It is no longer news that we are at an age and time where the world’s economy is rapidly drifting towards capitalism. The corporate and ‘white-collar’ jobs are gradually fading away and the few that remain are seemingly unattainable. While this may actually sound ominous to young fresh graduates, something equally favourable has also taken place in this generation that can be a lot helpful to one’s finance and career. It’s the Internet.
While our parents’ generation had to put in the time and effort to work their way up the corporate ladder, the Internet generation have a quicker and more fun! alternative to make a career for themselves. With internet, people have a competitive advantage to build brands that rely on digital marketing and technology.
The Internet is a great place to begin building a successful business and the perk is that most online businesses require little or no start-up capital. All you need most of the time is a device with internet connection. So here are some steps to take in order to begin a successful online business:
1. Showcase Your Talents, Skills, Products, Services Online
Thankfully, we all know that the Internet has shrunk the world into a global village. This means that whatever goes on the internet can be seen anywhere in the world. So what better way is there for the world to see what you’ve got if not the Internet? If you have a special talent, skill, product, services or any special ability you want the world to know about, you can showcase it on the internet.
If you are an artist, start posting YouTube videos about your painting. If you are have culinary skills, get cooking on YouTube. Promote your products on Instagram. Many have found stardom through their YouTube videos. So can you. Best of all, you can still do a part time job while launching yourself online.
2. Build your Personal Brand
It is quite amazing how much time people spend on social media promoting themselves yet they don';t have a website that gives people more information about what they do and where people can get in contact with them.
If you are truly passionate about entrepreneurship, it is important that you own a website that contains information about you and your business. You don’t have to be a conglomerate before you have a website. Having a personal or professional website will increase your chances of been accessed easily by potential clients and other professionals. The next time you go into a business meeting, you';ll be amazed how much more impressed people will be by your professional website.
3. Contribute to Online Content
One way for you to build yourself and become an expert at what you love to do is to contribute online content about your passion. By contributing content, I mean writing about what you are passionate about on websites that focus on such things. For example, if you love sports, you can reach out to sport sites to become a contributor. If you love fashion, you can write for fashion-based websites as contributors. This will boost your personal brand, establish credibility and present new opportunities you never imagined.
4. Be Determined and Focused
Determination and consistency are two things among many others that a good entrepreneur must possess. It is easy to get derailed especially on the internet. With the proliferation of social networking sites, entertainment sites and many others, there are a thousand and one things that can derail one’s focus.
What you have to do as an emerging business owner is to be disciplined, determined and focused. Do not let the distractions that abound on the internet lure you away from your real objective which is to groom a successful online business.
5. Be Patient
Yes! We live in a digital age; an age where instant results are expected. Perhaps that is why people are impatient. Well, no matter the age we live in, the virtues of patience cannot be over-emphasized. No empire was built in a day (including Rome!). According to Bill Gates "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years."
In order to build a successful business, one needs to be patient for the long run. Set down long term objectives and make plans on how they will be accomplished. Concentrate on productivity; ensure you make profit but don’t make fret if it is insignificant. Be patient and all will fall in line with time and effort. Start small but dream big!
In conclusion, barring the challenge of internet fraud and cybercrimes, the Internet is a great place to launch your career and businesses if you take advantage of its numerous features for proper use. So, the next time you spend long hours online, monitoring or stalking others on social media, just know that you can channel that time and resources into growing a business.
