FORECASTING SALES AND REVENUE
How much income can your web-based business generate in the first quoter after start-up? The second quoter? The first year? You'll have to have at least some estimation of revenues in order to stay financially healthy. And if you intend on getting a business loan, investment, or grant forecasting sales and revenue is a must.
How do you do that?
First understand that there's a huge difference between forecasting and goals. Is your goal to earn £100,000 in income in your first year of business? Go for it! If you fall short by even 20 percent, you'll still be doing great. But a forecast has to be realistic.You, and perhaps other, will be making important decisions around what your forecasted revenue are, so you'll need to be as conservative as possible.
When creating a forecast, think of the most pessimistic person you know - and then pretend you are that guy or gal! Questions every assumption you make. Be ruthlessly realistic. Then, when you come up with much money you expect to bring in once your web-based business gets going, lower that estimate by 25 percent.
It's far better to understanding sales and revenues. That way, when you look at your figures each month, you'll have far more happy surprises than disappointments.

WARNING!!! Don't forecast a lot of sales and revenues for the first three months of your business. It takes time for customers to learn about your website, become familiar with its offerings, and then start placing orders or clicking on your affiliate program ads and links. Expect your website revenue activity to be very low at the beginning.

"The complete idiot's guide to starting a web-based business" by Steve Slaunwhite

WHY A SMALL BUSINESS CAN DO BIG BUSINESS ON THE WEB

No doubt about it. Online business is booming. As more people learn how to use a computer and surf the net – and as shopping online become easier, safer, and more commonplace – an increasing number of people are going to be buying their iPods, purchasing deck plans, or hiring a life coach online.

A web-based business is any business that is conducted primarily on a website, rather than a traditional physical location. Many websites sell products and services, such as knitting patterns or bookkeeping advice. A web-based business can also make money through affiliate programs and advertising.

You can sell just anything from a website these days:

• All kinds of products, such as e-book, snowboards, and even industrial pumps.
• All types of subscriptions and registrations, such as club memberships, newsletters, seminars, and online software.
• All types of services, such as virtual assistants, life coaching, and human resource consulting.

I even know of a website that sells airplanes online!

And you don’t even have to sell anything to make money. You can build a website around an interest, passion, or expertise and earn revenues through affiliate products and advertising.

Another reason why a small business can do big business on the web is the growth in the ease use of Internet transactions. A growing number of people are comfortable paying for thing online. And it’s never been easier for web-based business owners to accept credit cards, PyPal, and other popular forms of payment right off the website!

Overall, a web-based business is cheaper and easier to start and run than its brick-and-mortar cousin. Unlike an office or retail store, you don’t have to maintain a physical location for your customers to access. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of web-based business owners run their operations out of their homes.

There’s no doubt about it. Starting a web-based business can be alluring. But don’t get fooled into thinking the road to success is always going to be smooth. It takes plenty of work to get this type of business off the ground and operating profitably. But once you do, a successful web-based business is a beautiful thing!

Ikon Industrial Photography Appoint Isis

Ikon Industrial Photography have appointed Isis Web Services to manage their Facebook page. Company Managing Director John Cooper said ' I spend a great deal of time on location and dont have the time to update my company Face Book page'. Isis has been asked to update Ikon's company page weekly starting from March.

www.ikon-partnership.co.uk