Now let's think a little. Would you really try to sell summer clothing in middle of winter? Not many people would. Why? There is little if any market for summer clothes in winter.

How about winter coats in Bahamas - sure an occasional "snow bird" might buy one, or a Bahamian, who was travelling north. But to open a store that sold nothing but winter clothing there should not be on top of your priority list.

Why is answer to both of above no? Simple - they don't match your target market. Your target market should consist of people who not only need your product or service, but also have wherewithal to pay for it.

Does Internet have this same requirement? Sure - while Internet is worldwide and covers most of globe, it is probably more important to find your target market there than anyplace else.

Most places you might advertise in don't have detailed demographics on their visitors or readers. Some companies are trying to get this information, but it is a long uphill battle as most people are unwilling to give out personal information on web.

This is one instance where you have to use some common sense. While you may not have detailed demographics available, there are some things you can do to sharpen focus a bit. If you were selling a health product geared toward older people, you can automatically rule out "kiddie sites" or ones that appeal to a young crowd such as sites where you download free music.

The Internet provides a great number of opportunities that allow someone to get into business quickly, but many folks who try, are like that person stumbling about a dark room. A good business plan requires that research is done on whether it will work prior to getting started. Once a product or service is settled on, next major step is to develop a marketing plan.

At risk of oversimplification, a good marketing plan must get information about your product or services to those who are able and willing to buy them. You will be competing with "droves" of others however, who are trying to accomplish same goal, so steps you take here will either make or break your business. Let's see if we can turn on a light or two.

The first part of your marketing plan should be to identify your potential market. Again, this sounds like a simple process. But it is amazing how many people don't. A campaign aimed directly at your target market, will produce results.

Don't believe ads you read about how mass email is road to success. Nothing could be further from truth. If someone receives a lot of junk email (spam) about a particular product or opportunity, it leaves a bad taste in their mouth.

If you are into Network Marketing or represent an Affiliate, what better place to advertise yours, than where they are trying to market theirs? They have already made a decision about this being a viable field, and many are looking to diversify. So here we have identified a potential target market.

Are there ezines or newsletters that go out to these people, or others who might be considering this? If so, this is a must. How about web sites that accept ads which are similarly targeted? You should definitely have representation there.