When you're looking to start an internet business there's lots to consider. Despite there being lots to consider, it's also very easy to get started with a relatively low amount of capital. In fact, the barriers to entry are now so low that many investors say that there's less opportunities for them to invest in. Through a disciplined approach, it's possible to get an internet business cash-flow positive in a short amount of time, with little capital outlay, and few compromises. Following are the steps you should take to get your internet business off the ground.

Picking A Domain Name & Company Name

Before you pick your company name, it's best to see if you can find a domain name that'll work for your internet business. For some domain names, you will not be able to register them for $10. For more popular names, such as creditcards.com, hotels.com, and mortgages.com, you would likely have to pay over $1M. That's why it's best if you can think of a name that nobody else has registered before. If you can think of something memorable, quirky, cool, and short you're onto a winner.

If you do, however, have a reasonable budget you may wish to consider buying a domain name that has already been registered. Usually the most expensive domain names will be generic domain names that are targeted to a product or service – shoes (shoes.com), or golf clubs (golfclubs.com). When you own a domain name like this you will get type-in traffic, and you will also find that your website ranks higher in search engines for your main keyword.

Hosting Your Website

Rather than investing in servers and eating into your budget for capital expenditure, wouldn't it be much easier if you could host your website in the cloud? Now you can. You can use a hosting provider who will charge you a monthly fee for website hosting, and they will be in charge of making sure your website remains online. Furthermore, they will install software upgrades on the server and perform other administration functions so you don't have to.

Designing Your Website

Depending on your budget, you may be looking to hire engineers to work in-house. However, if you have smaller budget you may wish to outsource the development of your website to a software development company or design agency. It's possible to make even further savings on getting your internet business off the ground if you work with an offshore firm. They may be able to provide labour for $5-$20 an hour – this gives you more money to invest in marketing and bringing your business to a cash-flow positive position.

Marketing Your Internet Business Website

There are many ways to market your internet business website, and often the best strategy will depend on the business model that you have, and the market that you are participating in. The internet provides unique opportunities to target consumers by intent and demographics, while PR can often be the best way to reach the masses.

CityLocal's local directories have all the information you need to find businesses in the UK. There are also franchise opportunities available for work-at-home entrepreneurs. www.citylocal.co.uk & www.citylocal.ie.