Find Your Business Idea From This List of 50 Start-Ups

There is no doubt that coming up with the right idea for your home business is absolutely the most difficult part of starting a business. It also goes without saying that it’s the most critical decision you will make, too. So how do you decide on what will work?

Researching your idea

It takes a great deal of time and effort to be sure your idea will be profitable. Surveying consumer habits, knowing the competition, and evaluating availability are just part of the process. Big companies will spend millions on research before actually launching a new product.

Timing

Many great ideas were launched before their time and fell flat. Timing is as important as how it is launched.

Determining profitability

It may be the greatest idea ever, but if you can’t make any money at it, then you may want to reconsider. . . unless you don’t need the money.

Is there a big enough market

This may be a subgroup of the first two, but knowing if the market you are targeting is actually big enough to support a new product.

The reason I wanted to list the very basics of deciding on a start-up idea is because I wanted to point out the work that has already been done on this list I found. You may notice that the majority of these start-ups are tech based, but it costs a great deal to launch any of these ideas. Rest assured that the market research has already been done – in a big way.

This list if from http://blog.louisgray.com. Louis Gray is focused on much of what is happening in Silicon Valley, but if you read much of his writing, you will notice he has a keen entrepreneurial eye. That’s why I wanted you to take a look at his opinion on the 50 Start-ups Worth Watching.

One more thing -  don’t look at each business as something for you to start. Look at these 2 things:

1) WHO the start-up is targeting

2) The SOLUTION the start-up is solving.

Many, if not most, of these start-ups are social-networking based. If you are hoping to start an online business, then these are necessary (evils?) to get very familiar with. Social networking is here to stay – but will not stay the same. It’s rapidly changing, and if you hope to survive online, (especially if you are over 40 . . .-maybe 30) then learn from it. If you go through this list with your “entrepreneurial mind” you will never look at social networking the same. (IMO)

So-what do you think? What did you come away from this list with?

Websites To Market Your Inventions

I recently read on Momma’s Choice about a family-owned website that consists exclusively of useful items invented by parents. If you have an invention that you have developed, then you will want to contact Inventive Parent.com and see if they will offer your product along with the other quality inventions they present online.  At least visit and take a look at some the great items they offer, you may even be inspired with some new ideas of your own. The prices on Inventive Parent are much lower than I  expected, assuming the quality is above average (which homemade items tend to be).  Inventive Parent is a family owned company who is currently remodeling their website, so please keep that in mind as you navigate.  I love their analogy of website remodeling to remodeling your kitchen while having a dinner party!

A great place to get ideas and inspiration if you are considering taking a great idea you have to market you’ll also find resources to help you along the way. You’ll find valuable resources to learn more about taking your idea from conception to a real, hold-it-in-your-hand, sell-it-for-real-money item. It’s not as difficult as some people think with all the online help available.

Here’s more great places for your in-house inventors:

TV Reality Shows:

Everyday Edisons

The New Inventors

Blogs:

Inventor Spot - EXCELLENT resource, hilarious blog!

http://inventors.about.com/b/

http://gadgetnation.net/inventors-blog/

http://www.mominventors.com/blog/ – Moms helping moms! You’ll love it.

Associations & Networks For Inventors:

United Inventor’s Association

Invent Net

Inventor’s Digest

Inventor Ed

For Children:

Invent Now! – lots of contests and games to encourage the inventor in your child

Invention Timeline Unit Study – Your kids will learn when things like paper, computers, microwaves and DVD’s,(and more) were invented.

Misc

From Invention to Innovation - a PDF from Pierce Law IP Mall-a little thick to get through, but gives you everything you need to know.

Hopefully, this will help you get started – or at least realize that you could actually take your idea from concept to market. Have you done anything like this? Any tips?

.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate comments!

The Beginner’s Guide To The Blogger’s Universe

I know, there is so much online about how to blog and grow your blog that it will make your head spin. That’s exactly why I just updated a 3-part series on how to make money blogging. One thing I decided when I started out online several years ago was if I ever figured it all out, I would help others do the same.

Why you can find endless information on tweaking and improving your blog but very little on the bottom-line basics of starting a profitable blog I’m not sure.  The reason I know this is recently I had two semi-computer-savvy people in the same day ask me how to start a blog. They said they started to research it, but found themselves more confused than ever.  If you are new to blogging and type in a search on how to start a blog, the results are more than overwhelming!

