Traditional vs. Online Business - Which One Is Better?

Once you've decided to start a business, whether it's online or traditional. You need to know "why".

Since being your own boss will take extra grit and determination to keep it going, especiall when the going gets tough.
Cause guess what, it will!

Some possible reasons "why":

*Be your own boss
*Financial independence
*Work your own hours
*Get out of your current 9-5 job
*Spend more time with family and friends
*Make new friends in distant places

You'll have to decide for yourself. But you need to know "why", before you start your own business.

Period.

So let's look at some of the pro's and con's of a home business online vs a traditional brick and mortar business.

First and foremost is the overhead. Or what it costs to get started. Let's compare the two.
Other than a computer and an Internet connection(which most people have anyway), you can essentially
get started in your home business online for nothing, zilch, zip, nada.

Now take a traditional business. You're gonna need a store front or office space. Which means you're gonna
have to pay to lease, or buy, a building. Plus you have to have supplies, office equipment, and inventory.
Then of course you'll have to pay for services, such as:electricity, water, wastewater, trash pickup, insurance...

...and you're gonna need a computer with Internet connection.

Wait, don't we have one of those at home? Yea.

But you need another one, for your brick and mortar business.
One with some extra software for inventory control and such.

Whew.

We're talking many many thousands of dollars, simply to get started.

No biggie.

You find a banker that will set you up with a small business
loan. Cause you just don't trust this "Internet thingie".
Thus you go and start your own "good ole" traditional business.

That's great!

Entreprenuership is what America is founded on.

So you get everything up and running, fling open your doors...

and wait.

Next challenge.

Nobody knows you're open for business.
You're gonna have to advertise.

So you see this billboard down the street. And you figure you ought to put up an ad, telling all about your
new business. Great plan!

You check into how much it costs.
And it's upwards to $10,000, per month!

Whew.
That sure is a lot of money. Especially for a business just starting out. But that's what you gotta do.
You gotta get the word out about your new business. It's gonna take some time, money and effort to get
your business established.

How about your home business online? You got your web pages set up. And you realize that there's an awful
lot of web pages out there. So you're gonna have to advertise them as well.
No problem, there are lots of free resources where you can advertise at online, like classified ads, link swapping...
But these take up a lot of your time.

Along with extra income you're looking for, isn't extra free time what you're trying get more of as well.

Ain't it?

Ok. It's gotta cost something. Either your time is worth something, or you're gonna have to spend some money.

While it's good to be using these free advertising resources. You need to use them in conjunction with paid
advertising. I mean really, don't you want to get this thing going as soon as possible? So you need to budget in some money for advertising. But not $10,000 a month! More like $50-$100 a month. Maybe even a couple hundred dollars. That should get you up and running pretty quickly.

Now just like a traditional business, you're gonna need to keep working your home business. But you're not tied
down to the usual 60,70,80 hour weeks, like a traditional business. You are however, gonna have to be more disciplined with your work at home business, than a job. Nobody is gonna
be standing over your shoulder telling you what to do.
But if you don't work your business, it ain't gonna work. So you need to work it, at least a few hours every week.
Ideally some everyday. Still better than a traditional business.

There's one more "little" thing you're gonna need for your traditional business.

You're gonna need employees.

That means you'll have to try and find people that are as excited about working your new business as you are(ha ha). And if you do actually find good people to work for you, you're gonna have to give them excellent pay.
Probably even before you get paid.

Then there's those employess that won't show up on time, or have to leave early. If and when they show up at all.
Now you're gonna have to fire them, and start searching for more employees all over again.
Only to hope they will actually show up.
Sure don't sound like very much fun.

On the other hand.

Generally, with a home business online,
you have people working with you. People that are as excited
about starting a new business as you are. In fact, by helping them build their business. They will
eventually be helping you. Thus they will be able to get things out of their new business, that they're looking for too. In other words, it's a win-win situation for both of you.

By now you should see, I feel that starting a home business online is a lot more exciting. And definetely a more cost effective way to start a business.

But if you feel like starting a traditional business,
Go For It! We need you too. I wish you all the best,in whatever you decide to do.

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