Best way to start from ground zero as an Internet entrepreneur?

17 replies
I'm a recent graduate and I am having trouble landing a conventional job. I have a business administration/marketing degree. I believe for me conventional entrepreneurship and Internet entrepreneurship are my most logical paths to success.

I am willing, and in fact, want to work hard. I have very little exposure to entrepreneurship in general aside from eBay. However, I have always been fascinated by business and entrepreneurship. I'm looking for advice on where someone like me should start. I am looking to build the start of a successful entrepreneurial career. I am basically starting from Ground Zero.

If it is helpful, I enjoy marketing online and off, writing and planning/executing business tactics.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking for gimmicks or get rich quick schemes.
Thanks
#entrepreneur #ground #internet #start
  • Profile picture of the author John Westbrook
    Hi and welcome to the super rad world of IM. I've been involved in IM directly and indirectly (meaning consulting for clients) for the past 10 years and here's my advice.

    First and foremost, don't start jumping from one system to another.

    Second, buy a book on writing sales copy. If you are going to be successful online...like really successful...you'll want to either be really good at writing good copy or hire a legit copy writer...but either way you need to have a thorough understanding of what good copy reads like, looks like, etc. Good sales copy doesn't need gimmicks. It works off principles that are hundreds of years old. I recommend the book "The Ultimate Sales Letter" by Dan Kennedy. Amazon for like 11 bucks.

    Third, avoid anything that is all setup for you and all you have to do is be a monthly member to make money. I'm not talking about MLM, but it's similar in a way. Basically any monthly money making program where they do it all for you and all you need to do is plug in and make money. Several reasons I would steer clear but the most important reason is the law of control as an entrepreneur. You want to have as much control in your business as possible. For example, while affiliate products are great to sell and make money and you could make a whole business doing that, ultimately you sacrifice a TON of control. The owner can stop selling the product, change the rules, etc etc etc. Google Adsense is another example of a money stream that can be changed by Google anytime without your say. YouTube for example, they can delete your YouTube account at will and I know of big time earners who have had this happen to them...lost followers etc. and it was a mistake on Google's part.

    So you want as much control as possible. You can use Aff Mark to enter the world of IM/test ideas/ and use as back end products or promotions to your list with great success though.

    Fourth, once you identify the direction/niche you want to move in, make building a list your number 1 priority. You can make money while you do this by setting up a "sales funnel" bassically a fancy way of saying a series of offers and emails that direct your new subscribers through some sort of process that converts a percentage to a sale or string of sales.

    Finally, find a solid training program that follows principles, not gimmicks, and is showing you how to build a business model where you have control, then focus and stick with it. If you can find a IM'r who is willing to mentor you, even better.

    There's more I want to say but Starbucks is closing so I have to run...PM me! Id be happy to share more...but that's a good start I think.

    ~john westbrook

    Originally Posted by wheelstb View Post

    I'm a recent graduate and I am having trouble landing a conventional job. I have a business administration/marketing degree. I believe for me conventional entrepreneurship and Internet entrepreneurship are my most logical paths to success.

    I am willing, and in fact, want to work hard. I have very little exposure to entrepreneurship in general aside from eBay. However, I have always been fascinated by business and entrepreneurship. I'm looking for advice on where someone like me should start. I am looking to build the start of a successful entrepreneurial career. I am basically starting from Ground Zero.

    If it is helpful, I enjoy marketing online and off, writing and planning/executing business tactics.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking for gimmicks or get rich quick schemes.
    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author skyro
    For one don't go crazy buying a bunch of wsos.
    I would work on building a solid foundation by investing in a good list building course.
    A good one I see out right now is "stealth funnel profit"
    I would also suggest work on getting traffic first with some free methods like joining facebook
    groups in your niche and leaving post in them.
    Also for traffic I would check out " red hot traffic firestorm" and "fast traffic secrets" to get your feeth wet.
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  • Profile picture of the author Graham Maddison
    You have been given some great advice by John Westbrook .. he certainly seems to know what he is talking about and I would second the opinion that you should make building a list your number 1 priority.

    I never bothered building a list myself for some years and regret not doing so especially after google shut me down with adsense and adwords and closed one of my youtube channels... It's a lesson I learned the hard way.

