I want an Internet business. Where do I start?

Posted by Jim in Affiliate Marketing, Creative Ideas, Email Marketing tips, Information Marketing, Offline Biz (IM for Brick-n-mortar), Selling on Amazon, selling on eBay | 94 comments

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I’ve been helping my readers and students launch successful online and Internet based businesses for nearly a decade. Even though I’ve been part of helping thousands of people achieve significant online incomes, I’m aware that much if not most of my audience is still stuck at square one for one reason or the other. This is a visual map to help you pick an idea to start with, or if you’ve had some success and want a new income stream you’ll find my favorites here.

Welcome to my “Opportunity Landscape” or “map”. A lot of thought went into this – I hope you like it.

Thanks Thea Woods for helping turn my chicken scratch into a pretty chart!

To download this full image (bigger) use this link.

I’ve made three very short videos (under 5 minutes) for you to explain the detail on this table. Please let me know what questions you have by leaving a comment (use the comment button at the top of this article).

Did I leave anything out? Do you want more detail on any of these opportunities? Do you disagree with where I placed any of the opportunities? Let’s talk about it… (also – for additional reading check out my SilentSalesMachine.com book. It’s the best $5 you’ll ever spend to help shape your online income goals.)

Video 1 of 3:

For each video you'll need to click into "full screen" mode to see the details.

Video 2 of 3:

Video 3 of 3:

Please leave a comment! The button is at the top of this post.

JasonB

I am curious about starting a niche eCommerce site. Jim, where would you recommend I go (buy or free) to learn more about this? Thanks!
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  I haven’t announced this course yet, but it’s coming from a trusted customer of mine that has successfully built numerous ecommerce sites. I’ll be telling you more about it in the very near future. Here’s the link:
  https://secureorder.infusionsoft.com/go/ecomm-jim/jimc/
Norman purcell

no videos!!
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  after you refreshed you saw them right? We did have a temporary issue, but all is well now with our video host it seems.
Roy

Looks like the inside of my head minus the arrows.
Chris Smalley

Hey Jim, I just finished watching all 3 videos. I think you hit the main areas very well. I’ve been around the Internet for a while, but I’m just getting my business started by launching a review site blog. I’ve done some EBay and Amazon stuff but haven’t made much money doing it. If you were going to start over and wanted to start a profitable online business, would you work with EBay or Amazon?
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  I’m most excited about OfflineBiz.com right now, but that’s based on my personality etc. I’m earning income from most (nearly all) of the opportunities shown on this page. My main challenge is continually getting the “work” off my desk and into capable hands.
  
  A “review site/blog” is “affiliate marketing” by the way…not an easy road you are on! Make sure you are GIVING STUFF AWAY, and GROWING YOUR AUDIENCE as you go.
  
  The fastest way to a big audience is to partner (in a win/win/win arrangement) with someone that already has a big audience…I’ve got other blog articles on that topic – such as “you don’t need a website -you need an audience”
aj

Very good information, Jim. I am so happy you put the affiliate marketing under “hard” – I was sucked into one of those “it’s so easy” things several years ago and failed. I thought it was just me. I am doing FBA (love it) now and learning more from you every day.

Thanks!
aj
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  It’s easy to get sucked into the “affiliate marketing” game because you can see some pretty cool step by step progress as you build a site and make it “pretty” and even make a few bucks…but the “success/failure” rate is enough to keep me out of the game these days. I know very few people doing well long term in that biz opp unless they are doing it “the right way” which I detail in this blog post:
  
  http://www.jimcockrum.com/blog/2010/12/20/do-i-love-or-hate-affiliate-marketing/
  
  The FBA course has been a RAGING success. Thanks for mentioning it. Others can get details at http://www.ProvenAmazonCourse.com
Darrell

I’m confused about the difference between the niche ecommerce site and the pretty big website. They seem very similar to me but they must not be. thanks, Darrell
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Great observation…and I can certainly understand the confusion. Here are my thoughts that will hopefully clear it up for you…
  
  To me, a niche ecommerce site has a narrow focus and is fairly easy to rank from an SEO standpoint because of the relatively few true competitors you’ll have. Think of it as “inch wide, mile deep” and selling a specific physical product. I’m going to be introducing a fantastic course on this exact topic (as compiled from a long time student of mine that has multiple successful e-commerce sites). You can have the products easily delivered via drop ship or even amazon FBA so that it’s truly an automated process.
  
