I have talked about in the past how important it is for any business to choose the right web host. If you are just starting up or just gaining momentum in your business, you can’t afford not to give your business the best chance to succeed. Many small business owners have the temptation to go with the cheapest web host possible. Some don’t mind paying a few more dollars for those unlimited plans. In reality, you can’t have a free lunch and eat it too. World class web hosts offer very reliable services to their customers, but they will need to charge higher to keep offering high quality service. Those who pay $10 a month for their web hosting service and expect to get the best service in the world are dreaming.

If you are a start-up owner and have big plans for your business, you want to invest in a service that keeps your web services up 24/7. The last thing you want to do is leave things to chances and prayer. Besides, it would leave a very bad impression on your new customers if your service is down frequently.

There is more to web hosting than just comparing numbers. Take the below hosts for example. They are great for small businesses that are starting but don’t plan to get too big too soon. They are great for bloggers and those who don’t intend to offer a web service (e.g. Twitter). But you can’t just compare the numbers and choose one of these services for the next YouTube. Continue reading How Much Should You Pay for Business Web Hosting?

These days, you don’t have to be in your office to get your work done. The mobile era is finally upon us, and you can conduct your business from anywhere in the world as long as you have the right tools. The latest wave of mobile technologies have allowed many businesses to take their game to the next level and go for new goals. The days of being stuck in your office to get your work done are finally over, especially if you own an Internet business and are not bound to a specific place.

If you are looking to take your business mobile, here are 6 business gadgets to get started:

Netbooks: netbooks are tiny computers that let you get your work done on the road without having to carry around a whole lot of weight. Netbooks are great for blogging, managing your e-mails, and tracking your tasks on the go. They are energy efficient too.

ooma VoIP phone system: a great way to save money on your small business phone bills and get the best phone features available on the market. You can also take your phone with you anywhere you have access to an Internet connection.

Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 Camcorder: a super HD portable camcorder that is easy to carry around but lets you capture high quality videos on the go. If you are into content production, Xacti camcorder comes in handy. You can also go with budget options such as the Flip camcorder.

Continue reading 6 Cool Gadgets For Small Businesses

Selling your own products online is a great way to increase revenue for your business and make some quick money. Whether you are a small business owner, a pod-caster, or a publisher, you can always use the additional income to fund your future endeavors or expand your business. Creating a store for your project is one way to do just that. You have probably seen all the stores that sites create to generate more revenue. If your business has some following, there is no reason you can’t sell t-shirts, mugs, pens, and more. And don’t forget that these are great promotional tools, so it’s a win win.

You don’t always have to host your store on your own site or publish your book on your blog. There are plenty of services that do the job for you. Whether it’s working with CafePress or LuLu, there are plenty of ways to make money online from your work. Here are 5 sites that make it super easy:

1. CafePress: it has been around for years. A great way to create and sell your own t-shirts. If you are creative, you can get some exposure for your site and make some money on the side.

2. Lulu: you have a passion about writing? Lulu.com is a great way to publish your own book and make money from your work. If you are an independent writer, you are going to love using Lulu.

3. Zazzle: Zazzle is very similar to CafePress. You get to create your own merchandise and sell them to increase your revenue.

Continue reading 5 Ways To Make Money Selling Your Own Products

Web 2.0 used to be a “cool” keyword to throw around a few years ago. But after a few years of seeing waves of Web 2.0 companies come and go, the concept is not too fresh anymore. But that hasn’t stopped companies (big or small) from making money with Web 2.0. The fact is, the industry is still growing, so you are going to have your chances to make money online from Web 2.0 one way or another. There are plenty of people who want to get started with their blog or start their own Wiki, which means they are going to have their needs and wants. So as a business, you are going to have the opportunity to come up with products that address your prospects’ needs and help you take your business to the next level.

There are plenty of ways to speculate how you can make money with Web 2.0, but let’s take a look at how people are doing it today:

1. Unique Service: create a unique service that people want to use everyday. Take Twitter for instance. Do I think its founders knew they would get to where they are today? Not really. But they did identify some need and hit it right on the nail. They may have gotten lucky, but that’s what you need to make it big like they have.
2. Social Apps: there are plenty of social networking sites around, and some of them allow you to develop your own apps. Developing a Facebook or iPhone app can go a long way towards bagging your company a lot of revenue.
3. Mashups: mashups have been around for years now. But many have managed to build a business around popular sites such as Twitter or Facebook by developing mashups that provide value to their visitors. If you are innovative and like to think outside the box, opportunities are limitless here.
4. Themes: many people are now starting to blog to make money or discuss their passions with the world. That means they are going to need a theme that they can use to customize their blog and give it a unique look and feel without breaking the bank. Here is where you come in (see Thesis).
5. Membership sites: membership sites are on the rise at this post. If you can create a membership site that provides value to your customers on a consistent basis while allowing you to work on your other projects (through automation), you can earn a decent amount of money in the process (example).
6. Training Videos/Courses: creating a training course for people who want to get started with Twitter or want to get the best out of Facebook is yet another way to make money from Web 2.0 services without taking on too much risk.
7. Add-on Services: providing people with a way to create cool backgrounds for Twitter or build a business card with their social media information online are some practices that have paid off online already. There are plenty of other ways to take advantage of this approach. You just have to identify the need and get your service in front of your prospects.
8. Social Media Management: guess what? Big corporations are also interested in taking advantage of getting their feet wet in the field of social media. And they are going to need you help, if you can convince them you can get the job done. If you are particularly good at throwing Facebook or Twitter campaigns, your service is going to be in demand. Be a guru and the sky’s the limit.
9. Social Media Automation: not everyone can handle the load that social media puts on their business. That’s where you can come in and take over the process by helping them automate the process. Socialoomph is a great example here.
10. Coverage: if you are into blogging and can cover Web 2.0 and other technology events like no one else, then you can make money with your blog too. Pro blogging is not easy, but if you are passionate about it, you can make it work.

There are other ways that you can use Web 2.0 to take your business to the next level. Making money online with Web 2.0 is a science and art at this point. If you find that sweet spot and address a need in a unique way, there is no reason you can’t make money online with Web 2.0 services.