“When in Rome, do as the Romans do!” You’ve heard that expression haven’t you? What does that even mean?

In a nutshell it is actually a compliment of sorts. You basically are demonstrating that you picked up on a custom and you jump in on the action. It is kind of like saying “I want to be a part of your experience. So I am sharing in your culture.”

And there are many applications of this old adage as well as some good times had when we apply it. Practically speaking we sometimes pick up on these idiosyncrasies because it is perceived as appealing or perhaps successful and/or beneficial. Sometimes a practice or custom that started in one region can even spread abroad and become universally embraced.

This happens all the time in business. We live in a copy cat world as a matter of fact. Today we are going to consider how this has happened in the E-commerce industry.

How high is the stock now for E-commerce? Oh it’s very strong and rising. Everyone from individuals and their small web store to major retailers and manufacturers are using the Internet. Does that make it big?

Here is the skinny my web friends. In the USA a tradition started many years ago that has been dubbed Black Friday. I am sure most people have heard of it. If not, let me bring you up to speed real quick.

For many years the Christmas shopping season was considered officially started after the Thanksgiving holiday. Every year Thanksgiving is on the 4th Thursday of every November. Many retailers found that on the Friday after the Thanksgiving (the following day) was so successful that it often put there yearly sales in the black in there accounting books! Thus Black Friday marked the beginning of profit making for the commerce world. It blossomed into where stores now traditionally offer unique sales and quirky promotions to kick start the shopping season.

But again this was all predicated by a successful pattern that had been set. Well for the last 2 or 3 years the retail industry in the USA now promotes the Monday that immediately follows Thanksgiving as Cyber Monday. This means that on that Monday special “Black Friday” like promotions are featured for On -line shopping. This season many retailers turned it into a Cyber Week campaign. Honestly it appears as if they made a bigger push for the On line sales than they did for the conventional shopping.

They would not bother if they did not see the success and the potential for even more success. Yes many stores are really benefiting from On line stores. What about for the independent E-tailer?

Make no mistake about it the Indie on line store merchant is also cashing in on this trend toward more on line purchasing. In fact in some ways the Internet helps the little guy not seems as little. You aren’t Wal-Mart but when people surf the web they don’t care how big your store or warehouse is.

Plus the convenience is a major magnet to the Internet for shopping. If your bored or sick at home or taking a break at work the Internet is right there. And we all know how easy it is to type in a search for a specific item. But wait there’s more.

It is also very easy to type in for ideas or suggestions for purchases. For a wedding, party, holiday, anniversary, just for the heck of it, or a “honey I screwed up gift”. And it is so much less stress to search on-line than to be bothered by a sales person in a store.

Think about it as silly as it is many people are guilted or pressured to purchase items they can’t really afford but on line you don’t care. You don’t have to face people and feel like you have to explain why you bought the cheaper model. And travel time is cut out for the shopper!

And taking things back or returning them? No problemo. If it is chain store you can just mail it back or bring it to the local store. If it is an Indie on line store returns are all part of the gig.

So in review what do we have here? Okay I sort of went in and out of the perspective of the shopper and the merchant. However I was trying to give the 360′ degree view of the E-commerce business. The fact is the advantages for the shopper means rising stock in the E-commerce market. The more incentive the shopper has the more people will shop on line and more frequently they will do it.

And you the on line merchant, what can you do? When in Rome do as the Romans do? Learn from established on line stores and use your inner shopper to help develop some shopping incentives. Make it easy as possible and inviting for people to patronize your on line store. Don’t be intimidated by the Big Boys and Girls. Remember on line you can roar just as loud if you want to or execute a sound marketing strategy.

So by all means when selling on line do as the on line sellers do! The stock is up in the E-commerce realm and it isn’t coming down.

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Have you ever been in a touristy region or a shopping district? Inevitably there are the main stores and the stands selling their products but you will have the occasional “walking salesman” with merchandise “up his sleeve”. You know that guy; he is very persuasive and very willing to negotiate. Anyhow, “that guy” may slyly pull some watches and necklaces out of his pockets. That’s because we are a visual species and we like to see what we are talking about.

Most times it simply gives us clarity and the ability to make an educated decision. And of course it is a very effective way to illustrate something we are teaching or explaining. Yes we have been discussing a variety of online businesses and their applications. We also have been able to analyze the ways we can use this information. So why stop now?