  To get a peek at the course I’ll be telling you more about soon visit:
  https://secureorder.infusionsoft.com/go/ecomm-jim/jimc/
  
  So, what’s a “big pretty” site?
  
  A “big pretty” website is typically a disappointing experience for the site owner who pours in months of planning and a bunch of money into programming features, content, etc. and never gets results. These sites typically start out as a “big idea” that looks good on paper, but never actually draw much of an audience. My opinion is that these types of sites fail because the site is built BEFORE the audience is grown. Some examples might be, “A websites where homeschooling moms can gather and share/buy resources”, or “A website where pet lovers can gather and meet other pet lovers and share/buy”, or ” A website where people trying to lose weight can gather …. etc.”. In other words, your audience has MULTIPLE other options, or they don’t gather in groups online the way you hoped they would.
  
  All of these are great ideas…on paper, but unless you have a focused effort on growing an email list first and have an eager audience anticipating the launch, it isn’t likely to work out.
  
  Does that distinguish them for you? Let me know…I could go deeper on the topic.
http://www.tucursoenlinea.com German Gonzalez

Jim,
What about services? I recently launched an e-learning site. I’d like to know your opinion about online training for businesses, short courses on critical issues for them like management, supervision, safety, quality control, project management ,etc
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  From the little you’ve said here this is a “big pretty” site in my opinion. See the answer I gave Darrell. I could certainly give you pointers that would greatly increase your odds of success, but unless the site has been built on the foundation of an eager audience anticipating the launch of this EXACT site, it will take a ton of work to get the site to the point where it is making money. It’s not an easy road you’ve chosen with this project.
  
  Your best bet is to partner up with others that already have the attention of your target audience and find “win/win/win” ways to work together while drawing attention to your site.
  
  Am I saying it’s a “bad idea” to build this site? I can’t say “yes” or “no”, but I wouldn’t call it a “low hanging fruit” opportunity that you are involved in from what you’ve told me so far. Let me know if you have a follow up question -happy to help as much as I can!
http://mikedibos.com Mike Dibos

I
agree, affiliate marketing is hard to break into, and there’s no guaranty of
consistent success once you’re there.
But a good alternative to that goes back to building your own list of
email subscribers. Then you become their
trusted authority. When a good product
comes along, you can recommend it to your subscribers.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Great biz model! I teach it at ListBuildingClass.com
http://twitter.com/GrandCanyonMuse Tammy L Blake

Jim, thanks for the chart! I’m very intrigued with the “send out cards” mention. Any chance you can drop a link or refer us to a post that discusses it? I found no results when I searched your blog.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Sure – if you want to see how David Frye and I partnered up to incorporate Send Out Cards into OfflineBiz.com check out OfflineBizCards.com. If you do join SOC we’d love to have you join under the link on that page so we can have you as part of our organization, but primarily my interest in SOC is as a fantastic tool for small businesses and marketers to automate their referral marketing. To see the webinar that David and I did recently about SOC and the creative ways it can be used check this out:
  
  http://www.offlinebiz.com/JimDavidWebinar.html
  
  Keep in mind -David is one of the all time highest achievers and users of SOC – he’s a great mentor to have if you incorporate SOC into your business.
  - http://twitter.com/GrandCanyonMuse Tammy L Blake
    
    Thanks for the info, will check it out!
http://esocialmediamarketing.org Social Media Marketing

I’d like to hear more about what exactly you call affiliate marketing.

I’ve built websites with great content, SEO and now becoming authority sites
in their respective niche market. And I either sell affiliate products through
links to (pre-) sales pages that people find from SE or by sending my email
list to an offer.

how is that different from selling my own product? (except for the money)

i regard traffic and list building as top priority and then I look at what they
would pay for and find an affiilate product (by testing a lot of course).

i imagine that you’re referring to affiliate marketing in terms of setting up
simple sites for one specific product and driving any kind of traffic to it.
Yes in this case you’d be subject to google liking your landing page and
what side of the bed larry page got up that morning. but fundamentally
if you build a following through SEO and nurture it through email content
delivery…. what does it matter that the products you’re selling are affiliate
products or your own?

Laurent Lama
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  You my friend are no “newbie” and you are VERY well positioned to get into the “affiliate marketing” game or, for even lower hanging fruit the “e-commerce site” game. Unfortunately 95% of the people buying affiliate marketing “how to” courses have no idea what you just talked about…and they will in all likelihood fail as a result imho.
  
