The current global economic crisis is forcing many individuals and businesses to seriously reconsider their strategies for economic survival.

Much like the giant meteor that scientists believe hit our planet around 65 million years ago and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, major catastrophic events tend to spell tragedy and disaster for most of us, but they can also reveal hidden opportunities for those of us who can adapt to the new circumstances in their environment. When the dinosaurs vanished, for example, small little furry animals survived, multiplied and evolved to take over the planet.

In this article, I want to list several doable options that can help you create long-term financial security in today’s uncertain economic climate.

Step 1 – Accept And Embrace Change

The world changed significantly around 20-30 years ago when the Internet started becoming more popular. Since then, although many people migrated and evolved into “Information Age” thinkers, many more unfortunately chose to stay loyal to “Industrial Age” principles and beliefs – a paradigm that was rapidly becoming obsolete. If you are still clinging to “Industrial” Age concepts like the idea that a good academic education will lead to benefits and job security, then you may be leaning towards experiencing a fate similar to that which befell the giant lizards after the meteor struck.

You may, however, just be stuck somewhere in between two worlds, wondering what to do next.

Regardless of where you are at, the solution is to accept that the world has indeed changed, then embrace the “Information Age” unconditionally and without making excuses (i.e. too old, too busy, too broke, too late), and start looking for new opportunities with a more “entrepreneurial” mindset. I am not necessarily suggesting starting your own business if your core value is to find financial security through employment. There are always opportunities for people who can add value to other businesses and these are generally the last people any employer will want to let go of when times are really tough.

Step 2 – Start An Online Business

Once you embrace the “Information Age” there should be no doubt in your mind that, regardless of whatever else you plan on doing, you should also start seriously considering creating one or more streams of income online.

If you need help getting started, here are 7 ways of starting a web-based business:

1) Start A Blog – A “blog” (short for “weblog”) is a very easy way to get started online. Essentially, the general plan is this: a) set up a blog, b) start posting regularly about a particular and hopefully profitable niche area of interest, c) monetize your blog to generate a revenue stream. There are many great resources you can find online to help you profit as a blog writer. So … get blogging!

2) Become An Affiliate Marketer – Affiliate marketing can be very appealing to many people starting out doing business online, because you don’t need to own your own product and, in many cases, you don’t even need to have a website. You simply market someone else’s products using a special coded link with your affiliate ID, and every time a product gets purchased using your affiliate link, you get paid a commission payment for the sale. Like anything else, to become successful at affiliate marketing does require a certain amount of work, knowledge and skills, but all the information you need is out there. You can purchase e-books, e-courses or join online membership sites to learn how to become a better affiliate marketer and it’s not at all costly to get started.

3) Set Up An Online Store – Millions of people and businesses are selling stuff online everyday. If you have something you would like to sell online, consider starting up an e-commerce store with eBay, Etsy.com, Yahoo stores, or a number of other places. Some years ago my wife started a little part-time eBay business and, before too long, she was negotiating product shipments with manufacturing companies in China and leaving our neighbors wondering why so many courier trucks were driving in and out of our street every single day. Even if you decide to start a traditional business, there are many cost-effective opportunities for expanding online, and e-commerce is definitely an option to consider.

4) Start Up Your Own Online Community – The recent phenomenon of social networking is creating unprecedented new opportunities for people online. One of the most recent trends is to start your own online community, targeting a specific area of interest. For example, I recently started an online social networking community site for beaders (www.BeadHuddle.com). This site grew to over 1,000 members in the first six weeks after launching and it now has beading enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as craft-related advertisers. If the idea of owning your own community site interests you, I recommend you visit www.SocialBusinessWeb.com and download a free report entitled “How To Profit With Your Own Social Networking Site” that will show you how to get started.

