While many people think creating a website is difficult and requires special skills or training, tools now available on the Internet have made it simple to accomplish. Gone are the days when you need to have technical expertise or pay a fortune for a custom website design. There are three basic steps you’ll need to go through to get your website up and running:

1. 1.      Get your domain name.

A domain name is your virtual address on the Internet. It is what your customers will use to search for you and find you online.

Generate a list of possibilities

Start generating a list of possible domain names that meet the following criteria:

• Ends in a .com (There are some exceptions, but it is easiest to rank a .com address on search engines).
• Catchy or relevant to your products/services
• Short and can be easily remembered
• Uses key words you would use to search for your service, blog, or products
• Doesn’t use numbers. (The only exception would be if your brand name included a number).
• Doesn’t use dashes

Check for Availability

Because many domain names have already been purchased, it is important to check the availability of your domain name. There are many online tools that can help with this, but Network Solutions’ WhoIs index is one of the best tools used to check for domain availability. Type your idea for a domain name into the search box and click search. The index will let you know if the domain is registered, and it will suggest other options that are similar to the domain you’re looking into. This may also help generate new ideas for your domain name.

Register the Domain Name

To get your domain name, you will need to register with a domain registrar. There are several domain registrars to choose from, the most popular of which are Namecheap, GoDaddy, Register.com and Network Solutions. Registering your domain name gives you the license to use the name for the specific period you pay for. Annual fees from different registrars range from as low as $5 to as much as $30. Typically, the domain suffix also plays a part on the rates because certain suffixes (.com, .org, .net) are preferred over others as they generally rank better in search engines.  After you’ve gone through the process of registering and purchasing your domain name, it can be ready for use within 24 hours or less.

1. 2.      Set up web hosting.

With a domain name ready, you then need to set it up with a web host. The web host stores the actual files that make up your website, making your website available on the internet. To select your web host, you should consider the following questions as you evaluate a hosting company?

1. What is the monthly hosting fee?
2. Is phone or live chat customer support available? What are the hours?
3. How many email addresses come with the hosting?
4. Is it easy to install WordPress on the server?
5. Are hosting fees reduced if I also register my domain name with the same company?

Companies to choose from include GoDaddy, iPage, Bluehost, Hostmonster, Hostgator, and many more.  Work with the customer support at your new web host to link your domain name to your hosting account.

1. 3.      Create your blog or site using WordPress.

WordPress is a free blogging platform and content management system you can use to create your website. No need to code or create an intricate layout or web design. With WordPress you can easily use templates and tools to setup content and make your website look professional.

Many webhosts have a “one-click install” for WordPress available from your hosting control panel or dashboard. Work with your hosting customer support to install a copy of WordPress onto your hosting.

Once WordPress(WP) is installed, editing or updating content is easy. Everything will be found in your WP Dashboard.  Choose the features you need, add plug-ins, arrange and rearrange widgets and many more to your heart’s content. WordPress.org is full of information and forums to help you create a unique website or blog that fits your business or personality.

Once your site is up and you’ve got a theme you like, start adding content. Editing a page in WordPress is a lot like creating a document in Word. For help with using WordPress, see the articles on the wordpress codex that talk about wordpress features, getting started with logging in etc. If you’re creating a blog, make sure you take advantage of the different monetization options, so you can start making money while sharing your ideas!

Why is that the case? I think it is because even though marketing gurus will tell you universal, unlimited choices is better for the consumer, the consumer really doesn’t want unlimited, universal choices.  The human brain craves familiarity (so much so that people thought they had found patterns in their shuffled playlists) and will want to return to something it has seen before and likes.  Sure, we like change and things that are new, but familiarity makes both of those manageable.  In other words, once a consumer has found a place that meets his needs, he will come back.  This gives you a leg up on the competition and allows you to make the vastness of the internet work for you, instead of against you.

It’s easier to actually see how this works, than to describe it. So, dispensing for just a moment with my normal blogging, let me direct you away my blog to give you an example.  Let’s go to:  http://www.uscity.net/indexsmall.html, now, if you go to uscity.net you’ll notice that they have updated the site, which is great, but to give you a better example, I’ll take you to the classic view so you can get a better idea of what I’m talking about.  At the top, underneath the title of the page, you will see the description, “Internet Business Directory” and in the main area of the page, just above the map, you will see the description “National Web Site Link Directory.” Granted, these are both very vague, but I’m willing to bet that is intentional, because if it were more specific, the site would be very limited in its scope.   But this site intends to give you everything.  In essence, whatever and wherever you’re looking for something, chances are that you will find it on this site. (Just take a look at the bottom of the page, over 1.5 million links are listed!).

