How to start a Business online ?

Assalamualaikum everyone . How are you today ? Nowadays, we can see that many people do business online as a part time job and to increase their income. So, today i would like to share with you all some of steps that we can use before we start to do business online. I hope this steps will help you all to start a new business online and it will can help you all to become a successful businessman/woman.

There is a proven sequence of steps you can follow to guarantee your success when you're starting a small business online. I've seen thousands of people start and grow successful business by doing the following:

Step 1 : Find a need and fill it
Most people who are just starting out make the mistake of looking for a product first and a market second.To boost your chances of success, start with a market. The trick is to find a group of people who are searching for a solution to a problem, but not finding many results. The internet makes this kind of market research easy:

• visit online forums to see what question people ask and what problems they're trying to solve.

• Do keyword research to find keywords that a lot of people are searching, but for which not many sites are competing.

• Check out your potential competitors by visiting their sites and taking note of what they're doing to fill the demand. Then you can use what you've learned and create a product for a market that already exist and do it better than the competitors.

Step 2: Write copy that sellsThere's a proven sales copy formula that takes visitors through the selling process from the moment they arrive to the moment  they make a purchase:

1. Arouse interest with a compelling headline.
2. Describe the problem your product solves.
3. Establish your credibility as a solver of this problem.
4. Add testimonials from people who have used your product.
5. Talk about the product and how it benefits the user.
6. Make an offer.
7. Make a strong guarantee.
8. Create urgency.
9. Ask for the sale.

Throughout your copy, you need to focus on how your product or service is uniquely able  solve people's problem or make their lives better. Think like a customer and ask "What's in it for me"?

Steps 3: Design and build your website

Once you've got your market and product, and you've nailed down your selling process, now you've ready for your small business web design. Remember to keep it simple. You have fewer than five second to grab someone's attention. Otherwise, they're gone, never to be seen again. Some important tips to keep in mind:

• Choose  one or two plain fonts on a white background.

• Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every page.

• Only use graphics, audio, or video if the enhance your message.

• Include on opt-in offer so you can collect email addresses.

• Make it easy to buy no more than two clicks between potential customer and checkout.

• Your website is your online storefront, so make it customer friendly.

Step 4: Use search engines to drive targeted buyers to your sitePay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a brand-new site. It has two advantages over waiting for the traffic to come to you organically. First, PPC ads show up on the search pages immediately, and second, PPC ads allow you to test different keywords, as well as headlines, prices and selling approaches. Not only do you get immediate traffic, but you can also use PPC ads to discover your best, highest-converting keywords. Then you can distribute the keyword throughout your site in your copy and code, which will help your ranking in the organic search result.

Step 5: Establish an expert reputation for yourself

People use the internet to find information. Provide that information for free to other sites, and you'll see more traffic and better search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your site with each tidbit of information.

• Give away free, expert content. Create articles, videos or any other content that people will find useful. Distribute that content through online article directories or social media sites.

• Include "sent to a friend" links on valuable content on your website.

• Become an active expert in industry forums and social networking sites where your target market hangs out.

You'll reach new readers. But even better, every site that posts your content will link back to yours. Search engines love links from relevant sites and will reward you in the rankings.

Step 6: Use the power of email marketing to turn visitors into buyers

When you build an opt-in list, you're creating one of the most valuable assets of your online business. Your Customers and subscribers have given your permission to send them email. That means:

• You're giving them something they've asked for.

• You're developing lifetime relationships with them.

• The response is 100% measurable.

• Email marketing is cheaper and more effective that print, TV or radio because it's highly targeted.

Anyone who visit your site and opts in to your list is a very hot lead and there's no better tool than emails for following up with those leads.

Step 7: Increase your income through back-end sale and up-selling

 One of the most important internet marketing strategies is to develop every customer's lifetime value. At least 36% of people who have purchased from you once will buy from you again if you follow up with them. Closing that first sale is by far the most difficult part not to mention the most expensive. So use back-end selling and up-selling to get them to buy again:

• Offer products that complement their original purchase.

• Send out electronic loyalty coupons they can redeem on their next visit.

• Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after they purchase,

Reward your customer for their loyalty and they'll become even more loyal.The internet changes so fast that one year online equals about five years in the real world. But the principles of how to start and grow a successful online business haven't changed all. If you''re just starting a small business online, stick to this sequence. If you've been online a while, do a quick review and see if there's step you're neglecting, or never got around to doing in the first place. You can't go wrong with the basics.

That all from me to you all. I hope everyone that want to start a new business online can follow this step by step. I hope everyone can be a successful businessman/woman for future. May Allah easier all the thing in our life and May Allah bless our life . Aamiin, Thank you to everyone that read my post that i have share today.