For this article we are going to take a look at an E-commerce site for some tips. Without further ado then, pull up another tab or another window and take a look at http://shoeguru.ca/. This is the part where we remind you that we are not endorsing or criticize this company and their site. We are giving you a visual of the many options that you have in setting up and designing your site. This site is reportedly very successful at selling, guess what? Your right! Shoes. When you first see the site is dominated by a nice black background. Admittedly, I prefer black. Now they also decided to take a very simple look with bold graphics and images, which is a nice touch.
They have their logo prominent on the left and standard guide to the right at the top of the page. Worthy to note is that I think the color selection is weak. Remember even if you are keeping things neutral and fashionably simple you still need to be sure it is easily read.

The soft color may be hard for many to easily pick up. I like how they have a slide show type graphic and image presentation. It’s very well done. When you click on the options like “men” or “women” you are brought to a cool graphic that gives you style choices. When you choose a style you are brought right to pictures of product and prices.
Their concept is to be trendy and different. The home page is not splattered with product and brands, etc. Not this is an interesting trade – off. On one hand it is not cluttered with options. On the other hand it appears to take a while before you get to products and prices. Although they do feature a nice sneaker and show “hip” young people wearing some shoes they sell.
I don’t know that there is a right or wrong, per say, but you do have to consider every detail and the perception or message that may be sent to the viewer. And this can be a minor or a major effect. The FAQ is always a good page to provide.
They start out by explaining the shipping information. They also address some other common questions. Another must to provide on an e-commerce site is the shopping cart. Their shopping cart I do not think is the greatest example of a shopping cart. But it wasn’t cluttered with a ton of stuff either. It is an example nonetheless.

To make an interesting contrast in the e-commerce world take a trip over to http://www.walmart.com/ to see a typical example of a department store installment of an e-commerce site. The shoe guru site is a handy example of a specialty item store, which is very prevalent in the Internet and e-commerce world. Anyhow we are now looking at the Wal-mart Home page. Very standard as far as major stores and their on line presence goes. Note however that Wal-Mart features a banner ad at the top of its page. The ad is ingenious because it advertises a product for another company but it is also an item they sell at Wal-Mart. In that sense it is not the classic affiliate ad. The purpose of this ad is not to send you to another web page but it is to get you to purchase that product.

Now if you think about to a few minutes ago when you were looking at the shoe guru site, you will recall that they did not have any affiliate ads or sponsorship ads. I thought that was interesting. That is also a reason I used them as an example. My point was to show you that there are different methods that people choose to use or not to use.

Back to the Wal-Mart Home page. Below the ad and next to the Wal-Mart log is a handy tool bar. It features a Store LocaterLocal Ad(s)Gift Cards & RegistryTrack Orders (Obviously on line orders)Sign inDon’t forget for a commerce giant like Wal-Mart they are cross promoting. They want people to go their stores just as much as they want people to shop on line. The left column is basically laid out like aisles of a store and departments. And they even have an option where you can go to sub divided groups (departments) of the groups.

Below the tool bar we discussed above is a search bar. That is always good regardless of what kind of web page you have. You can also go right to the cart. Below there are prominent ads for on line and store specials.
They also have some affiliate ads mixed in. For example at the time I wrote this they were advertising a new movie. Below the department section is a New Rollback section, Save Big Now Section (featuring some clearance items), and a What’s New section.
Below the ads and the directory is a customer forum entitled “Connect With Other Wal-Mart Customers Like You”. Under the forum section box is an opportunity to be on their email list. There is also an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed. It will alert you of new posts.

Finally at the bottom of the page is another directory of options. Among the choices are credit card applications and a help center. Wal-Mart also has an affiliate program. Yeah you can put a Wal-Mart banner on your site! So there you have it. 2 different examples of e-commerce sites. Of course there are plenty of others to check out and use as a reference.

The important elements are that you feature your product or products. It may be in a trendy way like shoeguru.com or it may be more standard like Wal-Mart.com. Of course Wal-Mart offers a host of products so naturally it will have a different presentation.

For an e-commerce site to be successful you also need to have simple and reliable delivery and clear and reasonable delivery charges. If your shopping cart is perceived as complicated you will lose sales! It is also good to be accessible to your potential customers.

So there you go you e-commerce entrepreneurs. Take the articles and information that is provided here and use some of the real life tangible examples that are all over the web including the 2 we considered above.
Good luck and keep plugging away!

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The thing is that behind or in the back bone of every business there is a network of communications that feed the world of commerce. Be it items sold in a store, via TV shopping, or Internet data is like the blood stream of a business. Most of the time people are unaware of the inner workings of a business. But perhaps you should be.

The fact is for as long as business has been around the need for information interchange has been a mainstay in B2B (Business to business) communication. It is vital and beneficial to the day to day operations. And the result of this has been the increased demand for people to handle these duties.