  That being said though…affiliate marketers will ALWAYS have a target on their back as both sides try to squeeze them out. You MUST have your own products and your own audience of followers that want to hear from you for true long term stability. Here’s a blog post that explains my position further: http://www.jimcockrum.com/blog/2010/11/08/the-4-reasons-why-affiliate-marketing-is-a-losing-game/
Clint

Interesting outlook. What product were you referring to when addressing email list growth? Also, I’m not familiar with the “SOC” method. Where can I get additional information on this? Thanks for sharing.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Check out the reply I gave Tammy B. for more info on SOC.
  
  My email list building course can be found here: ListBuildingClass.com. It’s the most reasonably priced and most thorough course on the subject in my opinion.
http://twitter.com/kpfingaz Jay Gumbs

I know FBA has to do with Amazon but what does it stand for?
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  FBA=Fulfillment by Amazon
  
  The best course ever put together (with hundreds of raving fans on our course discussion forums) is here:
  
  http://www.ProvenAmazonCourse.com
Larry Sullivan

Jim, you have CONSISTENTLY told us the only “techie” skill to develop is to build a list. Anyone can go through AWeber in a day. Once you learn how easy it is it brings a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. For those wanting to start online, I highly encourage them to do this. Then try it with a friends offline business just to get your feet wet. Aweber walks you through each step,they have online “chat” help and are tremendous to work with. Jim, thanks again for pointing me in this direction…..Larry Sullivan
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Thanks for the feedback Larry.
  
  You are correct that the ONLY “semi-techie” skill anyone needs in order to be wildly successful online is “email list growth”. Here’s my best blog post on that exact topic:
  
  http://www.jimcockrum.com/blog/2010/10/13/the-only-techie-skill-youll-ever-need/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=693685944 Susan Whitehead

The one thing I would add to your chart is to find someone you can trust who is REALLY doing what they teach and learn from them. I know it doesn’t really fit into the opportunities, but it does go hand in hand with getting started online. Once you know you can trust a “guru”, it’s easy to stick with them and know to strongly consider opportunities they share. Then you can decide which category it fits into (in the opportunity chart) and decide if that’s the best thing for you to try at the time. It also helps to know your strengths and your willingness to outsource.

It is HARD to find someone you trust, and Jim is one of maybe 5 “gurus” online that I trust. That’s why it is hard to turn down any offer that Jim shares. He is a great filter, so I know any opportunities he shares have been tested, proven and he stands behind.
- Brian
  
  Susan – I agree completely about Jim.
  
  Bill Myers should also be on your “trusted guru list” if he’s not already. Knowledge 5/5, integrity 5/5, free content 5/5, membership content 5/5.
  
  Note: I have NO financial interest of any kind in Bill Myers’ site or training products, etc.
Donna

Jim,
I love your chart and videos and I appreciate all the information you send out. I’ve been an eBayer for about 6 years and while I’m a “power seller,” I have made very little money. I’m trying some new things there, but I’m glad to get your opinion of FBA. I’m seriously considering it. Thanks! Donna
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  If you’ve stuck it out with eBay that long I know you’ll LOVE FBA! Check out the hands down best course on the subject here: http://www.ProvenAmazonCourse.com
Melinda

I LOVE pictures! I am a visual learner and love this map and the videos. I am about 6 months into an eBay business and a few months on Amazon FBA. I’m an ex-trainer and would love to have an authority site with info products. Haven’t decided on a niche. Most of my energy is going to eBay and Amazon. I’m loving it and am looking forward to continued growing and learning and success. I had coaching with Suzanne (from the JimCockrumCoaching.com coaching team) and am a member of Online Selling Coach and MySilentTeam.com. I’d like to see info on business planning for the short and long term. How to be successful with what I’m doing now and what is next beyond eBay & Amazon. Thanks Jim, the map helped me to understand better the opportunities about which I see so much online and in email.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Great to hear your enthusiasm and success – it really shines through your comment. I have plenty of great stuff coming your way – thanks for the feedback!
Dave

Jim,
Great post. As they say, a picture paints a thousand words. It is particularly interesting to hear your view on trends. I will be printing the page off and giving this a lot more thought.