Let's build our confident to become a millionaire

Being confident at oneself is one of the key criteria to become a millionaire. Look at the confidence aura exuded by Warren Buffet when he expresses the sentence above. It is not a coincidence that he can make it as big as he is today. Today’s question is, how do we build up our confidence level to propel us to our millionaire goal?

Firstly, set smaller and achievable goals for yourself at the beginning of your path to the millions. No, we are not thinking small. In fact we should think BIG! The point of doing this is so that you can achieve all your initial goals. Imagine in a new business venture, you set your target profit at RM 100 000 in the first three months. What happens if you profit ends up lower than that? Your confidence would hit the rock bottom and it would take you some time to recover your confidence. It would be more practical to set your target profit at say RM 5000 , one which you are more likely to hit. After all it could be your first venture and you might have no prior experience running such business. Your confidence grows as your hit your first target, then set a bigger one for yourself. As your continuously hit higher and higher goals, your confidence will also skyrocket!!

Secondly, keep a record of all your past successes. One way you can do this is by creating a Confidence Box. Put all the inspiring stories, any accomplishments, testimonials, thank you letters from customers (everything positive!) into the box. Alternatively, you can also keep a Success Diary where you record all your successes daily, regardless of how small or how big they are. Go through the items in the box or the Diary when you need motivation as we tend to forget how far we have come at difficult moments. A Confidence Box and a Success Diary are the proofs of our capabilities and will show us how awesome we have been.

Thirdly, mingle with like-minded people who are also working to achieve their millions. It is essential to put ourselves in an environment conducive to grow our confidence and to keep us motivated. There is no better place to put ourselves other than among the crowd who are also trying to achieve the same thing as us – to become a millionaire. Join social and networking events to meet more people like you! Not only will you be able to exchange ideas, you will also be able to motivate each other.

Success will come more easily when we are confident at each step we are taking to achieve our goal to become a millionaire!

Business Ethics in Islamic Perpective

                                                           بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Hello everybody? How are you today? Thanks to Allah for today we still raised to enjoy all the blessings of the world that provided by Him. Today I want to share to u all one of the knowledge that i have read in the other blog. I think this is very important to us all as a Muslim that want to do the business for our future. In doing the business we not only think about the profit that we will get but we should think also that the business we do get the bless from Allah or not. So because of this, we should have the business ethics to. What is business ethics?

THE term ‘business ethics’ refers to the behavior that a business organization is supposed to adhere to in its interaction with society, transactions with customers and in its internal affairs. The concept of business ethics is as old as business itself.

Initially, different cultures and regions had different ethics of business. With increasing globalization, the various sets of business ethics are continuously acquiring common values and forms. Islam has given guiding principles for all human activities and also prescribes and explains the ethics of business.

However, the Quran is not the only divine text that lays down such instructions and Muslim thinkers were not the first to conceive this idea. The Bible, for instance, also has many notions that can be and have been applied to commercial activities.Hammurabi, in his famous code, addressed various commercial issues. Plato discussed justice in The Republic, and Aristotle explicitly discussed economic relations, trade and commerce in his Politics. Many Muslims are unaware that Aristotle too condemned usury. Also, he gave the classic definition of justice as giving each his due, treating equals equally and trading equals for equals.

These issues were also analyzed by Christian scholars. For instance, Thomas Aquinas discussed business in the context of justice and honesty, and condemned usury. Luther, Calvin and John Wesley, among other personalities of the Reformation, discussed trade and commerce, and led the development of the Protestant work ethic. However, in the modern West, economic activity has been divorced from religion just as politics has been separated from the church.Still, if we compare Islamic business ethics with present-day western business ethics, we find numerous similarities. For instance, workplace harassment, discrimination in hiring and promotion, employment benefits, layoffs, conflict of interest, quality control, misuse of business assets, environmental pollution, etc., are matters on which Islamic and western approaches are more or less similar.

In fact, regarding such matters of common approach, Islam often lays down more benevolent provisions and puts more stress on their observance. For example, about employee-employer relationship, Islam very clearly declares that both enjoy the same dignity socially and legally. As a general rule, Muslims are instructed to choose for their fellow men what they choose for themselves. The Prophet (PBUH), in his farewell sermon, instructed Muslims not only to feed and clothe their slaves just like themselves, but also not to treat them harshly even if they committed a fault. Applying this to employees, one can imagine the standard of the working environment and employment benefits that Islam entails.

