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After many months of worrying, searching, and procrastinating you finally decide to take the plunge. Are you ready for this?

Here's what I found you absolutely need to start and run a successful small business on the Web.

Deceptively Simple

If you are reading this, you can obviously navigate on the Web. You also have a more than passing interest for the subject clearly stated in the title of this article.

Furthermore, I would be willing to bet that you can already use your personal computer to create written documents, such as emails, or a more elaborate document, such as your personal resume (curriculum vitae).

You may even be using your computer to do your budget, for all I know.

Intuitively, you know you will need a Web site to market your Web business. You believe that you should know something about how to build a Web site that will serve the purposes of the small business you are planning to start.

This is where most people hesitate, or even drop the idea of a business on the Web. They think they need to hire expensive web site creators, and Web designers, to do what they think they cannot achieve.

Some forge on blindly and fall for the many 'easy solutions' that are constantly being offered on the Web. 'Try our easy to use ' free ' templates, and just fill in the blanks. Presto! You have a Web site! Need content? No problem! Just subscribe to our free articles ' blah'blah'blah'.

Yeah! Sure! But, will your Web site be a suitable marketing instrument for your business? Will it be an extension of yourself? Will it represent you, or someone else's efforts?

How are you going to be able to tell? You know (deep down) that you ignore practically everything about how to use the Web technologies to

' Validate your business idea,
' Research the best way to exploit it to it's maximum potential,
' And ensure the success of your small business.

The 'get rich quick, it's easy' (GRQ) crowd remain conspicuously silent on these vital issues!

Keep your eyes and critical mind open!

Be on the constant lookout for openly revealed answers that ring true and logical to you. Stay away from 'secret' recipes. Use your own judgment to determine where the true solution lies. You have more common sense than you think. Don't be afraid to use it! It's in you best interest to exercise due diligence.

Marketing

You need to know the basic marketing techniques and strategies for the Web. They are very different from the ones you would successfully use on 'land'! Seek competent advice on this.

Remember! The most reliable advice need not be the most expensive!

Look for reputable, knowledgeable people who have a vested interest in your success. They will want you to succeed because your success will be contributing to their success. These experts work for themselves as well as for you. Therefore, they do not charge extra for the privilege of contributing to your endeavor, and making your efforts worthwhile. It will be worth their while too, in the long run. They know it. So should you.

Guarantees?

Look for the guarantee behind the 'GRQ' schemes. You will find none, of course.

If you don't believe you need a guarantee, think again! You are new to this business of ' starting a Web business. You a running the risk of failing, without appropriate and reliable help and support. You stand to lose your desire, perhaps forever! That would be a sorry mistake to make.

Keep searching until you find a solution provider that will openly 'guarantee results, if you follow their plan ' or your money back!'. You will know, then, that you will have found a solution worth looking into seriously.

You just have to use your brain, common sense, and your motivation to keep looking further, below the surface (apparently easy solutions).

Work

You will have to work at it. That should not come as a surprise. You did not really believe that it's possible to build a successful business without you contributing some level of effort, did you?

Just make sure your efforts are well supported by reliable expert guidance, and everything will turn out just fine ' given time, and your active participation, of course! You don't have to become one the many misguided start-ups that fail miserably, because they failed to do their homework!

You will have to be strong to resist the many temptations of promised 'easy way outs'! Because, that's all they are. An easy way out of business!

Before you know it, time will have flashed by, and you will end up with a truly viable business. Your determined efforts will be rewarded, in more ways than one.

Drive

If you read somewhere that it takes passion to build a business, be it on the Web or elsewhere, believe it!

When you go to bed at night, and can't wait to get up in the morning to run your business, that's when you are well on your way toward a rewarding outcome.

Money?

You are considering a business on the Web. It does not require much money to start one. You will not be buying an existing one, nor will you be buying into one.

You will be building your Web business from scratch. It can even be done 'on a shoestring', if all your will be offering your clientele is your knowledge, your know-how, or your services. You are already warehousing that in your brain, for free!

You already have a computer, and an internet connection. No extra expenses there.

Most people will think, at this stage, that 'all they need next' is a Web host for their business Web site. Don't make the same mistake!

You will need more than a Web hosting company. As I explained above, you will need the company of Web marketing experts to guide you through the first critical steps toward building a successful Web business, not just a Web site!

A few (rare) Web hosting firms will provide all the 'hand holding help' you will need ' as part of the basic (not extra) services you will be paying for. They do it because they want to keep your business.

They want to be able to show you off as yet another success story ' to which they dutifully, and respectfully contributed.

My recommendation

Keep looking. Keep your eyes open for sharks. Keep a critical mind on full alert to distinguish between 'fools gold' and the real stuff. Keep believing in your idea. Keep working at it. Above all, keep it real.

Keep your efforts honest. Do not try to fool yourself. You will be rewarded ' in spades!

Eventually, you will realize that you had what it takes, after all.