In this day and age, there is very little reason for office-based workers to go through the daily commute to the office. Remote working is now a very real option and some of the more enlightened companies already allow their staff to work from home, utilising remote working technologies that are now easily deployed over broadband services.

So, with unemployment at record levels, it should come as no surprise that starting your own business from home can leverage the very same cost reductions that many companies enjoy when they employ remote workers.

If the big companies can take advantage of these costs reductions, then why shouldn’t you?

You’ve got the very low costs, so how are you going to make some money?

The problem that most business owners face when starting a home based business, is not so much the costs, but generating the income.

The advances in Internet technologies and broadband services over the last ten years have mean that running a home based business over the Internet seems to be the obvious choice, and who would argue against that? After all, we can all name multi-millionaire entrepreneurs who have made their fortune from an Internet-based business.

But where does that leave the rest of us who haven’t been so ‘lucky’ to have stumbled across that ‘golden goose’ of a business idea that will make us millions?

Well, firstly, when you analyse it, it’s not actually the idea that has made the money. Sure, a good plan and idea that everyone wants a piece of certainly helps, but business history is littered with superior products and ideas that failed whilst inferior but better marketed products grew to dominate and see success.

So, marketing is the key? What if you’ve never marketed anything in your life? Where do you start?

These questions often lead to would-be home-based business owners looking for the equivalent of a franchise online. After all, franchises normally have all the marketing and branding sorted out for you, right? That, together with guidelines on what you should do if you want to undertake your own additional marketing, all at your own cost of course.

However, as anyone who has tried to grow their business online can attest, succeeding on the Internet is a VERY different ball game to the ‘brick & mortar’ environment, and ‘offline’ marketing techniques don’t translate too well online.

So is an online business franchise the answer? Well, yes and no. ‘Yes’ in respect that if you’re looking for a proven model to succeed, then you’re likely to get the marketing strategies that work too. ‘No’ in respect that for any business, if you had a proven marketing platform and strategy that will work for almost any business, you would be able to pick the business that suited you.

What business would you start if you had a proven marketing and business platform to empower you for success?

If you had a marketing system and platform that taught you how and enabled you to sell almost anything, would it matter?
I guess the question really is, if you have the ability to successfully market and sell anything, is this a viable franchise alternative?

If you’re running your business online, the other advantages that a ‘brick & mortar’ franchise offers are somewhat reduced down to the marketing alone, and if that’s the case, then are you looking for a marketing system or a franchise?

Which ever route you take, be sure to do all your research and due diligence. Then stick with your decision once you’ve made the commitment; “winners never quit, and quitters never win”.