Dave
Jim Hess

Jim, Great info as always.I love the videos and the chart and it got my mind working.My problem is in the start of anything.I am always searhing and I know that is not the way to go. I have been searching for about 10 years.I am selling on Ebay and making small money but it is positve cash flow.I am going to get into your chart and finally start on track.You will hear from me and I will join your Forum site and I hope to get things happening.I did talk with your friend Stuart thru skype and got some tips from him.I think making contacts is also a positive way to go.I would like to know what SOC is and more on info products. Thanks for everthing and hope to be in touch soon..Jim
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  SOC is “Send Out Cards”. Here’s a link to a recent online webinar I did with David Frey on the subject: http://www.offlinebiz.com/JimDavidWebinar.html
  
  As for info products, I’ve been mixing in ideas and articles in my newsletter for years on the subject. It’s such a wide open topic it’s hard to give quick advice here, but the entire publishing world has changed forever. Anyone can create and market their own info products and the Internet makes your success much more likely. I’ll try to put together more info for you soon in this blog, or in my newsletter.
http://www.OmahaHolidayHome.co.nz Lesley

Enjoyed your short overview Jim especially as I was thinking about doing some affiliate matketing but being new I didn’t understand what FBA or SOC was? Can you explain a little more?
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Check out the replies I’ve left for others, but in short here’s more info on FBA:
  
  http://www.ProvenAmazonCourse.com
  and SOC:
  http://www.offlinebiz.com/JimDavidWebinar.html and http://www.OfflineBizCards.com
  
  On these two pages you’ll learn how to use SOC as a tool for helping any small business with referral marketing, as well as how to grow your own marketing business. There are multiple other uses for SOC though.
  
  Recent blog post about SOC and referral marketing:
  http://www.jimcockrum.com/blog/2011/05/04/how-do-most-businesses-get-new-customers-knowing-the-answer-is-powerful/
R Panton

Hi Jim,
Great videos which make sense.
The only things I would say is you really need to have a source for selling things on a regular basis allowing you to then build a list, sell on/off Ebay, Amazon etc – thiss to me anyway is the hard part as I have been unable to find anyone willing to sell goods to me for resale as I am not a business.
I have been selling on Ebay for 8 years now and making only £70-80 a week aas I can only source things from Car Boot, Jumble, Yard Sales,etc meaning my inventory is always mixed and varied , I never now what I will be selling.
I would love to hear from you or anyone else on suggestions on how or where to find a source and then i can put some of your great ideas to work.
Regards
Rick
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  At MySilentTeam.com we offer up multiple ideas for product sourcing! You’d also enjoy the ProvenAmazonCourse.com course. It’s got a bunch of great ideas for sourcing profitable products.
Scott Admer

Thanks for the videos; I’m looking into the Proven Amazon Course. I’m also interested in learning more about the Proven eBay Course.

P.S. Are those cockatiels we hear in the background?
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  Both are great courses with a very high success rate. ProvenAmazonCourse.com is the link you’ll need for that one, and here’s the link for the PEC (I never put up a fancy domain name for it):
  
  http://www.mysilentteam.com/public/474.cfm
  
  If you live in the U.S. this is a KILLER course that shows you the exact product you can source from anywhere while providing a valuable service to those that need it. I’d estimate that 90% of the good inventory gets thrown in the trash on this one…and it’s VERY valuable! It’s just a matter of finding it, and that’s what this course teaches you how to do.
http://www.dougrenz.com Doug Renz

Jim, enjoyed the video’s and the drawing, very helpful to understand what works and how to make a decision on where to pursue an opportunity.

Doug
Jerry

Hi Jim, this info your showing me is great. I’m just getting into this and love all of your free info. Whats the difference of having a pretty website compared to a pretty e-commerce site. I yet to have a niche product but would want to build a nice looking site after research is done on that niche. Thank you for your time. Jerry
Antonio

Jim,

I like your videos and the information you provided. I was actually on the webinar you did with David Frey about SOC. I like the idea of the cards used to get the attention of the business owners. Is there any way I can talk to you about the cards? Thank you.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  sure thing – email your phone number to me at jimcockrumgmail.com and
  I’ll give you a shout sometime. I love SOC and would be happy to talk it up
  with you sometime.
Matt Poc

Hey Jim,

I really enjoyed watching these short videos.

And yeah, I really agree that affiliate marketing is getting more and more riskier.

