How To Start An Online Business - An Uncommon Approach

by Lissie

This is not the approach you will find in most books on how to start your own business! Its how I did it though!

If you check out the usual business books and business magazines for articles about "How To Start An Online Business" they talk about how to make sure you have the right insurances, how to setup a business banking account, how to develop a product.

In the second paragraph they talk about which business licenses you will need.

I started with none of that. In fact to this day I still don't have any special insurance or bank accounts. Most of this stuff is fluff, stuff you may need as your business develops, but its not what I've been making some money online since 2007, my online income has been my only income since February 2009. I'm not making millions in my sleep, but I make around US$2000/month - and growing.

What You Need to Start An Online Business

Over the years I've seen most of the people who started at the same time as I did, quit. Most of them aren't online anymore. Every month I have to go through and delete dozens of links on my blog - links that are "dead" because the blog they pointed at, the blog that a long-gone commentator loved at the time, is deleted. 

On the other hand I've seen others start with little or no fanfare - and they are now successes. What's a success? Well they make more money than I do, they have a lifestyle that they enjoy, they're happy. 

What's the difference between the successes and the failures. Have a guess: choose an answer below - before you read down further…

What Do You Think It Takes to Build A Successful Online Business?

Pick the one single thing that you think is the most important
Between a rock and a hard place - Waitomo, New Zealand
Between a rock and a hard place - Waitomo, New Zealand

What You Really Need To Start An Online Business

You see most people think I succeed in this business because I'm "good with computers" or even, hilariously, because I have a degree, or I can write. 

They are wrong. 

I've succeeded because of just one thing - I didn't quit. OK so the smart-arses amongst you will - well say yeah  but the failures quit.

Yes, that's exactly my point! Ssomeone once said to me

"99% of people who try to make a living online fail and quit. And they quit, just before they start to succeed". 

And when I look around at the people who have succeeded, the ones that have done really well? Better than me? Why's that then - why do they make three, or five or even more times a month more than I do? Are they smarter? Nope. Younger? Some of them. A different gender? Some of them. 

Some of them have kids, some not. Some are single, some not. Some are in debt and trying to save their homes. Others had neither income nor debts. Some are old, some young, male and female, educated and not. 

They have nothing in common, they don't even sell the same products, use the same affiliates, or have the same business models. Quite a number of them have had (or their families have had) health issues - which if you are American, seems to lead, invariably to huge debts. 

There is just one thing that all of these people do have in common. They have worked bloody hard, and they really, really wanted to succeed.

Not everything they have tried has made them money, but they have tried so many things, and done so much work, that they have finally made some money. If something failed to work out they didn't spend a lot of time bitching about it in forums or on Facebook. Instead they picked themselves up and tried a different approach.

The Break Through

One day it happened.  I couldn't believe it - I'd got some people to sign up for an program I was an affiliate for! I was amazed, I figured I might even make some money. I did, the first month I made over $100, I was disbelieving, was this for real (it was)? The next month I made over $400. I was in tears of joy - and I don't cry easily. 

Then I made a mistake - I told some friends, I was just so excited I had to share!

I'll never forget the looks I got. Was I insane? I'd been doing this for over 6 months at the time and I was EXCITED about $400??? I used to have a job that I would earn that in a day, when was I going to get a real job? 

They will never be entrepreneurs or own businesses, they don't get it. The very best money I ever made online - the first time Adsense paid out because I'd reached $100 (that took about . The second best - that first $100 from the affiliate program - because I'd got real people to trust me and sign up to a program on my recommendation! 

I'd got lucky.  

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Seneca Roman dramatist, philosopher, & politician (5 BC - 65 AD)

This is the First in a Series On How To Start An Online Business

I will add the next articles in this series as I write them, below. 

How To Start An Online Business - Personality Skills 

How To Start An Online Business - How Much Money 

How To Start An Online Business - What Technical Skills 

How To Start An Online Business - Which Services Are Worthwhile 

Who Am I?

I'm Lis Sowerbutts, I've been making a living online since 2007 and have been full time since February 2009. I make money from advertising on my websites, my affiliate commimssions from products and services I promote.  

I am also a non-fiction author. 

Wizzley is just one of the places that I write online. If you want to check out more of what I write check out my Passive Income Online blog and sign up to my newsletter! 

Nice to meet you and hope you get what you want from your online endevours! 

Updated: 02/24/2012, Lissie
 
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tombok on 04/19/2012

Good stuff - some motivation is always good, working online can be frustrating especially when others don't GET it.

Lissie on 02/24/2012

Yeah its a jungle out there - thanks for your comments kaazoom!

kaazoom on 02/24/2012

Unfortuntely there are many on the net that propagate the idea that you can make money online easliy with no effort. It simply isn't true. you have to work at it and someties fail, in fact often fail if you are like me. Persistence and the willingnes to learn are essentilain any worthwhile venture. I love the quote from Seneca

Sheri_Oz on 02/14/2012

I can't get enough of this kind of article. I was luckier than you in one thing - when I excitedly told my friends that I made my first $2 in November, they were really happy for me, understanding that if I can make $2 I can make more.
I love the quote about people who quit just before they were about to succeed. I do have to fight the "quit" bug that attacks me at times, and I remember that quote and stay with it. I do love this 99% of the time.

Thamisgith on 01/11/2012

There's no substitute for hard work. A bit of bloody mindedness helps as well.

TerriRexson on 01/08/2012

So true. I see so many people looking for the magic formula. And of course it's just doing the work ...

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