Online Business Ideas Without Cost

by  Gabriel Akinremi

This information provides you with a quick overview of the possibilities that await you to make money on the internet.

Making money online is definitely possible. Making money online is completely different from all other jobs or money making opportunities. There are several reasons for this, but the top reasons are the following:

1. The internet is worldwide.

2. The internet never closes.

3. Making money online only requires one employee (YOU).

Imagine having a business that is within walking distance of everyone in the world. Now imagine that your store never closes and it makes sales for you without you or anyone else having to be there. This means you will make money while you are sleeping and even while you are on vacation.

Is making money online possible? Of course, that is the question so many folks are asking. The most common request new entrepreneurs make online is suggestion on profitable online business ideas to start. The forums and social network websites are full of such requests. Millions of internet users are searching online for business ideas that they can engage in to generate residual income. An online business seems to be coping better during this economic recession than the traditional businesses. Well, that is my personal observation; let's get back to the aim of this post. I intend to share with you some hot online business ideas you can engage in.

Lets look at some online business ideas for you to kick start your entrepreneurs' journey. They may not be rated as the best online business ideas and opportunities, but you can be rest assured that anyone with access to the internet and a little determination can use any of these ideas to build a home based business or a part-time business that has the potential of recruiting staff in the nearest future.

Online Business Ideas

1. Online Secretary - You can offer services as a virtual secretary to busy executives.

2. Online Desktop Publishing - A little knowledge of word processing and one or two graphic software will put you into business.

3. Infopreneur - You can package information and sell online to people who need such information. That is what ebooks are all about.

4. Online Consultant - Are you a professional? Expert in a particular field? Turn your years of experience into a money minting machine by providing consultancy online.

5. Website Designing - Get in touch with the owner of crappy websites and offer to redesign for them at a cheaper rate. You can get serious jobs if you can package a presentation to convince those entrepreneurs that are yet internet shy to establish an online presence for their business.

6. Internet Researcher - You may not believe it, but some folks consider Googling as too much work. If you love searching for information online like Shelock Holmes (a freelance detective) this business idea will suit you.

7. Online Book-keeping Services - Are you a trained book-keeper or accountant? You can help many folks that are getting into trouble with the tax authority as a result of muddled up books. You can employ the use of telephone calls, instant messenger and email to get their transaction details while you prepare a professional book of account for them for a fee.

8. Online Seller - Do I need to explain this? You or someone close to you must have bought something from EBay before. Go into your attic and look around,  you will be surprised that there are items lying down there that you can sell for some little money. By the time you exhaust that, you can go to Grand Ma or friends attics and help them dispose off (at a profit to yourself) all those old toys, books, magazine, music CD/DVD etc.

Source: http://businesseyenigeria.com/business-news/it-telecoms/online-business-ideas-without-cost

How To Create Websites With CorelDraw

by  By Gabriel Akinremi

CorelDRAW has long been a favorite with the graphics design community. A reputation for ease of use and intuitive design has made CorelDRAW a staple of vector graphics design since its release in 1989. The current release is CorelDRAW X4, which has the ability to export drawing directly to web pages. This feature allows designers with no technical development skills to create websites entirely within CorelDRAW.

 Instructions

1.            Create a drawing in CorelDRAW. The position of the different graphic elements displays how the layout will appear later when exported to a web page. CorelDRAW will automatically generate that layout in the finished page.

2.            Create hyperlinks by right clicking on any object                within the drawing and choosing "Properties." The “Object Properties" dialog will open. Choose the “Internet" tab and insert the hyperlink. Click "Apply" to assign the link.

3.            Choose "Publish to the Web" from the File menu. Select "HTML" from the expanded menu. An options dialog box will appear with all of the available options for creating a web page.

4.            Set the save options from the "General" tab. Configure the directories for the website and what                             pages to export.

5.            Select the "Details" tab and set the name for each exported web page. If hyperlinks on one page point to a different page in the site, ensure the page names match the hyperlink location.

6.            Check the "Issues" tab for any potential design issues    that will be a problem when creating the website. If                 issues exist, fix them before exporting the site.

7.            Click "Okay" to generate the site's web pages. After page creation, preview the output in a web browser to make certain that the layout is as expected.

source: http://businesseyenigeria.com/business-news/it-telecoms/how-to-create-websites-with-coreldraw

How to Start Short Code or Bulk SMS Online Business

by Gabriel Akinremi

The advent of the internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) created the best platform for any person to excel in any type of business; this is as it provides the easiest opportunity for even a novice to access and make huge profit from the Global Market. Yes, the Internet is a Global Market, without regional restrictions.

