Not everyone who visits a website is ready to make a purchase or join your opportunity. Most of the time, customers and prospects will comparison shop, visiting several times before making a decision. So even for sites that are primarily sales oriented, an equally important purpose of the website is to generate leads.

Everyone loves getting something for free. Giving something away is a great way to generate website traffic and qualified leads.

Creating an ezine or newsletter is a common “freebie”. Subscribers opt in, which means they provide minimal personal information in order to receive the newsletter. Each new subscriber becomes another lead. The result over time is a large mailing list of qualified prospects. In addition to the newsletter, business owners email announcements of new products or services to this custom-made pool of potential buyers.
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Yesterday I learned about a new blog Widget called ScratchBack that ClickNewz added in place of the “tip jar.” And I’m testing it out – it’s in the right hand column here. –>

In return for a “tip” blog readers receive a website link. It’s easy to set up and use and because it uses the no-follow tag there’s no need to worry about losing PageRank for selling text links.

Do you have a great idea for a home business but don’t have the cash to get started? Here are just a few suggestions of ways to generate some start-up cash for your business.

1. Have a yard sale.
2. Sell items on eBay or other auction type sites.
3. Take out a loan or borrow the money from a family member or friend.
4. Offer to do small jobs, such as run errands for neighbors.
5. Search online for ways to generate business start up cash.
6. Talk with others you know have started their own business to get ideas.
7. Cut back on unnecessary expenses. Do you really need that Starbuck’s coffee EVERY morning?
8. Visit the small business administration at www.sba.gov
9. Barter services or products with other business owners to get the things you need to get your business off the ground.
10. Find someone to partner with to help cut down expenses.

The possibilities are endless, so do some research, talk to people and find a way to generate start-up cash for your business. It might not be as hard as you think. With so many possibilities for getting your business started, money really shouldn’t be the only thing stopping you.

And don’t forget, if you’re considering joining a direct sales company they often run specials and many have ways to earn your starter kit. Ask your potential sponsor or contact the company directly.

Here’s to making your dream of owning your own home business a reality!