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Entrepreneur: How to Start an Online Business

Entrepreneur: How to Start an Online Business

by Lucy Tobin
Publisher: Capstone
Release Date: May 2012
ISBN: 9780857083029
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Book Description

The secrets of the UK's biggest online entrepreneurs revealed

Thinking of starting a business? Already have a business online and looking to take it to the next level? The wonderful world wide web has made creating a start-up that much easier. Thousands of people are out there reaping the rewards the web can bring. If you want to join them, you've come to the right place.

Profiling today's foremost web entrepreneurs, Lucy Tobin - who meets successful business founders every week writing an enterprise column for The Evening Standard – takes us through their start-up stories and maps out exactly what's made them so successful. You'll hear first hand from the bright sparks behind some of the UK's top online businesses. With interviews, practical advice and insights, you'll learn how they did it, what they recommend, and how you can do it too.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Copyright page
  4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  5. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  6. INTRODUCTION
  7. Part One: The Story Behind . . .
    1. CHAPTER 1 WONGA
      1. The idea
      2. Concept to reality
      3. Take off
      4. Wonga’s wonga
      5. Making a splash
    2. CHAPTER 2 MOONPIG
      1. Green light
      2. On the up
      3. Spiralling success
      4. Funding
    3. CHAPTER 3 MUMSNET
      1. Jacuzzi business
      2. Word of mouth
      3. How to get known? Get sued
      4. Still flying solo
      5. No exit
    4. CHAPTER 4 JUSTGIVING
      1. Knocking on doors
      2. A runaway success
      3. The usefulness of usability
      4. Fee storm
    5. CHAPTER 5 ZOOPLA
      1. Film star success
      2. All nighters
      3. Splurge
    6. CHAPTER 6 GOCOMPARE
      1. Grow or die
      2. That man who sings opera . . .
      3. The people
      4. Opportunity knocks
    7. CHAPTER 7 GROUPON / MYCITYDEAL
      1. New direction
      2. Sprint finish
      3. Fish shortages
    8. CHAPTER 8 SPAREROOM
      1. The sound of success
      2. Growth
      3. Shoestring budget
      4. Making some noise (quietly)
      5. Code red
      6. The future – and beyond
    9. CHAPTER 9 MADE.COM
      1. Sofa so good . . .
      2. Networking essentials
      3. Take off
      4. Expansion
    10. CHAPTER 10 MOO.COM
      1. ‘Pleasure cards’
      2. New start
      3. Spreading the word
    11. CHAPTER 11 ENTERNSHIPS
      1. And then the economy imploded
      2. Bootstrapping
      3. Buy back
      4. New strategy
      5. The future
  8. Part Two: Advice
    1. CHAPTER 12 THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT
    2. CHAPTER 13 THE IDEA: CHECKING IT OUT
      1. Market research
      2. Monetisation plan
      3. Barriers to entry
      4. How much will it cost?
      5. Timing
      6. You
      7. Solo or duet?
    3. CHAPTER 14 SETTING UP A BUSINESS
      1. Business plan
      2. Financial reporting and accounting
      3. Tax
      4. Funding
      5. Recruitment
      6. Premises or working from home
      7. Intellectual property
      8. Internet usage policies
      9. Banking
    4. CHAPTER 15 CREATING A WEBSITE
      1. The domain name
      2. Hosting
      3. Build, design and development
      4. SEO
      5. Site content
    5. CHAPTER 16 GETTING YOUR SITE KNOWN: MARKETING
      1. Creating a plan
      2. The theory
      3. The reality
      4. Pay-per-click
      5. PR
      6. Social marketing
      7. Don’t forget the real world . . .
      8. Is it working? Analytics
    6. CHAPTER 17 EXPANSION AND EXIT
      1. Acquisition
  9. RESOURCES
    1. Featured websites
    2. Check it out
    3. Networking
    4. Funding and banking
    5. Creating a website
    6. Marketing
    7. More advice