You posted 11 days ago, and nobody's answered you until now. Does this give you a clue about your business idea?

Your idea raises questions. First, as Dr. Phil would say, How's that workin' for you? How do you know there's a need for what you want to do? Do you have lots of people asking for your help getting them shopping online? Or is this just an idea you had? My first advice would be, try it out on people you already know. Just tell them what you're trying to do. Don't try to work it into another conversation. Come right out with it. Like, "I have a business idea. Can I try it out on you?" If you really want to find out really quickly whether this idea might have takers, hang out near a mall. Without getting involved with mall security by being obnoxious --- maybe this would work better on a public shopping street -- ask people if they shop online. You're doing research for your new business. Have some simple business cards. Make it fast. If they say no, tell them you have a service to help people get started -- make the opening service cheap...say, twenty bucks... tell them you'll do it on the phone with them... Think your pitch through and try it out on a few friends.

Personally, I think you don't have much of a business idea. Millions of people are learning to shop online without your, or anybody else's, help. What do you really want to do? Help people get comfortable with computers? Think about it.

What you have to do is think outside the box: Where are people who are potential customers? Who are potential customers? What are the qualities potential customers must have?

One huge category is: Older people with money and reduced capacity for carrying packages. Where do you find them? In villages for older people - no, not graveyards, they don't shop! In over 55 developments. They have money. They need to buy food and other things. They are becoming sufficiently computer literate to use the machine.

Second category: People with money who are taking care of older people not living in their home but independantly. 48 year old "kids" might rather shop for mom with a click of a mouse than a trip from the house.

I will start you with these. Unless you want to pay me as a consultant, I'm not going to do all the work for you and I am joking. I am semi-retired and don't need to hustle for money any longer. It's free but you need to use the same logic to extend the list or I am doing the work so you can earn the money and my momma raised me to be a kind person, not a jackass.

Best of luck. Go for it. You can't make money sitting on your ass playing with TBD all day. Get out there and hustle ... but sit down first and make a plan. Hustle without plans is the same as plans without hustle. Like that old adage goes: wish in one hand and piss in the other and see which hand fills up fastest.

Lollipops and unicorns

Here is my 2 cents worth...

What is the pain that your prospective customer is going through? Define this as clearly as you can - use what I call "so what" after each statement until you boil it down to something that is crystal clear.

What's in it for the customer? (What do you offer that will take away the "pain"?)

If you can't answer this, there is no point in trying to network or promote your business since you have nothing to offer.

Remember..."If it was so easy, everyone would be doing it!"

Excellent comment. I call the same thing "selling to the need." Insurance people call it selling to the fear. Food people call it selling top the hunger. Pain is to be avoided as is fear, hunger. Need indiscates a hole in the person that needs filling. All stimulate the person to open to change. Then you need to define: From what - to what?

I've sold many products and services but your principle, applied in advance of the start point is always necessary.

Thanks for bringing it up. After many years we often forget what got us here.

Hi Michele,Ive recently started with a sytem that sounds like yours and I have to do alot of advertising to make any money so ,I know how hard it is to find the right sources,start with friends,you never know ,they may be more interested then you thought possible,everyone wants to make money right? Good luck!!

Starting your own business can and will be rough. You really need to have a passion and willingness to stick to it. The last corporate job I had I worked 5 yrs for a dominant male company and no promotions for women in the making. However I did recieve a lot of training in the secretary field and other avenues to make me a better administrator. Even those seminars or meetings that you just hate to go to have helped. Taking notes, planning, getting the full benefit of all the free things out there. I started moonlighting and planning.

Then one day I got fired. I put into action my company name, no one that I knew of had a Mobile secretary service. I sent for my license and called all my family and friends to spread the word. Made up my own business cards, distributed them to markets, offices, other places of employement for them to contact me for relief or additional help.

I can't say it was easy because it wasn't but I was determined to make it. At times I would even go to the temporary services to fill in the gaps of my company. But beware, owning your own company is costly. At the end of the year you need to pay double taxes. So plan wisely.

I started my business in 1997 and I it has evolved to bookkeeping, property manager, dictation and a world full of knowledge. But I love every minute of it. I help people of all circumstances and that in itself is a good feeling. If you are in it to get rich well that is where the richness comes in at - the satisfaction of helping others.