This post has been long overdue and I feel it needs to be said now.
There are people trying to earn a living online that are under the following misconceptions:
1. It’s easy.
2. It can be done without planning.
3. It can be done without any skills.
4. It can be done quickly.
Let me take all 4 of these, one at a time, and inject some reality into this subject. Otherwise, the massive failure rate is only going to get worse.
1. It’s NOT Easy – There is so much involved with running your own business that if you knew what you were in for before you began, it would make your head spin and most likely would have you going back to your 9 to 5. This may very well be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done in your life. With that being said, I wholeheartedly believe it is absolutely worth it in the end, as long as you are willing to sacrifice to get there.
2. It CAN’T Be Done Without Planning – At least not well. You can’t just throw up a site, put up a few ads, write a few articles, pull a product out of your backside and think you’re going to make money, or for that matter, that you even have a business. A business takes TONS of planning and if each step isn’t planned out with intent, your chances of success are slim to none.
3. It CAN’T Be Done Without Any Skills – A lot of people will disagree with this, and yes, if you have a boat load of money, I guess you can just outsource everything, but most people looking to earn a living online don’t have that luxury and have to do many things themselves. That is where having at least some skills is critical. If I couldn’t write, I’d probably be broke right now unless I could design software. Some things you will need to know at least the basics about would be web design, copywriting, ad creation, content writing, niche research, SEO, social media, and several other things. You can’t succeed in this business without some specific skills… the most important of which is a load of smarts. Trust me on that.
4. It CAN’T Be Done Quickly – Why is it that people expect to make a fortune overnight when in the brick and mortar world it can take up to 5 years, or longer, to see a profit? There are NO get rich quick schemes. Building a business takes time and effort, lots of it. Plan on many 12-15 hour days with little to show for it at the beginning. Yes, there are a very select few that get lucky and hit it big relatively quickly, but that is very rare.
Not a pretty picture I’ve painted, is it. Well, if you’re going to have any prayer of getting through the internet marketing jungle, it’s better you know the truth than to go in with blinders on. You definitely can succeed as an internet marketer and once you get there it can be very rewarding, but it will not be fast or easy for 99.9% of the people trying to do it.