byline and resource box are used in full.
By Tom Falco (c) 2004
According to Bloomberg News, only 27 percent
of U.S. small businesses with a website use
the Internet to sell their products, and they
average fewer than three web-based orders
per month.
What if you were to pick up the slack? It
really wouldn't cost you much. Affiliate
programs are great. But the owner of the
business is who really makes all the money.
What if you were the owner?
What if you were to actually sell local
business products or services on line for
them and make commissions?
For example, if there is a flower shop in
your area that you would be interested in
doing business with, you could approach
the owner and suggest that you run their
website, take orders, answer emails, etc.
and in return you would make a commission
on each sale. If they don't have a website,
you could set one up and run it like your
own business.
You could do this with any business or
service in your area. You basically run
the websites and turn the actual business
or service part over to the owner of the
business.
You could take flower orders on line and
then email or call in the orders to the
shop who in turn would fill the orders
and deliver.
People have done this with food delivery.
They set up a website with local restaurants
offering delivery of their menu items. The
website takes the orders and handles delivery.
They make a commission or in many cases add
a service fee of maybe 15% which would be
the same as a tip if people went to the
restaurant. At one website you could order
home delivery of everything from pizza to
Chinese food to Mexican food, etc. One
stop food delivery! This is a great area
for repeat business.
How about shoes? Maybe a local shoe store
would be willing to have their products sold
on line, with you as the middle man. You
could sell the products and arrange to
deliver yourself, or have the shoe store
handle that.
Maybe you could set up sites for plumbers
or painters and take orders or handle
appointments. There are a lot of people
who own businesses who would love to have
a web presence and have someone actually
sell for them and promote their business
or wares. It's worth a try.
You could set up a URL specifically for
one business or you could set up a URL
that would promote more than one business
or service. The main cost would be setting
up the website and internet service, a far
cry from starting any of these businesses
from scratch.
What is your hobby? Do you like pets? How
about setting up a store for pet supplies?
Maybe you would just want to sell items for
cats only. Just get together with a local
pet store and do it! Set up the site, post
the items, have a shopping cart set up
and sell.
Starting a business on the internet is a
great way to start without much capital.
It's a level playing field for everyone
and in fact, the internet seems to be more
friendly to small businesses rather than
large businesses (think eToys or Pets.com).
========
About the author:
Tom Falco is curator of XpectMore.com Super Savings Club
and also owns: http://www.TheDiscountPrinter.com
Sign up for f.ree email today at http://www.xpectmore.com