Your Questions About Business Online San Diego

Jere answers:

Howdy,

Yep. Mike at FL Chams is a good source for chameleons. I’ve often met him, face-to-face at the big Reptile Super Shows in Pomona and San Diego, CA. I run the South Bay Chameleon Keepers (it’s a club!) booth at these shows to present free chameleon advice and education. Mike is one of the big sellers of chameleons both at the shows and online.

Plenty of his customers are keepers on the http://www.chameleonforums.com/forum.php

See Ya, Dave Weldon
Co-founder of the South Bay CHameleon Keepers group (Los Angeles area)

Jere answers:

Congrats on your new venture! You have already reached step one, deciding to launch a business!

1. Make the decision to build a business
Believe it or not, this is an important step in making your vision a reality. Once you decide to move forward, the possibilities are endless.

2. Make a business plan.
Begin formulating your ideas into a tangible document. This will help you stay on track. As your business grows you can refer back to it for ideas and clarification. Writing a business plan doesn’t mean you are stuck to specific parameters. Think of it like a guide rather than a set of rules.

Here are some resources to help you with this step:
Elements of a Business Plan- http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessplans/article38308.html
Business Plan Basics- http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html

3. Decide on a name
This will become part of your brand (step 5), however depending on your name you may need to file a DBA with your city. Choose a name that is unique to your business and speaks to your prospective clients. Get out a piece of paper and start writing down ideas. Ask colleagues, family, and friends their ideas to get the ball rolling. (Just don’t let them decide for you.)

Here is a good article on naming: http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/start/nameyourbusiness/index.html

4. File necessary business licenses
These will be specific to your state and city. Check with the local SBA and SCORE for information.

SBA link: http://www.sba.gov

SCORE link: http://www.score.org/index.html

5. Build your brand
Your brand is what identifies your business to your customers. It should differentiate you from the competition and communicate your message to your target audience. Your business’ name, logo, and marketing materials are part of your business identity.

Here are some resources to help you with this step:
Connecting the Branding Dots: http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/branding/imageandbrandingcolumnistjohnwilliams/article198380.html
The Basics of Branding- http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/branding/imageandbrandingcolumnistjohnwilliams/article77408.html

6. Create your website
If you are operating solely online this step is essential. Take great care to find a web design company that has the expertise to create your vision. To develop an eCommerce store requires programming knowledge and an understanding of online marketing. Choose a company that can offer these services.

Here are some resources to help you with this step:
Working with a web developer- http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/buildingawebsite/article201528.html

eBusiness Info- http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/index.html

7. Market your website
Once your website has been launched, you will need to start marketing. If you haven’t already created business cards and traditional print. Now would be a good time. You should also market your business heavily online. Here are some ideas for marketing online:

a. Optimize your site for the search engines (SEO)
*your web design company should have a service which includes SEO
b. Add your business to the local directories (Google Maps is a great example)
c. Add your business to online classifieds (Craigslist is a great example)
d. Send newsletters with promotions (i.e 25% off shoes)
e. Buy advertising space on websites that your target market frequents
f. Analyze your web traffic to determine the best marketing avenue

Good Luck! Let me know if you have any questions, or need specific direction.

–Dani Marie, San Diego, CA–
( http://www.danimariedesigns.com )

Jere answers:

In La Jolla (not far from San Diego) there are lots of little businesses there solely to guide you through some really cool beach adventures. My husband and I did a snorkel/ Kayak one day and a surf class the next, these were tons of fun, it was a once in a life time experience. We got to snorkel with leopard sharks (totally harmless but really big and kind of scary) and we laughed the entire time we tried to surf, we are total beach people so this was awesome for us, plus both days started really early so we were done by early afternoon, I am not sure how much we paid (this was a gift from my husband) but I think it was $50.00 each, that included all the equiptment and wetsuits. If you guys can you should check it out, it was totally worth it! Check out this website and there are several of these businesses listed it you are interested you can call and set up an appointment. Also, in L.A. I see that no one listed the L.A. Farmers market, it has great food and a lot of history, I would stop at Gromans chinese theatre (not sure of spelling) in Hollywood, that is a quick trip that you have to see while in california, I wouldnt hit downtown disney, the shopping is overpriced and there really isnt much to do, universal citywalk is better, but of course if you can hit disneyland it is awesome, Also Newport beach has a place you can rent small boats for a couple of hours and drive around in a little bay like area, if you are up early in the morning on a saturday the orange county swapmeet is great, it is in the oc fairgrounds in costa mesa, I am sure you can get directions online. Can you tell I love california! Hope this helps!

Jere answers:

Here is a fantastic business for you its pre-built and all you do is invite your friends to watch a movie that’s it. It’s truly a biz. In a box with a free trial. The company’s bib record can be view online at bib San Diego office. So this company is reputable. They market in 180 countries so the world is you oyster. Again all you do is show the movie no selling. Before you can show the movie watch it now see if it’s worth showing that’s all you have to do. Show the movie. Duration 7 minutes, here’s where it’s playing:
http://p8eace4.ws

Jere answers:

You can get the name of the legal owner of the property from the San Diego Tax Collector’s website (link below in source). Then you should be able to find the notice address by looking up the business.