Just as there are differences between other aspects of Islamic and western practices, Islamic and western business ethics too have certain differences. The most important discerning features are their sources and nature. While western business ethics are secular, Islamic business ethics originate from revelation and the traditions of the Prophet (PBUH), the Quran and Sunnah.A breach of western business ethics never results in the violator incurring a sin. In the case of Islamic business ethics, a breach always causes divine displeasure. Consequently, Muslims must abide by these instructions not only for the betterment of society, but also to secure their afterlife.

This also means that even if there is no supervisory authority, a Muslim is still bound to comply with the norms of fair business practices. For instance, Islam does not allow an entity to deal in alcohol, drugs, gambling, gharar, pork, pornography, prostitution and riba. In jurisdictions where all or some of these are allowed, Muslims there must avoid them because Islam has prohibited these trades.

In other words, Islamic business ethics must be observed by the believers in Muslim and non-Muslim jurisdictions alike. Thus, a true Muslim must never neglect the welfare of employees, performance of business covenants, quality standards, the environment, social responsibilities of the enterprise, etc., whether he is running a venture in Pakistan or in the US.

Unfortunately, present-day Muslims mostly just talk about the Islamic way of life without actually practicing it. Ask a Muslim entrepreneur about Islamic business ethics and he will gladly give a lengthy sermon on the instructions given in the Quran and Sunnah on the topic and will accurately narrate numerous examples set by early Muslim businessmen regarding honesty in trade and employee welfare. However, his real conduct will be the opposite. Unfortunately, this is the general rule.

No wonder, in a report recently published in Financial Times, some Islamic financial experts openly criticized Islamic financial institutions for resorting to “juristic engineering” to bypass Islamic restrictions in order to maximize profits. Thus, Islamic financial products and services, in most of the cases, are Islamic only in form, not substance.

Does this mean that Islam makes hypocrites or that the provisions given in the Quran and Sunnah are no more practical? Not at all. Can we say that Christianity makes thieves just because there are thieves who happen to be Christian? Does the Quran not say that revelation is valid for all times?

The fault lies with corrupt and selfish Muslim businessmen who disregard Islamic injunctions for worldly enrichment. By growing a beard, praying five times a day and fasting in Ramadhan, they believe it is enough to fulfil their obligations to God.Can the beard, prayers and fasting really absolve them from ignoring their duties to their employees, clients, competitors, consumers and society as a whole? Is it possible to deceive God?

The writer is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the director of the Centre for Law and Policy, University of Management and Technology, Lahore.

syed.asad@umt.edu.pk

FROM THE NEWSPAPER — PUBLISHED JUL 21, 2011 09:30

Multi-Level Marketing in Shariah

Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pengasih Lagi Maha Penyayang....

Assalamualaikum w.b.t everybody...

Hello everybody ?? how are you today ?? Let's say thanks to Allah because Allah still give us to live in this world with bless from Him for today.

Before i starting my writing today, i would like to ask you all, do you hear about Multi - Level Marketing(MLM) ?? Do you know what is MLM ?? What impact if you involve in MLM?? If you don't what is MLM, today i will share what is MLM based on my knowledge. I want to share about this because MLM is very popular today.

Generally 'Multi Level Marketing' is an alternative business related to marketing through many levels (tiers), commonly known as the 'Upline' (upstairs) and 'Downline' (level down), they will be called ' upline 'if a' downline '. The main staple of the MLM business is driven by the network, whether that is' vertical 'top down or' horizontal left-right or a combination of both.

Illegal forms of MLM or doubtful

There are several forms of MLM system that are clearly prohibited or hesitancy, which is when he uses the following system:

1) The high price of the ordinary: Selling a product that is bought and sold in MLM system with a much higher price than the usual price, it is strongly discouraged by Islam but according to some scholars, such aqad is void. As such, it is called 'Gabhnun Fahisyh' in the words of the scholars of Fiqh. Legal sales 'Ghabnun Fahisy' is distinguished by scholars between the need, makruh and haram. (Durar ḥukkām Fi Sharh al-Majallah al-Ahkam, no clause 356, p 369). How did the Prophet Muhammad SAW has indicated as an injustice if you happen to people who do not know the ins and outs of the price of goods. (Al-Qawaid, Ibn Rushd, p 601)

However keep in mind, in an MLM may be 3 or 4 elements and illegal doubtful that I will mention. This does not mean that I say only because of their illegal MLM element "Prices Higher than Normal", it was just one of the elements that need to be reviewed and may exacerbate the legal things that can fall MLM illegal because the level of fraud in certain other circumstances.