Let’s take a quick test drive.  Type the word ‘nutcrackers’ in the search bar on the upper right hand side of the page.  Hit enter, and take a look at the results.  In seconds you are given a list of state specific directories which contain lists of sites with the word ‘nutcracker’ in it.  You can repeat this with any term you want to search.  If you were to make it your home page, both you and US City would win.  You would be getting directed to the right directory, and US City would be getting another confirmed and committed website to be a part of its searching.

The consumer will benefit from the site if it does its job, and then the site will benefit from more and more traffic.  When that happens the site can bargain well with companies to get their pages linked to, indexed, and receive lots of traffic.  It’s a great business model for US City, and the lessons from it are clear.  If you can get people to consistently return to your website by providing the answers to their questions, or by reliably giving them what they are looking for, which should be relatively easy, then your online business will be successful and you can continue working from home.

As you might expect, however, being funny is much harder to do online than it is in person. Think about it, when you are telling a joke to a friend, she will gives you all sorts of cues and other bits of feedback for you to pick up on. (So why is it so much harder when dating?)  It makes it much easier to change your humor to fit the situation.  But when you‘re online, you don’t have that luxury because it is one-sided.  Even with that obstacle, a vast majority of the commercials online, in print, on TV, or on the radio try to use humor and it hardly ever comes off well.  (Most of the time things just come off being awkward or creepy).

You might wonder why the marketers who try to use humor keep trying.  The answer is simple, the potential rewards from using humor are huge.  When humor works well, the ad garners positive attention, good will, and stimulates buying decisions.  When it doesn’t work well…enough said.

On your internet business site, the most surefire way to get it right is to use images, rather than words.  If you know a cartoonist or a graphic designer, and can pay them, you have found yourself a great asset and you can put yourself ahead of the game.  One thing you might want to do is to create a little character who appears on your website as a recurring motive.  You probably won’t want to make the character as developed as the Geico Gecko, that would take up way too much time, money, and effort, but a character who can show people around the website and make it more friendly would be a wise decision.

Another way to bring subtle humor to your website is to develop a mildly self-deprecating tone in your website copy.  (Just a side note for the few who may not know what I mean when I use the word, “copy” in this context, copy refers to your written content in publications).  You shouldn’t put yourself down, but you should also show that you don’t take yourself too seriously. This way you can have a positive website feel and introduce humorous elements, without risking actual humor and the pitfalls that brings.  Now, if you are competing against a website that does use humor well, your site will always be on the loosing end, so it would be worth it to make a longer term investment into humor.  That way you can test things and make sure that what you are using is actually funny.  That way you can have a successful online business and get customers to your website!

How can I be interesting to my customers?

It’s simple, be interested in them.  They are the whole reason that you have an online business and are successful (and if you aren’t successful yet, they are the reason you will be).  Make sure that you take the time to understand and interact with your customers in a positive manner.  This usually involves things like market research and interaction on social media sites.

When customers visit your site, give them the opportunity to give you feedback.  You can either do this by having a comments box, but since that doesn’t allow you to quantify, you should also use an online survey service to get your customer’s feedback.  There are lots of these sites that will allow you to collect data fairly cheaply.  Zoomerang is one of my favorites, but there are several out there. Do a quick Google search and start your research.

Generate Positive Feedback

You will want to do this through the questions that you ask.  These questions will place the customer in a position of authority and will direct them to give you positive feedback, if you word them properly.  As an example, you could ask, “As you have made purchases online, what are some of the most positive things you have noticed?”  Again, you’re giving the potential customer a sense of authority but at the same time you’ve already established a positive tone to the question by asking for positive recollections they’ve had.  You are also limiting the discussion to online purchasing, and that subtle notion will make it easier to think about making a purchase online.  You are also asking the customer for his or her individual wisdom, or advice.  It makes them feel empowered and worthwhile and they will usually reciprocate because you’ve showed an interest in them and let them express their story. (And how many people don’t like talking about themselves and their experiences?)

So as you formulate your questions to elicit positive responses, make sure that you do your best to have the feedback mechanism on your site.  Why?  That will ensure that a customer stays on your site longer and longer.  This will not only get your name to stick with the customer, enhancing your overall name recognition, but it will dramatically increase the chances that the customer will make a purchase.

