I wrote this for A Campus Magazine (Campus Opinion)
Since the advent of the internet, many multi billion dollar firms have been made and many are still being started. Agreed today many of us in Nigeria are also beginning to really catch this fever of online biz craze but notably many are yet to come to terms with the reality that soon, as aptly put by Mr. Bill Gates, there will be two types of people soon. Those who are doing business on the internet and those who are out of business. So it is particularly worrisome that many businesses in Nigeria are yet to have online presence.
Despite personally catching the internet fever as far back as 2000, it was until 2003 when I attended a seminar organized by the SUG, University of Calabar where an IT consultant all the way from Lagos made a speech that changed the way I viewed the internet entirely. In his words “many of you are only used to downloading from the internet, have you ever thought about uploading for others to download?” What he was actually trying to say was that, we Nigerians should begin to contribute to internet content. We have to show the world what we also have to offer rather than wait for the Whiteman to create the content while we only consume. This is just like the way we import everything from bottled water to tooth picks from abroad. According to him, this was the only way Nigeria could close the gap between her and the developed world.
From that moment on, my thinking changed, I was tired of just going to search for other peoples information on Google, and just check mails on yahoo and so on. But the question here was, what exactly was I going to contribute? That was the snag.
By 2004 I was creating my first website. I say first because I now have several. This website gradually metamorphosed into a business and today I am not just contributing to the information super highway but making good money from every single thing I do online.
I had to tell you this brief story about how I started and where I am currently just to encourage you. From now on, this column will be discussing businesses and you shouldn’t miss any. Some of the things I will talk about on this section are not even thought at paid seminars. The reason is simple. Most people who organize seminars on online business are those who haven’t made a dime from the things they teach.
So I will be taking you through various online and offline businesses that I have actually tried my hands on and found worthy.
So how can you really start making money Online?
Simple, learn and learn and learn again until you know. Let me warn you, if you are looking for fast money, then you should drop this magazine. I apologize for wasting your time. I will not be talking about get rich quick schemes here. They are all fraudulent. But if you are looking to make a career out of online biz or you want to do this as a part time job only to earn an extra income, then you are on course.
To start you need to buy books that will inform you. The reason is simple. The internet is so vast you’d get lost looking for information. So as a beginner I advice you buy eBooks targeted at your area of interest. This will help you stay focused on what you actually want rather than go on an endless voyage of discoveries as every information you come across may interest you. Then after three hours surfing you realize you have just wasted all that time only to end up more confused than when you started.
How much can you really earn?
Truth is that, there is no limit to what you can earn when you do the right things. Have you not heard about Nigerians like you who are making millions monthly online? As a student online business is inevitable. You can make do with the extra cash that comes from it and at least have some independence from Mummy and Daddy. There are several things you’ll need as a student some of which you don’t dare ask you parents for. You can have them with a source of income especially one that will have no negative impact on your school work as you do not need more than two hours daily doing business online. I did this as a medical student and now even as a practicing doctor, I can’t let go.
What exactly should you be doing online?
This is the biggest question. I call it the rate limiting step. It is very important because you don’t succeed doing something you do not enjoy. The best thing to do online is that thing you do as a hobby. Think of something that can pass for a hobby. You’ll be surprised how you can develop a hobby to a paying business. It is important you enjoy what you do because, you may not immediately start earning cash from it. So if money is the major driving force you will abandon it. You won’t if you just love what you do. For example, I started analyzing football matches on my blog because I’m a football fanatic, but I earned over $500 in January 2008 alone writing about the super Eagles in the just concluded African Nations Cup. That’s getting paid for doing what you love and that’s just one of the several things I do online.
Below is a list of things you can start making immediate money from:
1. Web Design and Development- Help companies and individual create their online presence
2. Web Hosting- Become the landlord on the internet
3. Online Surveys- Companies will pay you thousands of dollars for your opinion
4. Get Paid For Blogging- You will be paid just to say what you like
5. Get Paid To Post On Forums- There hundreds of forums who will pay you just to take part in discussions
6. Affiliate Marketing with Google Adwords- Market other peoples product and receive large checks monthly
7. Making Money on EBay- Do business on the world largest online market place
8. Make money with Search Engine Optimization- Help site owners drive traffic to their sites and get paid handsomely
9. Make Money From Football - You can do better than just scream Gunners for life!, Man U forever! or Blues Forever! And start making money with it too.
10. Make cash from Google Adsense – Make money just by placing ads on your blog, websites etc.
11. Make money Selling E-gold- Join the e-gold biz and provide online entrepreneurs with what they need for their online payments
12. Make money helping people make online purchases- Become a guru on various online payment system
13. MLM programs- Getaway Club is the reigning thing now. There are also several others. Nigerians are raking in millions daily.
14. Make money selling EBooks - Provide the information others need and you’ll be glad you took time to learn.
In the next couple of weeks, we will be able to go through all these methods of online earnings exhaustively in order for you to be in a position to grab your own share of the over $100 billion online opportunities. See you in the next edition.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekanem
Is an online entrepreneur and administrator
Of www.naijafootballfans.com, www.yourpaypalaccount.com,
www.hostportfolio.com, www.naijamedico.com
and also writes for the world Cup Blog Atlanta, USA.
Email: admin@naijafootballfans.com , Tel: 0806-4010-730, 0808-6350-998