Recurring Expenses

(From the tutorial, Planning Your Internet Business: Startup Costs and Sources of Funding)

This list shows expenses that you will have to pay for regularly, ie. every month or every year. Common recurring expenses include:

Internet access fees. You likely already have internet access; if not, contact a local Internet Service Provider for rates. Dial-up connections are cheaper, but high-speed DSL or cable connections are much more convenient (particularly if you're going to spend a lot of time online).
Domain name registration. A domain name is your website address - it's the www.YourCompany.com. You basically find an available name and then pay to use it. Some registrars offer discounts to people who reserve their domain names for two or more years at a time. Don't just look at price - look for great service from your domain registrar.
Website hosting. A web host makes your domain name accessible to everyone on the Internet. Pay a reputable host for reliable, ad-free hosting services and great customer support.
Search engine / major index review fees. You can get a great deal of targeted traffic to your website from the major search engines and indexes. Visitors that find your site through the search engines and indexes are highly targeted; they specifically search you out, rather than you searching them out.
Many of the major SEs and indexes now charge for a review. These are just for reviews; they don't guarantee that your site will be indexed or listed. Budget for these submissions -- and possibly also for professional search engine optimization services, if you choose to use them (I'm not referring to services that say they'll submit your site to 1500 "search engines". A reputable search engine optimization expert isn't cheap, nor is it fast).
Autoresponders. Autoresponders are email "robots" that will automatically answer emails sent to it with a predefined message of its own. Some web hosts offer them as part of the hosting package, but they might not be adequate. Autoresponders can be purchased on a monthly or annual use basis, or for a one-time fee.
Mailing list management. Most successful web businesses build some sort of opt-in list or newsletter, to keep in touch with interested prospects. If you decide to start one of your own, you will need to find a way to manage your list and send mailings. The list management software I like is called ListMailPro - I've used it since 2003 on several different websites.
Virus definition updates. New viruses come out all the time, and you will need to update their 'definitions' so that your anti-virus software can detect and remove them. Subscriptions are usually available for a small annual fee.
Ad tracking software. See the previous section for details. Some ad trackers are available for a monthly or annual fee; others for a one-time fee.
Website stats. See the previous section for details. Some stats programs are available for a monthly or annual fee; others for a one-time fee. Many web hosts offer stats as part of your hosting package. Otherwise, for sites that aren't getting a huge amount of traffic (yet), there's StatCounter.
Business or promotion services and tools. This includes anything you use to help market or build your online business, such as memberships, pay-per-click funds, SEO services, article writers, advertising, etc.
Site updates and maintenance. Only applicable if you have hired someone to create or maintain your site. Again, instead of relying on someone else to make changes for you, I recommend the Site Build-It software (mentioned in the previous section).
Marketing. There are many highly effective free or low-cost marketing methods. Even so, marketing is likely to be one of your highest expenses. A combination of free and paid advertising works best. It's hard to say how much you'll spend; the only way to know what works is to experiment. You may find that you'll reach your income goals without spending any money at all on marketing - if so, all the better for you! On the other hand, you may find that you need to shell out extra money each month in order to try to reach your income goals.
While you don't "have" to spend money on marketing, doing so can significantly increase your profits and help you to earn income faster - if done right.
Office supplies. This includes toner, notebooks, business cards, specialty paper, envelopes, postage, etc.
Office services. This includes stuff like the business portion of your phone bill, fax services if you use a third-party service, photocopying, printing, voice mail fees, post office box rentals, and so forth.
Insurance. Now that you're operating a home based business, your insurance needs may change (home, business, life, auto). Contact your insurance agent for assistance.
Educational materials. A few good manuals, guides, books, etc. will help you to learn from other people's experiences and avoid making the same mistakes, which can save you time, effort, and money in the long-run. There's always something new to learn! An excellent FREE manual is Make Your Site Sell.
Product inventory or materials. You may need to regularly replenish your stock of products, or your store of materials required to create your products.
Loan repayments - if you're borrowing money to help fund your business.
Professional fees. For example, you may retain the services of an accountant to help you do your income taxes every year.
Miscellaneous expenses. Everything else that doesn't fit into the other categories.
Unanticipated expenses. This category is for stuff you need but didn't plan to purchase. Plan to budget an extra 10-20% to handle the unexpected.

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