And the Internet has only added to the demand. A popular application of structured transmission is what is known as EDI, Electronic Data Interchange. EDI is a topic that we could write and extensive article about but the point of this article is not to go into the details of this field. You should however get the point that it is an area that offers employment and independent contracting opportunities.

In particular WEB EDI is a hot bed for present and future possibilities. In an overall sense it has allowed businesses of all sizes to become part of a worldwide supply chain. The Internet EDI protocols are making the whole data transmission much easier. Nevertheless it stills needs to be done.

EDI operation has made interchanging far more accessible but they have become more complex. The requirements from business to business are getting more specific. For example I saw a report that Wal-Mart stipulated the use an AS2 protocol. Yeah, I don’t really know what that means either. That is our point.

As a result more and more companies are outsourcing their EDI needs to companies or independent contractors that provide integration. The reality is that people who specialize in the processing and technology of WEB EDI can deliver the desired result.

The potential for expansion is wide open. For while there are extensive services for document translation and transmission there is reportedly a greater need for warehouse related services. Things like financial software, packaging, and labeling interfacing.

To get into this branch of e-commerce or business data interchange in general you will need to get the education, experience, and skills to carry out EDI transmission. This will open doors for straight out employment or for the creation of an independent Internet based service.

Just remember behind every retail business and other business is an electronic highway of integration of communication. The value of methods like WEB EDI is immeasurable at times. The savings in paper, time loss from meetings, excessive mail, or needless human interaction is a great asset. And the results and efficiency is superior to the methods of the past.

Maybe this is your calling? It offers a technical challenge mixed with a rewarding career in maintaining the backbone of business operations. It may also lead to a career in consulting, virtual assistance, or freelance potential as many WEB EDI providers are independent contractors.

It also means learning the protocol and WEB EDI programs that are out there. Hey maybe you will even be part of new innovation. So are you looking for a new career? Do you want a skill job in an area that is growing and expanding? Then you should investigate the world of WEB EDI.

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Like most plants around our property we need to schedule some regular maintenance. Trees are naturally included. Now while a tree is pretty self sufficient, it can use our help to maintain a certain healthy existence on a property.

Yes as trees grow and the branches become many it is often helpful to prune a tree. Basically pruning means you are cutting off or lopping off unhealthy or unsafe branches. Why am I bringing this up?

That’s quite interesting. In our discussions recently we are comparing Internet businesses to a healthy vibrant tree. Then we began discussing how each tree has its own branches. In this case we are going to discuss how part of maintaining Internet commerce involves caring for the tree and branches. For example, pruning is a way of keeping the tree healthy and productive.

So let’s see what kind of pruning needs to be done in an on line auction business. The fact is when it comes to on line auctions some people just don’t have the patience and determination to manage an auction site. Just as there are people who are relentless and savvy at maintaining an online presence. Similarly many people enjoy planting and designing landscapes with plant life but they do not like the nuts and bolts of doing things like pruning.

The fact is that you need a few things to work in conjunction with one another. The main chores you need to operate a successful auction site are very basic.

1. You need to be an account member of an auction site or sites
2. You need items for sale
3. You need to get the sold items to customers

Here is where it gets interesting. As we discussed above however there are the logistics and then there are what people are willing and able to do. So like we illustrated you have people who plant trees and you have people who care for trees. Yes some do both but that does not change the opportunities there are for people to earn an income working in different phases of the business.

So back to our auction site: Say you are not an Internet person or even a computer person. That’s okay because the auction tree and its branches are still in need of care. That’s because there are those who have the management of an auction site down pat but they struggle with the other tasks like getting products and delivering them. Maybe that’s where you come in?

Perhaps you have access to products and/or are very good at connecting wholesalers with merchants. This is a valuable service to auction operators. In a similar concept maybe you are a delivery specialist and offer top notch shipping services. Either of these services is vital to feeding the auction monster. And there are many auction operators that need you and these services. Make no bones about that. With the growing and expansion of the on line auction industry the opportunities will continue to be available.

In fact this works 2 ways if you think about it. They indeed need you but you could see it as you need them. Yes maybe you have some kind of commerce business already in motion. The fact that you are apprehensive about the Internet or intimidated by it is only holding your potential for more sales back. Maybe you are just unaware of the impact that on line auction sales can have.

It’s funny anyone in the modern world has heard names like eBay or Amazon but many people do not realize the amount of activity that is occurring on those sites. Nor do many people understand that the idea of purchasing products on line is consistently on the rise.

What does all this add up to? The on line auction tree is growing and therefore so is its branches. This tree needs care for its continued health. Where do you fit in?