5) Create And Sell Information Products Online – This option is similar to starting your own e-commerce store (e.g. eBay), but the focus here is specifically on creating digital information products that can be downloaded online. Examples of digital products are e-books (electronic books) and information reports, audio books and podcasts, video training products, membership sites, software and web services, etc. Once again, there are many great resources available on how to do this successfully and, if you do create a winning product, it can be an extremely rewarding and profitable venture, since most of the business can be automated through the use of systems, software and outsourced suppliers. I have personally developed a couple of information products over the years that sell regularly online and, since there are no costs associated with areas like shipping and delivery, every sale I make is pretty much 100% profit.

6) Buy A “Ready-Made” Online Business – If the idea of building your own online business seems too overwhelming, there are many online “turn-key” businesses available which you can simply purchase and start operating fairly immediately. Just like buying a regular business, however, you need to exercise due diligence and research the business, the vendors, the market and the opportunity before you hand over your money to anyone promising you an “online money-making machine”. Ready-made online businesses can range from simple reseller web sites that include a home page with the sales copy, a zipped file containing the product that you then upload to your own server and a download page where you send customers to after they successfully complete a purchase, to complete online “franchise-like” stores. Often, the cost is surprisingly affordable. For example, in 2005 I bought an online retail store outlet that sells thousands of downloadable audio book titles from best-selling authors and leading audio-book publishers for $1,000 dollars. Today I make regular sales of audio books from this store (www.AudioBookOne.net) and the best part of the business is that everything is handled for me by the parent company (e.g. stock selection, product delivery, customer support, etc …) for a small monthly fee.

7) Become An Online Service Provider – If the thought of being an online entrepreneur running your own business seems too risky for you to consider at the moment, then why not continue working for others, but transfer your skills, knowledge and experience to the online sphere? There are many opportunities for working online for other companies. One growing trend, for example, is the outsourcing of tasks like creating, managing and updating web content, providing search engine optimization and online marketing services, business training and consulting services, etc. The work can vary from doing routine tasks that other business owners would rather outsource to someone else, to providing mentoring and helping others become successful online (this is definitely an option to consider as you gain more experience and success online).

Step 3 – Don’t Stop Learning, Growing And Improving

The Information Age is constantly and rapidly evolving. This means not only keeping abreast of new developments and trends, but also keeping an eye open for new economic opportunities for growth, success and expansion. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. There is a plethora of social networking groups, online communities and membership sites you can join, that focus exclusively on your particular area of interest.

If you’ve been feeling depressed lately about the current state of the global economy, then hopefully this article will help you see that there are many positive and exciting things to be gained if you are willing to embrace change, start looking for new opportunities and make a decision to take action steps today to secure your own financial future in the new world that is emerging around you.

For more ideas on ways to succeed with your own business online go here: Business Tips

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Complete video at: fora.tv Prolific Indian author and diplomat Shashi Tharoor explains why he sees India’s widespread use of cellphones as symbolic of the country’s rapid movement towards economic modernization. —– Shashi Tharoor discusses “The Elephant, The Tiger, and the Cell Phone: India, the Emerging 21st Century Power.” Asia Society and the South Asia Journalists Association (SAJA) host the New York launch of Tharoor’s new book. Tharoor shares his insight into the complex and intriguing culture of this rapidly evolving nation. The event includes excerpts from the book and a conversation with Pramit Pal Chaudri, a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at Asia Society. Over the past twenty-five years, India has moved from a largely impoverished, underdeveloped country to a bustling, innovative, fast-changing society. In his new book “The Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cell Phone: India, the Emerging 21st-Century Power”, celebrated author Shashi Tharoor discusses and demystifies the vast changes that have taken place in India to transform this once sleeping giant into an emerging world leader. – Asia Society Shashi Tharoor is chairman of the Dubai-based Afras Ventures and former Under-Secretary- General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations. His UN career began in 1978, when he joined the staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He was also a senior adviser to the Secretary-General. He has written hundreds of articles, op-eds, and book <b>…</b>

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About Author

Martin Aranovitch -
About the Author:

Martin Aranovitch owns several profitable businesses online, including an online audio book store – www.AudioBookOne.net and writes about online business automation, small business systems and ways to dominate your niche online.