Many of our attending workshop students will ask advice with respect to setting up a new SEO business. After all, once you start building your SEO skills, the light bulb generally comes on in most peoples minds as to how they might like to make use of their talents. We actually teach students how to set up a new SEO business right from scratch, as one of our sessions. What I'd like to share here are some simple steps you can consider, as well as the sequence of those steps to be most effective in launching your proposed SEO business.

A. Get Started

It sounds odd, but many people have the challenge of just getting started at all. Often it's due to a fear of some sort. It's easy to be busy all the time, but are you busy doing the right things? Some people begin to work with SEO from a self- taught perspective. They may buy all of the popular tools. They buy all the latest e-books or hang out in the local forums. They may subscribe to various resources, always looking for next great thing to sign up for. But for some reason or other, they seem to have difficulty in actually getting started.

If this sounds familiar, one of the best things you can do is begin to set up a few written goals for yourself. Actually write down what it is you would like to build and then assign some timelines to it.

B. Begin with Skill Building First (NOT later)

Begin by getting your SEO skills right up to speed. If you are unsure of yourself over certain scenarios or in highly competitive categories, consider taking some training. Far too many Webmasters start out by selling SEO and then have difficulty actually delivering. So learn how to deliver first so that you have a comfort level and know for a fact, EXACTLY what you can do.

Where can you build your skills?

• An Online SEO Training Course
• A Live, hands-on SEO Workshop
• Learn from a Totally Non-Technical E-book

The important thing is to get started and bring your skills up to speed first.

C. Gain Personal Confidence Through Experience

This is probably the next most important step. The sooner you build your confidence then the sooner you will realize the potential for what you can perform. In the beginning, start with a few of your own sites where you have full creative liberty without the demands or pressures that come from a client.

Experience build's confidence. Set some benchmarks for yourself. As you get comfortable competing at a certain level, then you can progress to take on bigger challenges. It's surprising how fast you can grow your skills with a little daily practice on a regular basis.

D. You can Open your doors for business at this stage.

Once you have reached a level where you have a few profitable Web sites or sites where you are proud of your achievements in ranking as well as meeting whatever other objectives you've set for yourself, it's time to consider business.

In the beginning, choose your first few clients well. Don't just take on any client but select your clients based on the research you perform on their buying audience. Those first few clients need to be success stories, so be sure to do all of your research on their buying audience BEFORE you take them on as a client.

E. The ultimate thing you are building is your reputation now.

Your ultimate objective in the beginning is to choose clients rather than have them choose you. Remember to use all of the principles you learn in your training along with good old fashioned customer service excellence. Eventually what occurs, as you choose your clients wisely (as opposed to going for a fast buck) is that your new clients will literally become your sales people. If your work makes their business really sing, they tell literally everyone they know. Ultimately, in a short period of time, this generates genuine referral business for you.

Now instead of you chasing the prospects, the prospect is seeking you (based on referrals and the excellent successes that you have brought your first clients.)

In Summary: Be sure you get your new SEO business started on the right foot!

A. Get started - Make up your mind and create an action plan
B. Build Genuine SEO Skills First Not Later
C. Practice makes perfect - Build your confidence
D. Open Your Business - Choose Your First Clients Well
E. A Solid Reputation Delivers Referrals, Repeat Business and Client Retention

Discuss this article in the Small Business Ideas forum.