Have you ever wanted to go into short code or bulk SMS business but you are wondering if it will actually be profitable for you. You just don't want to make mistake, you are afraid you don't know much about the business.

You have thought, if only you could know where to buy bulk SMS or short code at a cheaper price and resell profitably. Or how you can buy a reseller system to become a wholesaler and to sell to others to become a retailer and smile to the bank.

I have good news for you, all that dream you can make come true, if you take advantage of the tips I'm offloading to you here. The commonest challenges faced by every entrepreneur, even the successful ones, is the fear of the unknown and so you are not alone, but don't let it stop you from becoming the next Mobile Application Seller Millionaire.

Short Code Business:

You can buy a shared short code and start a “Leased Shared Short Code Business”.

When you buy a shared short code, you can use your keyword to set up three or more messages for others to trigger a specific respond.  It’s like renting space to others on your Short Code and it’s a perfect solution for small businesses.

By doing this, you are the content carrier (landlord), while those that rent space with you are content provider (tenant).

As content carrier (landlord) that leased out shared short code, you will be given username and password to access control panel. Which you will use to set the messages to receive and reply using your keyword.

Immediately the message is sent to the short code number, there will be an auto reply, while you have to forward the details to content provider (tenant) email for follow up to the client that sent messages to the short code number.

You can charge them for setup cost and monthly charges, while you share operator payout at an agreed ratio.

 Bulk SMS Business:

Bulk SMS is now becoming a mainstream tool for thousands of businesses - large and small. Everyone from blue chip multinationals to local chip shop. If you have not considered SMS communication or you have dismissed it as spam, expensive or intrusive. You are missing out on perhaps the most powerful communication channel currently available.

Bulk SMS simply means text message advertising. It is a process whereby adverts are sent in form of text message to GSM subscribers. Due to increase number of GSM users, bulk SMS is now the preferred means of advertising and reaching out to people by corporate organizations, companies, churches, mosques, societies etc.

To start bulk SMS business you can buy a reseller system which will come with domain name, 500 MB of hosting space for 1 year, 10 emails, 2000 bulk SMS, control panel with username and password and ability to design your website yourself with content management system which will allow you to copy and paste text, upload picture and edit your website as you wish.

Forget looking for your next job in a traditional office. Armies of online entrepreneur dwellers are making an honest-to-goodness living right here on the Web.

From writing and graphic design to software development and social media marketing, countless creative types are hanging their own virtual office, often with a minimum of overhead, sometimes even surpassing the salary they made as an employee.

Source: http://businesseyenigeria.com/business-news/it-telecoms/how-to-start-short-code-or-bulk-sms-online-business

Taking advantage of mobile internet

by  Gabriel Akinremi

If you pay attention to both technology and marketing you can't go too far without hearing about "Mobile Marketing." Mobile Marketing is about engaging your customers and prospects on their mobile devices. It covers text message marketing or "SMS," Apps, Location Based Marketing and Mobile Websites. The proliferations of Smart Phones are the main driver of this trend. In fact, it is predicted that by the end of 2012 there will be 5 million smart phone subscriptions in Nigeria (maybe more). To say "you can't ignore this" would be an understatement. So let's start with "The Mobile Internet" and get you up to date.

                The Mobile Internet is where web-enabled smart phones do their browsing. About 20 percent of Google Searches are originated on mobile devices right now. (This number is increasing). Google dominates the mobile search market. So what can you do to take advantage of the Mobile Internet long before your competitors? Let's explore...

                First you have to realize that Mobile Internet exists. Browsing a website on your desktop or laptop from a broadband connection in your home or office is a different experience than browsing from a mobile device. As you may have experienced most sites move slowly, hard to read and sometimes their content can't even be displayed on the small screen. What's the problem? These sites are not "mobile friendly."

                If you want customers to find you this year, you must be found on the mobile web. Converting your business website to display and operate correctly on phones needs to be a top priority. Phone internet browsing is now the most popular among the people.

 Mobile Websites

                Mobile websites are meant to fit the small screens of smart phones and mobile devices. The key difference is found in the layout of the site. Graphics, text, offers, navigation and information is presented in a different way. And when it's done right, the experience of the person browsing the site is much better than viewing a "traditional website" from the mobile phone.

                Many businesses have yet to appreciate how powerful mobile websites can be. Not only are you missing out on a huge market, but your website is being penalized if you are not mobile friendly.

