How to start an Online Business Below post is a summary of a 4-page article from entrepreneur.

com: As with any business move or expansion, consi ering an online presence can raise a sometimes i!!ying list of "uestions for an entrepreneur. #xactly what must be put in place to ma$e it happen% How oes an online presence change the mar$et for the business% &hat are competitors oing% How will people shop% &hat $in of security is re"uire % How will customers pay online% &e put together this gui e, a primer of sorts, to help answer those "uestions. 'mall businesses that have little or no e-commerce capabilities on their websites will learn about ta$ing the next step in converting their mar$eting sites into selling locations that exten their customer bases, images an sales in entirely new ways. (hose entrepreneurs not yet online will iscover how the )nternet is li$ely to transform their businesses an intro uce them to mar$ets far beyon those which are currently in reach. &hy *o Online% (he most ama!ing aspect of e-commerce is its ability to impact sales an mar$eting efforts imme iately. By going online, su enly a neighborhoo ba$ery or a homebase consulting service expan s its reach to a national, or even international base of potential customers. &eb-base sales $now no international boun aries. +ot only is the internet increasing the number of potential customers that a company can reach, but it,s also riving profitability, accor ing to research from )-'O', commissione by -ay-al. &hen entrepreneurs move online, they establish themselves on a level playing fiel with larger competitors. On the internet, even the smallest online retailer can be as attractive an as functional as the largest big box store.without the nee to have a physical presence on every street corner. Often, small shops pro/ect a 0bouti"ue1 feel that attracts shoppers, who perceive smaller businesses as more istinctive than larger stores. 2oving a business online oesn,t have to be an ar uous process. (o set up an online business, entrepreneurs shoul apply their passion an positive thin$ing to three $ey areas: 3. (he planning process. #verything an entrepreneur nee s to $now, consi er an eci e before starting an 4. 5eveloping a mar$eting strategy. 5etermining how to get the wor out an how to maintain goo relationships with customers. 6. 7n erstan ing technology nee s. (he tric$s an tools that ma$e it all happen. )n summary, 38 'teps to 2ove a Business Online

3. Competitor landscape review. 9oo$ at competitors online an eci e how you will ifferentiate yourself from them. 4. URL. :egister a omain name. 6. Web development. Hire a web site eveloper or buy web evelopment software, then etermine site esign an navigation. 4. Technology. Buy a server or fin an outsource )nternet service provi er. ;. Payment. <in a secure online or er solution, inclu ing shopping cart an payment service. =. Protection. <ight viruses an protect the site an computers with anti-virus software. >. Marketing. 5evelop a mar$eting plan, which inclu es etermining an publishing customer service policies. ?. Contracts. #stablish alliances with crucial partners, such as pro uct suppliers, search engine optimi!ers, fulfillment services, shippers, web technicians, mar$eting or public relations firms. @. Product. Areate an online catalog or listings. 38. Maintenance. Beep inventory, catalogs an listings up to ate for your customers. :ea the full article here: http:CCwww.entrepreneur.comCgrowyourbusinessChowtogui esCarticle?346?.html source: entrepreneur.com, photo from masternewme ia.org