Are you an eBay or Amazon guru? Or are you a product supplier? Maybe you are a retailer but do not have the ability or know how to use the Internet for your commerce?

The answers to these questions can help you make the most of your on line auction business or open doors you haven’t gone through yet. Maybe it’s time you answer them.

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Everyone has heard of the Nile, the Amazon, or the Mississippi. They are among the mightiest and longest rivers in the world. But what we don’t really give much thought to is how many tributaries there are who feed into the strength of those robust and dynamic rivers. As a matter of fact many of these tributaries are quite impressive in their own right.

In a correlative fashion the world of business has followed a similar pattern. Yes whenever you have a business concept, you can bet there are off shoots and complimentary business feeding into or as a result of the primary industry. In this case we could draw on another beauty of nature: the illustrious tree. Yes what would a tree be without branches?

With that picture in mind let’s apply this to our Internet business models. We will narrow our focus onto the E-tail or e-commerce business.

Whether you are aware of it or not the explosion of the Internet has changed the landscape of the retail business. Whether you are a retail giant like Wal-Mart or a little old lady selling her doilies it is practically mandatory that you maintain an Internet presence or make your products available on-line. It appears to me that some of the retail stores offer extra incentives to shop and/or purchase on line.

This has created job opportunities and opened the door for other Internet businesses and services. Let’s take a look at one and see where perhaps you can cash in.

Ever heard of EFT? Yes you have, you probably even use it. It is Electronic Funds Transfer. And oh boy the branches this one has developed from the e-commerce world. As you already know these are computer designed programs that allow the transfer of funds to be performed over the Internet. This has branched out into a making jobs available and services to be rendered through independent on-line businesses. For example?

• Credit card payments – credit card companies love the EFT! But it also means that personnel needs to monitor and manage the transactions. Additionally, computer programmers, web managers, web designers, technical supporters, virtual assistants, and computer techs need to be hired. It also has led to the development of independent contractors to make any of these services available.
• Direct deposit – much like the credit card companies banks, credit unions and financial institutions also have the demand for many of the same positions or will utilize many of the same independent contractors.
• Billing – More and more companies are hiring independent contractors to do their billing for them and seeing the transactions through to the end. Meaning they collect and apply payment. In fact they use the direct withdraw and deposit tools available through EFT. For example: A gym has a monthly member fee they collect. Instead of collecting the money at the gym they usually hire an independent billing company to care for that. Whether it be a virtual assistant or a virtual service. The contracted billing service handles the collection and the deposit of the gym’s monthly membership dues. The gym pays this service a tax deductible payment for their services. Thus the gym gets their money without having to have an in house employee and the costs that go with that. Nor do they need worry about it. And this is just one example of EFT billing and its branches.
• Payroll – Similar to the billing application, many companies hire an outside contractor to take care of the payroll for their employees. This includes the direct deposit or mailing of checks, taking care of all the taxes related to each employee receiving a check, and so on. All the employer needs to do is make the schedule for their employees and at times send the hours accumulated to the payroll service. Although more and more payroll services have set up computer programs where the employee can clock in and out of work directly onto a computer. Then the employer simply needs to check it and approve it.
• Related items – mixed in with all of this is other on line banking services like money transfers. Many stores provide their own credit that will need to be billed and collected.
• Related services – another branch shooting off of e-commerce is the creation of on line money transaction services. The most famous one being Pay Pal. Instead of giving credit card and/or bank account info to every on line store or e-tailor, you provide a service like Pay Pal with that information and the act as a financial mediator for you. You therefore can apply on line payments/purchases through this type of on line service. You can also receive payments or credit through the same service. You also can directly transfer monies from your “Pay Pal” or like account in and out of you bank/credit card account.

Quite a list ‘ey? You bet it is. And let us again emphasize that all of these branches open the door for more jobs to be had and the more independent services that can be offers. Either of which can be filled by you.

Go over this list again and contemplate if there is any place you see yourself fitting in. With computer and Internet training you could qualify for any of these opportunities in no time.

Hey people the Internet is not only all about blogs and emails anymore, it has grown some serious branches. So why not go out on a limb?

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For those of us 40 years old or more remember the days of taking your paycheck to the bank to make a deposit. As you were filling out your deposit slip you had to calculate how much cash you should keep for the weekend or the immediate days ahead. Then along came the ATM (Automatic Teller Machine).

With the introduction of the ATM the whole process changed. Now when you got your paycheck you simply deposited it because you had an ATM card. Which meant you could access your account 24 hrs a day at cleverly placed ATM machines. In fact the first bank that I remember offering this service called their ATM a Money Access Center, or MAC. Ironically other area banks kind of sat back to see what would happen.