 Accessing mobile site?

                There are few ways. One way is through the use of "Q-R Codes" or "Quick Response Codes." These codes can be scanned by your smart phone and take you to a mobile site.

 Another way you can arrive at your mobile site is by searching. Then, when your mobile site is properly installed, a piece of code detects the mobile browser and serves the mobile version. You can also get traffic to a mobile site via text message and email marketing by providing links in your communications.

                The trend setters in the mobile internet world are the big retailers. Think Best Buy, Target and Amazon. Beyond having mobile websites, these retailers conduct Mobile Commerce or "M-Commerce." Their customers buy right from their phones while on the retailer's mobile site.

                For the small business which may not be concerned with conducting mobile commerce, a good mobile web presence with "lead generation" and basic mobile search optimization would put you way ahead of your competitor. Unfortunately there are still many small business owners, who are totally unaware of this trend, It's easy to get started with mobile web marketing via mobile sites, so get going now.

Are blogs a good way to advertise your business?

by  Gabriel Akinremi

Blogs have been known to be the best traffic generating tool of all time. But like everything else, all blogs are not created equal... There are blogging platforms that operate as a CMS, content management system, like Wordpress and loosely Blogger that automatically ping your content to other networks to bring in more viewers... But a blog with any website is typically a good combination.

                However, let's not overlook the obvious... Just like a website, a blog has to be search engine optimized to get the most traffic. It should also be appealing and hopefully have some social media integration to make the post easily sharable. Much like haven't a website alone won't guarantee money and sales, neither will just having a blog.

 You will need to post decently frequently and try to build an audience. So all in all, yes but it takes work just like every other aspect of online marketing.

                Blogs are a great promotional tool. But, like anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If all you are doing is posting information online, what good is that? The real value to a blog is not your words so much as it is the words of your audience. That means you need feedback...conversation....interaction between you and your audience.

                I recommend you actually explain to friends that you need for them to comment on your blog and help generate "buzz" for it. When people respond to a blog that is  highly ranked by Google, wonderful things can happen. For one, not only can your blog become more visible, but the comments to your blog become more visible and therefore become an asset to the person that made the comment.

                Many online newspapers function a lot like a blog. Many you wills see even included "share buttons" for numerous social networks. Why? So the visibility of your blog can be enhanced. If there was ever a reason to start commenting on blogs, better SEO and visibility through the online world is the reason.

                When you conclude your comment, be sure to include your name, business and business website in your signature. Next, go to Google.com and type into the big text (search) box a keyword you placed in your comment. See if the keyword ends up with a link to the article you just now commented on. This has actually happened to me numerous times.

In order for a blog to make a difference, you have to:

-              blog regularly

-              blog with keywords

-              provide outbound links to other sites

-              encourage comments

-              demonstrate that you know your topic

-              Comment on other blogs with links back to your blog

Don't start the blog unless you are determined to keep writing it, or pay someone else to. Don't start it unless you are willing to interact with your audience.

                Commenting on blogs is a great way to life up a business and gives them enhanced visibility in the marketplace.

                If you need more help addressing this issue or other issues, please feel free to attend this upcoming seminar http://babsolnigeria.com/seminar.html. To learn where you are, where you want to be, and discuss how to get you there.

Source: http://businesseyenigeria.com/business-news/it-telecoms/are-blogs-a-good-way-to-advertise-your-business

Promote your business online worldwide with search engine optimization

by  Gabriel Akinremi

Potential customers are increasingly looking for products and services online via search engine, so it is important for businesses to have a strong online presence and to promote their business in a clear and effective manner.

                 The first step to getting customers and prospects world wide is to establish an online presence of your business. But there are some key steps you need to follow to make sure you are found.

 So for your business to be found on the internet, you may need to optimize your business name keyword on search engine. To know how your customers think and search your products and services. Search engines are computer programme that search documents, especially on the World Wide Web, for a specified word or words and provides a list of documents in which they are found.

                 Search engines are programmes that search documents for specified keywords and return a list of the documents where the keywords were found. Those wishing to locate something would enter a query about what they'd like to find and the engine provides links to content that matches what they want. A search engine is often used to specifically describe website like Google, Bing and Yahoo! Search that enable users to search for contents on the World Wide Web.

 It works by sending out a spider to fetch as many documents as possible. Another programme, called an indexer, then reads these documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document. Each search engine uses a proprietary algorithm to create its indices such that, ideally, only meaningful results are returned for each query.