So, here are the basics of starting a blog.

One more thing-did you know that a blog is ideal as your first website? It’s easy to learn, no programming and the templates available look very professional. Blogs also will rise to the top of the search engines much faster than an optimized website due to all the marketing tools available just for blogs. Oh, you knew that. Then pass it on.

How To Make Money Blogging – Choose Your Niche (Part 1)

How To Make Money Blogging – Choose Your Platform (Part 2)

How To Make Money Blogging – Choose Your Niche (Part 3)

Anyone have any sage advice you’d like to share with those just getting started? What do you wish you knew when you started out?

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• 3 Ways To Test Your Business Idea
• A Free Way To Set Up Shop & Sell Your Products
• How To Make Money Blogging-Intro

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Top 10 Ways To Make Money Online

So many lists, so little time. The most asked question is “What can I do to make money online?” So many homeschoolers live in rural areas and find traditional home businesses difficult to start. The internet has really changed the game, but the rules are constantly changing. I found that ‘Answering Surveys’ as one of the most common listings in previous ‘Top 10 Ways to Make Money Online’ lists, but that is no longer the case. If you make a few cents with surveys, you’re doing good these days.

However, with a little training in the ways of online marketing, anyone willing to put in the time can make money online. However, we do recommend several tutorials because there is quite a bit to know to actually make money online. Those that say you can’t make money online have tried to do it by themselves…and, well, it’s like trying to pass your driving test with out looking at the book. Driving may be easy, but there’s just some facts you need to know or you run into trouble. Trouble that can cost you money.

Here’s our 2010 list:

1. Affiliate Marketing

I think a full 50% of the internet consists of affiliate marketers and people telling you how to do it. It’s super simple to do, super hard to make decent money at it. One of the best ways to make BIG money online, affiliate marketing is definitely a subject to take time to learn.Yes, take the time to learn. Affiliate marketing has become a skill that takes a great deal knowledge to do well. It’s no longer just throwing a few links up.

Now, the trick is finding legitimate material that gives you what you really need to know and we all know there is no lack of people wanting to teach you all about it. Read http://homeschoolent.com/2009/10/learn-affiliate-marketing-the-easy-way-before-christmas/ for some basic info that I don’t want to repeat here. There is a good ebook you can download for free from Site Build It-just know they have a motive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, although somewhat outdated, information, but they are intent on selling you their full service web building suite. It’s great for a newbie, but at over $300/year, it’s a little more than you’ll need after year one.

The ebook I used and have recommended for years to learn affiliate marketing from scratch is Rosiland Gardner’s “How I Made $436,737 In One Year – Super Affiliate Handbook”. Rosiland Gardner is one of the pioneers of affiliate marketing and is not offering you a quick buck online. This is “Affiliate Marketing 101″ that will get you started with everything you need to know to begin to make real money online.

If you are more advanced and want to take affiliate marketing to the next (highest) level is Jeremy Palmer’s Blueprint For Profitability. This course includes his flagship ebook, Quit Your Day Job and all the information he offered in his online 8 week course, The Black Ink Project. Jeremy is a pro and makes over one million a year with affiliate marketing and has put together a wealth of information for anyone that wants to learn advanced methods in affiliate marketing. One of the most honest and genuine online teachers, he doesn’t need the money, but just wants to pass on what he’s learned. The course is $197, but is well worth every penny and is comparable to courses priced $1,000.00 and more. It’s the college course of affiliate marketing.

2. Adsense

Google Adsense is one of the most talked about revenues online. While many of the stories may sound inflated, believe it when you hear that many websites pull in insane amounts of income from simply placing those little ads on any website. One of the most common strategies is to create multiple mini sites that are search engine optimized that make a modest amount from Adsense each. More websites, more money. This is something that isn’t quite as easy as it sounds, because Google strives to protect their search integrity by ‘punishing’ sites that are phony money makers. Offering valuable information on niche subjects, like “Poison Ivy Remedies” is what will do well. There is a multitude of little tricks and tips to make this work, and there are several ebooks willing to bare all. One of the better ones to learn Adsense from a standpoint that Google accepts… is called Fat Cat Blueprint. It offers alot of information that you may or may not use all of, but it could make a great family learning project! Use it with Edu-blogs, or educational websites you build with unit studies, or other ideas you may come up with. Integrating learning with profitable publishing will stay with them through out life!

