How They Started A Successful Internet Business & How You Can Start Yours

I have just finished reading an inspiring Internet business successful story article from independent newspaper of the UK.

The story was on how to start a successful internet business. What I liked about the businesses was they were simple ideas of home based internet businesses.The main ideas were obvious, have a business plan, know your niche and market your idea. It was the interviews of successful internet entrepreneurs that touched me. Their opinions were very enlightening. I have picked up a few gems for you:

Online business Success Story of Hampers Gift UK

"It's all about finding a niche," says William Berry, a self-made internet millionaire. "Hampers, for example, are a niche of food retailing, but there are already market leaders in this area, so you either need to aim for a niche which doesn't already have a market leader, or attempt to become even more niche – by offering Christmas hampers, say. "

Nick-james.com on How to Build a Trust-able online Brand

Nick James, a small-business consultant and the founder of Nick-James.com, an online club for entrepreneurs says. Keep the site clean and simple: people will buy from you if they trust the site and can find what they want.

"Make sure you update your website's content constantly, as innovation, imagination and invention are essential if you are going to succeed in the longer term," he says. "Also make it easy for people to get in touch: your business needs to present a human face."

A long and rough road to online success - Story of Photobox

Graham Hobson started photobox in 2000 after he noticed the lack of online storing and printing websites in the UK, compared to the vast number of similar sites in the US. PhotoBox now has 2 million members.

"I'd always worked in technology but I'm an accidental entrepreneur," he says. "I wrote a business plan, got financial backing and a partner to join me in the business."

Graham gave up his day job in 1999. The first three years, he admits, were "painfully slow."

"We expected it all to happen quickly, but in reality, it was about steady growth," he says. "We were naive about marketing in the beginning and had to learn a lot of lessons."

Viral marketing has helped PhotoBox, and last year it merged with Photoways, a French firm.

"If you want to set up an internet business, you have to convince all the people around you it's a good idea," Graham says. "Put in your own time and energy, but other people's money – and take as much advice from other people as you can."

There you have it, now go to work and build a successful internet business. And I will feature you at small business web hosting.