My Successful Web Business

Start Your Own Internet Business

Who'd have thought a small-town piano teacher could build a growing, successful web business?

Not me! At least, not in the beginning.

But now I can see the success happening every day.

I remember when I first started my studio, I paid over $40 per month just for a small yellow pages listing. How many students do you think that investment got me?

I'll give you a clue. I could count them on 2 fingers. :-)

$40 per month is a LOT for a beginning piano teacher. But I thought that (along with more expensive newspaper and direct-mail advertising) was the best way to get the word out about my piano studio.

So I poured all my income into advertising. The newspaper got a good response, for a couple of months.

But that was it.

I didn't have a storefront on a major street, so how could I pull in more new students?

In 2005, when became a small business owner, I had a great time searching for teaching space, designing business cards and brochures, and sharing the excitement with friends and family.

And of course, I wanted a website! And I had dreams of having a successful website -- not just an online brochure.

I even dreamed that maybe, somehow, my website could make some money. (I know, that's a big dream, right?)

I searched for a web host that could help a non-techie piano teacher build a great website. I was excited by some companies that promised "beautiful website templates" and "easy-to-use marketing tools." I even signed up with one of them.

Only to find a confusing interface, barely any instructions -- and the fact that 80% of their wonderful tools were for PC users only!

That left my Mac and I out in the cold.

I eventually managed to get a site up, after hours of frustration and help from my software-developer and all-around computer-savvy husband. Very basic, very plain, very much just a brochure-on-the-web.

Simple as it was, I was excited. I waited. I checked my hit counters.

And nobody came.

So my expensive yellow pages ad didn't work; my newspaper ads stopped bringing in calls; and my VERY expensive direct mail campaign failed to bring even one student.

The web wasn't working either. I had happy students and knew I was doing a good job of teaching, but how to spread the word?

One day, searching the web again for online marketing help, I discovered SBI! (Site Build It!).

I read the homepage, and I could actually understand it!

So I kept clicking. I found out why I wasn't getting visitors to my site, and why most small business websites are exercises in frustration.

And I read case studies, and results of real people.

People whose sites I could visit! People that I could send email to! Not made-up success stories or anonymous testimonials.

I learned what makes a successful business website, and why starting your own internet business isn't a crazy idea. It's a good one.

It's all about building a site full of the great information your customers are searching for online.

It's about over-delivering terrific content, in an internet world of scam sites and teaser information.

The light bulb went on in my head, and I thought, "Hey, I can do this!"

And so I took the leap and bought SBI.

Following the detailed, step-by-step SBI! Action Guide, I researched, developed, and honed the essence of what I wanted to tell people -- you CAN play piano!

By the way... that link above? (SBI! Action Guide) It's the real, step-by-step process that you get when you buy SBI!.

And you can read and download it free to check out the process and learn all about how to start a home business online. What other company gives their manual away for free and lets you understand the entire process before becoming a customer?

• The Local Business Masters Course
• The WAHM-IT! Masters Course for work-at-home moms
• The Netwriting Masters Course - learn to write for the web
• And Make Your Site Sell, the eBook that was the beginning of SBI!

Now, I am a webpreneur with a successful web business! :-)

I love the fact that here on my website, I can share everything I tell students who sit at my piano, and even more! I can teach people all over the world.

Plus, more potential students find me online than with any other form of advertising I've ever used.

The additional benefit is that this website is an online business of its own -- not only can I promote my teaching, but I also make an additional income!

Me -- a small-town piano teacher. An online success story.

From a website that nobody visited, to a site that gets hundreds of visitors per day. Thousands per month. Not to mention some great rankings in the search engines!

If I can succeed online, anyone can. You can!

It's almost magical the way a steady, step-by-step process and a bit of elbow grease (or should I say typing fingertips) can make dreams come true...

That video was made by another SBI customer (we call ourselves "SBIers!"). What other company has customers so devoted they make videos?

SBI gave me the tools and knowledge to succeed online and grow my teaching studio.

If you're looking for a successful web business, SBI will work for you, too.

Contact me if there are any questions I can answer for you!