In today's newsletter...

I'm a firm believer that almost anyone can earn money online. So why aren't more people doing it? I mean, times are tough and almost everyone could use some extra earnings. With cost of trying an online business so tiny, it's the perfect time for many people.

Today I'll share the misconceptions people have about online business that are keeping millions more from earning money online. (I made many of these same excuses when I was working for the man!)

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Excuse #1: I'm not smart enough to have my own business.

Perhaps. But doubtful. True, online business is NOT for everyone. But I do feel that it IS doable for ALMOST ANYONE, including 95% of the people reading this newsletter right now. If you have an average level of intelligence and a desire to learn, you can grow an income stream from the web.

You just have to do it the right way, and that means you CANNOT chase business opportunity after business opportunity. You have to build something of YOUR OWN. Something of VALUE. Something that will help other people. It's all about sharing something with other people.

That's the seed that can blossom into profits via affiliate programs, your own products or services, advertising revenue and many other income streams.


Excuse #2: I don't have the time it takes to start or grow an income source online.

Working for "the man" can eat up quite a bit of your time. Add in a significant other, maybe a family, a commute and what do you have left? For people working 80+ hours a week to make ends meet, starting a business MAY be impossible.

But for most folks working full time jobs, it IS possible. When I got started I worked 40-50 hours a week plus I had a 2 hr. a day commute. I had a significant other and a baby on the way. But I found a couple hours a night to get something of my own started. I used my commute time to record ideas onto a small cassette recorder. I brainstormed during idle times in the day.

If you want something bad enough, there is almost ALWAYS enough time to make it happen. Burn the midnight oil for a few months and see what happens.


Excuse #3: I don't have the money it takes for a new business.

That's doubtful. The cost of online business really can be dirt-cheap. Ten years ago it was FAR more expensive to start a business online than it is today. Website design no longer costs thousands of dollars. In fact, you can do it for less than $50 if you are willing to do the work yourself.

Even if you have to hire someone you can have a pre-designed website template modified for a few hundred bucks. There are also monthly services available for the cost of dinner out, that handle all your needs such as web hosting, growing an opt-in list, following up with prospects, accepting orders and even starting an affiliate program. None of these services were available ten years ago. Now they are cheap and more effective than ever.


Excuse #4: I'm not an expert at anything.

You don't have to be. I was a phone guy. I decided I wanted to start a business on the Internet and started researching every aspect of it. Before I knew it, I knew more about the subject than everyone I knew. People started asking me questions and it soon dawned on me that I was now an "expert" on Internet business. So I decided to help more people by writing a book.

The point is, you can BECOME an expert in almost any topic that interests you. The world wide web contains a WORLD of information and it is all at your fingertips. Take a topic that gets you excited and BECOME an expert. It's fun to enrich your mind and even more fun to enlighten the minds of others!


Excuse #5: I have nothing to sell.

You don't need anything to sell right away. You can start by promoting existing products and services in the niche you choose. Chances are you will not be the first person entering that niche. And chances are there are already products or services for sale in that arena.

You can promote those existing products or services on a commission basis, via those merchants' affiliate programs. While you're doing that you can be developing something of your own to sell!

Excuse #6: Someone is already doing what I want to do so it is useless trying to compete.

This is one of the worst excuses, yet one of the most common I see. Many people think that if an idea is already being implemented online, that they "missed the boat". What they fail to realize is that if their idea is being done, then it may be a successful idea, and something worth pursuing!

Remember, there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of sites doing similar things on the web. Need proof? Well, I'm not the first guy to come along offering business advice. Even in niches with tons of free information readily available, you can earn money if you do it correctly.


Excuse #7: The only people making money are people telling others how to make money.

Another one I hear a lot -- but this one really is just a bad excuse. Sure, there are a lot of so-called web business gurus offering advice on how to make money online. But in the grand scheme of things, these businesses comprise FAR less than 1% of ALL businesses online.

Your business online is what YOU want it to be -- always remember that. If you want to be an online business guru, do your research and join the fray. But only do it if that is what you truly want to do, not because it looks like the only way.


Excuse #8: I've tried plenty of business opportunities with no success -- it's just not for me.

Maybe it's not. But chances are, your failure is from chasing different business opportunities, instead of building your own business from the ground up. That includes setting up a website of your own, growing your own opt-in list, communicating with and helping people, networking with other businesses in your niche and MAKING it happen!


Excuse #9: I'd need a top search engine ranking to get anywhere and that's almost impossible.

I'll agree that it MAY be almost impossible to get a top search engine ranking in some niches. But the fact is, you do NOT need a top search engine ranking in order to succeed on the web.

I'll submit right now in writing, that a top search engine ranking can be grossly overrated. In fact, I have a site that has a top ranking in a hotly contested market, with THE top keywords. How much traffic do you think that top ranking brings the site each month? 10,000 visitors? 5,000 visitors? Try 300.

Yes, search engine ranking, like ALL marketing strategies online and off, does NOT stand up well on its own. Effective marketing is all about using MULTIPLE strategies, and many strategies work FAR better than search engine positioning.


Excuse #10: I'd need a big advertising budget to get any results.

Wrong. The web is a PERFECT medium for implementing grass-roots strategies. A few that I've used with great success include joint venturing, networking, opt-in marketing such as email newsletters and email follow-up series', commission-only marketing such as ebay and affiliate programs, ad co-ops, and more. These strategies are dirt-cheap and amazingly effective.

In fact, BEFORE the web you could get away with the argument that a big advertising budget was needed to grow a business. The web changed that long ago and it continues to be true today.

There you have it. The top 10 excuses that are keeping literally millions of people stuck in that J-O-B (Just Over Broke). If you're not on your way to generating profits online, you may find that you believe one of those myths. Don't fall for it. Don't let a false belief keep you from one of the best opportunities in centuries -- an online business of your OWN. There really is no lifestyle like it!

If you think you'd like to try your hand at making a living from the web, come to http://www.make-a-living-online.com and I'll personally show you the exact steps you need to take to make it happen. (There is no opt-in or download necessary, you can read the guide right in your browser for free.)

Jim Daniels
JDD Publishing Co.