[aclug-L] Re: Need ideas for online business.

[Ironrose <amccadden@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you Jon for very good advice.  No one wants to start a business
that is doomed to fail.  One solution could be to have a team approach
to the business that these individuals are wanting to build.  Sometimes
a company is very successful, but isn't on the internet and wants to be,
but they don't know enough about computers to know how to get started. 
If the 2 parties could merge, one part to work with the computers
(provided that they have enough experience in doing this) and the other
part that has a successful local business that is looking for growth.

I met a salesman about 2 years ago who has a siding business mostly for
the do-it-yourselfer and he wants get on the internet to have a mail
order business.  People could fax or e-mail in the requests and he could
ship them out withing 3 days.  At the time I didn't have the computers
to help him and now I don't remember his name.  Oh well....life goes on.

Jonathan Hall wrote:
> 
> Well let me first say a couple things about starting businesses.
> 
> It sounds like maybe you're just wanting to start "a business", then looking
> for a need to fill.  This is, in my humble opinion, completely backwards.
> 
> Businesses are started to fill needs.  If you don't have a need to fill
> (other than to provide yourself employment), the odds are stacked quite
> heavily toward failure.
> 
> Second, the type of server(s) and Internet connection(s) you need depend
> ENTIRELY on the TYPE of online business you're conducting (and there are
> many, many kinds of 'online' business).  The term "online business" or even
> "e-business" is almost as broad as the term "business" itself nowdays.
> 
> As many on this list have already eluded to, running your own server is
> usually NOT the best idea for a start-up, unless you have a killer idea and
> lots of VC (venture capital).  I would venture a guess and say that you have
> neither at this point.
> 
> If your goal in starting this 'online business' is just to experience online
> business, I would suggest instead finding employment at an existing company
> that conducts business online.  Perhaps after working there a while, you'll
> come up with a great idea, and start your own business at that point...
> 
> The possibilities are endless.  But make sure you have some general
> information about your own needs, desires, and plans, before you start
> investing money in servers.
> 
> -- Jonathan
> 
> P.S. Never buy a server from CompUSA.  I don't recommend National Computer
> too highly, either (over priced), but they are better than CompUSA.  Your
> best bet is probably to build your own servers--that way you can be sure to
> get EXACTLY what you need.  (Exceptions would be if you want an Alpha server
> or Ultra SPARC or something that you cannot buy all the individual
> components for)
> 
> On Fri, Aug 31, 2001 at 04:52:28PM -0500, Anthony A Bogardus wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >      My friend and I are thinking about starting an online business and
> > we're not sure where to buy a server or what kind of business to start. I
> > think National Computer or CompUSA is a good place to buy a server. I
> > think Linux is the cheapest OS to use. I think we'll go with broadband
> > (proablely Road Runner).
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