No one argued that is was a good idea but no one expected what has happened following. The first thing that happened was people kept more money in the bank. Which for a bank is an enormous bonus. Since the bank is legally allowed to invest a percentage of your money. So the more money you leave in the bank the more funds that are available for the bank to invest. While this was expected to some degree it paid even more dividends than was previously predicted.

In time this lead to more revenue streams from the ATM and the debit card concept. As ATM machines began popping up all over and people were accessing them, banks starting charging a small fee for non account holders to get cash. In other words if you did not have an account with the bank that owned and operated the ATM, you would have to agree to pay them anywhere from $1.00 (USD) or more to receive your money. This added up to a tremendous influx of income that was a welcome surprise.

The thing is it should not have been a surprise. Why? Because through out history, innovation and improved technology has always led to so called “unexpected” results. More often than not it leads to bigger and better things. So much so that we should expect the unexpected. Exactly how does this apply to the Internet?

The reality is that we have already seen examples of the “unexpected” coming from innovation and advancements in Internet applications. The very introduction of the Internet itself has exploded more than anyone supposedly could have foreseen. There has been a number of applications added as a result of the Internet and they too have exceeded many peoples expectations. So when are we going to realize that the Internet is still on the rise?

The numbers continue to prove it. It is even expanding in ways, uh, again somewhat “unexpected” by the so called experts. I guess I should give credit to those “experts” that did anticipate this sort of expansion, I’m sure there were some. However I want to point this expansion out to you so that you can see the potential for expansion even in countries where Internet penetration is extensive. So check this out.

While the cell phone is certainly not a new innovation are you aware of how pervasive and omnipresent they are? There are reports of people visiting Albania and seeing elderly people riding donkeys while talking on a cell phone. A saw a report of beggars in India taking cell phone calls. The proliferation of cell phones has been massive.

An article in the Washington Post stated that a multi media smart phone now has more processing power than did the North American Air Defense Command in 1965. It was reported that for every 2 human beings on Earth there is 1 cell phone. According to there research, 30 nations have more cell phones than they do people. The paper made the statement that the cell phone is the fastest global diffusion of any technology in human history.

What does this have to do with the Internet you may be wondering? Well 60% of the users are in developing countries. Why is this something to keep an eye on?

Here is a few reasons. First of all we all know that the cell phone has already advanced to the point where it can access the Internet and receive communications via Internet connections. Most cell phones can receive and send emails. That alone is a bonus. The fact is that the Internet has become more and more mobile. The numbers had already been showing that the laptop sales has gained and have began to exceed desktop sales. The fact that many people are carrying cell phones that are equipped with qwerty boards and Internet access only makes the Internet more intertwined with peoples daily activities.

Now some would argue that millions of people in Afghanistan or in Africa having a cell phone isn’t going to equal Internet activity or an increased customer base. After all these people are poor.

While that is undeniably true you need to see the bigger picture. First of all the numbers show that as cell phone use is covering the globe, the number of people using the advanced cell phones in the more affluent nations is also increasing. Yes the “smart phones” are becoming more affordable and being utilized by more people in countries where the Internet is already prevalent. So many people that do not like carrying a laptops around do not mind having a cell phone with Internet capacity.

Secondly part of the reason why the developing countries are poor is their isolation mixed with oppression, corruption, and third world mentality. However if these countries become connected with the rest of the world that will inevitably help close the gap of isolation. Now while that may seem insignificant, believe you me it is not. Over time as those people reach out more opportunity will lead to economic growth. Arguably it may take some time, the fact is it will make the world smaller.

One way it helps those people, is it will open the door for talented and skillful people there to perhaps land some potential income by getting involved in Internet related business. This would also help established Internet sites to canvas for talented people in places that were not accessible before.

The fact is that this development will increase Internet penetration across the barriers that previously existed. That is an important step. Is the reinvention of sliced bread? I don’t know is it? I will tell you this it will lead to something or a number of “unexpected” gains.

The moral of this story is the Internet is expanding and stretching beyond present boundaries and it shows no sign of slowing down. And if you review the pattern of what has occurred and match it with the demands and limitations or our present society it makes total sense why the Internet is so attractive.

Maybe it’s time to review where we see ourselves in relation to Internet applications? Make yourself a part of tomorrows “unexpected”.

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You already poured out the sweat to till the garden and line up the rows for your veggies and fruits. You continue to daydream and foresee the delectable delights you will harvest through the spring, summer, and fall as you plant the variety of seeds you have purchased, because nothing beats fresh picked produce and the satisfaction of planting and growing it yourself.

