Your Questions About How To Do Business Online For Free
Sharon asks…
I would like to start a side online business?
I am taking a semester off (I’m 19 and just got my A.A. but plan to go work for my Bachelor’s in Jan.), however school is expensive, even with the financial aid I’m getting. I am trying to think of side businesses to do and one would be crocheting. I don’t know how to do it, however I plan to learn. How can I go from there to advertise for free online? (It has to be free because I NEED money for school lol, I don’t have much to invest besides the cost of yarn and needles). Can anyone please offer some advice on how to get started? Thank you so much!
Jere answers:
I am under the assumption that you want to sell goods that you have crocheted am I correct in that assumption?
For now I will assume that this is what you are doing. As far as the free advertisement the things that I know of that you can do that won’t cost you anything to do are to:
1. First off I would start a blog with one of the blog sites these are free to use. This would make a good landing page for whatever you want to sell. You can make a blog look like a website because that is essentially what a blog is without the monthly hosting fees and yearly domain name payment to keep your site name. With this blog you can write informative articles about crocheting, with your products posted on your site. You notice I said articles, it would be good to build up an archive of information that people can read about. This is also a form of advertisement because when you publish your site and submit to at the least the three top search engines it will start to bring in people to your site plus the constant updating of information is good with the search engines they like that. When you do update with a new article just send out a ping to let the search engines know that you have new info. You can also monetize your site (the info on that should be explained within the blog site you sign up with.
This alone will not bring in a flood of traffic but it’s a start. You also want to do SEO on your blog and for more info on that you can go to article sites that will have way more info than I can give you here. Just go to the site and when your in put in a search for SEO my blog and it should give you some article to read up on.
Another way to do free advertising is to get on the social media sites to get your site visible. Build up a following which in turn if they trust and like you will convert into traffic. Make sure to have a link to your site visible so that people know where to go. Create videos and post them on the video social media sites again with your link to your blog.
Another way for free advertising is to write quality informative articles and post them on the article sites with a link to your blog. There are over 500 of these sites to post in. It’s a good practice to change up the article a little every so many sites you post in so that it doesn’t appear to be the same article over and over again. You can also post any article you write for your blog to these sites with something at the end that states (for more info go to http:// bla bla bla .com). To find article sites type in a search for the top 25 or top 500 article sites and you should find sites that have a list of a bunch of sites to go to.
More free advertising can be had in posting your site on the open directories and there are quite a few of them. Be aware though that some but not all require your site to be a least 5 pages so if you want to post in these you need to have 5 pages of informative articles to be accepted. Some will require you to have your own email account and I don’t mean the free ones like Yahoo but there aren’t too many of those type open directories and I just pass them over. Type in a search for free open directories and you should get sites that have a list of open directories.
All of these sites have different types of listings these being the pay types, reciprocal link types which are free and just the standard listing types which are also free. What the deal is is that if you use the pay or reciprocal link type listing they say the review of your submission will be faster whereas the standard link may take up to six weeks or more, I myself just use the standard type but if you wish to do the reciprocal links you may do so, this is just posting their link on your site. If any of these sites just have a pay option then just pass them by unless you just wish post there and some of the time it’s just a one time fee and some are yearly, form what I can remember they weren’t much. Also look into local free directories in your area and post your site in them as well.
Go to forums that pertain to what you do and get your site link out in these place too.
If you can find other blogs that are along the same lines as yours, you will find that some of these sites will let you make a comment with your link so it never hurts to check them out. Some will only accept after they have been moderated which means after the site owner has check out your comment and approved it.
Press releases are still a good idea when you publish a site. They are short term links but they still get your site noticed in it’s initial stages so research this and find out how to do a press release.
That’s about all I can think of right now but maybe someone else will have other ideas that I didn’t think of.
Good luck to you
Daniel asks…
Are there still free webpage creators online?
I am searching for a webpage creator to create my business online but so far the webpage creators I have found cost money after a free trial. This is not something I am intersted in using, for I don’t know how my business would do so I wouldn’t want to lose any extra money. Thank you for your help.
