Business Beginner

Click Here to Buy on Amazon My Simple 10 Part System Create a lucrative and versatile digital media business for only $10 with this simple 10 Part System. You will also learn how to create incredible new professional opportunities for yourself and take your career to the next level!          Starting a business is always a very challenging endeavor. You take major financial risks, remove the safety net of a steady job, open yourself up to criticism, and sacrifice your personal life… without any guarantee of success. Around half of all entrepreneurs and startups will fail and many of those that remain standing will not make much of a profit. Despite the daunting risks and odds, more people than ever before are starting their own business in hopes of escaping the 9-5 workplace. The enormous costs associated with starting a business can be a huge barrier to entry though, which prevents many from taking the plunge. If only there was a business model that was afforda...

How do you get the word out about your new website or digital business? Once you've identified the niche of your digital media business, you'll need to get the ball rolling. In addition to being able to create high quality and unique content that adds value for your audience (a tall order on its own), you need to build an initial content distribution system. You can create the best articles, videos, ebooks, presentations, etc but if nobody views them they are essentially worthless. Most larger businesses will get a new media property going by paying for traditional advertising, spending lavishly on digital advertising , paying Influencers with enormous existing followings, or leveraging plentiful existing assets they already own. If you're frugal like me and don't plan on spending much or any money you'll obviously need a different game plan.  In the beginning a frugal entrepreneur really needs to use every free resource you have available. People don't know abo...

Driven individuals are taking the startup route much more frequently now than ever before. No longer are we seeing the same trend of people working for companies for decades at a time. Competition is fierce as 90% of startups fail within the first year. There is a growing need to be as economical as you can in order to survive.  What sets that last 10% apart from the rest? How can your business be successful without having to take such extreme measures? Here are 5 crucial characteristics of savvy startups : 1. Be Economical  Sometimes there is very little funding for startups but that does not mean that they are destined to fail. It's important to look for free tools and resources that can help your business grow. In a new series I've begun discussing how you can start a digital media startup for only $10. In a very recent article I also went over a helpful list of  5 fantastic free image editing programs .  Another amazing new tool to add to that list of great imag...

Once you've reached a certain level of success you can leverage your influence to become a public speaker, columnist, author, or media personality. If you get really big you may even be considered a " Thought Leader " and have your pick of nearly any form of media available. Media outlets like radio, TV, podcasts, webinars, magazines, and newspapers will all be viable options when you've proven that you can generate and grow a large audience. Which media outlet(s) you choose will really depends on the niche you want to carve out for yourself as a media influencer and public personality. Podcasts Podcasts are excellent tools to promote yourself , grow your following, and cross-promote with other media personalities. If marketing gurus like Gary Vaynerchuk, Tim Ferriss, Grant Cardone, and Neil Patel do them every week you can bet they are effective! Obviously you can create a simple podcast early in your business process to use as a valuable tool for producing high qual...

The success of your business will often hinge on the quality and quantity of content that you can produce. You need to draw in web site visitors or prospects with unique media that will either entertain them, educate them, or provide value to them. The content that is available on the web is nearly infinite and increasing exponentially every week, so you'll need to produce plenty that will stand out. Here are some of the major free content production platforms and some tips for each one: Blog Business blogging is incredibly important and if your business is digital media content production then this is your bread and butter. Most free websites, including free WordPress or Blogger sites, allow you to easily create blog posts that are easily picked up in search engines like Google , Bing, and Yahoo. You have all the freedom in the world to create engaging content including essays, tutorials, news, opinions, product reviews, studies, and your personal brand.  A good way to start out...

Once you've enjoyed some success with your digital media business and generated some significant revenue there are some people that would like to launch a more traditional business venture. By "traditional" I mean opening a storefront, manufacturing a product, developing technology, starting a professional services corporation, opening an entertainment venue, or countless other business ventures. These days the traditional business model isn't always the most sought after path, especially if you have built a successful online enterprise. Huge expenses such as inventory, liability insurance, rent, property taxes, permits, payroll, employee health insurance benefits , and much more are not issues that most digital media businesses have to really worry about. But sometimes if you want to go big you'll need to take on the additional risks of increased overhead and liability.  Some common examples of more traditional business models that I've seen digital media in...

You can leverage your digital media expertise you've learned here at Bootstrap Business to earn a great small business or corporate career in more of a 9-5 capacity. Chances are if you've gone through the my Bootstrap Business tips and tutorials, you aren't really looking to work a 9-5 job. You probably want a major change in the status quo . You can skip to the next section if you need to, but you might want to keep an open mind. The lifestyle of an entrepreneur year after year isn't for everyone. Even if you're a die-hard entrepreneur now or can't wait to drop your current job, your perspective now it can certainly change. Entrepreneurship can cause severe burnout over time and the security of consistent work, health benefits, paid vacation, and a 401k might be major considerations depending on where you are in your personal and financial life. You can always be a "sidepreneur" and enjoy entrepreneurial business ventures during your free time with a...

You can be forgiven for thinking that with the digital revolution fingering every part of our lives, that offline marketing is dead. Old-fashioned, old-hat and passé, why on earth would you want leaflets and business cards, brochures and banners? Because they are still worthwhile offline marketing techniques that connect people with your business.  These five affordable offline marketing tips, brought to you by Colour Graphics , will make you question and reconsider your approach to marketing. Are your marketing activities hitting all the right notes?  #1 Network  The first thing that came to mind when you read the sub-heading was spending hours at a hosted session, attempting to strike up conversations with everyone in the room. And failing, miserably.  However, networking is another work for conversation and rather than attending mass networking events where everyone else seems to know each other, have a conversation with people who would be willing to buy or tria...

We’re not going to lie to you; starting your own business is very challenging. One might even go as far as to say that it is a hectic and daunting task as well. You may have excelled in the business courses you took, but you probably lack the real world experience.  There is usually a lot of money that goes into beginning your own business as well.  There is also the task of knowing your target audience and getting the right crew to back you up. Not to mention the demands of a payroll, accounting, IT management, workplace compliance, and human resources responsibilities. This is what throws rookie entrepreneurs off their game. But this is not the end of the road. Just because you feel anxious doesn’t mean you let it take you over.  Even the most successful businessmen had their share of fear when they were starting out. The point is that they eventually overcame their fears and took the plunge. You can do it as well. Make the following steps a part of your life from now ...

When you are a business owner, you have to constantly look for new, innovative ways to slash your costs. One of the best ways to do this is to look for ways to lower your energy bills. If you can reduce your energy costs, you can use the capital to grow your business and make it stronger. Here are five energy solutions you can implement to improve your business.  1. Use Energy-Efficient Electronics  If your business is using older electronics, you could be wasting a lot of energy. Most newer electronics are much more energy-efficient than their older counterparts. While it may cost you money upfront, in the long-run you will save money by lowering your energy bills when you buy new, energy-efficient electronic devices.  2. Install A Wind Turbine  One of the best ways that you can lower your company’s energy bills is to make the transition to renewable energy. If you install a wind turbine it can drastically reduce the amount of electricity that you have to purchase...