Recently I was searching on the Internet for an online Christian home based business. Needless to say, the search was somewhat disappointing simply because of the huge number of websites all claiming to offer the perfect solution to my home based business needs. Unfortunately, very few of the companies I researched were actually founded by Christians. Fewer still were built around Christian business standards and ethics. The majority of companies offering home based business opportunities were simply Christian home business owners looking for Christian customers. Sorry, that's not what I was looking for. Anyone can claim to be a Christian, just as easily as anyone can claim to be a true Christian business owner. I didn't want to become part of an online business opportunity unless it was truly a Christian-based business, founded by Christians, operating on Christian biblical principles, and an online business that would allow me to be my own boss.
If you search Google for "christian home based business" most of the top websites are not Christian businesses at all. Most are Christian business directories. That's fine if I were searching for a typical job working for a traditional business, or wanted to start a typical "bricks and mortar" business. But I was searching for a true home based business where I could work from home on a part-time or full-time basis. I like the idea of working from the comfort of my own home, around my own schedule, and without making a huge investment and all the risk that goes into operating a typical "bricks and mortar" business
So, if you're like me and wanting to start your own Christian home based business, let me share with you some things I've learned. There are a few ways you can start this kind of business, but only one is truly a home based business.
You can always find a particular product or service that would have a wide appeal to Christians, and then market your business through traditional marketing methods such as print or media advertising. Of course the most effective marketing tool is the Internet. But unless you really know how to tap into the power of the Internet, you're basically at a loss. Even if you build a website, it will quickly become lost among the millions of similar sites on the worldwide web. It's sort of like planting a tree in a rainforest. You need to learn all the unique ways of driving Internet traffic to your website.
The most effective online Christian business opportunity is one that not only offers products or services that appeal to everyone - including Christians - but which also provides you with a complete turn-key operation, and will then teach you everything you need to know about Internet marketing. It should also be affordable. It shouldn't cost you a small fortune to get started. The up-front costs of getting into a good Internet business can range from several hundred to upwards of two-thousand dollars or more. Usually, the more you pay, the more you get. Just make sure there are no additional hidden costs for services you must purchase at a later time. Any additional costs, if there are any, should be purely optional and should not have a negative impact on your businesses ability to attract customers if you chose to opt out of those additional services. Plus, a credible online business should allow you to generate a fairly steady income stream within a reasonable amount of time. No Internet business opportunity, Christian or otherwise, can promise immediate profits. If they do, there is usually a catch. But you should be able to start generating real profits within 4 to 6 months after you start - assuming you are putting in the time, and following through on all the training you need to be a success.
But what if you're not "computer literate?" What if you barely know how to log onto your computer and surf the Internet? Can you still have a successful Christian home based business online? It all depends if the business opportunity you choose offers a truly comprehensive training program. Of course, some online businesses provide services where they do all the work of marketing and talking to potential clients. But those services cost, and will very quickly eat into your profits.
If you really want to be successful in business, especially online, you need to be patient, and take the time to learn how to do it all yourself. That doesn't means you must always do it all by yourself. You just need to know how to effectively market your business and talk with potential clients. Once you've learned those skills then you can decide how much of your own time you want to spend doing those tasks yourself, and how many you may want to outsource to others. But the bottom line is you need to have a team of real professionals backing you up, and offering you the best and most up-to-date Internet marketing strategies as part of a comprehensive training program. You not only need to learn marketing methods and strategies that will require an investment of your own money, but also effective marketing methods and strategies that are absolutely free. Also, that training should be available to you 24/7. Beside scheduled online training seminars, you should have access to a complete library of online training courses offering expertise in all areas of Internet recruiting and marketing. And perhaps most important, make sure you also have customer support 24/7. You should be able to get issues resolved within 24 to 48 hours of the time you submit a request. You should also have access to a comprehensive knowledge base or question and answer library where you can find solutions to issues on your own.
The bottom line is simply this. To find the right online Christian business opportunity will require a lot of due diligence. You need to approach the whole process objectively. That means look past all the fluff and all the glitz and glamour of claims, and thoroughly examine the basics of the business. Does it offer products and services that have a wide appeal to people searching for an online business? Does it offer a turn-key setup that will put you into business right away? Does it allow you to get into business without a huge expense? Does it provide you with a comprehensive training program so you can truly learn all the ins and outs of Internet marketing? Does it offer a 24/7 customer support and a thorough knowledge base or Q&A library? And perhaps most important of all, is it really a Christian business? Was it founded by Christians, and does it operate on sound biblical Christian principles of truth, honesty, fairness, and the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have others do unto you?