We are also checking out another one that looks very promising, especially for homeschool families called Rapid Income. The benefits are you don’t need to know how to build a website, or many of the other ‘tech challenges’ that prevent families from starting out online. I’ll let you know what we think after we have a chance to review the course. If you know about it, please post a comment below or email us your opinion. It helps everyone! Thanks.

3. Ebay

You’ve heard so much about the money that can be made on Ebay, but if you’ve ever sold anything on Ebay, you know it’s not the easiest way to make a living. The competition is fierce, and newbies can get eaten alive. It costs money to list items, so if they don’t sell, you have lost that money. Do yourself a favor and take a little time to learn from other successful Ebay sellers. A few years ago I did extensive research on the best book available on making money on Ebay and found that eBay PowerSeller Secrets: Insider Tips from eBay’s Most Successful Sellers (2nd Edition) (v. 2) was your best choice-and still looks like it’s in the top 3. Marsha Collier has a great reputation as an Ebay educator and eBay Business All-in-One For Dummies looks like an excellent option, too. I haven’t read this one, but I can testify that Ebay PowerSeller Secrets is excellent and a staple in my business library (when someone isn’t borrowing it!).

4.  Write and sell an Ebook

It’s not hard to write and publish an ebook, but throwing another ebook into the informational product ocean could be a waste of time. No question it takes a bit of time and mind power to create your product, so you want to be sure that it’s something that will give you a return on your time. Do your research on what sells, and provide a genuine solution to a common problem and you’ll be on your way. Marketing your book will take as much, if not more, time and mind power if you do it right.

Basically, once you have written your (researched topic) ebook, convert it into a PDF. There are several free ones available online. PrimoPDF is the one I use and it’s completely free-not just a free trial like most of them. Then, signing up to be a Clickbank seller is your next step. It may cost $50, but there’s no where else you’ll get so much bang for your buck. Chances are if you offer a decent commission, you’ll get calls/emails the day it appears on Clickbank’s Marketplace from prospective re-sellers. You will also gain a new respect for Clickbank’s integrity in what they require from every ebook they agree to list.

The most popular and respected resource for those that would like a step by step tutorial on how to create and market an ebook quickly is How To Write and Publish Your Ebook in 7 Days. It’s only $29 and if you don’t find it useful, you can easily ask for your money back (within 60 days). You’ll make that back in one sale. (#1 tip: don’t underprice your ebook, remember, it’s perceived value!) There are many more tutorials for sale on writing ebooks, but this the best selling one, and for good reason. Reliable.

5. Online services

There are many things you could offer to others that work online. Do you know how to write a website, install a WordPress blog, or use Photoshop? Copywriting,  social marketing, virtual assistant services are just a few services you could offer.  Use 99 designs, Elance, etc to advertise what you can do, and join a few Yahoo groups that might want your services. It can be slow to get started, but be persistent, once your name is out there, you’ll have all the work you can do. There’s a big demand for online help.

6. Sell something

Sell your crafts on Etsy if you make something from scratch. If you manufacture a product or want to resell a product, of course Ebay is good, or you can put up a website and offer it with a ecommerce site. An ecommerce site basically enables you to take money online. A free version can be found on OS Commerce. If you only have a few items, Paypal for business will work beautifully. They take a commission, but it’s very reasonable. Do not use a free website service for this. Blue Host is a good choice because their customer support is outstanding. You’re going to need it.

7. Blogging

The perfect choice if you aren’t in a hurry to make money and want to start for free. Ideally, starting out with a self hosted WordPress blog so you don’t have to switch over when you start making money is best, but if money is super-tight, then start on WordPress.com. Blogger is another choice you can start for free, but WP is reported to be easier to learn. Just click on the links and set up your blog. The key is to offer information people need on a regular basis. There is much more to learn to make this a money making venture, but getting started NOW is most important. It takes time to get your name out, so be patient but diligent. Read our 5 part series on How to Get Started Blogging and our Huge List of Blogging Resources to get started.

If you are looking for a great online blogging course, we recommend the ever popular Blog Mastermind by Yaro Starak. This is highly regarded in the blogging community as the premium learning source for those that want to get serious about making money with their blog. It’s an excellent resource, read more about it here.

