1. Find where you want to build your website.
The first thing I did was research where I could build and update my own website by phone, and computer for FREE. I had no access to a computer a good majority of the time and I was trying to figure out how I was going to build my website even in my downtime at home. When I put in my needs in google I found www.freewebstore.com . I signed up for free, and got my free website after I designed it to my liking.
I also liked a lot of the features on freewebstore and one of those features was that they allowed me to link my website store with my Kana Wear facebook page to create a storefront. Now when I make a product update on my website it automatically links to my facebook page. If you'd like to see my storefront go to www.facebook.com/KanaWear. Most of the other features that I like are that all of my social media pages are directly connected to my website. I know that sounds kind of lame because mostly all create-a-website sites offer an option to hook up your social media, but after I hooked up my social media I had an option to make an Instagram gallery, and my instagram is filled with tons of pictures of my work and efforts. That took the hassle out of having to upload pictures for a gallery, and since I'm always posting my work on Instagram it changes and makes updates as I do so my followers can always see new content. There may be some features that are unavailable without having to pay, but it's always optional and you can continue using the free version until you upgrade to a premium account. You can click here to visit My Online Store. To build your own website using the free web host of Freewebstore Click here!
This is a screenshot of what my website looked like when I first started out.
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My second website is more so for information and signing up for services since it costs a little money to add these features on freewebstore. Click Here to see my second website for services that I offer!
2. Buying your URL.
When signing up to make a free website you also have to have a free url, but that url is a backslash url. In order to have your own domain you have to pay out of pocket which is why those free urls are convenient if you happened to not have any money at the time. I used to have a domain for 14.99 with GoDaddy years ago, and because I couldn't keep paying to hold onto it I lost it. I was determined I wasn't going to pay that much, so I looked up cheap domains and came across google domains. Google Domains only charges $12/yr. That's $1/month if you want to be literal. I knew that $12 wasn't a lot of money compared to a monthly rate or anything so the next time I had money-(cash) I ended up paying my husband that $12 in exchange for him swiping his card. Having a .com was on my list for my Business Plan that year and I actually achieved that rather cheaply. So technically I only paid $12 for my whole website because I built the whole thing for free, and just paid for my url. I now have 2 google domains and I renew them annually and I even have the option of placing a renewal on there for much longer if I wanted to.
3. Free Business Card Apps
When I first started out as a teenage entrepreneur I had vistaprint cards my mom helped me purchase. I still love vistaprint, however I don't always have the money to replenish my stash of cards, or to make my own anymore. I'm really good at Microsoft programs like Word and Power Point so creating them is not the issue, but having the money to buy the card stock is, as well as where I'd print them.
I wanted something I could share in emails, or with a simple text so I went and looked for an app that was FREE, and came across the Inigo Cards app. Set up was rather easy to do, and all I had to do is sign up with my gmail and they sent a confirmation email to confirm. At first I thought it was cool because the business card itself was through a link with my downloadable card which was then added to the persons contacts once downloaded! It had links to my websites and social media as well, and sometimes it helped me gain followers if I was speaking to someone and telling them about my business. What I didn't realize is that being redirected to a site to download something is oftentimes frowned upon because they may regard it as spam, or something that can cause viruses.
4. Google Voice
Google voice may seem like a very old program, but it's worth a shot especially since it's FREE. If you're that kind of person who wants to separate clientele from personal friends and family then this might be a great option for you. I can easily call and text my clients as long as they are within the US, and I don't have to pay unless I'm calling long distance. I usually send my cards to my clients using this app, and even though it seems like that's just a whole lot I'd rather keep my personal life and business life separate. What I like about Google Voice is that I can use the same phone and service but have a different number without having to pay extra for new service. All I had to do was connect it to my email, and my device number and that was it. I did need to do this on a computer since the option to sign up with a mobile phone is unavailable at the time.
