Getting Started

There is a WSO about creating e-stores . You can begin there

You sound like you have the basic plan mapped out so I say just get stuck in and put in into action. You are bound to feel a bit unsure whenever starting something new like this. At some point you will no doubt become a little confused over something, so just see these problems as learning experiences and focus your attention on solving them.

Always remember there is no such thing as failure, there are only lessons to be learned, and opportunities to adjust your strategies. There is also a world of info out there on the net if you need help including forums like this one. Just think even some of the most successful entrepreneurs will have had some initial doubts, so set the wheels in motion and don't give up.

Good luck.

Regards,

Mike.

Yes, I know what you mean. I've been a newbie for almost a year. I'm not doing much yet and I'm still running across new information that makes me want to drop what I'm doing and restart. This Internet marketing stuff is a highly skilled business and takes a lot of education and hands-on experience to achieve anything. I think the most important skill you need is self direction. You have to teach yourself to stop learning and just do the work. You'll make mistakes, but you'll learn from them. There are always many picky little details with which to deal that no seminar or ebook ever told you about. You won't get past these until you've worked through them yourself-- possibly repeatedly until you learn what works for you.

It's very common to feel like you suffer from information overload and wondering if you can do what's needed to succeed, by whatever definition you have for succes.

Having said that, at some point you just have to dive in. You will make mistakes, but you will learn.

Some thoughts: Pick one business model to start. Something that fits your personality (likes and dislikes), time available and budget. If you hate writing don't choose article marketing unless you are willing to outsource that. Then you have to be willing to edit the articles.

If you are on a tight budget don't choose a business model that requires expensive software, etc.

Pick one niche to start with and if you are easily discouraged choose a business model that does not take too long to set up.

Try to do one thing each day that moves you forward.

As to the overload/over-your-head feeling.
To help avoid that now I write down my goals for each week (based on the goals I set for the year) and constantly ask myself, "What's the best thing I can do right now for my business?" Which activity will bring me the most results; traffic, profit, customer loyalty, reusable content. Do I have a committment that has to be done today?

Another way I view it; plan my goals and the project within that, focus on getting it done, outsource as needed, learn one new skill or improve an old one, evaulate what's working or not, move on; it's a circle to me. Always give myself some time to think, try never to get caught up in the 'tyranty of the urgent'.

I can't see ever working for anyone else again. And I find weekends a bore, except football season. Ha Ha. Anyhow, I ramble.

No matter what works for anyone else you have to do what fits you, but there are certain approaches in getting started that save time and energy.

Good luck.

Interesting idea, Converser. I'd like to hear from some more experienced warriors who've done co-op deals to accelerate the startup process that worked well.

I'm quite new myself but have managed to get going so to speak.

It sounds a bit weird but what used to put me off getting anything done before was the idea of having to create a Squidoo lens, it just tipped me over the edge . I don't know why but it just did so eventually I said to myself "right, you don't have to create a squidoo lens" and I was off. - that was before when everyone was shouting about squidoo, it seems to have died down now.

Perhaps if you just outline a few more simple tasks that will allow you to start building your business you can begin to implement other strategies bit by bit once you have a handle on things and once you have made a good start.

I am just working on list building just now which was another one that scared me off a little at first but now I feel ready.

Hope you manage to get started ASAP

I think the only way to truly get started is to decide a specific thing you wish to accomplish, shut everything else out and just work until you have it done. Put it out there and even if it fails, you're ready for the next step. You have to wear "blinders" as Lynn Terry says.

Information overload can cause how you are feeling, however you need to concentrate on making profits and get rid of everything else. Understand your target market, what they want, create a product they want, create a landing page, create a sales page and bring target traffic to it. Is a really simple process most gurus won't admit.