The Only 6 Steps You Need to Start an Online Business Right Now

Do you want to make money online? Are you ready to finally start your own online business? 

A buddy recently texted me that he wanted to register a business for a new idea that he had. I told him to focus on making a few bucks first.  You need to make money if you want a business.  I’m going to show you how you can finally start your own blog/online business so that you can eventually make some money in the process.

Keep on reading if you’re ready to start your own business with a few easy steps…

You’re going to start your own business, share your ideas with the world, and make some money on the side.

I’m not here to show you how to get rich quick or scam the system. I can show you how to make some extra cash and share your ideas with the world through a blog.

But first…

Do any of the following excuses sound familiar?

• “I can’t think of any good ideas.”
• “I don’t have the money to start an online business.”
• “I didn’t go to a prestigious college.”
• “I need to register my business first.”
• “I’m waiting to get more clients before I start my business.”

I started this blog in November of 2008 because I was bored and sick of feeling sorry for myself. I launched it with no experience and no clue as to what was going to happen next. Now over the last eight years, I’ve built this into an outlet where I can share my ideas, vent, and even make some money in the process.

I’ve helped thousands of readers over the years. I’ve been featured in the NY Times (and every other possible outlet), been flown in to speak across North America, and have written an Amazon best seller. I’m not saying this to brag. I want you to see what’s possible if you’re just willing to launch.

Check out our video on why you should start a blog…

Here are the 6 easy steps to start your own online business right now even if you’re broke and confused…

1. Stop stressing about the money.

Your first step to starting a business is to accept that you don’t need lots of money to get started. You don’t need money to make money. That saying is as outdated as your uncle’s dance moves.

You’re not getting into real estate and you’re not buying a sports franchise. You’re starting a simple online business. This is a one woman operation.

You need to just stop making excuses and get the ball rolling. It’s not that hard. I’m here to help you and make this process as easy as possible. Once you get the ball rolling and build some momentum, it’s going to be impossible to stop you.

Stop stressing about the money because all you need is a few hours a week and about the price of a cup of coffee per month for hosting to get started online because hosting won’t cost you more than $10/month. Think about the stupid stuff that you normally spend $10 on.

2. Pick a topic already.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to keep it spinning.

Here’s a newsflash: you do’t have to create the next Facebook to have a profitable online business.

You don’t need to think of a revolutionary topic. You only have to commit to one topic.

How do you pick a topic?

The best strategy for picking a topic that I’ve heard of is the 7 passions, 7 fears, and 7 problems model.

You write down 7 things that you’re passionate about, 7 things that you’re afraid of, and 7 problems that you have.

Then you narrow it down from there. With 21 ideas you’re bound to find something that you can move forward with. If not then you need to get out more and live a little.

You also have to niche it down as much as possible. Studenomics is personal finance for folks who don’t want to miss a party in their 20s. So clearly, the site isn’t for everyone and I’m cool with that. I want you to get as specific as possible. The world doesn’t need another general blog.

Think of something very specific. Solve a problem. Think of a name. Launch.

The good news is that there’s a target market for everything.

3. Buy your domain and go live.

Getting started is very simple. You can check out the tool below to see if the domain name that you want is available. Then you can sign up and get started.

You can start off with the most basic plan.

Then you fill in your info for your payment. Finally, you choose a password.

You’re set!

Everyday that you ponder about your idea is another day you’ve missed out on establishing yourself online. You need to stop chasing perfection and just get started. There’s no such thing as perfect. It’s all about learning on the job.

The thing is that this little investment will force you to take your new business seriously. You never know what can happen when you share your ideas with the world.

Use the tool below to see if your desired domain name is available.

I want you to go to Bluehost and sign up for your domain hosting. You can grab a few domain names for a few extra bucks. You can also use Siteground for your hosting needs.

4. Install WordPress software and download your free theme.

Once you’ve purchased a hosting plan, you need to download the software to run your blog on.

You just have to log in and WordPress is already setup for you.

Just choose any theme for now. You can easily edit this after.

In a funny story, when I first launched Studenomics, I thought that I had the coolest theme ever. I posted it in a few forums and they quickly pointed out that my theme was pathetic.

WordPress is simply the software that you use to run a blog. It allows you to publish articles and control your blog without any technical expertise.

Your theme is just the appearance of your blog.