Jere answers:
Hi Andrea,
Sure there are some good free ones out there. Why don’t you give Google a try. It is free and very intuitive and easy to use.
Have fun,
Norm
Sandra asks…
I do marketing for an online company that rents how-to DVDs similar to the way NetFlix works.?
What is the best use of my time when it comes to spreading the word about what we do as a business, for free (no online/print ads, etc.)? Does a networking site make sense?
Jere answers:
Create myspace and facebook accounts to create a social network.
Try article submission and free classifieds: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlhJiR7ZcCCBRbp_sdnJwW3ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080111092859AA6vfTx&show=7#profile-info-lpytzfawaa
Make a commercial video.
Post your video here
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Nancy asks…
(HR block filing online) You completed the section for Employee Business Expenses, but you didn’t enter any W2?
I finished my self employment tax return, on H&R block online free tax filing..
It just keep showing me that error message, and i don’t know how to fix it.. Do you know how to fix it ??…. 10 points to the first right answer..
here is the error message
You completed the section for Employee Business Expenses, but you didn’t enter any W-2s. Choose Take Me To to return to the Income section of the interview and add a W-2.
I’m self employed and i made form 1099 .. yet i don’t file W2 for myself .. if you could help me how to fix this it will be really appreciated..
I’m 3 days trying to figure out how to fix it .. or what is wrong.. it doesn’t give me no clue …
Yes , I did not fill any employee buisness expenses… yet i go to schedule C.. and i did not put any employee buisness expenses…
May someone help me, with how and where this employee buisness expenses is.. so i can delete all of it ??
35 minutes ago
again..
I used HR Block online, and it walked me through the papers automatically..
And i filled schedule C..,. i didn’t fill any employee buisness expenses.. if any body know what it is.. or how to fix the problem.. it will be great ..
Thank you..
I’m referring to HR block online system.. not turbotax or anything else..
I DID NOT USE Form 2106 (Employee Business Expenses). I did not find it on my tax papers as well.. all what i see is sch C.. May anyone tell me how to fix this problem .. on HR block online tax filing ??
Jere answers:
If you are self-employed, you should not be using Form 2106 (Employee Business Expenses). Your expenses go on Sch C or Sch C-EZ along with your business income.
Steven asks…
(HR block online)You completed the section for Employee Business Expenses, but you didn’t enter any W-2s?
I finished my self employment tax return, on H&R block online free tax filing..
It just keep showing me that error message, and i don’t know how to fix it.. Do you know how to fix it ??…. 10 points to the first right answer..
here is the error message
You completed the section for Employee Business Expenses, but you didn’t enter any W-2s. Choose Take Me To to return to the Income section of the interview and add a W-2.
I’m self employed and i made form 1099 .. yet i don’t file W2 for myself .. if you could help me how to fix this it will be really appreciated..
I’m 3 days trying to figure out how to fix it .. or what is wrong.. it doesn’t give me no clue …
And if there any way just to start all over again from scratch.. i mean to delete everything, and start all over.. is there any way to do that ??
Additional Details
Yes , I did not fill any employee buisness expenses… yet i go to schedule C.. and i did not put any employee buisness expenses…
May someone help me, with how and where this employee buisness expenses is.. so i can delete all of it ??
again..
I used HR Block online, and it walked me through the papers automatically..
And i filled schedule C..,. i didn’t fill any employee buisness expenses.. if any body know what it is.. or how to fix the problem.. it will be great ..
Thank you..
I’m referring to HR block online system.. not turbotax or anything else..
to MR. HRblocke…
I ‘ve tried clearing all forms.. and do it again ..
I didn’t use any other forms for tax expenses.. not form 2106.. I do not see it now at all.. and yet the same message ??
Jere answers:
Dear V: Sounds like you are entering expenses on the wrong form. If you got a 1099-MISC, you should use Sch C. Enter income and expenses on Sch C. Do not use business form 2106 or what ever the soft ware calls it. Clear the forms and start anew.
This advice was prepared based on our understanding of the tax law in effect at the time it was written as it applies to the facts that you provide. Click on my profile to read more. Errol Quinn Enrolled Agent.
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