Recently, Amazon made a change, because the law changed and if you live in a certain state, goodbye, you’re no longer an affiliate.
I am happy that I did not choose that way and that I create my own products.

And which way do you think is best for a beginner to start online now? List building?

Matt Poc
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  There are numerous good ideas for a newbie. I think you’ll find this post
  helpful:
  
  http://www.jimcockrum.com/blog/2011/05/18/i-want-an-internet-business-where-do-i-start/
James Samy

Hi Jim Cockrum, thank you for a great video sharing .. awesome. I would be here if not for my friend online Thea Woods. She shared your link and encourage me to listen to yr video. I am happy to be here and read the comments by others.

I did Amazon and eBay 4 years ago but did not make any so call income, maybe using the wrong technique. I love your Internet Opportunity Map and your friendly approach. What is your advice Jim for a person like me who is trying to start an internet business? Will it be Amazon as your said in your blog and comment?

Eagerly waiting for your advice and opportunity to start my energy following. Thank you Jim

James Samy
Singapore
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  My advice is to follow any of the opportunities shown here. Find one that best suits you and run with it. Staying focused is the hard part, but all the ideas here are working for many others.
  - james samy
    
    Thank you Jim. I know what you want me to do but what will it be for person from Singapore to start off … Amazon PAC or eBay. Why I am asking because I am clueless.
    
    Thank you
    - http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
      
      I’m not as familiar with the options available to you in Singapore as I should be, but I don’t think you can use Amazon FBA unless you can get great shipping rates to one of the countries where FBA is active. According to Amazon.com FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan. To use these services, a seller must create a selling account under separate terms in these countries and manage the account separate from accounts in other geographies. For assistance with setting up accounts in Europe, go to Amazon Business Services. For account setup on Japan, go to Amazon Services Japan.
      
      There are many successful ebay businesses running in Singapore though. http://www.ebay.com.sg/
      
      My strategies do work well for growing an audience and creating great content no matter where you live though. As long as you have Internet you can build a successful business.
      - james samy
        
        Thank you Jim. Therefore, you suggest I take up eBay or Amazon. If eBay, what course should take cause I never done eBay.
        
        I really want to something that can give me 100 to 500 per week. Your advice will go a long way in my life.
      - james samy
        
        In my position what is direction for me … EBay or Amazon. If eBay where to learn n if amazon where should learn. Thanks
Anonymous

Respectfully, I don’t think you can represent Information Products with a single dot (occupying a particular set of coordinates in your graphic). First of all, there are at least three dozen different types of information products, and as many different ways/platforms to create, publicize, sell and deliver them. They also range in cost (to the seller) from virtually no-cost to high-cost, low maintenance to high maintenance, etc.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  The “dot” is not a representation of the size or scope of the opportunity. The location of the dot indicates (my opinion only) the DIFFICULTY of getting into this type of work for the “average” online entrepreneur as well as the expected long term stability of such efforts. I agree -there are dozens of directions to go in with info products as there are with most of my other favorite biz models.
  - Anonymous
    
    I understand, Jim, but I think that the visual representation as shown is misleading, albeit unintentionally. This isn’t unexpected since it’s a very different type of entity (products) from all the others (which are marketing schemes/platforms). As such, it really doesn’t belong on the chart at all because the horizontal and vertical scales cannot apply to such very different kinds of entities. It’s as if you had a chart depicting the value versus cost of want ads, radio ads, TV ads, flyers, billboards, Yellow Pages…and sporting goods. It doesn’t fit.
    
    I don’t mean to nitpick but the visual representation of complex information is something of a specialty of mine, and I’m only offering this observation to be helpful.
Ken

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the informative videos….I’d like to set up a website and this info steers me in a better direction. Thanks again.
john richards

hello jim

this is my first visit to you blog and you have a load of information to help everyone i must say these video are great very informative face book will faze out in 2 years i agree with this people i know go to face book just to meet friends play all the games then get tired of it i feel twitter was here before facebook for marketers but i find its a good place to market rather that facebook however you can use apps people click grab the gifts how many read the books or watch video.

i agree also regarding affiliate marketing is very hard people are promoting the same things and using the same promo tools.

i will admit jim i never heard of authority sites before ill keep watching your progress more videos would be great maybe you are the man to teach me hope to hear from you soon

thanks again

john richards

http://jsdirect.co.uk
aldrin james

I am also planning to have my own internet business and I am want to know where to start and how. I am just so lucky that I found this post. Those videos are very informative.
negocios rentables
Dale Anderson

