Like any other business getting started you have a couple of threshold questions to ask. First, what are your long-range ownership plans? Will you have investors or other owners? Also, you'll... (more)

A good website exists for one reason: to convert visitors into paying customers. Whether you convert visitors to customers by a link to a separate online store or by driving directions to a... (more)

Yes, you do. Any business that deals in high-risk and related activities, such as construction, should have appropriate levels of insurance in place. Otherwise, you run a serious risk of bankruptcy... (more)

You can associate or create a joint venture, where you retain control of your own part of the business. Discuss with an advisor or tax attorney the best fits for what you are doing and the... (more)

You might need to clarify what you're offering on your website at present. It appears that you're offering business-to-consumer services as an affiliate marketer, and (more)

First, you'll want to get an idea of the market, its needs and the type of capital needed to launch this idea of yours. To do that, start by talking with people in the industry. You'd... (more)

In creating any business for any purpose, you have both tax as well as legal factors. Deciding on the form of entity for your holding company depends on a number of issues. For example, what's... (more)

There are many resources in the marketplace to help entrepreneurs develop a physical product. Before I go through some of them, it's important to emphasize a key element in developing a product... (more)

I suggest you begin quickly by getting some real person-to-person help locally. Depending on where you are, find the nearest Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or (more)

Monetizing your website with ads is a challenging business model. As you've pointed out, the best way to be attractive to an advertiser is to make sure your website generates more qualified... (more)

Having a conversation with your customer would most likely be your first move. Sometimes nuance and certain hints in conversations can be missed. If the person has someone else to answer to, and... (more)

Normally, a freelancer is brought on board as a contractor under a professional services agreement. Essentially, you will be paying this individual to do specific work at a set rate per hour or per... (more)

Coming up with new products might not be necessary. Instead, figure out what you unique selling proposition is. That can show customers why your products are better than the competition's.... (more)

As an independent contractor, you are a business owner. And as an owner, it is up to you to create your own image – based on the experience others have of you and your work. If you are... (more)

Starting from scratch and learning how to code a website probably isn't the best way to get started if you're serious about building a profitable business at a scale large enough to be... (more)

You should be able to buy a few items but you may not be able to buy in bulk, depending on the local “re-selling” rules in your area. In general, it’s easier than ever to get... (more)

One-click transactions may seem simple to provide, but the process of the one-click purchase is actually protected by a software patent owned by none other than Amazon.com. Still, there are a few... (more)

A master franchisee is typically someone who enters into a contract with the franchise company to help them sell and service individual franchisees in a large and well-defined area. This is usually... (more)

The most profitable markets or industries in franchising are the ones least affected by the lousy economy that has marked the past few years. In terms of industries, you want to steer toward... (more)

There are a number of ways that businesses can get new sales leads. Some do it through advertising, some through internet marketing, some by getting data from information aggregators such as... (more)