A Virtual Female Entrepreneur In A Brick And Mortar World
A Virtual Female Entrepreneur In A Brick And Mortar World
Spiders and webs and silks...oh my.
It has been well over twelve years since I first wrote those words as a way of introducing Spun Silk Web Design, my fledgling online company to the world. Even then I was already a computer user of ten years standing, who had already outgrown a Radio Shack Tandy 1000 and had long since moved from basic DOS to a more sophisticated Windows based System. I also happened to be a lover of words with an explorer's heart and a researcher's mind. For me the internet was an exciting dream come true; a mythical new land full of wonders to be experienced...and full of--according to my dear mother--dangers to be avoided.
As a female computer user and small business owner, I was in the unusual position of being on the forefront of a brave new world. I remember standing up and introducing my new company to my local Chamber of Commerce and trying to explain this amazing new frontier to people who either thought of computers as fancy typewriters exclusively for their secretaries' use, or new-fangled devil machines that could not be trusted. I tried to tell them that the Internet was the level playing field that small business had always dreamed of, but except for a few visionaries most did not really believe me. I think the men thought I was too cute to know what I was talking about and the women thought I was a witch skilled in arcane knowledge.
Anyway, I managed to make a go of it for two years thanks to a few locals who grasped all the wonderful possibilities for cheap advertising offered by the Internet. As part of my vision I started LadyWeb to help introduce other women to this wonderful new world, but quickly found that most of them could care less, except for the ones who were as broke as I was. Finally, as a single mom in need of insurance and security for my children, I gave up the day-to-day online struggle and found a job in the real world. I did, however, keep my little online business alive and consistently earned a small second income from it. I figured that sooner or later my little corner of the world would catch up with me and my online business would have a better chance to grow and thrive. I was right about that, but by the time the world caught up with me, I had moved onto what I believed were more noble pursuits and did not have the time or energy to take advantage of all the opportunities presented in the virtual world.
It is now more than twelve years later and my opinion of the internet has not really changed much. The wonders have certainly grown more fabulously wondrous and the triple threat of identity theft, perverts and anonymity has made the dangers somewhat more inherently dangerous than even my dear mother had imagined. I still believe that the virtual world's potential for easy, inexpensive advertising levels the playing field; but also have to admit that in the virtual world, just as in the real, those who have the money to pay...can far more easily smooth their path to the top of the heap. However, I say even that with one major caveat. In the virtual world those who are truly talented, or willing to learn the ropes, work hard and expend time and effort, can compete with the big boys far more easily than they ever could by exclusively setting up shop on Main Street in their home town. In fact, one of the main differences between the virtual and the real world is the pure and simple fact that on the Internet it is much, much easier to build a business from scratch without going broke in the process.
Why? Overhead. In the real world start up and overhead costs can wipe you out before you ever open your doors. Of course there are many businesses that require a brick and mortar storefront and a physical hometown presence, but even so, there are very few businesses that cannot reduce their overhead and or advertising costs somewhat by utilizing a web address on letterheads and business cards. Beyond absolute physical need, in the virtual world you can literally get started for nothing using a computer at the library if need be. In the virtual world it is entirely possible to make money on the tiniest of investments, if you are willing to put in the time and--pardon my unladylike expression--sweat equity.
I have dedicated the past two years of my life (or at least every minute of my spare time) to proving that thesis. After wasting some of the hottest years in Internet Marketing helping to build something that someone else is currently reaping the rewards from, I returned to the virtual world and my own little business that no one can ever take away from me. I came back older but wiser, and with every intention of paving a path for others to follow, just as I had originally dreamed of doing with LadyWeb all those years ago.
I was lucky in that I already knew the basic rules, and could more or less hit the ground running. True, the technology had advanced amazingly, and the rules themselves had become far more complex, but the basic facts were still the same...and I have always been a faster learner. Even so, I must admit it has been something of a wild ride, with mistakes and disappointments and often times more lows than highs, and more than enough so called guru con-artists with high priced miracles to make you die cringing. But overall it has been fun and I have learned what to avoid, met some wonderful people from around the world and discovered that with a little creativity and a lot of hard work you really can make money online.
Will I share my secrets? Happily. It is after all, what I came here to do.
Will you take what I give you and make money online? Only if you are willing to work at it. Ninety percent of the high priced miracles out there will, in the end, give you pretty much the same information I will teach you for free.
Will it cost you money to get started? Honestly, you can get started for free, but realistically you are going to need to put a little money into it for a hometown business license, domain name and hosting. An average startup of less than $100.00 and a budget of $10.00 to $20.00 a month will easily get you started if you are willing to put in the time promoting your online business. The same is true if you want to use the power of the virtual world to advertise and enhance your real world business.
Honestly. The virtual and real worlds are literally yours for the taking if you are willing to spend the time and do the work.
And that is the real miracle of the Internet--just as I said so many years ago--an honest to goodness level playing field.
A Virtual Female Entrepreneur In A Brick And Mortar World - To learn more about this author, visit Teresa Bohannon's Website.