Incentivize Your Customer’s Feedback

So how do you get the customer to take the time to give you feedback?  I’ve found that the best way to do this is to offer some sort of incentive.  This can range anywhere from a coupon for a purchase on your site, or a bonus offer to compliment a purchase made on your site.  I’d probably go with a discount on the purchase and save the bonus offer for a different type of sale.  Why? If you offer a discount on a purchase they are far more likely to buy soon after they comment, which is the whole reason you have the site in the first place.

Try this tip out if you already have an online business and see how well it works in the next month.  Keep track of the responses and make sure that you take time to analyze and implement the suggestions if they are have substance to them.  If you do this you can make sure that your home based internet business can get customers to your site and keep them coming back, allowing you to make money online!

Well, let’s go back to the Avis strategy that I mentioned in my last post. They were number two and they worked to get business based off of that, by associating themselves with Hertz, the leader at the time, by saying that even though they weren’t the winner, they were close and so they deserved a shot. That might work if you’re number two and have a shot to compete for number one. But what about when you’re not even number 20?

You should disassociate yourself from the top competitors. Sounds hard and kind of counter-intuitive but this works. (Keep in mind that you’ll want to do so in the most positive manner possible for your online business, that will help your site stay fresh and clean). If you sell furniture online, and have an online catalogue (which I strongly recommend that you get), then you can disassociate by emphasizing the low overhead that comes with being small and focus on how those savings are passed on to the customer.

I can’t name the number of times I’ve heard this tactic on the radio recently. Company after company, usually smaller ones, will take up most of their radio spot with emphasis on how their being small helps them better understand and respond to their customers, not to mention how much money they will save. And in today’s economic climate, savings sells big time.

Now it will be up to your discretion about which of these two strategies to choose to make your home based business succeed, but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. If you are in a relatively small universe, like nutcrackers, then you should probably seek to make yourself the leader. On the other hand, if your universe is a relatively large one (and usually these are filled by products that are used a lot every day), then you’ll want to disassociate yourself and emphasize your uniqueness and ability to assist, and save money for, the customers.

John Cummuta’s “Transforming Debt Into Wealth System”, for instance, does a very good job of this.  John’s goal is to be the leader in teaching people how to pay off their debts.  One of his sites, at the very top, has the headline, “Your Debts Could Make You Rich!” and right next to that he has the name of his product, “Transforming Debt into Wealth.”  Take a look at his site and you’ll see what I mean.  Most people have a problem with debt, sooner or later, and when that happens John wants them to know about his program for paying it off.

So start to think about your category this way.  You want to make sure that what you are selling becomes associated with your category and your name.  This is a crucial step in your thought process.

Another crucial step in your thought process is to ensure that whenever you mention the product or service that you are offering, make it seem like the most exciting thing in the world.  Every time you express that excitement, make sure that you associate it with your product and your site.  You want your customers to understand that there is no one that has more enthusiasm or commitment than you do.  That is how you begin to take ownership in your category.

Now that you’ve taken ownership, you’ll find that everything else becomes irrelevant.  Questions of whether your next closest competitor’s product is better, or whose response time is faster, become tertiary concerns to potential customers.  Why is this the case? Because your product or service is better known than your competitors.

New Coke was a victim of this phenomenon.  Coke came out with a new product, New Coke, that vastly outperformed both “regular” Coca-Cola and Pepsi in taste tests, but the product was a huge flop.  Why? Because people already knew and trusted “regular” Coca-Cola.  Improved taste didn’t matter to the customers because they trusted the branding and name recognition of Coca-Cola.  Coca-Cola owned the marketplace of ideas with the idea they are the best.

Take ownership, display your name prominently and next to the product name, and you will be on your way to successfully making money onlineand succeeding in your work at home business!

Silly, I know, but it stuck.  But that isn’t the reason that Snapple does well as a beverage company. They do well because people generally perceive them as being the best iced-tea company out there.  Another example was Avis.  They had a campaign going for a while that was all about they’re being number two.  They were saying, in essence, we’re not Hertz, but we’re almost, so you should give us a try.  In my book, that’s like begging someone for a pity date. “Hi, I’m not the football captain (or head cheerleader), but I really, really, could use a date, please will you go out with me?” Even if the person is sensitive, caring, engaging, honest, fun to be with, etc. begging for attention turns almost everyone off.  Your website will basically be the same.  You need to figure out how to tell people that you are number one for your internet business to make money for your online.

