::: The Official Website of Silke Endress, Lifestyle of the Lady CEO, International Professional Women's Magazine :::

A classic car enthusiastic might start an
e-business that brings together buyers and
sellers of spare parts for a particular type of
car. A collector of old bottles might discover
through online research that there are lot of
people who would flock to a Web site that
sells pieces gathered at estate sales.

Once entrepreneurs come up with their
idea, the next step is to start building the
business. "Before you can sell anything,
you'll need to have several services in
place," says Fox.

"You need a professional-looking Web site, a
method for collecting and managing e-mail
addresses and a publishing program that will
allow you to send out e-newsletters to
customers and potential customers."
Depending on whether the business is
ad-based or an e-commerce venture,
entrepreneurs will need either a shopping
cart or a free account with an advertising
placement service like Google's Adsense.
And Fox points out, "This can all be done
inexpensively. In fact, much of this can be
found online with no upfront cost."

Marketing the site is also very important. "A
good place to start is by exchanging links
and banners with other Web sites if there
isn't a large marketing budget," says Fox.

"Getting a URL listed on both Google and
Yahoo so potential customers can find the
business is key, and can be done for free."
Another good marketing strategy is
pay-per-performance keyword advertising.
"This allows entrepreneurs to advertise
worldwide, but they only pay when a person
clicks to visit their website," say Fox.

Once an e-business is established, the expenses associated with running it can be almost
non existent. Fox estimates operating expenses are just $25 per month. "You just have to
pay for Internet access, a phone line, and Web site maintenance," he says. "No rent,
signage, insurance, furnishings, or postage expenses."

Perhaps the biggest draw to starting an online business is that it allows people to take
control of their life. "Anyone can start an online business part-time," says Fox. "It can
supplement a person's regular income and may allow them to quit their job and be their
own boss. And that's very appealing to many people," he adds.

Starting up an e-business is not without challenges, and Fox maintains a blog at
www.ScottFox.com and www.ScottFoxblog.com, where entrepreneurs can turn for
answers when they get stuck. "I try to post as many questions and answers as I can
daily," says Fox.

There have been a lot of warning signs
lately that our nation is headed towards
a recession. The stock market is down,
unemployment is up, and the real
estate market is in a slump. Historically,
in times like these many retail
businesses struggle because consumers
cut back on unnecessary spending. For
people worried about money because of
the recession, now is a good time to
take control of their financial future by
starting a low risk online business
according to Scott Fox, author of
"Internet Riches" published by AMACOM.

"Unlike brick-and-mortar businesses
that have high startup costs to worry
about, Internet businesses can be
started on a shoestring budget when
times are tough, and some online
businesses can even be started for
free," says Fox. "This can create new
income streams for the entrepreneur on
the side or part-time, and depending on
the business, once it's up and running
can cost very little to maintain the
business."

The most important advice Fox offers
business owners-to-be is to start up a
company they can be passionate
about. "Most successful business ideas
are simple and grow out of the
entrepreneur's personal experiences,"
says Fox. "The key to finding the right
new business is to combine a person's
skills, interests, and hobbies to target
the right group of customers with
in-demand products and services that
will help them solve their problems in a
cost-effective manner."