If you want to start an internet business on a “Shoe String Budget” you NEED to have a strong passion for the business/industry you are getting into. If you have the passion, you will acquire knowledge, and eventually wisdom; becoming a leading voice in your industry. As an expert you rely on yourself to build & market so your expenses are less.
Below I have I go over my ideas for the cheapest, fastest, and cost effective way to start an internet business on a budget. This was in response to a forum post where the user had a passion for “horror movies / Halloween.”
Build an Online Directory: Buy http://www.esyndicat.com directory software and start listing websites that deal with horror movies, haunted attractions, Halloween, horror merchandise, etc…
WHY: (1) finding related websites doesn’t cost money (2) a good internet business not only knows their competition but is associated with them. (3) will be a great way to familiarize yourself with the entire “horror industry.”
Build a Blog/Content Management System (CMS): Use WordPress to save time & money. I would recommend using www.revolutiontheme.com for buying a template & installing the software (only $79). read about Blog Website Design
WHY: (1) Now that you are pretty familiar with the “horror industry” you will have found EXACTLY the type of internet business you are looking to start. But on a show string budget spending $1,000’s on development may not be the best move. Now you can do what Logan said, “create a site where you provide the movie planner, articles about horror movies.”
Figure it out from there: Dan Fernandez, WebBizIdeas CEO, famous quote is “We’ll figure it out.” I am a big planner but sometimes you need to run before you can crawl and you need to fail before you succeed. Building your idea this way will cost you less than $300. During the process you WILL find the perfect business / revenue model (don’t rely just on advertising or selling a product…be creative) for your “horror idea.