How do you tell people you’re number one?

Find a way to credibly describe yourself as the leader in your category for your product or service.  If you can’t honestly say that, then you need to redefine your category so that you can say that.  Remember that you honestly need to be committed to excellence in your category and find ways to consistently and constantly improve your service.  That being said, make sure that you have a category that is sufficiently small (or that you’re big enough) to make that claim.  Remember, that what you’re the leader in isn’t nearly as important as being the leader in something.

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, understood this concept well.  General Electric, by 1981 when Welch was made GE’s chairman, had become an agglomeration of several different businesses.  He made the decision that GE would sell off any of the businesses in which they were not number one or number two.  And if they couldn’t become number one in those businesses, then we’ll get out of those as well.  By and large, Jack Welch succeeded in his goal of making GE the leader.

Just like Jack Welch did, you will want to continually ask yourself the question, “In what way is my company and my product the best there is?”  As you do this you will be able to avoid the mediocrity that comes with being complacent, and you will be able to make money online in your internet business!

You have to create the ultimate web experience in the minds of your customers.  Woah, take a step back and breathe a little.  I know that sounds incredibly daunting.  And really, it is a little hyperbolic to say that you want to create the “ultimate” web experience.  That would be exceptionally hard to pull off.  You’d have to feed the person a steak dinner through their computer screen for that to be a reality.  Let’s take a look at how to accomplish that and how simple it can really be.

The secret is using all the options that internet technology makes available.  And honestly, most websites never do that, probably because they didn’t know that such an ability existed.   The great thing about a website is that you can get it to interact with your customers, and not only will it interact with your customers, but it can be a customizable experience every time.   (I can vaguely see a “World of The Future” clip from my past advertising the power of interactive television commercials…the thought still makes me shudder).

The ability to fully engage your customer visually, mentally, and emotionally will help you create this ultimate web experience for your website visitors.  This sense of engagement is what holds them captive and interrupts their web surfing.  But that won’t be enough, you’ll want to make sure that they enjoy the experience and are willing to stay on the page and even come back in the future.

Intrigue can be your best friend when trying to captivate people.  Years ago there was a sign on a storefront in downtown Los Angeles that said, “A Store With A Million Items” and that was it.  It didn’t mention the types of items that were there, what they were, or anything specific, just that there were one million of them.  As you can guess, the store saw huge increases in the amount of people who walked in the door.  Even David Letterman did a taping there.  So what were the million items?  The owner usually said, when asked, “Well, there aren’t exactly a million items, more like a hundred, or maybe a couple dozen.  So I exaggerated a little.”  He had a collection of school supplies and coffee accessories that probably contained something like 75 items.

A stretch? Definitely.  Effective? No question.  This man had managed to do what previous owners hadn’t been able to do, and that was to bring people into the store en masse, at least compared to their normal customer flow.  And all he did was tell a little fib.  So you really don’t want to lie, but the lesson is clear.  Create intrigue and you can create business and keep it coming back to your site.  And creating intrigue will give people the sense that there is a lot of value to be gained by visiting your website.

So you have to deliver on this.  If you went to that small LA store, you would have been disappointed and probably not gone back, at least to shop.  If customers come to your website and find that there isn’t much content of value or no content at all, they will vanish like that, and it is no wonder.  The average visit to a website is less than seven seconds, obviously not very long.  People can generally tell when they’re being fed hogwash or even hollow marketing.  Their bs detectors usually flip out when that happens.

Take the time to figure out ways to engage potential customers when they come to your website.  But remember, that the core of the site will have to be valuable content, and not just fluff.  Sit down and think out what you want to feature, so that when you launch your site, you will have plenty of content for the customers.  But it isn’t smart to spend so much time on your website that you lose the opportunity you had with it in the first place.  You’ll want to get your site up and running quickly, so start with some good content even before you buy the domain name, so that you’ll have time to make sense of your online business and get things running.

The first way I mentioned, sitting down and thinking about a great way to make money, usually happens collaboratively.  It starts from the desire to make some money, then trying to think of something that will sell. Sometimes this works.  1984 Michael Learner got this great  idea, why not make a yellow caution sign that reads, “baby on board” and market it!  Later the urban legend came about that a parent who had lost a child who had lost a baby in a car accident had created the sign.  That, of course, is the myth.  It was all designed and created by Michael Learner, a very eligible, childless, bachelor.  That all came about from his desire to enhance automotive safety.  The sign, however, was primarily a for-profit enterprise, that he knew would always work.