What I wanted to say 'Ghabnun' here is made in the form of fraudulent prices to the public, the price jacked as entry fees included in the pyramid system. For example I have been 'forced' to buy an MLM product. Because the back is very difficult to sell MLM concede, and I want it quickly ended her campaign with manners, then I buy the cheapest product, that is a very great pillow that said, it costs RM300 each. This is called 'Ghabnun', while the pillow is apparently no special directly after use. Then obviously the price is raised for its participation as a member and logged in the system. But I mute the expertise and did not move, buy only out of pity by the seller, known only.

This is exactly why I have the 'Ghabnun', these elements may not be strong enough to make it illegal, but it is one of the elements that affects aqad, this effect when he joined the doubtful elements of  others, it may be illegal.

2) Personal purchase target as a condition of the commission: In addition to the fees to be paid by members, usually there are conditions that require the member reaches a certain purchase targets to be eligible to receive any commision from the sale of those under him. When he failed to reach the 'target price', the membership will be lost or no commission for him despite his subordinates are selling so much. All MLM involved with this kind of condition, causing their MLM system to be problematic from the point of Shariah because of the element of cruelty to a member other than the existence of conditional sale with conditions that do not favor members and repressive. As if the company forced him to say "you must buy or maintain personal sales of RM500 a month so that you have the right to commission your subordinates".

Basically, the commission has taken over the business of selling (such as 'brokerage fee') of an item is a must according to Shariah, it is a great scholar Muhammad Ibn Sirin Tabi'en like, 'Ato' Bin Abi Rabah, Ibrahim an-Nakha'ie and many more (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Musannaf, 5/242; Mawahibul Jalil, 4/452). However, the commission in the case of MLM and piramdi system can be turned into syubhah when: -

* Tied sales commission to a sales network by it, it poses a problem from the point of Shariah as an element of coercion, unlawful in terms of representation and gambling. however, it may be required if there is a Shariah Advisor to fix it in accordance with aqad paid through. however, the majority of MLM companies do not have pensaihat Sharia to fix it, causing it to remain in syubhah.

* The commission came from the direct subordinates did not know because it was too far down. This makes the boss seemed to gain the upper hand without any effort again. It can also be classified as a real estate broker and so on. In the case of multiplicity of real estate commision chain, according to Prof. Sheikh Dr Abdul Sattar Abu Ghudda (Shariah experts in the field of Islamic finance in the world Fiqh Ulama Union World, AAOIFI, the Dow Jones Islamic Index and others) was included in the context of the taking of the property of others by falsehood than there are elements of gambling. This is because it seems to put a condition on all subordinates either their knowledge or not, all the sales they would have taken some profits for them.

3)If a registered member to join MLM with certain fees, but does not have any product to be traded, its business is to find the bawahanya (downline), every time he gets a new member, then given a percentage of the fee to the AHI. More and more new members means more bonus belongs. It is a form of usury for trafficking a sum of money to get some more money in the future. It's an Nasiah bentu Riba and Riba Al-Fadl. The same is also legal for MLM companies that do not have hard and quality products, instead of just a room of his web site that is not beneficial for most people, or any product that is used as an excuse to buy. In fact, the real price of the product is sometimes far from the price sold to members (eg computer web product sold, while the price is much higher and the members did not have a computer already). In fact, the experts not want to buy the product, but to join the network and earn money from it. It is also included in the banned. It is not right to buy the product with the main intention of entering the network and make a profit from this network has been outlawed by the Fatwa Committee of Al-Lajnah-Daa'imah Saudi Arabia no 15 / 192-193.

4) There is also a MLM company in selling their products to manipulate, or force the buyer to use the product or sell the goods illegally. MLM is so clearly prohibited. But not all MLM way, only in part only.

5) There are also elements like "shafqatayn fi shafqah", or bay'atayn fi bay'ah, (ie two aqad type of purchase in a) that is prohibited by the Prophet with a pronouncement of them: "

نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن صفقتين في صفقة واحدة

Meaning: "Prophet Muhammad prohibited from making two purchases (aqad) in one agreement" (Narrated by Ahmad, Al-Bazzar, Al-Haithami: narrator Ahmad is thiqah; 4/84)

This occurs when there is some MLM company that opened its registration, each member has to pay a sum of money called a fee, can not be ascertained whether the fee is to buy a position in the network or buy products. At the same time, with the signing of expertise, it will also be a representative for the company to recruit new members, the MLM action like this, it might be included in the category of hadith: shafqatayn fi shafqah, or bay'atayn fi bay'ah. This is because, in this case, the person conducting the transaction has been calculated aqad Mu'awadat (financial swap contract rights) when buying products or become a member and at the same time in a kind of representative aqad again (to sell products that come next looking for new members), with specific commissions. So, this is clearly impractical as classified as the hadith above.

