B250 Web Business Creation Blog - Joseph Steadman

This week we studied the correct way to set up a business and focused on licensing and taxes. While starting a business it is great to make money, but we must be aware that to operate a business legally there are certain requirements imposed which have been deemed necessary from state to state. These requirements are all different from state to state so checking on the requirements is essential before setting up shop. The licensing requirements for shop owners who are the end reseller and sell physical products are under much heavier licensing and taxation requirements then those who focus on services. The industries that sell liquor, tobacco, and other inelastic products seem to get hit the hardest because people are addicted to these products and is variably called a sin tax in many circles. The best thing to do if you are unsure about these requirements is to visit the states department of commerce website which will help you understand the state requirement.

This week’s key takeaways from class centered around new site trends and the modern concepts being presented in the industry. 2017 appeared to be a transitioning point for “less is more” which include a smaller, more compact main navigation and a more detailed secondary level if needed. The other site elements which are presented as more authentic had to do with the site images. Our culture is maturing into a "what matters most society", and finally catching on to the real people aspect of life instead of the busy business focus which has been a theme for many years. I am 44 this year, been in website design for 22 years, so maybe the rest of the industry is getting old like me.   We know what we want by this age so we don’t have to prove ourselves like we did in our 30’s. http://www.smartinsights.com/user-experience/essential-2017-web-design-trends/ The other piece that was a great read and would gladly share with my business customers was the article on the beginner’s...

The Web Business Decision Matrix spreadsheet tool was this week’s business spotlight which helped discover the business needs and trending keywords using the Google Analytics Keyword Planner. Having to chose 20 different business ideas and research the keywords really was a difficult process and taught me just how diverse and random searches are for different products. This trend analysis is a great way to start any business because it gives you background and insight on the markets before you do any work. The next few tabs which help uncover the suppliers, time, and investment was also beneficial because it allowed me to really think through different business models and how they are organized. Affiliate based business really seem attractive from the start but when you start uncovering how limited they are compared to the others you really limit your profit potential. Unless you are a major radio personality and have a platform to advertise, the affiliate is really going to be a diffi...

The how to quantify and compare spreadsheet examples where extremely helpful this week as we evaluated new products and determined which wholesaler would be a good fit for our web business. I especially enjoyed looking at new wholesalers and found the Alibaba.com site even more interesting then Amazon.com when in comes to products and pricing. I even showed this site to a customer I have been working with who is the limousine business and was looking for some good marking giveaways. The drop ship and affiliate marketing were also a good lesson which gave me some new insight about best practices and didn’t realize there where so many companies out there that would drip ship and take care of the customer. I knew that a few could do it but not as many as that are out there now. This was really a productive week and taught me a lot about the click and mortar business. I have been doing business coaching and it always seems like the right topic at the right time comes up which is the perfec...

The google Adwords, keywords search was one of the most meaningful lessons this week because it taught me how to expose the traffic patterns and competitive nature of information on the internet. I am constantly trying to research key elements of the internet and needed to learn the tools which modern businesses require to make decisions about marketing. In addition to the search tool, the article found at digitalenterprise ( http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Brokerage) felt very relevant to me because it helped me to see all the different kinds of business models and how they interact with their customers. Many times, just knowing what to call it opens the doors to specific information that will relevant to that specific business model. The article we read on brainstorming business ideas found at bizthoughts (http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org/brainstorming-business-ideas.html) was very thought provoking for me. The Market-First method seemed like the most satisfying bec...