I see that technology is advancing now so that the mobile phone will in future also be your credit card.
I suppose we should drop the word phone as the mobile is now much more than that.
Apparently Barclaycard has teemed up with mobile network Everything Everywhere to form a partnership to bring the new system into operation.
Everything Everywhere includes Orange and T-Mobile networks.
Initially there will be a cap on transactions but this is likely to change fairly quickly.
So it is likely in the very near future we will only have one article to carry with us which will do everything.
Will it print cash? Doubt it but then who will need cash?
I've put a new article on the new blog John Beaumont-Online Business Thoughts so have a browse if you are interested.
Joke for today:- I rang up the phone company to report a nuisance caller. "Not you again" they said.
On this day:- 28th January
In 1807 London was the first city in the world to be lit by gaslamps
In 1547 King Henry VIII died.
In 1725 Peter the Great of Russia died.
In 1956 Elvis Presley made his first TV appearance.
John F.Beaumont
Friday, 28 January 2011
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Choosing a web hosting company
So what should you look for when choosing a Web Hosting Company for your brand spanking new business? As after all there are a large number of companies that would welcome your business so it can be very confusing knowing which ones to approach.
If money is a problem then you may be tempted to go for an inexpensive or even a free company but this may not be such a good idea. As they say (not sure who “they” are) there is no such thing as a free lunch.
You will need to ask questions as to whether or not a “cheap” company might have problems with server downtimes or perhaps limitations in storage etc.
To get good service I am afraid you will have to pay for it. Typically your web host will charge a monthly service fee which can range between $30 to $50 plus. So allow for around $400/600 per annum for your web hosting.
Hey you are building a large organisation aren’t you? So let’s get the foundations correct at the start.
I suggest that there are three major things to look out for when selecting your Web Host Company:-
1) Are they financially stable? Whilst it may be possible to change your company at a later date this could involve a lot of problems which are better avoided. So choose a company that is going to be in business for the long haul. Check them out and do due diligence.
2) Check out their infrastructure. For example do they offer a multi-homed network powered by multiple bandwidth providers? Are any guarantees offered on their network availability or uptime?
3) What is their level of customer support. Would you get instant access to technicians in the event of a technical problem? What is the typical response time to answering enquiries/problems etc?
Whilst the above are probably the most important considerations other points to bear in mind are:-
• As your business grows can the web host provide all the new “bells & whistles” you might need to add? Think long term and plan ahead.
• Make sure that you check things like bandwidth capability so that if your traffic grows rapidly your customers will not have to wait to view information or download.
• A good web hosting company should provide you with good statistics such as reports on your traffic, which pages your potential customers are clicking onto the most etc.
So if you team up with a good Web Hosting Company from the outset you should be able to minimise any future potential problems thus enabling you to concentrate on building your business without unnecessary interruptions.
To Your Success!
John Beaumont
If money is a problem then you may be tempted to go for an inexpensive or even a free company but this may not be such a good idea. As they say (not sure who “they” are) there is no such thing as a free lunch.
You will need to ask questions as to whether or not a “cheap” company might have problems with server downtimes or perhaps limitations in storage etc.
To get good service I am afraid you will have to pay for it. Typically your web host will charge a monthly service fee which can range between $30 to $50 plus. So allow for around $400/600 per annum for your web hosting.
Hey you are building a large organisation aren’t you? So let’s get the foundations correct at the start.
I suggest that there are three major things to look out for when selecting your Web Host Company:-
1) Are they financially stable? Whilst it may be possible to change your company at a later date this could involve a lot of problems which are better avoided. So choose a company that is going to be in business for the long haul. Check them out and do due diligence.
2) Check out their infrastructure. For example do they offer a multi-homed network powered by multiple bandwidth providers? Are any guarantees offered on their network availability or uptime?
3) What is their level of customer support. Would you get instant access to technicians in the event of a technical problem? What is the typical response time to answering enquiries/problems etc?
Whilst the above are probably the most important considerations other points to bear in mind are:-
• As your business grows can the web host provide all the new “bells & whistles” you might need to add? Think long term and plan ahead.
• Make sure that you check things like bandwidth capability so that if your traffic grows rapidly your customers will not have to wait to view information or download.
• A good web hosting company should provide you with good statistics such as reports on your traffic, which pages your potential customers are clicking onto the most etc.
So if you team up with a good Web Hosting Company from the outset you should be able to minimise any future potential problems thus enabling you to concentrate on building your business without unnecessary interruptions.
To Your Success!
John Beaumont
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Is it really possible to make money with an internet business or is it just hype?
The Answer to that question is a resounding Yes,
But also a resounding no
As well as a resounding maybe!
Hmm maybe this isn’t as simple a question as it first appears.
During 2011 there will be some people who will make a little bit of money on the internet, a few who will make a absolute fortune and many who will unfortunately lose their shirts! Which category you will fall into will very much depends on your attitude and how serious you are in developing your BUSINESS.