This very frank assessment of of present and future online opportunities rings pretty much right on and I get the feeling that more will be required in the way of content, like useful information that speaks directly to them. Niche info will rule and rambling, non pertinence will be penalized.
Pete Kici

Jim
Want to wish you and your family a happy new year.
I am a soc distributor also am working with local businesses any ideas
for using soc for the business owner,we know the obvious is birthdays and holidays

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Warmest regards

Pete Kici
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  You’d enjoy this video I made with David Frey:
  http://www.offlinebiz.com/members/Solving_the_biggest_challenge_Getting_and_keeping_a_prospects_attention.cfm?sd=37
  It’s training on the creative uses of SOC for “real world” businesses (helping them generate leads and referrals)
  - Stanley Piszczatowski
    
    Is there any way of getting access to the downloads of the two SOC presentations referenced in this posts. They both freeze up no matter what browser (IE,Chrome or Firefox) I access the links through. I got here from Silent Sales Machine and I’d like to find out more about SOC.
    
    Thanks,
    Stan
    - http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
      
      I’ve just successfully listened to about 20 minutes of the presenation without a hitch…it seems to be fine. Are you using a freshly rebooted computer? If so, try clearing the internet cache as well…or try a different browser/computer. I hope that helps. As a reminder, here’s the link: http://www.marketingbestpractices.com/replay/offlinebizcards/
Charlie 3

Jim,

Excellent graph. Now you have made me back up and punt. All the things that everyone else is pushing your not! I like your advice though. Just so you know, I bought two of your books. Thanks for the info.
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

I do when I can! Not this time though…sorry.
Arnld Knight

You hate too much. You should start learning how to pretend to “like” or else you’ll scare people away. To me, it sounds as if you’re just playing around.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Wendy-Cannon-Raycroft/1346947341 Wendy Cannon Raycroft

Great insight Jim. I really enjoy your website and pray the Lord will continue to bless your life. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowlege with us.
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

what do you have against SOC? It’s a brilliant biz model and my OfflineBiz.com members especially are finding it a fantastic way to automate “referral marketing”. Don’t write it off…
Brian R

Jim, how relevant and useful is the Amazon course (PAC) to us living in Australia? The sales copy says it’s for everyone but the Amazon pages I’ve read on FBA seem to be point to geographical barriers?

Thanks,
Brian
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  The shipping fees become restrictive when using FBA from a country where there aren’t any warehouses. To see the current list of FBA supported countries visit this page:
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200240360
  This does not mean you can’t sell on Amazon, only that you can’t use the FBA fulfillment services…that being said, I’m not familiar yet with many success stories in Australia selling on Amazon. eBay is another matter though…there are many successful eBay sellers there.
  - Brian R
    
    Just trying to understand your position on this, Jim … I just re-read the comment at the PAC sales page: “The Amazon opportunity is global so this course is for EVERYONE.” I initially took that quite literally. I now see that you are basically saying that if we are outside the available countries for FBA, then ignore FBA for now and consider a non-FBA Amazon business model. However, your comment “that being said, I’m not familiar yet with many success stories in Australia selling on Amazon” does not sound anywhere near as encouraging as ”The Amazon opportunity is global so this course is for EVERYONE.”
    
    Can you elaborate, please?
    
    Thanks,
    Brian
    - http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
      
      For example, you can open a US Amazon account and have suppliers ship items directly to your FBA account in the US, but they would have to be properly prepared to be be received at the FBA warehouse – this takes special arrangements with the vendor. You could make this arrangement for FBA in any country where Amazon offers FBA (US, UK, France, Germany, Japan). There’s always a work around!
      