Once you start making money, you can pay for a better design. You can also use Fiverr to get a decent logo for $5. I started off with free. As the blog made money, I invested the money into a decent design and logo.

Now when you want to log in to write posts and go on your blog all you have to do is type in yournewblogname.com/wp-admin and put in your information.

Your theme is up and you can start playing around.

This is where the fun begins.

Now you know where to go to work on your new website.

There’s literally a theme for every kind of genre and specific taste. Once you get a little more into it and people are actually reading your site (real people, not your parents) you can upgrade to your theme, hire a designer, and do all of that fancy stuff.

5. Create a few key pages and posts that will attract readers.

Now it’s time to start writing or creating content (you can post links to your YouTube videos if you hate writing long articles).

This should be the toughest part of all because you need to sit down and create quality content for the world. The world has enough boring out there. You have to write stuff that sticks out. You have to find a way to be unique. You have to find a way to solve problems without giving the same boring advice as everyone else (work hard, be yourself, bla bla bla).

You need to create a few basic pages and posts before you can attempt to bring anyone over to your blog. If you’ve already created content on other platforms (YouTube, Instagram, etc.) then you can also easily share it on your blog posts.

What are a few important pages that you need to setup?

• A contact page. Keep it simple. You can download a contact page plugin or you can just list your email.
• “About me” section. Tell everyone who the hell you are and how you can help THEM. Share everything remotely interesting about your personality that you have going on.

You can eventually worry about the privacy policy and a resources page. For now you just need those two pages. You want people to be able to contact you and you them to know what you’re all about.

What are a few posts that you should get going?

• A pillar piece. This post that you’re reading is a pillar piece. This is a huge article that others want to link to and people want to spread the word about. Write something that you can be proud of sharing. You should try to explain something, share a controversial opinion, introduce a new idea to the world, or write something that you would want to share with a friend.
• Basic introductory posts. It’s important that you introduce the basics and get into the habit of posting updates. I would do a “start here” page where you talk about the goal of the blog and what readers can expect. I would then introduce YOUR UNIQUE view to the world. Please try to have a unique view. You need a captivating story to capture interest. How are you going to capture the interest of the people?

Once you have these pages and posts setup you can then start to promote your blog by commenting on other sites, offering to guest post, or whatever advertising strategy you plan on using.

After a few weeks or so you’ll likely be in the habit of posting regularly and interacting in your field.

If you realize that your first idea sucks, move on to the next one. It’s that easy. Starting is the toughest part. Executing trumps all theory. The world has enough great ideas. The world needs more closers.

You’ve launched something to the world.

6. Test your ideas out and try to get paid.

How does a blog make money?

You were likely wondering about this while reading the whole article. Let’s jump into different ways you can make money with a blog:

1. Selling advertising space. Advertisers will contact you to buy advertising. You then negotiate a price that you can both agree on.
2. Promoting your own products. You can create your own eBook, course, offer coaching or any other product that applies to your niche. You then promote and sell this product for profit to your audience.
3. Affiliate marketing (promoting products you love for a commission). Are there products that you use? You can promote them for money.

It’s your turn to start a blog, share your ideas with the world, and make some money.

“Successful people learn from failure, but the lesson they learn is a different one. They don’t learn that they shouldn’t have tried in the first place, and they don’t learn that they are always right and the world is wrong and they don’t learn that they are losers. They learn that the tactics they used didn’t work or that the person they used them on didn’t respond.” – Seth Godin

Bonus: My offer to you.

If you absolutely don’t feel like going through this process alone, then you can send me an email to md @ studenomics.com and I can help you get started. The point is that there’s no more excuses allowed. You’re going to start a business right now. Of course, I’ll use you as a case study when you become successful.

What are you going to do?

I gave you the only 6 steps that you need for starting a business right now. You can feel motivated for five minutes and do nothing. On the other hand, you can follow the tips in here to actually get started with your new online business with practically no money involved. If you’re serious about starting a business to see if you have what it takes you need to sign up for your domain and get the ball rolling.

Total money involved: about $3.96/month or so depending on the special that you grab.

Total time invested: few hours to think of a topic and 30 minutes to get everything setup. Then as much or as little time as you wish going forward.

I’ve used both Bluehost and Siteground. Bluehost is a good place to start for most new bloggers. Siteground has really good deals right now. You can’t go wrong with either to get started.