5. Pay Pal Here
I've always had a FREE Pay Pal Account, however I did not have a FREE Pay Pal Here, and that's different. First I had to register for an account and then be called by a consultant. This person probably called maybe a day later and asked me a series of questions about my business like "what product are you selling?" , and why do you want a Pay Pal here?" So after I was done with all of this they then told me I'd receive my FREE credit card reader in the mail in a matter of days. When it came in the mail I was so elated because they not only sent me 1 but 2. So some of the features of the Pay Pal Here app consists of listing your products, and sending a receipt to your customers after a sale. Your card reader can hook up to your cell phone, and now you will be able to process payments right on your mobile phone. They do make their deductions for swiping a card but it's a rather small deduction, and I'm sure your customers wouldn't mind having a little "tax". Now if you happen to have to process a card that should be swiped manually then it's a little more that comes with that. Not only will they be taxed but your money won't come onto your card until 3 days later. You can also sign up for a business debit card with Pay Pal here, and your money can go directly to that, but you cannot accept direct deposits or anything from an employer on this card or anything like that. You'd have to sign up for their Prepaid card in order to set that up, and any of your cards can connect to your Pay Pal account so you can send your money to whichever card you please, and it doesn't have to be a Pay Pal Card.
Conclusion...
There is no better way than starting off the new year with a doable plan, and by doable I mean S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) I was on a live broadcast with Mrs. Keischa Bradley one Monday for Millenial Masterminds. What I liked about this live broadcast was that she applied spiritual principles from the Word of God to entrepreneurship and business, then she he began putting people on the spot asking them questions about how they started and what practical advice we could give to others. I didn't know if what I had to say was relevant or not, all I knew is this is what worked for me. Since I didn't have much time to give people much of a breakdown of how I started I decided to make this a post with detailed steps on how I set up. You can view the facebook replay below if you'd like to hear some of my comments as well as the other entrepreneurs ideas click the video below.
You can also follow Keischa Bradley on facebook or Instagram (@keischabradley) who is also an entrepreneur herself and has founded several ministries including the girls group PUSH (Position Ur Self Higher), and she also has a ministry where she feeds the homeless. She sells real estate and has a plethora of different skills you could learn and benefit from.
I hope that this post has helped someone get an idea of simple steps they can use to start their own business. My goal is for you to see that your dreams are possible and you can do it from right where you are.
When signing up to make a free website you also have to have a free url, but that url is a backslash url. In order to have your own domain you have to pay out of pocket which is why those free urls are convenient if you happened to not have any money at the time. I used to have a domain for 14.99 with GoDaddy years ago, and because I couldn't keep paying to hold onto it I lost it. I was determined I wasn't going to pay that much, so I looked up cheap domains and came across google domains. Google Domains only charges $12/yr. That's $1/month if you want to be literal. I knew that $12 wasn't a lot of money compared to a monthly rate or anything so the next time I had money-(cash) I ended up paying my husband that $12 in exchange for him swiping his card. Having a .com was on my list for my Business Plan that year and I actually achieved that rather cheaply. So technically I only paid $12 for my whole website because I built the whole thing for free, and just paid for my url. I now have 2 google domains and I renew them annually and I even have the option of placing a renewal on there for much longer if I wanted to.
3. Free Business Card Apps
When I first started out as a teenage entrepreneur I had vistaprint cards my mom helped me purchase. I still love vistaprint, however I don't always have the money to replenish my stash of cards, or to make my own anymore. I'm really good at Microsoft programs like Word and Power Point so creating them is not the issue, but having the money to buy the card stock is, as well as where I'd print them.
I wanted something I could share in emails, or with a simple text so I went and looked for an app that was FREE, and came across the Inigo Cards app. Set up was rather easy to do, and all I had to do is sign up with my gmail and they sent a confirmation email to confirm. At first I thought it was cool because the business card itself was through a link with my downloadable card which was then added to the persons contacts once downloaded! It had links to my websites and social media as well, and sometimes it helped me gain followers if I was speaking to someone and telling them about my business. What I didn't realize is that being redirected to a site to download something is oftentimes frowned upon because they may regard it as spam, or something that can cause viruses.