Yep you have to develop a Business mentality. A obvious truth that many miss. You simply can’t afford to just play around and hop from one project to another as that just won’t work. But having such a Business mentality won’t guarantee you success. Suppose you decided instead to start your own painting & decorating business. You could chuck your job in, borrow a large stash of cash at a high rate of interest and just get going. However I suggest that a more prudent (what a lovely old fashioned word! You’ll find I use a lot of them) approach would to be to start gradually.
Instead of going flat out it might be better to start the business in your spare time whilst continuing in your full time employment. Once you were well established you could then consider going full time and telling your boss where he could stick your job. Something I’m sure like anyone whose ever working in a fulltime job has dreamed about.
What is the point of this narrative I hear you ask? With the decorating business however good you might be at the practical work there still would be other things to learn such as basic accountancy, local tax laws, building regulations etc. The same thing applies to an internet business. There is a lot to consider and learn. You may or may not have heard of autoresponders, ezines etc but even if you know the terminology would you even know how best to apply the technology?
Fortunately amongst all the noise and sharks out there in cyberspace (oh yes I was badly bitten by a shark when I first started out) there are some honest mentors who have absolute integrity. You just have to find them! Don’t worry I can point you in the right direction if you are interested. No guarantees of course but I can let you know the ones I have found who seem genuine.
Let us return to our decorating business analogy. Once you were established you could consider employing a competent plumber, qualified electrician etc but would you want to do that with all the hassle of employee legislation? You could instead outsource the work. The same applies to an internet business but in this case the world is your oyster. YOU don’t have to be an expert on all the technologies available. There are many people out there that can help you and relatively cheaply too especially in some countries with a lower cost of living. Your job is to be an internet MARKETER.
Advertising will be the life blood of your business and that should take most of your effort.
So yes you can make a good (even a stunning/ unbelievable) living with your own internet business but initially it will take either time and/or money to get started. There are a lot of ways to get established with little money. However these methods take a lot of time whereas if money is no object then a quicker start can be made with less time. Once you have established the right attitude and prepared for perseverance then a trade off between time and money will be necessary.
So my advice? Go for it. You only live once so you deserve to have a good life and a successful internet business is one of, no I will rephrase that, THE best way of achieving this for you and your loved ones.
To YOUR success
John Beaumont
But also a resounding no
As well as a resounding maybe!
Hmm maybe this isn’t as simple a question as it first appears.
During 2011 there will be some people who will make a little bit of money on the internet, a few who will make a absolute fortune and many who will unfortunately lose their shirts! Which category you will fall into will very much depends on your attitude and how serious you are in developing your BUSINESS.
Yep you have to develop a Business mentality. A obvious truth that many miss. You simply can’t afford to just play around and hop from one project to another as that just won’t work. But having such a Business mentality won’t guarantee you success. Suppose you decided instead to start your own painting & decorating business. You could chuck your job in, borrow a large stash of cash at a high rate of interest and just get going. However I suggest that a more prudent (what a lovely old fashioned word! You’ll find I use a lot of them) approach would to be to start gradually.
Instead of going flat out it might be better to start the business in your spare time whilst continuing in your full time employment. Once you were well established you could then consider going full time and telling your boss where he could stick your job. Something I’m sure like anyone whose ever working in a fulltime job has dreamed about.
What is the point of this narrative I hear you ask? With the decorating business however good you might be at the practical work there still would be other things to learn such as basic accountancy, local tax laws, building regulations etc. The same thing applies to an internet business. There is a lot to consider and learn. You may or may not have heard of autoresponders, ezines etc but even if you know the terminology would you even know how best to apply the technology?
Fortunately amongst all the noise and sharks out there in cyberspace (oh yes I was badly bitten by a shark when I first started out) there are some honest mentors who have absolute integrity. You just have to find them! Don’t worry I can point you in the right direction if you are interested. No guarantees of course but I can let you know the ones I have found who seem genuine.
Let us return to our decorating business analogy. Once you were established you could consider employing a competent plumber, qualified electrician etc but would you want to do that with all the hassle of employee legislation? You could instead outsource the work. The same applies to an internet business but in this case the world is your oyster. YOU don’t have to be an expert on all the technologies available. There are many people out there that can help you and relatively cheaply too especially in some countries with a lower cost of living. Your job is to be an internet MARKETER.
Advertising will be the life blood of your business and that should take most of your effort.
So yes you can make a good (even a stunning/ unbelievable) living with your own internet business but initially it will take either time and/or money to get started. There are a lot of ways to get established with little money. However these methods take a lot of time whereas if money is no object then a quicker start can be made with less time. Once you have established the right attitude and prepared for perseverance then a trade off between time and money will be necessary.
So my advice? Go for it. You only live once so you deserve to have a good life and a successful internet business is one of, no I will rephrase that, THE best way of achieving this for you and your loved ones.
To YOUR success
John Beaumont
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