We all know that many people are making good, great and even tremendous livings, all from behind their computer screens. For that reason alone, most of us should be past the whole “making money online is a scam” frame of mind. This ideology should be long gone and pushed as far out of our brain as possible. There is absolutely no excuse for this way of thinking unless perhaps you happen to be one of those old timers that had to walk 20 miles every morning to school in the snow. Ever heard that story before?
We can give them a pass. Anyway, in all seriousness, I wanted to write this for myself, the people just getting started, and even the people that are well on their way in their internet marketing/blogging/online venture of any kind. The hardest part about earning an income online is how much bad information there is on the web. Which is why I’ve created a free guide to increasing your income online, for people just starting out that want to know their options. The truth is, the people that are usually spewing this information are typically just trying to sell you something, and they don’t care if you make money or not. Here is my list of 7 Ways to Screw up Making Money Online.
1. Lack of Direction
Maybe you’re a newbie and just found out that you can make money online, and you’re lost as to how to do it. You may be researching on Google and YouTube, watching different videos of people telling you that this is the way, or that’s the way, etc. The amount of time that you can spin around in circles like this when looking for information is endless. The first step to getting rid of this problem is to get these ‘get rich quick’ schemes out of your head. I’m not saying that there aren’t ways to make large amounts of money online fast because there are many. But it’s much better to focus on developing and building a marketable skill online and become a master of that one thing. That’s the fastest way you are going to reach your goals. Period.
2. Too Many Directions
There are so many different strategies to make money online, and you try to learn every skill instead of just mastering one. This one is dangerous and will continue to stunt your growth online for as long as you allow it. You need to do some soul searching and research.
What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? Do you like writing? Consider starting a blog or offering freelance services as a writer on websites like iWriter. Do you know web design or want to learn? Watch all the YouTube videos you can on learning basic HTML and building a site on WordPress. Once you’ve developed your skills, you can offer website design and development services to local businesses or freelance on sites to get your name out there and build a client base. The important thing is to get started and gain some traction, or you’ll lose your enthusiasm.
3. Following the Wrong Leader
I was blessed, when I first started my journey online to have a good mentor and coach. Make sure that you use your better judgment on this one. Do your homework on someone, and make sure they know what they are talking about before you put your business and your future in their hands. Make sure that what they’re saying resonates with you, and they’re not just trying to sell you something.
4. Lack of Focus
Have I mentioned that you need to focus on one thing? This is the silent killer when it comes to online entrepreneurs, it is extremely hard to have a laser focus on one particular thing when you have so many emails, videos and ads being shown to you offering the latest and greatest product or strategy to become a billionaire overnight.
Remember in heading two we talked about too many directions? You need to audit regularly where you are spending your time. If you are trying to build up your reviews on iWriter and develop a good name and reputation for yourself, you might not want to spend hours a day learning about opening up an Amazon store, see where I’m going here? Half of getting what you want means knowing what you’re going to have to sacrifice or give up to get it, then making that sacrifice over and over.
5. Lack of Money
There might not be many people out there who are actually telling you this, but you are going to need some money to get started. The amount is really minuscule though compared to the barrier of entry of basically all other business models out there. In a recent article, I talk about how I quit my job and moved to Denmark with no money but by this time I had already spent time learning and mastering my trade and had established a client base for myself.
What I recommend for everyone just starting out is to keep your day (or night) job, and if you don’t have a job then get one! Even though the costs are low compared to other businesses, you still need to invest in yourself and your learning.
6. You’re Not Working Hard Enough
You’re going to have to work at this just as hard or harder than anything else that you’ve ever wanted in your whole life. Do you want a location independent business that you can run from anywhere? Make money while you sleep? Travel the world and work from your laptop? Ok, then you’ve got to ask yourself what you’re willing to give up to get yourself there.
When I first got started, I was working two jobs and going to college full-time, and I was tired. You know what the problem with that excuse is? The universe doesn’t care if you’re tired. It doesn’t care if you’re sick, hungry, upset or whatever other excuses you might have up your sleeve. As the great late Jim Rohn says, “You get paid for bringing value to the marketplace”. So what did I do? I found time. I basically didn’t leave my house for a whole year (as far as whatever free time I had). I studied and watched everything that I could get my hands on my chosen subject, while simultaneously applying it. That last part is key so read it again, so you don’t miss it!
7. Giving up Before The Miracle
Internet marketers pockets are lined full of money from people who bought their product or course and never even opened it! I remember when I heard the statistic that it was something like 60-70% of people that buy a course never even actually open it up!
Think about how crazy that is for a moment.
You need to sit back and realize that there are TONS of people online really doing it! That have created a lifestyle business for themselves and you can too. You are no different from them besides the hours of work that they have put in mastering their skill. It’s all about setting goals for yourself and then working like hell until you achieve them. I wish there were some magic formula because I would be using it myself. But there isn’t. What there is, is good old fashioned hard work and discipline. My question to you is, are you going to be the 60-70% of people that resign to do something and never follow through OR will you be the other 30% that is living their dreams? The choice is yours.
Featured photo credit: Luis Llerena via pablo.buffer.com
