Selecting & Supplying New E-Business

Idea Phase - First, you tell people about your great idea. They hear the enthurisam in your voice, nod their heads. They've seen you in this condition before and know how it usually turns out.
Decision Phase - Undaunted, you begin honing your plan. You ask questions & shop around until you find just the right tools and materials. When the project is starting you down in your own workshop, you may start to panic, asking yourself whether you're really up for the ask.
Aassembly Phase - Still determined to proceed, you forge ahead. You plug in your tools and go to work. Drills spin, sparks fly, and metal moves.
Test-drive phase - One fine day, out of the dust and fumes, your masterpiece emerges. You invite everyone over to enjoy the fruits of your labor. All of those who were skeptical before are now full of admiration. You get enjoyment from your project for years to come.

Mapping out your online business by
- Looking around
- Making your mark

• Pursue something you know well
• Make a statement
• Give something away for free
• Find your niche
• Do something you love

- Evaluating commercial Web sites

• A big commercial website: Get ideas from big business with big dollars for your own site
• A mid-sized site: Notice some features that mid-size companies use, such as FAQ
• A site that's just right: Different kinds of business can launch online goals for you

Flavors of Online Business you can taste test

- Selling consumer products

• Your products are high in quality
• You create your own products; for example, you design dishes, make fudge, or sell gift baskets of wine
• You specialize in some aspects of your product that larger businesses can’t achieve. Perhaps you sell regional foods, such as Chicago deepdish pizza or live lobsters from Maine

- Hanging out your professional services: Attorneys, Psychotherapists, Physicians, Consultants

- Selling your expertise: Search engines, Link pages, Personal recommendations

- Opportunities with technology or computer resources: Computers, ISP, Software

- Being a starving artist without the starving: Host art galleries, publish writing, sell music

Marketing One-to-One to Your Customers

- Focus on a customer segments

• Get your visitor to indetify themselves
• Become an online researcher
• Keep track of your visitors
• Help your visitors get to know you
• Make yourself visible
• Make your site an eye-catcher

- Boost your credibility

• Document your credentials
• Convince with must-have information

- Customer to customer contact: Everyone wins

- Be a player in online communities: Be a newsgroupie + be a mailing list-ener

- Add ways to sell and multiply your profits

Easyware (Not Hardware) for Your Business

- The right computer for your online business
- Processor speed
- Hard drive storage
- CD-RW/DVD±RW drive
- Monitor
- Fax equipment
- Image capture devices

Getting Online: Connection Options
- A second phone line
- Beyond dialup

Software Solutions for Online Business
- Web browser
- Web page editor
- Taking email a step higher
- Discussion group software
- FTP software
- Image editors
- Instant messaging
- Backup software