge, a credit card (yes, you will have to make a few
low-cost purchases), a network of supporters with varied
skills, a problem-solving nature and a can-do attitude.
If you're already on your way to becoming an online
success, great! No matter what stage your business is in,
here are 10 no-cost or low-cost resources to help your
profits soar.
1. An Earthlink Web Domain. What's an online
business without a website? There are tons of low-cost
domains out there, but I use Earthlink to run my own
business and I'm happy with it, so that's the one I'm
featuring here. For a low monthly fee, Earthlink offers a
fantastic, all-inclusive web-hosting package. What you
get: your own domain name, website-building software
that's easy to learn, up to 30 mailboxes, and tons of
enhancements including visitor counters, form scripts,
file uploading and a large selection of background
designs. Plus, Earthlink gives you tons of free hints,
resources, tutorials and advice on how to promote your
business online.
2. Microsoft Outlook. I can't fathom how anyone
would manage their company email without this program.
It's super-fast, offers plenty of storage space and can
handle large graphic files. Open multiple email windows
and copy the contents of one into the other! Sort your
emails by field and deposit them into separate folders
that you create and label for optimum organization. View
the contents of each email without having to open each
one. Block unwanted emails from entering your Inbox, or
set your auto-reply for when you're away. Managing your
contact addresses is a snap - and so is creating group
lists for easy bulk-mailing! Can you tell I'm enamored
with this program? If you bought your computer in the last
five years, Outlook probably came with your Windows
package... so if you haven't clicked on the program yet,
do it NOW!
3. Craigslist.org. I don't know who Craig is, but
God bless him for providing a F-R-E-E classified
advertising forum for the world's internet users.
Craigslist is the secret to my success and it can be
yours, too. Post information about your business services
to major cities around the globe... for no money at all!
Find people who have the skills you need to build your
online presence. Buy and sell anything. Broadcast your
name and contact info, or be anonymous if you're the shy
type! I can't tell you how many cool opportunities I've
found through Craigslist. Don't waste another minute -
post an ad today.
4. Ezinearticles.com. Want to establish your
credibility on the internet and advertise your website in
the process? Ezinearticles.com offers a free article
posting forum where you can showcase your skills and
ideas. Write the articles yourself, or pay a writer to
write them for you. Either way, you get the chance to
present your professional know-how as well as read
articles written by other web experts. It's a great way to
swap information, promote your site, and make a name for
yourself!
5. Angel Writer. For those who just bought Windows
XP and discovered they have to now pay a couple of extra
hundred bucks just to get a basic Word Processing program,
here's some good news. You don't have to pay a dime for
word processing software. Angel Writer has just about all
the features that Word does, except for spellcheck and the
word counter (you can easily find those on the internet if
you do a little research). Save your work in the .doc,
.txt and .rvf formats so that others can receive your work
on email and download it into Word with no problem. Angel
Writer is quick to download and simple to use. I'm working
in it right now!
6. PDF 995 or Cute PDF. Why spend your hard-earned
money on an expensive pdf converter when you can download
one from the internet for free? Face it, anyone who runs
their own shop needs a pdf converter- so you can send
people creative presentations and not have to worry about
them ripping you off; so you can publish e-books and
upload them to your website for easy viewing (or
purchasing!); so you can check out other people's stuff!
7. Picturequest.com. Think you don't have the money
to feature snazzy photos in your web materials? Think
again! There's a fantastic image library right at your
fingertips! Picturequest.com offers royalty-free photos
that you can use on your website, in your advertising,
wherever! Or, if you're the serious designer looking to
purchase high-quality professional photography,
Picturequest's low-cost package entitles you to thousands
more images. Can you picture it?
8. Ad Aware. Are you aware of the reason why your
computer seems so sluggish after you've been surfing the
web all day? It's because when you click on some websites,
they automatically download tracking programs and malware
onto your hard drive so they can monitor your web
activity, and then bombard you with spam and popups. What
a sleazy way to do business! The good news is, Ad Aware
tracks these computer leeches and wipes them clean off
your hard drive. My friend Lisa told me about this program
last year when my computer was having some problems, and
I'm happy to report that my baby is now running at peak
performance. Thanks, Lisa!
9. The Ryze Business Network. Remember how we
talked about people connections on the internet? Ryze is
where you'll find aspiring businesspeople from all over
the world who are waiting to swap services, exchange
ideas, and royally hook you up. You'll meet people from
every skill set, who are just as eager as you are to make
things happen- and who are more than happy to share what
they know. Just because you run your own company does not
mean you're alone! The Ryze network can bring trusted
business associates, trusted friends and helpful advisors.
Join today, and start networking for your success!
10. Promotionworld.com. Want to find out about even
more free stuff, plus find big bargains on software,
information, marketing, and much more? Go to
Promotionworld! Everything you need to run your own
business is just a click away. Read the articles, get
informed... explore hundreds of links... and then get
yourself noticed on the web!
I could go on for days about all the fantastic ways I've
learned how to gain business exposure on the internet for
little to no money. I'm happy to share what I've learned
with you! Each day brings a new discovery, so stop by my
website, Wordfeeder.com,
for the latest and greatest internet marketing lessons.
All the best for your business!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
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