Second business learning from the first business
Many small business owners, like myself, are always looking for more services to offer clients.
In many cases, these services fit in with the primary business, but sometimes they differ enough to need a new business model.
Our primary business has been web development, design and marketing, although we have also provided other advertising services like logo design, promotional videos and photography to our clients.
As many readers know, this year I became an FAA qualified drone pilot. This certification allows us to offer aerial photography and videography services. The decision had to be made whether to treat this as a separate business, or an additional service.
In many cases, these services fit in with the primary business, but sometimes they differ enough to need a new business model.
Our primary business has been web development, design and marketing, although we have also provided other advertising services like logo design, promotional videos and photography to our clients.
As many readers know, this year I became an FAA qualified drone pilot. This certification allows us to offer aerial photography and videography services. The decision had to be made whether to treat this as a separate business, or an additional service.
Because the new service was sufficiently different, we decided to
make it a separate business, and went through the same processes as
starting Internet Marketing and Design twenty years ago.
1. Come up with a new name - I have always recommended looking for a domain name before registering a business name. There is no point in registering a name, then finding that someone else is already using that-name.com.
A quick check on GoDaddy 'WHOIS' search helped me narrow down available domain names. As you can imagine, a lot had already been taken.
2. Reserve the domain name - If you find a domain name that you are happy with, you should register it immediately. I have seen cases where a company finds a domain name, but doesn't register it, only to find it's gone just like that. It is extremely important to secure your domain name, especially if you are branching out into an up and coming field.
3. Get a website - Again, this is extremely important if you are in an up and coming field because people will Google search that field when they hear about it. This is where a professionally developed site can help you get in on the ground floor of that field. We had the added benefit of being experienced in web development, so our AirAspects.com ranks at the top of searches.
4. Get your name out there - Being found on the web is one thing, but it only gets people actively looking online for your service. If it's a new business, you also need to present yourself to people who may not even know about it. This is where the real world advertising comes in.
Local print advertising, such as The Shopper, is a good way to reach people, get them interested, and build up a local client base. Social media can also be effective; start sharing items from your website and ask your friends to like them. Hopefully their friends will like them also, and you may even go viral!
If you have concerns with your web site performance, now is the time to look into our WebUpdate system sites. Unlike WordPress and other free open source sites, WebUpdate offers advanced SEO, security, social, and responsive features. Give your business the best competitive edge online!
1. Come up with a new name - I have always recommended looking for a domain name before registering a business name. There is no point in registering a name, then finding that someone else is already using that-name.com.
A quick check on GoDaddy 'WHOIS' search helped me narrow down available domain names. As you can imagine, a lot had already been taken.
2. Reserve the domain name - If you find a domain name that you are happy with, you should register it immediately. I have seen cases where a company finds a domain name, but doesn't register it, only to find it's gone just like that. It is extremely important to secure your domain name, especially if you are branching out into an up and coming field.
3. Get a website - Again, this is extremely important if you are in an up and coming field because people will Google search that field when they hear about it. This is where a professionally developed site can help you get in on the ground floor of that field. We had the added benefit of being experienced in web development, so our AirAspects.com ranks at the top of searches.
4. Get your name out there - Being found on the web is one thing, but it only gets people actively looking online for your service. If it's a new business, you also need to present yourself to people who may not even know about it. This is where the real world advertising comes in.
Local print advertising, such as The Shopper, is a good way to reach people, get them interested, and build up a local client base. Social media can also be effective; start sharing items from your website and ask your friends to like them. Hopefully their friends will like them also, and you may even go viral!
If you have concerns with your web site performance, now is the time to look into our WebUpdate system sites. Unlike WordPress and other free open source sites, WebUpdate offers advanced SEO, security, social, and responsive features. Give your business the best competitive edge online!
Terry Young is the founder and CEO of Internet Marketing and Design. Since 1997,
his computer programming and graphic design knowledge have kept his company
at the forefront of the latest technology in web development.
