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Date: November 21, 2002
Ros Rants & Raves
Greetings,
When I look at the Internet in terms of doing
business, I see so many possibilities that it
makes my head spin. Sometimes it is hard to choose
and work on just one project to completion.
Too many opportunities isn't a problem, though.
Not recognizing or taking advantage of opportunities
would be a much greater problem, especially when
you consider that doing business on the Internet
is how I make my living!
In today's issue we look at ways to
find and make your own internet business
opportunities.
In the feature article, you will learn how
I turned a problem into a new internet business.
I hope you enjoy and prosper from this issue of NPC.
Until next time, and as always, I wish you
Health, Wealth and Happiness!
Rosalind Gardner
The STRAIGHT Goods on Internet & Affiliate Marketing
CONTENTS
1. SUBSCRIBER QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
2. ARTICLE - One Way to Start an Internet Business
3. INSPIRATION
4. VALUABLE RESOURCES
5. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
1. SUBSCRIBER QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
I don't have a store or any *crafty* hobbies..
what can I sell online? - Terri
Great question, Terri! and a very common one as
well.
Let me first mention that you don't need access
to products through a store of your own, or even
to have your own product. There are thousands of
merchants who would love to have you promote their
products.
You just need to know what types of products
and services you are interested in selling. Once
you know that, it'll probably be easy to find
a company with an affiliate program, or one
that will dropship the type of products you want
to sell.
You can of course produce your own product to sell.
You just need to come up with some ideas.
So, the question becomes, what do you WANT to sell?
The easiest way to figure that out is to look to
your hobbies, interests and passions. Are you
involved in sports? Maybe you're a great cook?
If you don't have a hobby, think about those things
that you feel passionate about. Perhaps you love
being a mom, or you're a wine connoiseur.
Still nothing tweaking for you? What do you do
for a living? What special skills does your job
require? Is it something you can teach to others?
Ask your family and friends if there is something
they think you are particularly good at. Maybe
that's something you can share with an online
community.
Spend some time brainstorming a number of
possibilities, then do some research on the 'net
to see sites built around those themes. Think about
how you can take those ideas and give the subject
your own special twist.
If you decide not to produce your own product,
your next step is to find companies whose products
you want to sell.
In the article below, I describe how I started
one of my internet businesses quite by accident.
Although I wouldn't recommend the process, you'll
see just how easy it can be to come up with an
idea for a profitable internet business.
I wish you much luck in finding your niche!
2. One Way to Start an Internet Business
One day this past summer, while vacationing at a cottage
in the Okanagan Valley, my favorite watch went missing.
By the time I remembered that I'd left it by the swimming
pool, it was gone.
This wasn't just any watch. It was the first watch in years
that caught my eye and kept it. Moreover, it also kept time!
Most of you probably don't consider 'keeping time' a special
feature, but I have a box full of watches that stopped
working almost immediately after being put on my
hyper-magnetic wrist.
This very special watch was a piece of signed and
numbered wearable art by Eduardo Melies of Watchcraft® Inc.
studio in New York City.
As soon as I got home from my vacation, I phoned Watchcraft®
to have the watch replaced. It was good to speak with people who
fully comprehended and sympathized with my loss. Unfortunately,
they couldn't do anything about it. As the manufacturer,
they had to point me to their distributors, of which there
was only one in Canada.
I phoned the owner of the shop recommended by Watchcraft.
She told me that although they carried the line, she didn't
have the specific piece I was looking for. She estimated that
shipping from New York to Toronto and then out west would
take between a few weeks to a month. Although that was
disappointing news, hearing the high price of Watchcraft in
Canada was decidedly worse.
After speaking with her, I puzzled over the issue, knowing
there had to be a better way to handle the problem. I then phoned
Watchcraft back to beg and plead. Strangely enough, that
worked, but not the way you might be thinking.
Alex Beitler, Watchcraft General Manager, and I had traded
pleasantries during our first conversation. One fact I'd
shared with him was that I make my living marketing various
products on the 'Net. Knowing that, Alex suggested that while
he couldn't sell me the product as a member of the public,
he could if I wanted to become a distributor.
I didn't have to think long about that offer. High quality and
demand are my first two criteria when choosing products and
services to offer my online customers. I personally loved the
product. It was attractive, unique and of ultra high quality.
Regarding demand, I knew that many of Melies customers are
repeat buyers. In a newspaper article about Eduardo's work,
I read about a woman who owns six of them. I also knew that
an older Watchcraft timepiece had recently traded for more than
$1700 on eBay, indicating high interest in the product.
The icing on the cake was being offered a drop-ship
arrangement. All I had to do was forward the completed
orders, and Watchcraft would take care of shipping.
This fit very well with my 'Work Less - Automate More!' motto.
The site was easy to set up, as Watchcraft sent me a CD with
all the watch pictures on disc, and a list of their wholesale prices.
All I had to do was research the retail price of Watchcraft
online, (and make mine lower), advertise the site and
start selling watches.
The only hard part is trying not to buy too many
for myself! :-)
***************************************************
So, there you have it. I lost a watch and created a business while
replacing it. I also got the new watch at a discount!
You can sell almost anything on the web. Just keep your eyes and
ears open to new possibilities all the time. You just never know
what you might stumble across.
Oh yes... the site referred to in the article above can be seen at:
INSPIRATION
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.
The optimist sees the opportunity in every
difficulty.
~ Winston Churchill ~
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
DropShipper.net - Your Online Wholesale Dropshipping Source
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Commission Junction - Global network of thousands of quality
affiliate programs with monthly commission processing and
payment. Real-time tracking and reporting and easy link
generation! One-stop shopping for all your affiliate needs!
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