Starting a work-from-home business can seem pretty daunting when you first think about it, but it’s a lot easier than you think. There are only a few things that you really need.
1. A website and a domain name
The first thing you’ll need if you want your work-at-home business to be successful and give you the lifestyle you want is a website and a domain name. I know there are “experts” who will tell you that you don’t need your own website, but you’ll notice that they all have one.
Domain hosting is very cheap these days and you get a lot for your money. One of the minimum requirements you must have when deciding on a host is access to cpanel. Stay away from free hosts. Their storage and bandwidth are usually very low and support is almost non-existent. Spend a few bucks and get a quality host.
You will need to have a domain name that reflects the type of business you are running. Most work-from-home businesses sell information products, so you’ll need something that’s attractive and easy to remember. Domains are a must, so choose wisely.
You can get your domain from multiple registrars. I myself use Godaddy.
2.) A professional autoresponder
A professional autoresponder is an absolute must. You are going to create a list that you will email the market to and managing that list is a very high priority. If you did this yourself, you would spend countless hours every day adding and removing names.
Autoresponders come in two varieties, a script that is installed on your host server, or a third-party service. They both have their sides up and down. The scripts must be installed, but after the initial purchase and installation fee, they cost you nothing. Third-party services do not require installation, but do charge a monthly fee.
The choice is yours, but you must realize that an autoresponder is a necessity you cannot do without.
3.) A product
You are going to need a product. There are a couple of ways you can get a product to sell for zero dollars. Affiliate marketing is one of the ways. Simply visit Clickbank or one of the other affiliate marketing sites. Sign up with them and then promote one of the products that appeal to you.
Another option is to find a website or author that will give you a product to sell. There are thousands of them out there. You may not be able to claim ownership of the product or brand it yourself, but you will have a product to sell that allows you to keep 100% of the profits.
4.) A way to accept payment
If you are using an affiliate site like Clickbank, this is not a problem as they handle all the purchases. On the other hand, if you’re selling a product you’ve been gifted or developed, you’ll need a way to handle credit cards.
The easiest way to deal with this is by using Paypal. They process everything for you and charge a small fee for each sale. Believe me, it is worth paying that fee as having your own business account is very expensive.
5.) A form of advertising
Last but not least, you will need a way to advertise your product. There are many ways you can do this, but if you’re like most aspiring work-at-home business owners, you’re on a shoestring budget.
The easiest and cheapest way to advertise your product will be article marketing. Article marketing is the process of writing short, informative articles and posting them to one of the article directories scattered around the internet. I personally publish to only one directory, EzineArticles.com. I feel like I get more quality leads from ezinearticle.com than any of the other sites I’ve tried.
Well there you have it, everything you need to start a work from home business. Get a product and start making a living with a work from home business.