4 My New-to-Net Friends
Index to Training in
Basic Computer and Internet Skills

Several years ago I intended to start some basic tips and training articles in this section. I got distracted with other projects. Now I'm coming back to this. It will follow my outline for a private mentoring course in starting your own small web business from a web site. Obviously, we need to start with some really basic things. I don't want to take for granted you know some things and find we've lost because we didn't cover some apparently minor but crucial thing.

Computer Skills Lessons

Your Computer's Hardware and Components

Set Up a Computer and Peripherals

Installing a Linux Operating System

Keyboarding Skills and Tips

Computer Troubleshooting

Basic Email Lessons

Email How-tos

How to set up your Email software and configure it

Email Etiquette and Rules

Email Security

How to Setup Your Mailing List

Giving Away Your Email List?

My own Linux Discovery Series:

Index of New-to-Net

What Led me to Want Linux? How to choose a Distro

Come, Tour My Candy Store! Exploring Mandrake 9.1, my first Linux System

My Computer Tsunami how one mistake led to another!

Choosing Your Online Small Business Model

You may be seriously thinking about doing some kind of online business work to earn some money. Or perhaps to do some Christian ministry. But what options exactly are out there? What do you need to know and do to make a living online, or to help others?

I can give you a broad picture of the choices and the stages you need to move through to set yourself up as a business you can run from your computer at home. But it may help you much more if you go through my Scavenger Hunt game, which introduces you to seven online business models. It may help you decide which one is for you.

Here are a few more articles to get you started;
How Much Money Can I Make Online?

The Most Important Requirements

Plot Your Business to Match Your Passion and Skills (brainstorming)

Looking over the Business Models

The SiteSell models

Use Your Pain to Gain Income

Making Funnels Will Lure in Leads and Signups?

What Can You Get for $1

Preferred Business Model

F-R-E-E Facebook Leads

Quiz: Are You the Right Type for Operating an Online Business?

Other Sections with Articles

Articles on Biblical Business Principles

eAction Articles that used to be on my blog

Warning about Get Rich Quick Schemes

There are plentiful warnings about falling for Get Rich Quick schemes for making money fast. Here's one article inspired by Doug Williams who had some sensible warnings on these and particularly 3rd Rate Opportunities.

What's this SPAM?

Unsolicited email is any email you send to someone that didn't agree to receive it! The following actions all constitute unsolicited email (spam):

-Sending mail to purchased bulk-email lists, whether on-line or on a CD-ROM, and whether or not they are described as opportunity seekers or opt-in, particularly where the only contact address listed is their email address.

  - Sending mail to email addresses harvested from web sites.

  - Sending more than one confirmation email in response to a single FFA posting, whether by autoresponder or directly.

  - Adding email addresses to an autoresponder where the person has not specifically asked to be added to your autoresponder (and you may need to prove that they did ask).

  - Adding email addresses to a database, newletter or mailing list where the person has not specifically asked to be added (and you may need to prove that they did ask).

The best way to avoid spam complaints against you is:

  - Also include as many contact details as you feel comfortable with, at the minimum your name and/or company name but preferably also a contact phone number and post office box address. (For safety I do not recommend putting your residential address in an email).

  - Wherever possible personalize your communications, particularly if you have the person's name. Never address an email to a stranger as 'Dear Friend.'

  - Always, always, always include a method whereby the person can decline to receive any further emails from you.