6 Ways To Internet-Tax Proof Your Blog

Those of you who have been connecting with me on Twitter have probably checked out all the articles that I have posted about the upcoming piece of legislation on the Internet sales tax. This topic has been brought up in Congress and a few states a number of times, and it keeps coming back. As long as the U.S. economy is struggling, we are going to hear about this issue. As an entrepreneur, I have accepted the fact that we are going to see an Internet tax in the near future (that does not mean we should not fight against it). Instead of worrying about what it will do to my business, I have spent most of my time trying to find ways to minimize the effects of such legislation on my venture.

We all have our worries as bloggers. Why worry about the Internet tax when there are steps we all can take to protect our businesses. Your business may be dependent on Amazon, Overstock, or other retailers at this point. But there is no reason you can’t come up with a backup channel to generate revenue just in case those companies decide to kick out their affiliates.

If you are too worried about the whole Internet-tax topic, here are 6 ways you can protect your business and give yourself peace of mind:

• Focus on the quality of your blog: why do people come to your blog? It’s most likely due to the quality of your content. In these tough times, you can’t afford to let up and cut corners. In fact, you should double your efforts to provide more value to your visitors per each post.
• Focus on your community: your revenue sources may disappear and your partners may go out of business. You are still going to have your community to count on. That’s why you should take time to engage your community members and make them want to come back for more.
• Focus on products not affected: there are going to be products and markets that will not be affected by this coming Internet tax. You can always try to incorporate those products into your blog.
• Start a membership site: starting a membership website can give you a recurring source of revenue. If you are passionate about something and have done your homework, there is no reason you can’t start a membership website and share what you know with your customers
• Sell your own product: many top bloggers have their own books, DVDs, and other products. Creating your own product may look daunting at first. You may even make mistakes right from the start. But you will get a hang of it sooner rather than later. Besides, you can always learn from other people’s mistakes and implement those lessons to have more successful launches.
• Build relationship with other bloggers: networking may not be your favorite activity but it can open doors for you. People who you know can get you out of trouble and open new doors of opportunity for your business.
  

Should you be worried about this Internet tax issue? I choose not to. As a blogger, I just don’t have the time to worry about things that might happen. If you create multiple streams of revenue for your business, you won’t have to worry too much about this issue anyway.