This is a screenshot of my old inigo card.
Today I have a different business card app because Inigo no longer provides this free service after merging with another company. I downloaded Business Card Maker by Bhima Apps on the Google Play App.
This is a more recent business card that I created using that app! I must admit the templates were very beautifully designed and practical😍. It made picking the perfect design that much harder because of it.
It's just a regular 2D card that you can customize to your liking and share as a picture. Might not be as cool as downloading all the information about my business all at once, but it sure does come off less threatening. Not to mention that it gives the person my direct contact information and I can highlight only the social media pages where I post most often! You can never go wrong with a straight forward approach! Some things are just tried and true and you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You would probably snap a picture of a physical card to share anyway, so it's probably in your best interest to create a digital image to simplify things.
4. Google Voice
Google voice may seem like a very old program, but it's worth a shot especially since it's FREE. If you're that kind of person who wants to separate clientele from personal friends and family then this might be a great option for you. I can easily call and text my clients as long as they are within the US, and I don't have to pay unless I'm calling long distance. I usually send my cards to my clients using this app, and even though it seems like that's just a whole lot I'd rather keep my personal life and business life separate. What I like about Google Voice is that I can use the same phone and service but have a different number without having to pay extra for new service. All I had to do was connect it to my email, and my device number and that was it. I did need to do this on a computer since the option to sign up with a mobile phone is unavailable at the time.
5. Pay Pal Here
I've always had a FREE Pay Pal Account, however I did not have a FREE Pay Pal Here, and that's different. First I had to register for an account and then be called by a consultant. This person probably called maybe a day later and asked me a series of questions about my business like "what product are you selling?" , and why do you want a Pay Pal here?" So after I was done with all of this they then told me I'd receive my FREE credit card reader in the mail in a matter of days. When it came in the mail I was so elated because they not only sent me 1 but 2. So some of the features of the Pay Pal Here app consists of listing your products, and sending a receipt to your customers after a sale. Your card reader can hook up to your cell phone, and now you will be able to process payments right on your mobile phone. They do make their deductions for swiping a card but it's a rather small deduction, and I'm sure your customers wouldn't mind having a little "tax". Now if you happen to have to process a card that should be swiped manually then it's a little more that comes with that. Not only will they be taxed but your money won't come onto your card until 3 days later. You can also sign up for a business debit card with Pay Pal here, and your money can go directly to that, but you cannot accept direct deposits or anything from an employer on this card or anything like that. You'd have to sign up for their Prepaid card in order to set that up, and any of your cards can connect to your Pay Pal account so you can send your money to whichever card you please, and it doesn't have to be a Pay Pal Card.
Conclusion...
There is no better way than starting off the new year with a doable plan, and by doable I mean S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) I was on a live broadcast with Mrs. Keischa Bradley one Monday for Millenial Masterminds. What I liked about this live broadcast was that she applied spiritual principles from the Word of God to entrepreneurship and business, then she he began putting people on the spot asking them questions about how they started and what practical advice we could give to others. I didn't know if what I had to say was relevant or not, all I knew is this is what worked for me. Since I didn't have much time to give people much of a breakdown of how I started I decided to make this a post with detailed steps on how I set up. You can view the facebook replay below if you'd like to hear some of my comments as well as the other entrepreneurs ideas click the video below.
You can also follow Keischa Bradley on facebook or Instagram (@keischabradley) who is also an entrepreneur herself and has founded several ministries including the girls group PUSH (Position Ur Self Higher), and she also has a ministry where she feeds the homeless. She sells real estate and has a plethora of different skills you could learn and benefit from.
I hope that this post has helped someone get an idea of simple steps they can use to start their own business. My goal is for you to see that your dreams are possible and you can do it from right where you are.
Please tell me in the comments which of these 5 Steps helped you take flight New Creatures! And remember to subscribe to my blog for more content like this!
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