    In a nutshell, learn how to make your own (decent) products ... give some away to build your list, give away some more to keep your list loyal to you and then sell the others to your list after they perceive value in your products.

    Rome wasn't built in a day as they say and success will not happen overnight. . you do need to keep focus and the rewards will come.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vince Rivera
    A lot has already been said that will help you start the right way. Here's few things that you also need to give time and realize.

    Think Big.
    This is a no-brainer, you need to think BIG, do not settle for less, don't get me wrong here, It doesn't mean that you need to see things to be perfect first before you take action, It means continuously stepping your foot forward. GOOD ENOUGH IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

    Set good actionable goals, write it down, make action plans and do it one day at a time.


    Failure opens another door to success.
    Never assume that you will be super successful the first time you do things, expect to hit some brick walls, but always dust yourself off and learn from it. You will be learning stuff everyday and without acting on the knowledge that you gain, you will never know if it will work or not.

    Believe in yourself.

    No one will believe in you the first time you show up in any place unless you're a celebrity, so make sure that you do believe in yourself and have the positive mindset as you move forward.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris_Custer
    First of all, welcome to the forum!

    The one thing you really have to watch out for is jumping from one thing to the next, chasing one shiny lure after another. It's going to be super easy to get overwhelmed.

    Just understand that most of what you'll be exposed to are really just different strategies to accomplish the same end goal...sell stuff to people.

    To that end, here are some general truths that can help you determine who and what is worth your time:

    1. Your job is being a matchmaker - introducing the right products to the right people the right way. LOTS of ways to do this. It all starts with understanding what those people want and how they like to be approached.

    2. The Bigger the Bang for smaller the Buck the better - In other words, anything you can do that will maximize your results for the same or less effort/expense, generally the better off you'll be. For instance, it's better to send people to a squeeze page and build an email list you can market to over and over than to send people direct to a sales page.

    3. You'll get there faster with a coach - I'm a HUGE believer that getting a hands-on coach is by far the fastest way to succeed. I know my income went up 10-fold when I was copywriting full time just because I hired a coach. There are several great marketers on the forum who offer really good one-on-one coaching. Ask around.

    4. Consistency is key - pick something and stick with it. There's magic in momentum. Again, this is where a coach can really help you.

    Anyway, this list could be much longer. Hope it helps some. Spend some time browsing the forum and get familiar with different methods and people before diving head-first into something. That's my advice.

    Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking for gimmicks or get rich quick schemes.
    Start with the basics. In Internet marketing the basics is called a sales funnel. Check out http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...step-step.html.
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  • Profile picture of the author nickherc
    Find products people are searching for in google and have low competition. When you do that, set up a site. SEO it and sales ($) will come .
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    • Profile picture of the author iFlutist
      Awesome! This thread came up at just the right time.

      I am also a beginner and I was looking for similar topic to help me get started in the right direction.

      Thank you all!

      Also,

      Originally Posted by nickherc View Post

      Find products people are searching for in google and have low competition. When you do that, set up a site. SEO it and sales ($) will come .
      How do you find what people are searching for?
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Hi Wheelstb,

    You have the perfect background to give you an edge. (I have a similar educational background, and have been putting it to good use for 2 decades.)

    What you need is a concrete plan.

    A great many people in your situation, entering the industry, will go from one method to the next, one coach to the next. This is the wrong approach. It is rarely cost-effective and, quite often, the process can be demoralizing. Nothing demotivates a newcomer like yourself more than failing to achieve even a glimmer of initial success. Riches, despite the popular myth, cannot be attained overnight, but that "glimmer" is all-important in the initial stages; that hint that, through hard work and creativity, success can be attained.

    What I suggest you do is this:

    1. Begin a general review of methods that appear to work.
    2. Research methods that interest you the most.
    3. Only resort to paid information if absolutely necessary.
    4. Decide on one method.
    5. Formulate a strong business plan for it.
    6. Stick to your business plan for a number of months.

    If, at the end of several months, you have earned insufficient returns, and the outlook looks bleak, then repeat those 6 steps for another method.

    In my experience, however, if you implement the 6 steps, you will almost always succeed in developing a strong income. I speak from experience.