And realistically, it was a lot like the whole, “pet rock” craze from the 1970s. (You know, the craze where you got a well behaved, cheap, not to mention clean, pet, that you could train to do just about anything, as long as you were willing to do it).  Both the pet rock and the baby on board signs were not created, however, from a deep rooted passion or devotion to that idea.  Neither creator stayed up late nights, trying to figure out how to get the world to put up a sign in a car or own one more rock.

While it is true that these were both successful, wildly so, businesses that start with the sole purpose of making money, almost never work.  In fact there have been studies about this fact.  When some project or company looses it’s mooring and solely pursues the objective of profit, terrible things start to happen (just think about Ponzi, Enron, and other modern business fiascos).  There is something much deeper that motivates most successful businesses.  (As a side note, this is talked about in the upcoming book by Ethan Willis and Randy Garn called “Prosper: Create the Life You Really Want”).

The second way a business gets started, is from someone’s passion.  Often these passions will be something that the person just does in his spare time, but doesn’t ever think that he (or she) will end up turning into a business.  Sometimes, and these are the best, the person whose passion gets turned into a great business, is begged to bring their idea to market and make it a reality.  The key point is to go into business about something that you’re passionate about.  The whole point is to make something meaningful, profit can come later.  This is so crucial, that I recommend that you take the time to figure out exactly what it is that you are passionate about and focus on figuring that out.  You can do a brainstorm and a process of elimination, if you need to, but it should be fairly obvious.  (Not to be fastidious, but the Prosper book coming out will give you a great opportunity to figure out what your core values are that fuel your passion and will help you figure out which direction you want to go in).

So take the time to figure out what you’re going to be doing to get your internet business started and to make money online.  There will be bumps along the way, but this is a good place to start!

I’ve never understood why entrepreneurs are attracted to franchises. I know I’m gonna tick off a lot of people but give me a break, there’s got to be a better choice.

The big thing that franchises brag about, and seems to attract entrepreneurs, is that they have the business operations down to a science. Ok, as business operations may be a weakness for many entrepreneurs I can see why this drawing card appeals to a certain crowd.

But all I have to say to that is ….  yuuucckkk!  Good grief, isn’t one of the compelling reasons people start a business is because they are sick and tired of being told what to do?

Good grief, if you’re that weak on business operations get involved in the local community college entrepreneurial  program or find a  business mentor to teach you that kind of stuff. Hell, you’re gonna have to learn it anyway. Why pay someone to tell you what to do.

Perhaps you think me to harsh. I think not. Here’s why.

This morning I read an article about a Harvard graduate tax attorney who left his high paying cushy job in the corporate fast lane to buy a dog-training franchise. Why did he do that?

Ok, he was probably burned out and wanted to get out of the corporate fast lane and do something he loved. It certianly wasn’t for the money! He readily admited that he “hoped” that eventually his new business would replace 75% of his corporate salary. Yeah right!

I hope he’s got plenty socked away from corporate life and his mortgage paid off because their isn’t a snowballs chance in a Arizona 4th of July parade that will happen.

You see, part of the franchise business operations requires he give a guarantee for the life of the dog that was trained, meaning there isn’t going to be much repeat business until Rover kiels over dead and his master replaces him with a brand new ignorant puppy that doesn’t know where to pee.

And the franchise also prohibits him from hiring another trainer. Which as you can understand severely prohibits his growth potential.

And for all this he get the “privilege” of paying the franchise an 8% royalty fee. Yipee! Free at last!

Look, I don’t know about you but I believe a guy with a degree from Harvard is entirely smart enough to start and operate a dog training business on his own. Am I missing something?

Are You Ready For Some Real Franchise Fun?

Just for fun I took the top 10 franchise’s of 2005, according to wsj.com (wallstreetjournal.com), and ran a few numbers.

To get into one of these top 10 franchises, which means you’re making sandwiches, cleaning toilets, or doing taxes all day, your total investment is going to run between $150,000 and $558,170.

And according to the dog-training Harvard graduate, based on proir experience with another franchise, there ain’t no guarantees of success.

