Why Now Is The Time To Start An Online Business

I remember it clearly. In the commercial, there was a young girl dressed in a black dress with a matching, larger-than-necessary black beret. She ran, jumped, and played around in the desert in between making proclamations like,“It will not go from here to there. There will be no more there. We will all only be here.” 

When I saw the commercial I thought, “What in the world is this desert girl talking about.”

It turns out that the girl was Anna Paquin, and she was describing the internet or the information superhighway as it was called back then.

The Information Super Highway

To be clear, the internet is the single greatest invention of my lifetime, and it might possibly be the single greatest communication tool ever.

The web is the reason I was able to live stream Obama’s inauguration for my 80+year-old great aunt who couldn’t believe that we elected a black president.  The internet is the reason I can collaborate with friends, colleagues, and contractors all over the world without paying an astronomical phone bill every month. The information superhighway also is the reason I can laugh every day at hilarious memes and know that AEST and EST are not the same time zones.

It’s truly an incredible resource.  

As technology progresses and we come closer and closer to fulfilling young Anna’s prophecy that  “we will all only be here,” I wonder why more people aren’t starting an online business.

There has never been a better tool to help a business owner discover a market for her product or service.  You don’t even have to be the biggest or most established brand to turn a profit. You can be a business of one and still make an impact in the marketplace.

I know there are skeptics among us. So as proof that the internet is on its way to ensuring that there will be no “there,” here are the top 3 reasons you should start an online business today.

The cost of entry is low

Before you were able to access Amazon on your phone and have drones deliver your packages to you the same day, starting a business was an expensive undertaking. You needed to secure a space, outfit that location with decor, hire employees, pay for inventory, and advertise your business through cold calls, mailings, and newspaper or tv ads.  These costs add up quickly. With the internet, the necessary costs of the past are optional at best. To start an online business, all you need is a webpage or social media account, a way to accept payment, and a product or service, and you’re in business. You can be up and running in a week.

Now, of course, I’m generalizing. However, my point remains the same.  Thanks to the internet, you can start a business for the cost of a pair of shoes and make more money than you ever imagine.

There are no barriers to reaching your market

When I first went natural 10 years ago, there were very few products for my hair in mainstream stores. Although there are millions of curly haired women in the United States, the buyers and gatekeepers at mainstream stores weren’t creating or buying hair care product for customers like me.  

So I went online.  Sure enough, there were women providing education, tips, and products to meet my haircare needs. These women sold their curly hair essentials directly from their Youtube channels or websites, and ultimately created a multi-million dollar industry.

Before the internet, these curly hair entrepreneurs would not have had that experience.  To get their products on the shelves at mainstream retailers, the women would have had to convince store owners that their products would sell and face tons of rejection. However, with the internet, these entrepreneurs were able to speak directly to the customers they knew were out there for free and make the sale.

Marketing and sales Are human and story driven which benefits you

Back in the day, when a big box retailer rolled into town, it would mean lights out for the local business in that industry.  If you were a baker, and Hostess landed on your street, bye bye oven and customers.

These retailers were able to take over your business because they had larger advertising budgets and lower prices.  They could flood the television and radio with ads letting everyone know they were in town and people would come running.  

Today, people pay for subscription tv services to avoid ads. They make their buying decisions based on peer reviews and their feelings for a company based on their internet presence. Although there is still competition on price, many people are willing to take a chance on smaller retailers and pay more for a product or service if it feels like that product is the best option for their particular needs and desires.  

That’s the power of Story Driven Marketing.  If you can connect your services to your customer through a compelling story and deliver an excellent product, you win. And the internet gives you multiple ways (most of which are free) to make that story known and heard to everyone.  

So those are my top 3 reasons why it’s time for you to start an online business. I don’t think there will ever be a free communication resource with as much power to drive business as the internet, and while it’s virtually free, now is the time for you to jump on board.

Do you have an idea for an online business that you’ve always wanted to try?  Share your online business dreams in the comments below.