    And, once you have this strong system, and once it is optimized for ROI to the best of your ability, you should then seek to outsource the running of this system so that you can apply steps 1 to 6 again, repeating the process until you attain the level of income that brings you the most utility.

    GRM
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  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    Hey wheelstb,
    I would think about what things you really enjoy in Life. Such as your Passions.

    See if these Passions are easily monetized and that there are other people who share your Passion.

    I would also like to say that you may want to abstain from entering the MMO Niche ( at least for a while until you get more experience)



    - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author himanuzo
    Whatever online business model that you choose, you need to build your own list. It is a must for an entrepreneur!
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    Step 1: Make self development a daily thing. Read books and listen to audio everyday without stop. Even after you start to see success.

    Step 2: Find a really good coach. Seek someone who is doing really well and do what they do.

    Step 3. Stick to ONE single program. (That program must earn you residual income)

    Step 4: Build a list.

    Step 5: Find marketing venues that do work for you. Not all places will get you results so you have to test all sorts of places.

    Step 6: Never give up no matter what. You will have times when you feel like nothing is working. Just don't quit and always stay consistent.
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  • Profile picture of the author gmarklin
    If you want to start an internet business, the best thing you can do is take courses in wrinting. Internet marketing is all about selling, and you have to depend on the written word to do the selling
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  • Profile picture of the author ezexclusive
    I'll tell you from experience. When I first started I started to see how many different income opportunities there are online. I figured out after many failed attempts that I needed a coach so that I stayed focused and on track towards a proven success method. To many people start one thing and end up switching over and over again, as i did, because if we don't see results it makes us question whether we are doing things right. If you want to see how I started to get results then check out my blog and read about the millionaire coach i joined to learn the internet marketing business the right way.
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  • Profile picture of the author jumanorbert
    You can exploit the things you love doing. For example, since you enjoy writing and marketing, you can provide writing services or start with affiliate marketing.

    Better still, you could find a good internet marketing/online business training program where you can polish your skills while building your foundation. There're many crap training products out there but there are also good ones.

    The best I've come across so far is "wealthy affiliate"- has a ton of training materials, tools, and mentors to help you get started. This is the training program I used to get rolling and I recommend to anyone starting out.

    I've done a detailed review of this program on my blog. Check it out to see how it can help.

    Originally Posted by wheelstb View Post

    I'm a recent graduate and I am having trouble landing a conventional job. I have a business administration/marketing degree. I believe for me conventional entrepreneurship and Internet entrepreneurship are my most logical paths to success.

    I am willing, and in fact, want to work hard. I have very little exposure to entrepreneurship in general aside from eBay. However, I have always been fascinated by business and entrepreneurship. I'm looking for advice on where someone like me should start. I am looking to build the start of a successful entrepreneurial career. I am basically starting from Ground Zero.

    If it is helpful, I enjoy marketing online and off, writing and planning/executing business tactics.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking for gimmicks or get rich quick schemes.
    Thanks
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9633352].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Esteban Gomez
    The fastest way to start in the right path is to get a successful mentor because this way you won't have to face all the problem he did when starting out.

    Become an expert in the following tasks (in order) and you will build a successful business.

    1. TRAFFIC: Become a master at generating traffic and this will solve most of your problems. The reason most people aren't successful is because they don't know how to generate traffic. The best way to learn about traffic generation is by focusing on 1 source and master it. (Blogging, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter)

    2. Conversions: Learn how to turn traffic into leads to build your list. (#1 asset online, the bigger the list, the more money you will make)

    3. Sales Funnel: Create a solid sales funnel that pumps you money every time you put traffic through it. Automate by using an email follow up sequence.

    4. Low-Ticket Product: Have a low-ticket product at the begging of your sales funnel to turn warm traffic into buyers and give them value.

    5. High-ticket Residual Product: Have a high-ticket product at the end of your sales funnel to make the big money from your traffic. If you don't have a high-ticket product then you will leave a lot of money on the table.

    6. Repeat: Repeat this process and there you have it, a successful online business!

    I hope this helped you understand the simplicity of this business. As you can see, iit's all about consistency

    Cheers,
    Esteban
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