If you’ve been holding off on purchasing items for your small business because you want the best deal, your waiting may soon be over.  The biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday is a week away.

Black Friday is of course the Friday after Thanksgiving which this year will be November 27.  Some stores (brick and mortar and web-based ones) will be opening at midnight on that date, others a little later, but their goal is the same: To get feet in doors (or your eyes on their website)  by dropping prices.

Personally I’ve never purchased anything on Black Friday, but this year I may make an exception.

There are some great deals to be had for small business owners.

Here are some highlights:

Best Buy:

• Sony laptop – $399, specs: Intel Pentium dual core, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, Windows 7 Home
• Apple Macbook, $999, specs: Intel Duo core, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive (receive $150 Best Buy gift card
• HP package, $499.97, specs: desktop computer, AMD Quad Core processor, 8 GB RAM, 1 terrabyte hard drive, Windows 7 Home, HP 20″ widescreen monitor; HP deskjet D1530

Staples

• Brother color laser printer, $179.98
• Garmin nuvi255  portable GPS, $119.99
• HP laptop $299.98!!!, specs: Intel Celeron, 3GB RAM, 160 GB hrd drive, Windows 7 Home

Office Depot

• Ativa monitor, $119.99, 21.6″ HD
• Compaq Desktop, $229.99, specs: AMD, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive, Windows 7 Home
• Acer netbook, $199.98, specs: 1 GB Ram, 160 GB hard drive, Windows XP Home
• *note free HP printer with any PC purchase

Those are great deals (especially the Garmin GPS!) and of course there’ll be so many more deals once you research further online, according to your needs.

Remember the Objective is to SAVE

The best way to purchase wisely during this frantic shopping season is to take your time and plan ahead. If you were waiting this long to purchase certain items for your business simply because you wanted to take advantage of the huge savings offered during Black Friday then stick to your guns and purchase only what you need.

It will be tempting to purchase more than planned because the prices look soooo good, but resist.  You’ll be thankful you did when it comes time to pay your bills.

To your success,

Sharon

“The internet has a set of tools for where we work, and the fact that it is increasingly free has made today the golden age of the small company,” said Wired magazine editor, Chris Anderson in a recent media interview.

The fact that we are also just coming out of one of the worst economic recessions since the Great Depression may have also helped to create the perfect storm for the enormous increase in small businesses.  Skilled former employees are finding the Internet to be the land of opportunity and are switching their resumes for business plans.

One of the major expenses associated with starting a business – promotion and advertising – can be drastically reduced if you choose to launch a business that delivers products or services online.  What’s even better the reach online is better than that of most advertising campaigns. The audience is global and if your strategy is good in many instances the audience is also “captive.”

Social media – one of the most effective promotional tools -  is creating an environment where small business owners can prospect for business and promote and develop client relationships for a fraction of what it might have cost them using conventional marketing tactics like advertising, media relations and direct marketing.

So if you’re still narrowing down your list as to what kind of business you should be in, here’s a list of online businesses that are proving to be very lucrative for more and more people.  And if you’re worried about market saturation for any sector doing business on the web, think about this:  There are 1.6 billion people on the Internet and the number is growing…every minute.

Before deciding on what kind of Internet based business you should start, first assess your strengths and weaknesses then examine your background experiences, your personal preferences and professional interests.  Answering questions about what it is you like doing both professionally and in your personal life will help you to choose business ideas that more closely reflect your personal and entrepreneurial goals.

For example, one of the main reasons more people are choosing to start a business that they can operate online is the flexibility.  You can run your business from home so you can be close to family or stay within your community.

Others simply like the online business model because it is less expensive.  Lower marketing costs, lower office costs (especially if you are working from home), and low transportation since things like conferences and client meetings can all be handled “online.”

Feeling lonely? You can participate in networking conferences across the globe from the comfort of your office chair and you can connect instantly and effectively with your client or joint venture partner by using instant chat services, skype  and other services that allow you to see and talk to others via the Internet.

So what can you do online?

Short List of Online Business Ideas

• Accountant serving online business owners
• Graphic designer offering website design, brochure creation and logo designs for small business owners
• Copywriter specializing in the promotional and website content needs of small businesses
• Internet Marketer selling and promoting  information (e-books, videos, etc.) and their expertise as consultants helping other business owners to successfully market their business
• Affiliate Marketer developing websites and customer relationships for the purpose of selling other business owners’ products/services for a commission.
• Virtual Assistant offering administrative assistance and executive coordination for other online business owners
• Consultant in any number of areas offering expertise to business owners who need that knowledge (e.g., Human Resources, Marketing, Public Relations, Organizational Management, etc.)
• Life Coach and/or Business Coach for online/offline entrepreneurs
• Craft seller using effective e-commerce solutions to promote and sell, and much more.

A great way to learn more about online business ideas is to join an established and active online networking group. As a member an online networking or mastermind group you’ll be able to ask questions of new and established online business owners.  One of the networking groups I strongly recommend is Lynn Terry’s Elite mastermind group.

If you’ve been in business for a while, please share what it is you like most about operating your business online.

To your success,

Sharon