While the dot-com boom has pretty well subsided, savvy businessmen and women are still making a pretty penny using the internet.  The key to making money is to know what you’re doing and how to market yourself.

One great way to make money is through e-products. Here are five tips on how to achieve it:

1.  Go with what you know – There are certain products online that are going to sell better than others.  You can probably figure out what these are just by looking at the number of available products. The problem is if you go with a popular topic, you’re going to have to compete with a lot of other products, so you’ll need something to stand out.

That’s why it’s good to at least start with something you know.  An e-book about dogs is going to sell better if it’s written by someone who has been breeding dogs for ten years rather than being written by some guy who thought he could make a lot of money researching and writing about dogs.

2.  Big technology, little prices – There are all kinds of programs out there to help you make quality products easily and effectively.  Contrary to popular belief, they don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. They just require you to do a little research and know what you’re looking for ahead of time.

For instance, do you want to make instructional videos?  You can now get quality digital video and lighting equipment online.  How about instead of describing how to do something on the computer, just buy a program to record everything on your computer screen as you do it?  This is also a great option for the camera shy.

You can also buy affordable software to record audio conversations through your computer.  This means you can do an interview or conference call and have it practically ready to sell right away.

If you do some product searching and mix in a little creativity, there’s no telling what you can do.

3.  Start small – If you try to create a stellar product right away, you’ll probably fail miserably.  Start on a scale you can handle. Once you start the money coming in, you can use it to upgrade your equipment while you also improve your skills.

4.  Marketing, Marketing, Marketing – Making a good product is a great way to bring in money.  But if creating that product is all you do, there’s a 99% chance you will make precisely $0 (minus any production costs, of course).  The key to making money is marketing your product. You can do this by paying someone to do it, or by learning to do it yourself. Paying an experienced person is going to get you a better start in the beginning, but depending on how much time you can devote, learning to do it yourself may be a better investment in the long run.

5.  Be creative – When people are purchasing e-products, there are generally tens, if not hundreds or options for them to choose from.  In order to stand out, you have to do something different, something special. Often, you just need to be a little silly. When creating your product, take some time to think about what you can do to make it really pop.  It might take a while, but it will be well worth your effort.

If you’re considering starting your own small business, a franchise is often an excellent option.  They give you the freedom to fund your own business with the security of having trusted products and business practices.

Getting started with franchising, however, can be a bit confusing.  Here you’ll find an explanation of the initial fees needed to get started with your business.

A royalty fee is just an upfront payment that gives the franchisee the right to use the name and logo of the company for a certain period of time.  How long you can use it depends on the company and often your location. After that period, there are general options for renewal, which are again different for everyone.

In addition to royalty fees, you’re also going to have to pay for equipment and other supplies from the franchisor.  What makes a franchise work is that you can go into any store anywhere in the country and know what products and services to expect.  This means everyone has to have the same tools and the same supplies.

In addition to the initial fees, you will also have to pay royalties as you make money. Again, this is something that varies by company but is usually dependent upon how much you sell.  That is good for you because if they benefit from how much you make, they’re going to work harder to make sure your business is successful.

Have you ever noticed that most buildings for a franchised store look the same or at least similar?  Often, the franchisor buys and sets up the external part of the building before they ever bring someone on to run it.  Instead of an upfront fee, they will normally charge you a monthly flat rent fee, or an additional percentage of your profits to pay for the building.  If the franchisor does not provide the location, you will also be responsible for building costs.

In addition to paying to use the brand name, you also will have to periodically pay to advertise.  This budget is used nationally for billboards, TV, radio ads, and all other kinds of advertising. This not only means you don’t have to worry about developing and producing your own marketing campaign, but it also means other members are gaining business which means you gain business when those customers move or travel.

When it comes to starting a franchise, you’re going to need quite a bit of money to get started.  In addition to the fees, you’ll also need working capital to keep your business running until it begins making money.

While it may require a substantial amount of planning, saving, and searching for loans, in the end, you’ll be rewarded with support from other business owners and a fairly high chance of success.