Start an Online Business in Just 4 Hours Get set, go!
By Gaurav Gurbaxani Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
True entrepreneurs are great at adapting. They are quick on their feet and do what it takes to succeed.
Starting from scratch and reinventing yourself or your brand may seem like a hurdle, though by following the 4-hour online business system you would be able to start marketing your business, well, in 4 hours from now!
Let's go! Time is money.
Get your domain name. This is a no-brainer. Register yourname.com or yourbrandname.com. There are plenty of companies that sell domain names on the fly.
Setup a pro email account. Why ever look like an amateur again? Get an awesome pro email address and stand out from the crowd.
Setup easy-to-use WordPress hosting. Don't bother about the technicalities. There are plenty of one-click WordPress websites with sexy themes already designed for your business. Plug and Play.
Setup your funnel. This is the maker or breaker of most businesses. A system to nurture and build lifelong customers and not just a one-time thing.
Setup your bio-link. With most social media restricting the number of links you can use in your profile, stand out once again by using a slick bio link and start growing those followers.
Set up your accounting system. It's not how much you make, it's how much you keep that makes the difference. Balance your reports every week and maintain your business hygiene from day one.
Get your brand colors. Find a theme, find a logo, there are plenty of done-for-you gigs that are available on freelancing marketplaces.
Integrate your payments. Bring in the money. These are your systems, your checkouts, and your money link. Make sure that you have global payments because after all, you may be small, but you are global.
Set up your affiliate system. Amazon invented the consumer-to-consumer model. You should do the same. Have your loyal customers spread the word about your business by incentivizing them.
Automate your email. Believe it or not, email is still the most profitable digital activity that is carried out by businesses. Need we say more?
Edit your video. While content is king, video content is God. If you want to make sales, have created edited videos that showcase your talent and products.
Get some press coverage. Authority matters. Contribute to niche-specific websites, optimize your search results and start getting noticed.
Run some ads. Target your ideal customer anywhere in the world for whatever product you want to sell. If you have a match, you make the sales!
The bottom line, you don't need much to start an online business. These are the basics and you are ready to take the next steps into building your next online business empire.