9. Writing

Even if you aren’t a professional writer, or very good at grammer, you can make money writing. The key is choosing hot topics and integrating keywords as you write. Hubpages is one of the hotspots for this, but get on it, because it’s getting overloaded as we speak (write?). Take a look at Hubpages, and you’ll see that the articles are short and to the point. They are search engine superstars, so traffic is no issue if you write on a topic that is searched on often. The way you make money is offering your Adsense account, and Hubpages splits the profit with you. One article won’t make you but a few dollars, so the ones that make decent money have many articles posted. Commit to writing 2-3 per day and see what happens! Other writing options can be found at Squidoo, Elance, Suite 101 and Demand Studios. Find good information on this topic at http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/

10. Sell Your Digital Photos Online

Deciding on what would make the cut on the top 10 list here, it was a toss up between selling your photos or starting an online forum. Now I know we could file these under selling something or Adsense, but we’ll let you figure out how to start an online forum and we’ll cue you in on selling your photos online. If you don’t think you are a good enough photographer to sell your photos, think again. Granted, you need to have some decent photos to offer, but the key making money here is in the gruntwork. Submitting many photos of subjects that people need for their websites, blogs or print ads and posting them diligently in all the right places is what it really takes. An excellent resource to learn the tricks of the trade is Sell Your Digital Photos Online. It’s 202 pages of the best information on making a career with your digital camera.

If you want to learn more about how to improve your photography skills, the absolute best place is Digital Photography School, a blog that has close to half of a million subscribers and is free for the reading. My daughter in law wants to be a professional photographer and has started a notebook printing out all the information she would like to study more.

Let us know if you have had experience with other ways to make money online. We’d love to hear!

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• How To Make Money Blogging-Intro
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Down Syndrome Didn’t Stop Poppin Joe’s Business Success!

Word has it that Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn is some of the best tasting kettle corn you’ll find, made with only the finest ingredients. In four flavors, it can be found at fairs, festivals, events, convenience stores, online, and even Walmart! You find all the places to buy this outstanding kettle corn by going to Poppin Joe’s website. However, what is most amazing about Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn is the young man who runs this this business (with a little help from Dad). Joe Steffy is a man in his mid 20′s with Down Syndrome and Autism.

Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn was officially launched in April of 2005 to provide Joe the means to support himself. Joe now has an excellent work ethic, has learned the value of hard work and most of all, has a feeling of accomplishment. His business is on track to make $100,000 a year by 2012, making $50,000 in 2008.

Joe Steffy has always had the loving support of family. His parents also knew that Joe could accomplish and do much more than the assessment his school district had given him, saying that he would never be able to work or live independently. Parents can usually see what their kids are really able to do and Ray and Janet Steffy were no exception. They knew that Joe loved to work, and on a trip to Alaska, they noticed kettle corn and thought it might work. His father worked closely with Dave Hammis, an an advocate for self-employment for people with disabilities in Middletown, Ohio, who trains business owners, government employees, and parents on how to make use of state and federal programs. They helped him write up a business plan and secure $25,000 in grants from programs like PASS ( Plan to Achieve Self-Support Program).

The first year Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn made $16,000, and business has grown every year. It’s hard work, but his parents have no regrets. Ray Steffy, in his late 60′s, is quoted:
“It’s been hard work, from the standpoint of physical work. But a parent with a child like Joe has a choice. You can either kick in and do this kind of thing, or you can sit and fret emotionally with the amount of energy, worrying about what’s going to happen to them.”

The rewards for the Steffys have been priceless. They see the deep satisfaction in their son when he make a local delivery and puts the payment in his pocket. His dad says when Joe walks back to the vehicle, he looks 3 inches taller than when he walked in.

Watch how they did it

You can watch a full online presentation of Joe and his dad explaining exactly how they went about starting Poppin Joe’s from the very beginning. Understanding what is needed to accomplish a task like this is very possible when taken one step at a time. Understanding exactly what tasks Joe needed to be able to do was a critical component, and you can see how that was determined here. You can also view the PDF version if you have trouble with the video. The information is valuable for anyone wanting to learn more about how to write a business plan and get a business started from scratch.

I really love this story, and would like to broadcast it everywhere. Attitudes towards those with disabilities have changed dramatically in the that last 20 years, where it was once believed that children with Down Syndrome would probably never walk or talk-let alone work a job or own a business.  Of course, it probably has nothing to do with the fact that we have a 17 year old with Down Syndrome that wants to have his own business someday, too!