7 Attributes of an Extraordinary Webpreneur
Basically, a Webpreneur is a person who works couple of hours a day (off during weekends, of course), clicks this and that on their computer, and makes a 5-figure income every month. Being a Webpreneur is as easy as a lot of internet gurus are promising and I have no idea why you’ve waited this long to get into it. Ready to jump in?
GOT YOU!
I do love opening with a joke but I do apologize if this one was a bit cruel. However, it’s something a lot of people come across when they first decide to go into Webpreneurship. It’s portrayed as this ‘business in a box’ that runs itself, as something that adds piles of money to your bank account at the drop of a hat, or a job that pretty much anybody can do.
Let me ask you: if that were the case, wouldn’t everybody actually be doing it?
If you go into Webpreneurship with these preconceptions, you’re going to crash and burn. The upside is that you’re going to do it fast and hard so you might not end up taking down your entire life savings with you.
Webpreneurship is not for the weak-willed.
But, since your heart is still set on it, the first thing we need to do is demystify the term.
Webpreneur is a blend word made from the words web and entrepreneur.
Let’s look at both more closely:
Web is how we shorten the term World Wide Web – a vast information space where we remotely access documents and other content that we’re interested in. We access the Web via the Internet – a global system of computer networks that connects servers and devices worldwide.
For our purposes here, web has the same meaning as Internet and we can even go further and say that web means ‘online’ – connected to or controlled by a computer.
An entrepreneur is someone who organizes a business or a venture in order to make a profit from an existing (or perceived) opportunity. They provide the capital and assume all the risk. They call all the shots as well.
When you put the two together you get Webpreneur.
A Webpreneur is a person who organizes and leads an online business where they call all (or most) of the shots, risk their own start-up investment, and – I can’t stress this enough – work hard at achieving their business goals.
The lines between Entrepreneurship and Webpreneurship are blurry these days. It’s possible to argue that every good entrepreneur is also a Webpreneur because their business is certainly present online. One distinction between the two is the fact that all of the webpreneur’s activities take place online. Also, startup costs are usually a lot lower in webpreneurship than other enterprises or ventures.
A Webpreneur’s scope is also larger – your market is vast and in its broadest sense includes every person with an internet connection. That’s 3.5 BILLION people, according to Statista.
Webpreneurs come in various shapes and sizes, just like entrepreneurs. You can basically do whatever you want and the sky is the limit. As long as you have a good product or a service, you will be able to carve yourself a place.
Webpreneur’s Toolbox
It’s going to take work, though. Here’s a list of traits you need to be ‘packing’ if you’re planning on making in the fast-paced world of Webpreneurship. Don’t worry, if you’re not strong in all of them right now there is plenty of time to learn down the road. It simply means that you’re going to have to learn as you go and really commit to success.
1. Your Core Values and Your Work
This is probably the biggest thing you’re going to have to think of when launching your Webpreneur career. It’s going to be tempting to pick something that brings in the big bucks but if you don’t have a passion for it, steer clear of it.
To make at as a Webpreneur you really have to be happy to get up every morning and work. You have to be purpose-driven. If you’re working on something that doesn’t truly reflect who you are, it’s going to be difficult to muster the energy to do it day-in-day-out.
2. Patience and Perseverance
You’re going to need a lot of both. Things don’t happen overnight in this line of work. There are ups and there are downs and sometimes there are more downs than there are ups.
Remember these three things:
– Persistence – whenever you fail you’ve acquired a new building block. Use it and learn from the situation. I know it’s cliché but failures really are stepping stones to success.
– Determination – remember, if it were easy everyone would be doing it. Your business idea is worth fighting for and only you can push it to the finish line.
– Focused action – brick by boring brick – a house. Focus on one thing at a time and master it. Then move on to other things worth mastering.
3. Business Acumen
Basically, you’re going to have to know how you are making money and how you could be making more money! There’s no point in starting an online business if you have no idea about business or finances in general. Read and learn – most things will come through experience, of course, but you can’t be starting from an absolute zero.
I did warn you that being a successful Webpreneur was no walk in the park. However, you will notice that you don’t need any formal qualifications to go into it. You don’t even need any sort of capital in the beginning. What you need is a burning desire to succeed, passion, and A LOT of patience and determination.
Webpreneurs Who Made It Big
Here’s a list of successful Webpreneurs who started (mostly) with nothing. What they now have they’ve gotten through work, innovative approach to problems, and a flippant disregard towards what the world told them they could or couldn’t do. Hopefully, seeing a couple of under 20ies on the list will light a fire under you as well!
Robert Nay (Nay Games)
Nay is 20 years old now but he was only 14 when he earned his first $2 million. He designed and released a mobile game called ‘Bubble Ball’ that became the most downloaded game in the Apple app store in less than two weeks, topping ‘Angry Birds’ in the process. Oh, and he learned to code in his local library in less than 2 months.
Tim Seidler – (Get Niche Quick)
Seidler, a father of two, faced some hard times in his life. He was broke and destitute at one point but he decided to take charge. He quit his job and went into webpreneurship. Recently, he sold a portfolio of his websites for hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Jeff Taylor – (DEVISE)
Originally a freelance designer, Taylor managed to create an empire that designs, monetizes, and sells websites. Not bad for someone who started off doodling stuff for 5 bucks on Fiverr, right?
Leanna Archer – (Leanna’s Essentials)
From giving away free samples to being the CEO of her own company that makes natural products, Leanna has really gone a long way. And to think, this 20-year-old even chairs a foundation that builds schools for children in Haiti!
Neha Gupta (Empower Orphans)
Neha’s story is a true inspiration that shows us that webpreneurship doesn’t have to always be about making money for yourself. This 20-year-old is a recipient of numerous charity awards and has so far raised over $1.7 million in donations for orphaned children all over India.