buy on the Net.

Control: Online transactions have been known to give consumers control over the purchase decision process. For instance, you may decide to either click on the “yes, sign me on” tab on a pop up window, or the “No, thanks” option and continue with your shopping on the Net. Consumers, like never before, can make purchase decisions on their own terms and cond

So, you are thinking of building your own online business? The idea of running your own business on the Net is a right decision. It will bring you a sense of independence and accomplishment and you will be the boss. Now, you can experience that pride of ownership you have always craved. But you need to understand what it takes to be an online entrepreneur (a netpreneur, that is) and how different it is from doing business offline, even though there are fundamental similarities between the two.

*What Makes Online Business tick? *

Consumers often buy on the Internet for four reasons, which have come to be known as the 4Cs:

Convenience: You can visit a website and order from among thousands of displayed products without going through the hassles of traffic or standing in store checkout lines.

Choice: Consumers can avail themselves of numerous websites for almost any product or service, compare prices and quality levels and pick the right choice.

Customization: Do you remember that e-mail from a book club (to which you subscribed only a few days ago) began with “Hi, your first name”? Online marketers often target and customize their messages, such that customization of marketing replaces anonymous transactions. Such customization has the potential of growing into more interactive relationships with consumers, which are built over time. Beyond this, consumers also sometimes have the opportunity to customize products, services and experiences for themselves, when they buy on the Net.

Control: Online transactions have been known to give consumers control over the purchase decision process. For instance, you may decide to either click on the “yes, sign me on” tab on a pop up window, or the “No, thanks” option and continue with your shopping on the Net. Consumers, like never before, can make purchase decisions on their own terms and condi

s) and how different it is from doing business offline, even though there are fundamental similarities between the two.

*What Makes Online Business tick? *

Consumers often buy on the Internet for four reasons, which have come to be known as the 4Cs:

Convenience: You can visit a website and order from among thousands of displayed products without going through the hassles of traffic or standing in store checkout lines.

Choice: Consumers can avail themselves of numerous websites for almost any product or service, compare prices and quality levels and pick the right choice.

Customization: Do you remember that e-mail from a book club (to which you subscribed only a few days ago) began with “Hi, your first name”? Online marketers often target and customize their messages, such that customization of marketing replaces anonymous transactions. Such customization has the potential of growing into more interactive relationships with consumers, which are built over time. Beyond this, consumers also sometimes have the opportunity to customize products, services and experiences for themselves, when they buy on the Net.

Control: Online transactions have been known to give consumers control over the purchase decision process. For instance, you may decide to either click on the “yes, sign me on” tab on a pop up window, or the “No, thanks” option and continue with your shopping on the Net. Consumers, like never before, can make purchase decisions on their own terms and cond

the hassles of traffic or standing in store checkout lines.

Choice: Consumers can avail themselves of numerous websites for almost any product or service, compare prices and quality levels and pick the right choice.

Customization: Do you remember that e-mail from a book club (to which you subscribed only a few days ago) began with “Hi, your first name”? Online marketers often target and customize their messages, such that customization of marketing replaces anonymous transactions. Such customization has the potential of growing into more interactive relationships with consumers, which are built over time. Beyond this, consumers also sometimes have the opportunity to customize products, services and experiences for themselves, when they buy on the Net.

Control: Online transactions have been known to give consumers control over the purchase decision process. For instance, you may decide to either click on the “yes, sign me on” tab on a pop up window, or the “No, thanks” option and continue with your shopping on the Net. Consumers, like never before, can make purchase decisions on their own terms and cond

eters often target and customize their messages, such that customization of marketing replaces anonymous transactions. Such customization has the potential of growing into more interactive relationships with consumers, which are built over time. Beyond this, consumers also sometimes have the opportunity to customize products, services and experiences for themselves, when they buy on the Net.

Control: Online transactions have been known to give consumers control over the purchase decision process. For instance, you may decide to either click on the “yes, sign me on” tab on a pop up window, or the “No, thanks” option and continue with your shopping on the Net. Consumers, like never before, can make purchase decisions on their own terms and cond

buy on the Net.

Control: Online transactions have been known to give consumers control over the purchase decision process. For instance, you may decide to either click on the “yes, sign me on” tab on a pop up window, or the “No, thanks” option and continue with your shopping on the Net. Consumers, like never before, can make purchase decisions on their own terms and conditions.

Add these to the fact that the Internet is all about millions of computers wired to one another across the world with people hunched up in front of monitors, trying to find information or buy something they need most at that time and you have one of the biggest markets ever imagined, at your feet. Again, when you consider the opportunity of receiving instant payment for your products or services on the Net, you may need to ask why you never considered setting up your own online business, all this while. But wait a minute…

*You need a Roadmap*

Yes. After all, you wouldn’t travel to a city the first time, without preparing yourself with a map to guide you through. Putting a business plan together for your new online venture is not only important, but also necessary.

Not necessarily an expansive hundred page treatise that looks like the “7 Immutable Laws of Evolution”, your business plan should be brief, easy to understand and flexible enough to adapt on a day-to-day basis, to the changing culture of the internet.

Remember Intel’s first business plan was on one page and Sun MicroSystems’ was just three pages. Your business plan should basically answer the following questions:

Where Am I now? This will include some background on your saleable talent, product or service (e.g. if you know a lot about public speaking, your best bet may be to establish an online business that teaches people, including business executives, how to make effective public speeche