Unearthing Alicia

This week I published my very own website. Like, a for-real website. I paid money for it.  Not only that, but I registered my very own business. A for-real business that I also paid money to license.  It feels...strange.  The process of learning about what kind of business entity I should start, what licenses I need, and how to collect taxes reinforces my earlier idea (see blog post "What You Don't Know") that I should start a website where experts explain their field as if you're an intelligent person who has no background in the subject. So many "explanations" tell you as if you already know all about it and just need a little clarification.  It's kind of funny, though, I don't anticipate my business making any actual money, but I still want to check things all of the time. I think my website is really pretty and I want people to see it, but I'm kind of terrified that someone might actually order something. I'm scared that the quality won...

 I have designed blogs, websites, logos, icons, advertisements, and more through my various classes, but I have never had to take payments. It makes things feel so much more real.  This week I looked into adding a PayPal button to a website, which is easy enough, but then I was asked to think about the administrative tasks and legal considerations I need to make when accepting payments and I don't know what they are. Even after my studies.  I thought I would go ahead and sign up for the website I'm going to create this semester, but one of the first questions asked about what kind of business it is: sole proprietorship, LLC, something else? I don't know. I think we'll learn about that next week, but right now I have no idea. The thing I like best about this class, though, is that I'm going to have to do it anyway.  I will sit and wait and think and wonder if I'm ready and never really consider actually doing a thing FOREVER. Here, I have to just do it. That'...

 This week I had to finish brainstorming 20 different business ideas and then pick one to start during this class. Maybe that's why when I had to sit down and reflect on learning about site builders and web hosting I had an idea for a website: What You Don't Know. You see, I started with a decent idea of what a site builder was and a vague idea of what web hosting was, but the more I tried to research the more confused I got. Specifically about web hosting.  When you look up information about web hosting you find a lot of answers, but those answers are geared toward the kind of people who are interested in web hosting and already know what it's all about. They list all kinds of specs that still mean nothing to me at this point, so they don't do me any good. And I'm sure it's good that there are so many different levels you can purchase, but how in the world am I supposed to know what I need when I've never run my own website? So, here's my business idea....

 I don't know how many times I've seen advertisements or influencers talk about creating a drop shipping company that makes you money without you needing to lift a finger, or starting a blog and quitting your job to spend all day touring Greece with your family. The thing that each of these has in common, however, is that they are willing to teach you how to do it - just like they did - for a paltry $399.  They know it takes more work than they make it seem, but it's not in their interest to tell you that until you've paid up.  Cynicism aside, I have enjoyed learning about affiliate marketing and drop shipping this week because I have been intrigued by some of these claims before. And it's not that I'm less inclined to try them because I have learned the strengths and pitfalls this week, but I am more realistic about what it would mean if I did. And that's a good thing.  I think that the biggest challenge I have to overcome is my mindset that I don't wan...