                 Keyword phrases allow you to reach more customers who are looking for specific products and services through search engine. When a potential customer searches for your selected phrases, your company will appear near the top of the results.

                 Choose effective keywords. Ask yourself what your potential customers are looking for online. If your business specializes in canine surgery, you might choose these keywords: animal care, dog surgery, animal urgent care.

                 Showing off your products and services is a great way to differentiate your company from the competition and find new customers. By creating pages that highlight your product or service, you can expand your visibility on Google and across popular search engine results.

                Keywords aren’t just for Search Engine Optimization geeks. They are a powerful tool for understanding how your customers look for your services.

                   Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is also the strategy that seems to get the biggest response on a long term scale, so working with the right SEO expert that understands your business and strategize based on your long term goals is key. Furthermore, Search Engine Optimization is not just connected to the success of your business, it could well mean survival of your business in getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” listings on search engines.

                It will also improve the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines' "natural," or un-paid.

                SEO is a process that builds upon itself and can take time to show value. If someone promises you immediate results or guaranteed rankings, be cautious.

                Every good SEO campaign needs to be complimented with other factors. Typically the use of a strong SMM campaign can be the greatest attribute to any company's SEO goal.

 IT Question

Facebook or LinkedIn? What do you think is the best option for business? Send your answers toyemi@businessnigeria.com.

Source: http://businesseyenigeria.com/business-news/it-telecoms/promote-your-business-online-worldwide-with-search-engine-optimization

Things to do to make your Computer have Faster Internet

by  Gabriel Akinremi

There are a few different ways you can make the Internet faster. Much of the speed of the Internet is dependent on the type of Internet you have and your connection. However, there are a few things you can to do to make it faster. You can take several measures to increase the speed of your computer's Internet connection.

Clean your registry

Empty out your cache and temporary Internet files. You can do this by selecting "Disk Cleanup" from your "System Tools." A registry cleaner has also been known to help speed up the Internet. You can download one particular programme, Registry Mechanic for free.

Download Setup

Set all automatic downloads programmes of computer running in the background and browser updates to take place once a week while you are browsing the Internet. You can change these settings by going into the "Automatic Download" section of your Internet options or your Browser options and scheduling the downloads. This will prevent downloading while you are online. You can also select the highest bit transfer rate from Internet Options and increase your security options to block pop ups and provide the highest security. Disable add-ons or plug-ins for your Internet browser to make web surfing faster. You can do this under the "Tools" and then "Manage Add-Ons" menu of your browser.

Wireless Router

A faster wireless router can increase your Internet connection speed. When you set up your home or office network using a wireless router, that router provides a specific connection type. Certain types offer better connection. For example, if you use a wireless "G" router, that can slow your connection speed down. Consider upgrading to a faster wireless connection type. Faster types include the "N" connection and the "N1" connection. These routers tend to be more expensive than slower routers in the "G" range.

Increasing Signal Strength

Your network configuration might be the problem behind a slow Internet connection speed. Depending on your operating system, you should be able to check the current signal strength of your connection. This is normally found under the "Network" heading or in your taskbar. If you have a low or poor connection strength, you can take several actions to increase it. Move your computer closer to the signal source, such as your wireless router. If you are far away from the router, your connection strength will be low. If possible, you can also try moving your wireless router closer to the location from which you normally access the Internet.

You can also download an Internet speed booster onto your computer. You can find both free and paid versions of these software programmes on the internet.

Wireless Network Card

Depending on your system's configuration specifications, the wireless Network Interface Controller, or NIC, might slow your connection speed. Even when you have a fast router using a wireless "N" signal, if the card installed in your system is not set up to handle those speeds, it won't go as fast as the network enables. The wireless card in your system might be integrated into the motherboard or plugged into an expansion slot. Consider bringing your computer to a service centre and having a faster card installed.

Wired Connections

If all other measures fail to increase your wireless internet connection speed, you can try a wired connection. You will need an Ethernet cable of sufficient length to reach from your router to your computer. Plug one end into an available WAN port on the router and the other end into the Ethernet port on your computer. You now have a physical connection to the internet service. This can solve your problem if signal strength is an issue. If this measure doesn't increase your speed, you may want to consider a different ISP or a different service plan from your current ISP. You may also need to test your internet connection speed to make sure your internet service provider has set the proper speed limits for your connection.

Source: http://businesseyenigeria.com/business-news/it-telecoms/things-to-do-to-make-your-computer-have-faster-internet