I’ve tried to dig around and find out how much money you can make operating a franchise but because of government regulations no one can promise anything. That’s probably good for the franchises because the best I can figure out is you’re required to have your butt in the business everyday and maybe you’re gonna pull down $30,000-$50,000 a year to start.

So congratulations, you’re in business for yourself! You own your job, you work long hours, with little return, you’re told what to do and how to do it… boy ain’t owning a franchise great!

Oh yeah did I mention you don’t get to escape the headache of hiring and firing employees. Such fun! I’ll bet you can’t wait!

There’s Got To Be A Better Choice

So whats the better choice? Ok, here’s my view of the world and granted, like everyone else it’s slanted.

So, if I’m gonna start a business with all the headaches of operations and employees, marketing etc… I’m gonna do it on my own and seek out the help of mentors or other business programs.

But why not look into a business without all the headaches of brick and mortar, employees, schedules, business operations etc? I recommend you avoid that all together. How?

Well take a look at whats going on in the country today. You see this on TV and read about it in magazines but there are people that are starting business from their homes and pulling down big bucks without the investment or headache with a huge upside. What are these businesses? Here’s a few to check out.

1. Real estate investing-did you know that Donald Trump purchased his first appartment complex with nothing down? That’s right, this guy with the funny hairdo, had access to a ton of family money and he didn’t have to come up with any of it.

And don’t make the mistake that he could do that because he had a wealthy family. Ordinary people are buying real estate every day in this country with little or no money down. You’ve just got to learn how. Just like you’ve got to learn how to run a franchise is you’re still enamoured with that idea!

John a retired air traffic controller got involved in a real estate mentoring program and within 60 days of starting the program closed on 3 properties valued at over a half a million bucks, using none of his own money and pocketed $28,400 dollars at the same time. Now the properties pay for themselves and he builds up equity and can sell them for a profit down the road.

In a single transaction that took about 40 days for John to put together he he pocketed $28,400. He didn’t risk any of his own money. Didn’t have the headaches of being required to be at work everyday and his time was completely his to spend as he wished. Quite a contrast to own a franchise wouldn’t you say?

On his very first real estate deal, Greg from New York, purchased a $5.7 million dollar 91 appartment building for $4.25 million using none of his own money. Greg didn’t tell me what the rents from the 91 apartments bring in but it provided tidy residual income.

I can give you hundreds of these stories if you want but I figure I’ll save the space and talk about more of them over in the Real Estate Investment blog.

2. Stock Market investing. That’s right the big bad scary complicated stock market. If that’s your paradigm you’ve got some catching up to do. With stop loss strategies you’ll never have anything at risk you’re not comfortable with.

With the advent of the new technology Online Investing is a great way for ordinary people to make a living from home. Yes, once again you’ve got to get the education but guess what that’s the way it is with anything you do. So invest in yourself not some franchise.

One Texas man learned how to trade stocks with a group of coaches that guided him through the whole Online investing process and he managed to net $3,369 in 24 hours using one of the strategies his coaches taught him. All the while limiting his risk.

Rob started  trading online the 25th of May. He took $32,014, less than the Dunkin’ Donut franchise fee, and within 4 months he experienced a 312% ROI (return on investment). Granted not everyone that gets involved in Online Stock Investing sees that kind of return on their money. But no one see’s that kind of return on their money with a Dunkin’ Donut franchise in 9 months, ever.

3. Internet Business. I know you’ve heard about starting an Internet business. Well why not? Especially when you can get the right training. You don’t have to go it on your own anymore.

Even if you’ve got a site up on the net but it isn’t doing much you can fix it with the right education.

One man from the UK thought he was pretty good at making money on the Internet and he should have felt that way, he was making a living doing it! Then eh got with the right group of Internet mentors and before he knew it he was dragging down $3000 a week!

And don’t get me wrong, not all Internet business can be operated strickly from home. Sam a West Virginia entrepreneur reported he had to replace his 800 square foot warehouse with a 4,000 square foot one to keep up with the exponential growth from his website. I think those are the kind of problems you want in a growing business.

The upside was that the Internet drove the business growth before he got a bigger building. In comparisons to a franchise you have to invest all your money up front in the building and then hope you can drive enough business to pay for it.

But for my money, I’m passing on the franchise “opportunity” and all the traditional hassle that comes with it and checking out businesses that I can operate from home, without anyone telling me what I’ve got to do and without the stress of getting in debt a half a million bucks.