Of course you know the work has just begun. Aside from enduring what Mother Nature throws your way you will also need to stay on top of the weeding and cultivating of your little farm. Have you been there? Or can you at least picture this scenario that repeats itself year after year in back yards all over the world? Sure you can.

Now that you have that impression in your mind, let’s take this mindset and apply it in our Internet business model. We are going to “plant” some e- commerce in our Internet garden “today”. For some this is better known as E-tail. Yes an online retail store.

Just like in our garden illustration let’s assume you have taken the steps to get the ball rolling. You have your inventory and the system in place to replenish your inventory. You also have established your web page and you are operating under the domain name/URL http://www.GoodProducts.com (this is just an example).

You have also begun applying some of the tips and tools that you have learned about marketing your site. Since your site features quite a variety of household and commercial supplies you concentrate on placing ads in the appropriate areas linked to such products.

Let’s go back to our garden for a minute. As you gardeners know, when you weed around the peppers you also weed around the rest of the plants. So the same is true with our Internet garden. Some of our work in one Internet venture may overlap or can overlap into another. So it is the case with e-commerce business.

Part of your marketing efforts can include offering affiliate partnerships. Yes, you may find web masters that specialize in the affiliate marketing arena. What you want is affiliates that will drive traffic to your e-tail store. It may be a site that will directly advertise for you through direct content/article ads or it may be that you have ad banners or other types of ads placed on other web sites that will invite people to your e-tail store.

You may also run marketing campaigns like an email crusade. You may maintain a presence on an auction site. If you also operate a physical store then you most certainly will cross promote your physical store and your on-line store. In fact you will explore any plausible marketing method to keep the awareness of your e-tail store alive and well.

Now a key to e-tail success lies within the professional performance of how you present and maintain your on-line store. Oh most definitely you must feature items in an easy to follow manner and provide all the necessary and expected information. Your site should always be updated and accurate. You don’t want your on-line store to be over cluttered anymore than you do your physical store. Repeat after me “User Friendly!”

Your e-tail store needs to also provide a way for customers to contact you with ease. Another vital area to be thorough is in delivery. You bet your bottom dollar!

If delivery is chaotic or inconsistent than you can kiss repeat customers goodbye. On the other hand reliable delivery will only boost sales. Delivery definitely makes your e-tail business sink or swim in many ways.

Frankly you should also try and make shipping as affordable and attractive as possible. Although it appears some e-tail stores offer items at a ridiculously low price and charge an excessive shipping charge. Personally I think this is simply a way to bump a profit in and make a person think “wow I saved so much on the product who cares if I pay more for shipping”, which seems odd to me. I mean what you pay overall is what you pay overall. Our point is, you need to give careful attention to the quality of shipping services and the cost.

Wow look, your plants are taking root and things are starting to grow! Be careful now, you should be excited but you also should be motivated to roll up your sleeves and keep the garden up to snuff. No question there are some things you can’t control but if you keep up with your gardening, the soil with give its reward. The same can be true of your Internet garden. So get busy!

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The office is buzzing and everybody is feeling the pressure. Inevitably Suzie in accounting hits a snag in her computer and her program is all screwy. Meanwhile across town Raul can’t get the shrink wrapper to work and he has a dozen skids of product that needs to get out of the warehouse.

Tamika, on the other hand, works for an auditing service and she needs a new device to keep up with the demand of her clients. But that won’t help Farad who is having difficult downloading a new software application at the investment firm he works at.

And then there is Wally who is at home working with his video editing equipment and can’t figure out how the components intertwine. And Katrina wants to take her web page to another level but her finances make it difficult to hire a professional service. Nevertheless she is struggling on her own.

Look, we all know that the world over at any given moment, people need help! Things go wrong, ideas are needed, or people want to learn, and so on. And while there are of course various avenues to pursue for help, often times people are in need of a consultant.

This may be where you come in. In fact the demand for consulting continues to grow as technology and in particular, the Internet, has skyrocketed. But how does one get started in the consulting business?

Part of the answer to that lies in the areas of your expertise, experience, and ability. But in general here is a few tips to get going.

Naturally you need to establish what field it is that you are qualified to consult in. If you lack the ability or would like to improve or expand your skills/knowledge, than education would be the first place to start. This is especially relevant in professional areas. But it is not an absolute.

Yes some people have the gumption to dive right in and offer consulting services through their own promotion. That may not be a realistic way to begin but it can be done in a favorable setting. Promoting these services can range from word of mouth, Internet ads, local ads, and on and on. Obviously you will target the people most in need of your assistance.

