If you asked someone off the street (let’s call him Joe Internet) what it costs to start an online business, chances are he would say hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars. Those with basic Internet knowledge probably realize it's not that expensive, and most online marketers know you can get started for free. All you need is a Blogger account, AdSense, and the ability to write articles. I realize that most of our readers know all the ...continue

Over and over again I hear people say, "Oh, you can just outsource that." They make it sound easy, like all you have to do is search Google for outsourced development, click on a button or two, and all your problems are solved. I'm here to tell you that it's not that easy, and in some cases, not even appropriate to outsource. I am going to talk about when it's a good idea to outsource something, and things to watch out for if you decide to go the ...continue

Since coming on board as President of InfoMedia, Inc. a few months ago, one of the first things I did was to create some work files for the various projects that began crossing my desk immediately. They were files with titles like, Staff Matters, Financial Matters, Legal Matters, etc. As I began to get to know the company more thoroughly, I realized how much organization matters. InfoMedia is a fifteen-year-old company that has carved its own ...continue

Everyone who has ever worked from home knows that sometimes, it isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Sure at first it can be liberating and novel to "go to work" unshowered and in your pajamas, but eventually many people realize that they get more done when there is more of a demarcation between work and home. Home offices with doors might work, but a lot of people end up looking for someplace to go, like a coffee shop, just to get out of the h ...continue

It surprises me how many people are afraid to create an info product. The social proof that info products are profitable is everywhere. The biggest proof is ClickBank. ClickBank, which is essentially a portal for digital info products, has paid out over $1.3 billion to product creators in the last 10 years. That's $130 million every year, and the average person has never heard of them, which is just crazy. But this article is not about ClickBank, ...continue

We've all had the experience of searching for something and landing on web pages where the content was obviously written with a focus on keywords and maybe length, and not much else. While that tactic obviously worked well enough to get you there, it certainly doesn't mean you will stay. So how do you make sure that your own web content is meaty enough to get people to keep reading, and hopefully coming back? Here are some pointers for writing q ...continue

As Vice President of Ideas for InfoMedia, I get asked the following question a lot: "How can I get paid for my ideas?" Everyone's got a good idea, and they constantly dream of finding the perfect person who will hand them a briefcase of cash in exchange for that idea. To be honest, that's just not realistic. Ideas are pretty much worthless, unless you take action on them. I also know you've seen the late night infomercials and classified a ...continue

Just in case this word isn’t in your vocabulary: Budg-et [buhj-it] -- noun 1. an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future. 2. a plan of operations based on such an estimate. 3. an itemized allotment of funds, time, etc., for a given period. 4. the total sum of money set aside or needed for a purpose. 5. a limited stock or supply of something. Budgets make a lot of people uncomfortable, ...continue

Online payment processing is quite literally where the money is. Follow these six tips to help you avoid any unnecessary (or costly) snafus. 1) Use an accurate descriptor. Using an accurate descriptor can save you TONS of money and heartache. The descriptor is the little piece of text that tells a customer what the charge is for on their credit card statement. You want to make sure that your customer recognizes the descriptor or you will ...continue

Things change fast in this business -- that’s nothing new. Change can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how you deal with it within your organization. Maintaining flexibility is cliché (and usually overstated) and in my opinion rarely defined in a specific context. An expert in a particular area of focus laying out a roadmap for maintaining flexibility is incredibly valuable. A keynote speaker telling you he achieved succes ...continue