BUILDING AN E-BIZ WEBSITE

INSTRUCTIONS

Things You'll Need:

• Web hosting company
• Product images
• Camera, recommended but optional
• Newsletter software, recommended but optional

1. Step 1
   Find a web host company that supports E-commerce businesses. There are hosting companies that have limited capabilities all the way up to ones that offer all of the state-of-the-art features you could imagine. Make sure that the company you choose handles credit card purchases, and in an encrypted manner. This is how many people pay for the things bought online these days. Visit "eCommerce Web Hosting Top List" to compare rates and plans of top E-business companies (link provided below in the Resources section).
   
2. Step 2
   Start building the website by choosing a template that matches your product line. Then start adding in the products, along with pictures of the products. Be as specific and detailed as possible when describing the products. The more you tell potential customers up front, the more likely they will buy. And the better your pictures, the more sales you are likely to make as well. Invest in a good camera or use stock images from the Internet.
   
3. Step 3
   Add fresh content to the website. No one likes to go into a site where all they see are products for sale. Today's viewers are interested in knowing that a company cares about them. To this end, have articles that relate to your products, how-to guides, and other information that shows you are an expert in the line of products you are selling. It generally takes a person 5 to 10 visits to a website before she will comfortable buying something. Fresh content and other value added features such as discussion forums will keep visitors interested in coming back, so keep your content updated regularly.
   
4. Step 4
   Set up the "Contact Us" page with ways that customers can get in touch with you easily. Put a couple of ways they can contact you, not just one. If you list an email address, make sure you check it regularly. Don't keep customers waiting for an answer because chances are there are many other websites selling the same thing you have, and you could lose a sale for this reason.
   
5. Step 5
   Consider having a free newsletter that customers can sign up for to receive news and new product updates. This usually involves a single line of code to be placed on your website, and that's all there is to it. Send the newsletter at least once a month, if not more. This will keep your E-business in front of potential customers, and they can pass the newsletter on to friends and family as well. Your Mailing List Provider is a low-cost newsletter software program that can do the job for you at the right price (see Resources below).
   
6. Step 6
   Make the website "live" once you have everything looking the way you want. This is the time to start advertising your E-business through online and offline efforts, including obtaining business cards to hand out, advertising your business on other websites, and taking out ads in newspapers.
   

Home Business

Operating a home business is seldom easy and interruptions come
in all shapes, sizes and forms.

Between the family, friends and neighbors who call or come by,
and the telemarketers who insist on ringing your number off the
hook, getting through the workday can be a real challenge.

When you introduce children into the home office environment,
your productivity and patience can be seriously tested.

For example, right now my three-year old daughter is pulling on
my shirt and begging me to read her a story. Clearly, I'm in the
middle of something important here, but how can I say no to
those eyes? I'll be right back...

Ok, that wasn't so bad was it? She's happy, I'm happy (having
bonded with my daughter) and now I'm back to continue my
conversation with you. :-) What's the lesson here? Flexibility
is a major key to balancing your home business priorities with
your family's needs.

I can tell you from first-hand experience that maintaining a
deep level of concentration on work in a home business for long
periods of time is next to impossible. Naptime does offer some
reprieve, but any break from the kids is usually short lived.

Even with older children, summertime introduces new challenges
with kids running in and out of the house all throughout the day.

I would like to share with you some of the tips I have
discovered to help manage your home office with children in your
midst. Since children of different ages pose different
challenges, I will present my tips in terms of age groups.

OLDER CHILDREN AND TEENS

We will look at older children first since they pose the least
challenge to our work productivity.

Children, who are old enough to understand the idea of schedules
and chores, are old enough to understand the needs of your home
business. Explain to your children that you do your work at home
so that you can be near them when they need you. But also be
sure they understand that you must do your work so that you will
have the money necessary to keep your house, feed the family and
to provide them with money for entertainment.

Once your children understand the necessity of your work, then
outline a work schedule and explain it to them. Do make sure
they understand that emergencies are definitely an acceptable
reason to interrupt your work. Then make sure they understand
that between hours x and y, you will be doing work --- and then
hold them to respecting your schedule.

INFANTS

Infants will never understand your needs for work. But
fortunately, babies do well under a schedule or routine. Instead
of expecting your child to work around your schedule, schedule
your work around the needs of your baby.

It is simple. Babies eat, sleep and poop. Sometimes they play.
Fortunately, babies sleep more than they do anything else.

Naptime offers the best advantage for getting your work done.
Get your baby into a routine of eat, sleep and play, and you
will experience unexpected levels of productivity.

TODDLERS

If you have a toddler running around the house while you are
operating your home business, then you may find that your hair
turning gray or disappearing altogether. But, gray hair is a
sign of character, right. ;-)

I am venturing to guess that the person who devised the door
lock for the inside of the house did so because he had toddlers
in his own home. Inside door locks should only be utilized when
you are making that important phone call and your toddler is
screaming for your attention. At all other times, your door
should remain unlocked with your door open.

Develop a routine with your children for meal times, naptimes,
and play times. Work these times into your work schedule and
adhere to them. If you fail to keep appointments with your
children, your children will have less respect for your work and
do more to prevent you from the completion of your work.

Don't be afraid to let your children sit in your lap while you
are working. It helps them to feel wanted and it helps them to
be a part of your daily life. There are times when it is okay
for them to be sitting in your lap while you work, and at other
times you need them out of your lap. Don't be afraid to tell
them to get down and go play or read a book so that you can
resume your work.

Permit your children to have their toys in your office. Often
they will sit contently and play while you work. Just knowing
you are near is enough to keep them happy.

Be prepared to take an hourly break to deal with your toddler.
Try to do potty breaks at your hourly break and to do drink
refills. This can help your child grow into a routine that will
work well with your home business. At each break, spend a few
minutes with your child giving hugs and kisses and talking with
your child about what he or she wants to talk about.

Toddlers don`t always do well with the routine, so be prepared
to take a few minutes when needed to give the attention that
your child so desperately needs in the moment.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope these tips serve to help you in the challenge of
operating a successful home business.

My home business permits me to fulfill my financial obligations
*AND* see my children grow up. I would never contemplate trading
my home business for another kind of business. Even with the
added challenges of dealing with toddlers in my home office, the
upsides far outweigh the downsides.

Growing my own home business with children around has definitely
given me a new respect for all people who successfully run a
home business with kids in the work environment. I tip my hat to
you... You deserve it!

Your partner in success,
James Austine D.