How to Get Rich Quick - NOT!

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This article won't appeal to a lot of get-rich quick seekers and lazy people.  And if that describes you, I hope you will at least appreciate the honesty.

I wrote this article because I got an e-mail from a gentleman today who read my success story and wanted to know how long it took me to make a full-time living online.

He hated his job and wanted to find something that will help him make money... fast.  And trust me, this wasn't the first e-mail I'd received like this.

Another inspiration was a conversation in my forums that started with a thread about Google AdSense, but quickly turned into a great discussion about what it takes to succeed online.

Let's Keep It Real, Folks.

The reality is, no one gets rich quickly out here unless you inherit someone else's wealth.  If you really could get rich quickly online or even offline, you'd know several people in your social circle who have already done it. 

Let's face it... if any of these online schemes really worked, it would spread like the plague.  People would be leaving their 9 to 5's like crazy and the evening news would be headlining "get rich quick" stories in record numbers.

But that never happens does it?

You know why?

Because it takes work and time to make money online and there's absolutely no shortcut to success.  And unfortunately people don't want to put in the work.  They just want the instant rewards.

There's Got to Be a Way...  Right?

It amazes me that so many people think there is some secret or way to make money quickly or without investing any money to start.

Starting an online business is a heck of a lot cheaper than starting one offline.  So before you complain about having to pay for a $7 per month website, think of the expenses you'd incur if you were opening up a store in your neighborhood.  The cost of rent for the space alone would deter most people.

But for some reason people don't see starting Internet businesses the same way they see offline ventures.  I think all the Web hype has convinced some people that starting a business online is somehow easier.

Now, don't get me wrong.  It is easier in some senses...

1) You don't need to rent any land.

2) A website can be completed and coined "open for business" a lot quicker than an offline store or establishment.

3) No license needed.

BUT...

It does take work.

If you read any of the successful Internet entrepreneurs online they will all tell you that it took time to get where they are and they had to put in a lot of hard work.

Yes, my story sounds glamorous... 

I now make enough money from my sites to work at home full time and I can work wherever and whenever I want.  My sites work on autopilot and I could leave town for months and come back to the same income (or more).

But the not-so-glamorous part of the story that you don't see is that I have invested a lot of time over the years.

I've been doing this since 1998 and it took me until 2004 to make what I would consider a full-time income.  Yes, six years! But people don't want to focus on that aspect of success. They only want to learn about the end result...

How much money can I make?

How long will it take before I can quit my job?

Those are all valid questions, but you have to remember that making money online is a business, whether it appears that way or not.

1) You need a plan for your site/business. (Who are you going to target? How are you going to reach them?)

2) You need to learn and understand the basic concepts of marketing (writing to communicate and appeal to your audience's emotions).  And this is true no matter what kind of site you create.

3) You need to be patient and understand this will not happen overnight.

4) You MUST enjoy it.

5) You MUST enjoy it.

6) You MUST enjoy it.

Sorry, I had to emphasize that last point three times because let me tell you this...

If it ever feels like a job or you begin dreading any part of this, then you will never succeed.   You have to enjoy the ride, otherwise you'll never get to "destination money."

So many think that the love for money or the love for financial freedom should be enough to motivate you, but it isn't.  Making money takes work, so in order to get to your ultimate goal you must enjoy the ride.

And that means failing at some things, investing time, subscribing to Net Marketing newsletters, reading and learning from other successful people, etc.

It's amazing how many questions I get about how long it took me to make a lot of money, but no one ever asks me if I enjoy myself.

You know why?

Because people assume that OF COURSE I'm enjoying myself, my sites are generating a nice income.  Why wouldn't I be enjoying myself, right?

But let me tell you something...

I was enjoying myself even when I was making $30 per month.  At the very beginning my very first site (may it R.I.P.) only received a few visitors per day, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning and continuing to hone my writing and Internet marketing skills.

Getting e-mails from people thanking me for helping them was enough to keep me going, even though I wasn't making a lot.  But I always knew that if I kept at it, I eventually would be rewarded.

And sure enough, it eventually happened.

Did it happen quickly?

Nope.

In fact in 2001 and 2002 my income dropped drastically from my first 5-figure year in 2000.  But I never gave up.  I kept building new sites and trying new ideas until I found a combination that worked.

Now, am I saying it takes 6 years to make a full-time income online?

For some it may not take nearly as long, and for others it may take even longer.  But the point is, there is work involved no matter how you slice it.

Here's The Good News

So I've stressed that making money online is a lot of work.  I'm sure you get that now, but here's the good news.  Once you do find that successful combination you can take what you've learned and build even more successful sites. 

And you'll often find that it won't take nearly as long for them to succeed because you now understand the formula, plus you can use your existing site(s) to promote your new ones.

That's what happened with my fitness site.  I realized some things that work well when building and promoting this site, so I applied those principles, and it earned money a lot quicker than any other site I created.

Let's Wrap It Up

So if you came to this page looking for a way to get rich quick, I hope you now understand there is no such thing.  An Internet business is work just like any other kind of business.

If you want any chance of success, follow these guidelines...

1) Build a website on a topic you enjoy and have knowledge about.

2) Realize it's going to take time.

3) Treat it as a business.  Develop a plan, decide what you're going to sell (if anything, remember you can promote other people's products for a commission), who you are going to target, etc.

4) Learn how to write to communicate.  Remember, this is all about marketing and you must learn how to connect with your audience.

Download a copy of the free e-book, Make Your Content PREsell by Ken Evoy.  What a great read.

5) Expect to invest some money (not a lot!).  Start with your website.  They are amazingly cheap these days and when you think of the prices in comparison to starting an offline business, should you really complain?

The great thing about the Internet is that your website is the only thing you really have to spend money on in the beginning.  You can get free traffic from Google, MSN and Yahoo once your site is up and running.

There are many successful sites out here that earn thousands of dollars simply because of all the free traffic.   BUT you have to give Google and the other engines a reason to give you that traffic.  Make your site useful!

Looking for Ideas?

You may be surprised at the many different types of Internet businesses you can start.  This site has examples.  Every person listed on this page has become successful and many have been able to quit their full-time jobs.

Good luck and remember to have fun!

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