      You can still take the principles of retail arbitrage and apply them to buying and selling products in Australia yourself as well. We teach some fantastic arbitrage strategies in this course…but all that being said, I’m not hearing from many Australians enjoying wild success on Amazon as a seller (yet). I can’t say I’ve talked to all of them, and they don’t owe me their story if they are doing well. It’s just a general observation.
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

If you are talking about creating info products I suggest you join a good forum where others are discussing such things. I have content that includes my take on the subject on this blog, on my membership site: MySilentTeam.com (which includes an active discussion forum), and in my $5 book SilentSalesMachine.com.
btr57

Are there any Aussie readers who have been down this Amazon path, please?
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

The best niche sites are sites are built on niche topics that the owner/manager you can legitimately speak as an authority on. You can gather experts together, or be one yourself, but “pretend” authority is temporary authority.
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

That’s the “proven eBay course” – details here:

http://www.mysilentteam.com/public/474.cfm
Curt

Hey Jim, just bought your silent sales machine ebook, reading through it. I watched your videos above and wanted to know what specific training you recommend to set up niche ecommerce sites. Thanks
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

I’ve dropped an email to you at the address provided when you left your comment.
Ian Blyth

Hi Jim, thanks for all the great information! I have just purchased your Silent Sales Machine ebook and planning on creating my own “silent sales machine”. I am intrigued by your Proven Ebay Course as I am struggling to establish an eBay business – I realise your PEC is limited to the US and has now closed off in that market, but I wonder if there is potential for something similar where I live in Australia? Any details would be greatly appreciated!

Warm regards, Ian
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  The PEC course is closed, although we occasionally allow someone in if they directly contact us about it. Unfortunately it was (and is) an opportunity unique to the US market. eBay of course is a much bigger opportunity globally…but that particular course was a US only niche.
http://www.facebook.com/PeggyDallmann Peggy Dallmann

Hi, Jim. I enjoyed all three videos. I hope you didn’t address this in one of your comments below, but I didn’t want to wade through 152 comments. Does any of your material address drop shipping? What is your opinion about drop shipping as a business? I know some people drop ship on ebay and amazon, but I have read pros and cons. Is there a trend for this type of business? Would you recommend going with one of the bigger companies (such as Doba, for example) if one does go into dropshipping? (I’m just asking generally.)
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  I love the idea of setting up drop-shipping arrangements with unique and exclusive sources, but rarely will you find such an arrangement on a publicly accessible database service like DOBA. The best sources of drop ship product will be businesses that are willing to let you represent them online and they’ll do the shipping – without any threat of competition. These arrangements are easy to find, but there are many out there. Listen to the interview with Barrington on this page to see how he did it:
  
  http://www.mysilentteam.com/public/671.cfm
Laura

I guess I’m a little confused as to how to build an email list without a site…can you elaborate a little on this?

What do you think about using little sites for content like squidoo and hubpages?

Do you have an opinion on selling on other sites besides ebay…like eCrater, ebids or even Yardsellr?

Say I sell something on ebay. And when I send out the item, I include a card. Is it OK to have on the business card links to other stores I might have out there on line?

Thanks.
- http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum
  
  You’ll learn the answers to other similar in depth questions by checking out the “email” section of my blog, and this very inexpensive training course: listbuildingclass.com will be very helpful to you as well.
  
  To your questions:
  
  While sites like squidoo can help, I’m more a fan of creating unique info products and then using them to get in front of large list owners in your niche.
  
  RE: Selling on non-ebay sites…there is only one other site that is worth the effort in my opinion and that’s amazon. All others share a tiny piece of the market share.
  
  You can include any packaging you’d like when selling on eBay. I’ve never heard of someone getting in trouble for including an ad in the package. It’s actually one of the best ways to grow your mailing list in a niche.
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

The solution isn’t advertising. Growing an audience using real value content, and working through “gatekeepers” who already have large targeted audiences is the way to go. It’s not easy though at all to start with the product in mind (in this case SOC) and then pursue income. Check out my silentsalesmachine.com book or 101freemarketing.com book for many great ideas. My blog has great articles on the topic of forming online relationships, leadership, and growing an audience as well. I love SOC primarily as a great way to help real world businesses with their marketing, and as a way to find those ‘real world’ clients. See OfflineBizCards.com.
http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

Building niche sites IS NOT easy, nor do I suggest ANYONE start there. There was a time when it was a decent starting point, but now it’s very low on my list of opportunities.

I’m far more excited about selling on amazon and eBay. A good starting point (with countless success stories) is Amazon’s FBA program. Check out ProvenAmazonCourse.com for more info.
http://twitter.com/faslie Faslie Miller

I stumbled across “Jim Cockrum” while searching for ways to improve my e-business and I am impressed. I need to really study this and become active. I did join an internet guru in the UK but didn’t learn much. So, hopefully here I will because I’m struggling to build and grow my online business: http://www.meridiansupplements.com

I want an Internet business. Where do I start?

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