The Value of Building a Community on
Internet by Lois M. Jeary, January 2004We see thousands of people adopting
internet and its offerings every day. Some will just want to browse from site to site to see what's there. Many have started using
internet to do their shopping for both home and business. Others are simply looking for a way to keep in touch with friends and family. A select group of these individuals will see
advantages of creating a home-based business using
internet as their platform.
It is rare though that you will find an individual who can 'wear all
hats' required to run a successful business in today's world. There is a huge amount of information that requires consideration when starting your business, not
least of which is a sound business plan.
Self-starters require talents that range anywhere from being an accountant, a web designer to a graphic artist. Then there is a need for copywriting skills, management and delegation ability, technical know how, legal knowledge and perhaps software development. And let's not forget about marketing. That's a full plate for anyone, particularly if you are just getting started.
With a bricks 'n mortar style business, corporations can hire
talent they need when they need it. For
small, home-based business that is just starting out, this can present problems. And this is where building a community or network of responsible people can be a real boost for you and your business.
You and I have had a chance to connect with other ethical and responsible people who also run an online business. We've had
chance to learn from our mistakes and adjust to
changes taking place on
internet on a regular basis. Now think of all
newbies who are just starting their internet adventure today.
Experienced marketers have had some trouble understanding
FTC regulations as well as
new CAN-SPAM law which went into effect on January 1st, 2004. The law came into effect on January 1st, however,
FTC has until September, 2004 to 'fine tune'
regulations.
Now we are facing more new challenges with email. Personally, I've been very disillusioned with email delivery for about a year and a half and I know I'm not alone. That's why you have seen more publishers switching to rss feeds or weblogs. You're going to see more publishers adopting a weblog-type format. Others will send a note telling you where
latest online edition is located. The big thing lacking here is interaction. Think back to why you started publishing an ezine in
first place. Didn't you love getting feedback from your subscribers? That's what made it fun and worthwhile.