The independent consultant will often times work for people who are set up for consulting type business, like say financial matters, ala investments or estate planning. So in essence they have already started their consulting business they are just looking to take it and practice it to an on line customer base.

Another place to start is by seeking gainful employment for consulting services or companies that have consulting support. Not only will this offer you the opportunity to have a fabulous job, but you will acquire valuable experience. That experience may lead to you starting your own consulting firm or service.

A bi-product of working for a consulting company may likely include educational and training in a variety of areas. Or at the very least, more in depth study of a specific and attractive field will be accomplished.

A consultant is usually a person who has very good customer service skills. So as a matter of course you will always benefit from improving in that area. Therefore even if you wish to change directions at some point, those communications skills will always be helpful.

Are you good at explaining things or walking people through procedures? Or are you an innovator and/or a problem solver? Then you have already began your journey into the consulting arena.

At this point your next step or official beginning steps is building on those talents and skills. It is also a manner of learning the channels or outlets to be available to consult. This is an important aspect to learn and thus determine what avenue you will pursue first. As a result that will somewhat dictate your next move or moves.

It should be noted that if you are going to go the independent advisor/consultant route, than you will obviously need to have the skills to be available. If that involves on line communications then a working knowledge of Internet operations will be a must.

One thing is for sure, the web is chock full of people who need help in some form or another. The beginning of our discussion merely scratched the surface of the multitude of areas and scenarios that consulting assistance will be desired.
What are you going to do about that? Yeah you! That guy in the red sweater staring at the computer right now, or that gal in her jeans and sweat shirt wanting to work from home, and that man who is tired of his day job and desperately wants a change, and the college kid or high school brainiac who is primed to teach and assist. I know you are out there. Now get started and help the rest of us out, will ya?

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The desk job? The office gig? Is that for you? For some the idea of being cooped up is not appealing. Many of us desire the outdoors and the freedom of movement. On the other hand some people genuinely like going to the office and do not consider that type of job as being stuck in a chair. They love the buzz of the work room and the smell and the sounds of paper and keyboard work.

When you look a little deeper it turns out that there are some who like the idea of a desk job but they do not see themselves as having the people skills that may be needed as customers come in the office or the need for phone contacts, especially in the sales realm.

Primarily we want to narrow our discussion down to the commerce or sales world. In this article when we talk e-commerce, we are considering on line sales or the e-tail business, which is generally straight forward and basically self explanatory. But where does one start or begin in such a business venture?

This can vary to some degree depending on what items you plan to sell or the source of where the products are coming from. So part of where you begin is determining some of these details.

Are you going to sell used products or new products? Are you a wholesaler or a retailer? Are you selling unwanted or unused items from your home or acquiring items for the purpose of selling? These are among some of the questions you need to address.

Let’s say you are going to offer personal items you have accumulated around the house and/or garage. Most likely then, placing these items on an auction site is more productive. Web sites like eBay and Craigslist are often combed over for those types of items. As are other classified style sites.

However, if you are selling items, used or new, from a retail style web page then we are talking about e-commerce. So part of starting is to gather your inventory and your “line” of products. At that point you will need to set up your web page.

Now if you are a sales person but not an Internet person you may need to educate yourself about the Internet before you begin the actual selling part. Or you can always enlist assistance in the web related needs.

Let’s say you have the products but you lack the Internet experience and you want to learn. This has an appeal to those people I eluded to earlier in this post. Some people have a smell or a taste for sales and business but are not people persons. Then Internet commerce may indeed be for you. How’s that?

It’s quite simple. The Internet provides all of the basic elements of an actual building and office but without the one on one contact with people. Yes the dialog is handled more via electronic methods and less over the phone or in person, the best of both worlds for some people. There is also a financial savings of not needing to lease or purchase a retail space.

Setting up your own site can start by you utilizing social sites and/or free host sites for starters. But it may behoove you to learn how to acquire a domain name and secure a web host service to feature your own web page. At that point you will need to learn how to design and build your own site or hire the services of a web designer and builder. This will lead to your need of web management. Of course that is kind of beyond the beginning stage so we will leave that for future discussions.

Now part of building your inventory will also necessitate your ability to keep new inventory coming in as you sell products. So e-commerce is a 2 way street of selling and buying. For some this is part of the fun and the challenge. Another street that needs to be traveled and must to be set up and maintained is the 2 way street of delivering and receiving products.

So there we go. You picture yourself having a desk job, office gig, maybe even in the comfort of your home? If so e-commerce certainly opens the door for that opportunity. Naturally along with your desk and/or office, you will need a quality computer with reliable Internet service, but I assume you already figured that part out. Nevertheless we like to cover all the bases.

