Business Ideas For Students

There Are Lots To Choose From, But Only One Good Answer!

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That’s quite a bold statement to make but in my opinion a completely valid one. I have researched dozens of so-called business opportunities, but I have always uncovered hidden problems that will take up your valuable time (and very often, your money). Let’s look at a few…

eBay: Let’s face it, this company is fantastic and I have no doubt that you will have bought more than a few items from their site. Most people I know have! And as a buyer, all you have to do is click on a button to purchase your goods and then sit back while somebody else does all the work of actually delivering them to you.

But have you really thought about the process that the seller has to go through? If you happen to have sold a pair of trainers that you no longer need, or maybe some clothes that no longer fit you, then you already know that the process of selling them is a fairly simple one. But you’re not going to get rich by selling the odd item. If you want to make a regular income, you will find that the eBay business model is really set up for sellers who can turn over stock quickly and profitably.

In other words. you need a good stock of goods to sell. No matter what you decide to sell, whether it be computers, baby wear, ladies’ clothes, football boots, car parts, in fact, any subject you like to think of, you need the goods to be readily available so that you can react quickly. It’s no good taking an order from a customer, then telling them that you will send them their purchase while you’re still waiting for it to arrive at your premises. So you need stock, and this, of course, means parting with a fair amount of money before you even start to think about selling.

Even if this is within your budget, you then have to think of how you are going to get the goods to the customer. First, you need to pack or box the goods, and guess what? You have to purchase the wrapping/parcel/box materials upfront. You then have to physically wrap the goods yourself. It depends on what you are selling, but chances are this process will take up more time than you think.

You then have to take the goods to the Post Office where I can assure you, you will not be too popular with the public if you are weighing and paying for numerous parcels that need to be dispatched. And of course, yet again, this costs money.

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Amazon: Again, how can I argue with the phenomenal growth of this company? In my experience, they are second to none when it comes down to the speed of service and customer care. Yes, I know there are occasions when it goes wrong, but that’s true of any business. When you consider the millions of deliveries they carry out worldwide every single day of the year, then I reckon they’ve got it about right. And of course, it’s only the hiccups in their business that make the headlines, not the other 99% that run smoothly.

But the problem for someone who is just starting out in business is that many of the problems encountered with eBay are duplicated here. You will still need a stock to sell, but Amazon makes it easier for you, and chances are you won’t be lumbered with the packing and postage.

However, you are competing against sellers that do this for a full-time business and your pricing is very much dictated by them. It’s quite possible you could find a niche market, but your profit margins need to be carefully looked at.

Dropshipping: In theory, this sounds like a good bet if you don’t have a lot of money when starting out. For those who are not familiar with this business model, this is how it works.

• As a dropshipper, you are in effect the middle person
• You set up a site similar to an e-commerce store
• The customer places an order with you (along with their payment), but you then pass that order on to a wholesaler. You do of course have to pay them!
• The wholesaler sends the product to the customer
• So, in other words, you never have to purchase goods up front, and all postage and packing are handled by the wholesaler

So that all sounds simple, but consider this:

• If the goods are returned by the customer for whatever reason, the problem is yours not the wholesalers
• The profit margin that you make (i.e. the difference between what you sell the products for and the payment you have to make to the wholesaler) is minimal
• You could market a “hot” product only to find that hundreds, if not thousands of other businesses are doing the same
• If they are established businesses, chances are that they can afford to cut their margins. You can’t!

So, in my opinion, this is not the ideal business to set up when you are first stepping into the marketplace.

There are of course so many businesses that you could look at (I’ve been there and done that). I have studied everything from the ideas listed above to virtually all of the “get rich quick” schemes that flood the internet. And believe me, it hurts when you have the wool pulled over your eyes.

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So, What Do You Suggest?

When I discovered Affiliate Marketing I was so relieved to find a business that can be set up by virtually anyone, and yet not many people have heard of it. So, what is it?

In simplistic terms, most major companies around the world are looking to increase their sales. This includes small specialist companies, right up to multi-nationals, many of which are household names. What they all know is that to employ sales staff, the costs can be horrendous. Consider salaries, holiday pay, sick pay, pension contributions, health-and-safety issues…in fact, the list is endless. More and more companies are looking at alternative business models to secure the sales revenue that they require.

Within the last few years, thousands of companies have created Affiliate Programs that basically replace the problems referred to above. In other words, they offer you the opportunity to sell their goods online and to receive a commission for doing so. And the good news is that none of the costs relating to that commission are passed on to the customer. So it’s a win-win situation.

• The company is happy because they have increased their sales.
• You’re happy because you’ve earned a commission.
• The customer is happy because they receive their goods directly from a company that they trust, but it has cost them no more than the normal advertised price.

Don’t be frightened by the terminology asking you to “sell”. I know that a single word like that can send people running for the hills, but this is not “selling” in the traditional sense of the word. Millions of people search the internet every day looking for goods that will solve a problem that they have. For example, you may be suffering from a bad back, and you need a comfortable chair. Or perhaps your hobby is fishing, and you are looking at purchasing a new rod. Or maybe you have a battery-operated lawnmower that has stopped working, and you need information on how to replace the battery. Again, the things that people research go on and on.

Now supposing you have created some content recommending an “ACME” battery, a “Fast Cast” rod, or a “Back Support” chair (and you will be shown how to do this) what happens next? Well, once people click on your recommendation and go on to purchase an item, you automatically receive a commission from the company. And you literally have not left your desk!

If you type in Affiliate Marketing Training Programs, you will be inundated with companies all claiming to be the best in the industry, and there are of course some great ones among them. But many of these assume that you have at least a basic understanding of what is required, and you may end up becoming confused and lose interest. This is why I recommend that you take a look at Wealthy Affiliate. This is a site originally set up by two people who are masters at the business and are both highly successful in their own right. Their company has grown into a market leader.

But the really good news for someone looking to learn more about Affiliate Marketing is that the online course they offer is completely free!

There are no catches, no hidden traps, and no credit card details required. You will be able to watch a series of videos that take you through the whole process of setting up your own business from the comfort of your armchair. If having watched and absorbed the information (and there’s plenty to see) you want to move on to an advanced level, then that is your decision and your decision alone. But rest assured that the intense program that I am recommending is completely free of charge!

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Simply click on this link to take your first step to financial freedom: Wealthy Affiliate