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Lions and tigers and bears...oh my.
Spiders and webs and silks...oh my.
It has been well over twelve years since I first wrote those words as a way of introducing Spun Silk Web Design, my fledgling online company to the world. Even then I was already a computer user of ten years standing, who had already outgrown a Radio Shack Tandy 1000 and had long since moved from basic DOS to a more sophisticated Windows based System. I also happened to be a lover of words with an explorer's heart and a researcher's mind. For me the internet was an exciting dream come true; a mythical new land full of wonders to be experienced...and full of--according to my dear mother--dangers to be avoided.
As a female computer user and small business owner, I was in the unusual position of being on the forefront of a brave new world. I remember standing up and introducing my new company to my local Chamber of Commerce and trying to explain this amazing new frontier to people who either thought of computers as fancy typewriters exclusively for their secretaries' use, or new-fangled devil machines that could not be trusted. I tried to tell them that the Internet was the level playing field that small business had always dreamed of, but except for a few visionaries most did not really believe me. I think the men thought I was too cute to know what I was talking about and the women thought I was a witch skilled in arcane knowledge.
Anyway, I managed to make a go of it for two years thanks to a few locals who grasped all the wonderful possibilities for cheap advertising offered by the Internet. As part of my vision I started LadyWeb to help introduce other women to this wonderful new world, but quickly found that most of them could care less, except for the ones who were as broke as I was. Finally, as a single mom in need of insurance and security for my children, I gave up the day-to-day online struggle and found a job in the real world. I did, however, keep my little online business alive and consistently earned a small second income from it. I figured that sooner or later my little corner of the world would catch up with me and my online business would have a better chance to grow and thrive. I was right about that, but by the time the world caught up with me, I had moved onto what I believed were more noble pursuits and did not have the time or energy to take advantage of all the opportunities presented in the virtual world.
It is now more than twelve years later and my opinion of the internet has not really changed much. The wonders have certainly grown more fabulously wondrous and the triple threat of identity theft, perverts and anonymity has made the dangers somewhat more inherently dangerous than even my dear mother had imagined. I still believe that the virtual world's potential for easy, inexpensive advertising levels the playing field; but also have to admit that in the virtual world, just as in the real, those who have the money to pay...can far more easily smooth their path to the top of the heap. However, I say even that with one major caveat. In the virtual world those who are truly talented, or willing to learn the ropes, work hard and expend time and effort, can compete with the big boys far more easily than they ever could by exclusively setting up shop on Main Street in their home town. In fact, one of the main differences between the virtual and the real world is the pure and simple fact that on the Internet it is much, much easier to build a business from scratch without going broke in the process.
Why? Overhead. In the real world start up and overhead costs can wipe you out before you ever open your doors. Of course there are many businesses that require a brick and mortar storefront and a physical hometown presence, but even so, there are very few businesses that cannot reduce their overhead and or advertising costs somewhat by utilizing a web address on letterheads and business cards. Beyond absolute physical need, in the virtual world you can literally get started for nothing using a computer at the library if need be. In the virtual world it is entirely possible to make money on the tiniest of investments, if you are willing to put in the time and--pardon my unladylike expression--sweat equity.
I have dedicated the past two years of my life (or at least every minute of my spare time) to proving that thesis. After wasting some of the hottest years in Internet Marketing helping to build something that someone else is currently reaping the rewards from, I returned to the virtual world and my own little business that no one can ever take away from me. I came back older but wiser, and with every intention of paving a path for others to follow, just as I had originally dreamed of doing with LadyWeb all those years ago.
I was lucky in that I already knew the basic rules, and could more or less hit the ground running. True, the technology had advanced amazingly, and the rules themselves had become far more complex, but the basic facts were still the same...and I have always been a faster learner. Even so, I must admit it has been something of a wild ride, with mistakes and disappointments and often times more lows than highs, and more than enough so called guru con-artists with high priced miracles to make you die cringing. But overall it has been fun and I have learned what to avoid, met some wonderful people from around the world and discovered that with a little creativity and a lot of hard work you really can make money online.
Will I share my secrets? Happily. It is after all, what I came here to do.
Will you take what I give you and make money online? Only if you are willing to work at it. Ninety percent of the high priced miracles out there will, in the end, give you pretty much the same information I will teach you for free.
Will it cost you money to get started? Honestly, you can get started for free, but realistically you are going to need to put a little money into it for a hometown business license, domain name and hosting. An average startup of less than $100.00 and a budget of $10.00 to $20.00 a month will easily get you started if you are willing to put in the time promoting your online business. The same is true if you want to use the power of the virtual world to advertise and enhance your real world business.
Honestly. The virtual and real worlds are literally yours for the taking if you are willing to spend the time and do the work.
And that is the real miracle of the Internet--just as I said so many years ago--an honest to goodness level playing field.
A Virtual Female Entrepreneur In A Brick And Mortar World - To learn more about this author, visit Teresa Bohannon's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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