Having an online business has many advantages. You don’t need transportation to get to work, nor do you need special business clothing. You simply need to know how to do the services you want to provide, and have a desire to do it. To run an online business you need the same type of skills and personality characteristics that you would need to run an offline business:
Self-Motivated — No one is going to tell you what to do, so you need to be able to get things done without anyone breathing down your neck.
Persistent — Be willing to work long hours without an immediate paycheck.
Consistent — Never give up and keep on keeping on.
Focused — Able to be attentive to your business during business hours without being easily distracted.
Visionary — Able to see the big picture.
Optimistic — Be hopeful for the future even if today is hard.
Risk Tolerant — You can see that the reward outweighs the risk but also be willing to lose it all if you have to.
Resilient — Bounce back when something goes wrong, learning from mistakes and seeing the positive in the negative.
Communicator — Being a good communicator whether by email or by voice is an important part of working online. You will often not get to communicate in person therefore you’ll lose body language which is actually most of our understanding of each other.
Leader — You need to be a leader in terms of having a take charge mentality, but part of leadership is also the ability to delegate when needed.
Ethical — If you’re not honest and above board, it’ll be hard for you to be a long term service provider to anyone so always be above requirements when it comes to being ethical. Remember, legal isn’t always right.
Active Listener — When listening to someone it’s on you to understand what they are saying and ask the right questions to increase understanding.
Problem Solver — Able to figure things out on your own for the most part, or know who to ask.
Creative — While you don’t have to be an artist, sometimes you have to be technically creative to find solutions to doing a job completely online that you may not have considered.
Opportunistic — Able to see a great opportunity when it comes before you, make fast decisions and move forward.
Planner & Organizer — Having the ability to coordinate yourself and other people will come in handy as an online service provider.
Knowledgeable — You must be an expert in your niche to be effective with your service business.
In addition, to have an online business you need computer and technical skills. You need to know how to work your computer and the various software that need to be used to complete your tasks. If necessary, you’ll also need to be able to help your clients learn their computer and technology too. If you don’t know how to check your email, upload and download files, and get around on the Internet you’ll need to learn those basics before having an online service business.