Checklist:

• You got your computer, desk, office, and the Internet
• You have your products and the ability to replenish inventory
• You have your domain name and thus your web site up and running
• You are ready to receive and deliver orders

When you have checked off these “to do” items, then you have succeeded in the: where to begin phase of your e-tail business. However there is more to e-commerce that needs to be accomplished. And we will continue to discuss these topics right here!

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Raise your hand if you liked art class as a kid? And the best part was hearing mom say “wow junior what a nice …. a nice …… what is it honey?” And then watching her put it on the refrigerator door was the crowning achievement wasn’t it? And we are glad to say that tradition has carried on to our day. Perhaps you have your child’s art plastered on your fridge right now?

You know for some of us art class resonated in our persona so much we continued our passion for art into our adulthood. Some of us have become quite creative and proficient at arts and crafts. Among that crowd an ambitious bunch has parlayed their talent into a small business.

There are those who have handcrafted their wares and have created outlets to offer them as merchandise. Yes they have set up their flea market stands or they perhaps have their own independent shop where they retail their goods. And technological progress has opened yet another door, a door that many artsy crafters are cashing in on.

Hello Internet. Yes, indeed whether working out of their workshop, sewing room, transformed garage or basement, or out of their retail store/work shop, a multitude of artisans have offered their creations and designs on line. And this has been very successful.

Now for all practical purposes selling your arts and crafts on line is a form of e-tail and e commerce. We are separating it from those business models for a reason however. That is because as a business it is different over all. After all you are taking the process of retail from the manufacturing phase all the way to delivery. And there is a subtle departure in the sales approach. Let’s dissect the arts and crafts business as it relates to an on line venture.

It all starts with the planning, design and innovation from you the craftsman. Among the popular items produced and sold by hand merchants are handmade jewelry, accessories, bead creations, painted works, knick-knacks, decorative items, pottery, glassware, quilted goods, and so on. And many of these products will take on a theme at times.

Regardless of what you are offering the concept is that you are responsible for making it and/or providing it. Now if you start to find yourself supplying the work of others than you have bridged the gap between outright e commerce and the arts and crafts business.

With that in mind you will need to sell these products. Now the subtle nuance in selling handcrafted or homemade goods is just that, they are custom and/or handmade. You are selling original work. As a general rule arts and crafts are not machine manufactured. Actually they are not manufactured in the sense that you are not running a factory. These are not likely mass produced items. That makes you products unique and special. Therefore your sales “pitch” and accent will be on that fact.

Now that doesn’t de-value manufactured factory made goods. But it does make it different. In some case you are offering a “one of the kind” item.

The mother of all examples of successful arts and crafts businesses is the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Their initial debut onto the market was a telephone push but they have built quite an Internet presence. Now of course, at this point, they have mushroomed past a small shop business. Ultimately though, I am sure you would be okay with that if it happened to you wouldn’t you?

As a comparison I can give you my step daughter as an example also. She is quite talented at making hemp material accessories. She makes some stylish handbags and bracelets for instance. What makes this a good example is that there are others that have given this a go. However the combination of her talent, finished product, persistence, market knowledge, and doing festivals all to compliment her web site has made her a nice little business.

Now to make this work for you obviously you need to have the creativity and ability to craft goods to sell. You then need web marketing, sales, merchandising, delivery, e-commerce, and some networking and basic business knowledge.

Now one thing to calculate is the cost of making your products. So while you may have the passion and talent to pull it off, you need to produce cost effective goods, goods that you can make and provide at a palatable and reasonable price. Yes supply and demand is the old reliable guide but in manufacturing, even on a handcrafted scale, the supply and demand is very much influenced by educated business decisions of what you decide to make an offer. This also emphasizes why you need to know your market. Because you need to have your ear to the ground or your thumb on the pulse of your target market to know what types of goods people may be enticed by.

This is the part of our discussion we need to remind you that this is also another opportunity to enhance your web site and web business with advertising. And with advertising comes advertising income potential. Naturally if you pursue this supplement to your Internet enterprise than you need to add affiliate marketing and web advertising to your “need to know” list. And honestly, you should consider this aspect.

So go ahead, get those glue sticks and cray paper back out and relive those memorable days of your childhood! Okay, I’m just joshin’ you.

The fact is you know who you are. The creative people reading this are aware of what they are capable of designing and making. However many of them have missed the boat on how to sell these goods to the World Wide Web on their own attractive web site!

Attention all art and craft makers! Next boat leaves NOW! Get on it.

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