From the evidence above I hope that friends can assess what it is and what its legal consultant. So, my advice to all of your friends, wise in choosing a business that wants to undertake. do not just think profit alone but think whether the business is allowed by sharia or not. Life would not be a blessing if not according to the laws of Allah. May we be kept away from all things that are not allowed in Islamic Shari'a. aamiin.

9/10 sustenance comes from doing business

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

  Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Hello everybody? How are you today? Thanks to Allah for today we still raised to enjoy all the blessings of the world that provided by Him.

Today, I would like to share one job is highly recommended in Islam and this job is also one of part time job while I semester break.

Do you know business is the one of job that recommended in Islam? Business is an organization or economic system where goods and service are exchanged for one another or for money.Every business requires some form of investment and enough customer to whom its output can be sold on a consistent basis in order to make a profit.Businesses can sole proprietorship, partnerships or companies.  
                         



                                   

According to the traditions of the Prophet s.a.w. 9/10 sustenance comes from doing business. In fact, if viewed from one angle, all the work we do is a form of business.

The verses of the Qur'an also touched on business. It is clear that the business is a job that is encouraged in Islam. For profit or wealth is not an obstacle, as in Surah al-Friday, paragraph 10, which states:

"Then when the prayer is ended, then disperse in the land (to manage the affairs of each), and remember what you asked for the grace of Allah and remember Allah much (in every situation that you may succeed in this world and the Hereafter). "

This verse describes God does not preclude a finding which of the favors of Allah S.W.T they like including from the business, but we should not ignore ibadah that we should perform to Him.

Undoubtedly, someone will get more business freedom in every aspect. Not only in terms of time, but also in terms of how income is generated, the source of revenue and for what profit is then used.

Dealing also opens a wide space for charity and helping others, such as providing employment opportunities to the poor or disabled. Every human being is determined each provision. And preferably we use that wherewith it to help the others.

In Islam businesses should be concerned about the halal and haram. It covers financial matters such as avoiding usury and debt reduction, and touching also the question of ethics. Managing the sale must be fair and we are prohibited from cheating scales. Profit also must be moderate, and does not charge the buyer or the general public.

Traded goods also need to follow the track that has been described by Allah in the Quran. So we stay away from prohibited bequest.

However, doing business in the Islamic terms of implementation is the same as any other business concepts, such as that coming from the West though. We just need to be wise in distinguishing which allowed, and have self-esteem to resist the forbidden. Concepts such as self-motivation and leadership can also be customized with the features of Islamic.

Avoid prohibited practices such as usury or cheat the scales is important to get the blessing and the blessing of God. Indeed, traders who violate the laws specified are also able to reap the benefits - even more profit doubled - but we are looking for is a balance between the satisfaction of material and blessings, namely, the pursuit of glory world without leaving welfare in the afterlife.

In fact, we should always think of ways to find the blessings in your life, no matter what activity you are doing. Especially in business, the blessing is becoming more severe and important as the results we get from the business will eat and drink directly by ourselves and also relatives and well-wishers. While Islam explicitly prohibits us from giving our families eat non-halal items!

Therefore, the source of income must be clean. Property that we gathered through business profits must also be properly applied, solely to please Allah. If treasures abound but are not blessed, there is no need, as the earth swallowed Qarun with all that he had.

In short, the business of Islam is not merely seen in terms of money and profit alone. Hidden values ​​also need to be maintained so that we continue to be a dealer of Islamic culture.

This includes the handling of competition. Competition needs to be viewed from the angle that is healthy, namely as a positive stimulus to encourage us to continue to innovate and be competitive in the market. We should compete as well as traditions of the Prophet in studying: not wrong to feel jealous if other people more successful than we are, if in fact that feeling makes us strive harder. Prohibited is the effort to bring down the others because of envy of their success!

In Islam there is no need envy so determined to cause misfortune on others for sustenance has been set for themselves. Therefore, we have pleasure.

Furthermore, the business door widely open to anyone who wants to venture into it, so why should we close the door for others who want pursue? However, we must realize that the business world is full of challenges, and we will only get what we have done. Each of these challenges should be seen as a test of faith, we have to deal with patience and gratitude.


Finally, as already stated, Islam never forbade his people to make a living and wealth accumulation. No one is the pursuit of wealth, because wealth will open more doors for good. What we need to do is get rid of the love of wealth and money which has been embedded in the liver so that it can not blind us to the halal and haram things, and avoid leaving favors or charity.

*Artikel ini disusun oleh Amri Rohayat dan diterbitkan dalam majalah Rezeki keluaran Februari 2011.