Start You Own Business? Make Money Online? Get Your Piece of the Internet Digital Pie

So you want to start your own business? You want to make money online? You have heard all the "get rich quick" stories, and now, you want a piece of the internet digital pie. Do you have a solid plan to succeed in business or even know what market you want to make your fortune in?You need a plan. I have read a lot of business plans, did a ton of research in order to write my own business plan, and have always wondered how others, both successful and failures, did their business planning. If they did it at all.Upon talking to former business owners who have called it quits, it's amazing to hear stories about what little research or planning went into the viability of their business, not to mention the profitability, and exactly what they wanted to get out of their business.Was the goal to "not" have a boss, have "time freedom", become a millionaire, earn extra cash to supplement existing income, or just for the pure passion of being in business? Many cannot answer in clear detail what their goals are, much less the specific plan or system to get them there.I know the current economy is lagging, well basically it sucks, but if you are set up with a system that can change with the market, know how big your market demand is, what your market wants, and can deliver a quality product or service in a cost efficient way, you should be able to achieve your desired end goal. It takes "smart" work though.The thing to think about first and foremost is profitability. It is the absolute most important factor that determines the success of any business. A little common sense there. Your focus should be on how you are going to make money in the niche market you have chosen.You might be surprised at how many people decide to start a business on what they think is an awesome idea, only to find that there are not enough people willing to pay money for the product or service to support their business.One way to actually get an answer if your idea is feasible is to do a lot of research and some testing. The Internet is an ideal proving ground for testing ideas and it is not that hard to do. Or, you can just throw it out there on a wing and a prayer, and hope your money and time holds out until you succeed.If you want to know if something will sell, I would make a nice ad, complete with a very good quality picture and description, put it up on eBay to see how it sells. Try split-testing your ads to see if one performs better than another. Track the results.Another way is to find out if people are looking for your product or service is by using Google's Keyword Research Tool. Type in your product or service keywords and see how many people are searching for those terms. Make sure your keywords are very relevant.Now that you have determined your niche market is worth pursuing, your product or service is in demand, and you have a plan to implement, what is your desired outcome you want to get out of your efforts of having your own business?You need to have this expected end goal profit amount fixed, so you can make intelligent decisions on what it will take to get there and actually see what is, or is not, getting you to that end point. If you don't have a target, how do you know what to shoot at?All in all, be sure to pick something you enjoy doing. Have a solid, but flexible plan and keep on keeping on. Stick to your values and always be true to yourself. Give exceptional value, make your profits, have outstanding customer service, and you should reap the fantastic rewards of "being your own boss".