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When I first became excited by the prospect of starting an online business I had no idea of the difficulties and challenges I was about to face – all I visualised was all the money I was about to make, and I remember setting about my initial activities with all the gusto of the ignorant who blissfully enter into the forest without the first inkling of the dangers within. After all, I had been in IT for many years, and had successfully produced websites for others, promoting offline clients’ businesses online. So I approached Internet Marketing with confidence – how difficult could it be for someone as experienced as I?

The shocking truth was that I had much to learn, even given my existing knowledge, and now, after several years in the game – and it is a game, with constantly changing rules – I have understood what it takes:

Time

There is a saying I have always liked - “If at first you do succeed, try to hide your astonishment”. If you think you will be an overnight sensation, and of course I hope that you do, you may well be disappointed. In most cases, it takes time, as all things do that become sustainable. And it can eat up a lot of cash while you’re investing that time. If you’re lucky, you’ll cover your costs right from the start. If not, be prepared to make some sacrifices in the short term…

Learning

Fact is, you are going to need a whole bunch of new skills that you will have to apply to this strange, virtual world. I had to learn sales copywriting – being a ‘techie’, I had never had to sell very much, and so it was a totally new process to me. It did not happen overnight – I made plenty of mistakes before finally discovering my own ’style’ which suited my personality, and with which I felt comfortable, but which was also effective with prospects. I also had to learn Internet Marketing Strategy, and had to keep up to date with changing trends in the marketplace. At the time of writing, Web 2.0 is all the rage, and Twitter and the social bookmarking sites are where you need to be if you want to promote successfully. Tomorrow, it will change, and you need to know about it. Learning never stops. Ever.

Determination

A healthy measure of stubbornness is very useful to anyone embarking on an Internet marketing career. I had a specific goal in mind when I started – I wanted to work from the comfort of home, my family of dogs around me all the time. I wanted to choose when I worked, how much I worked, and how I worked. I was simply not going to be satisfied until that was the case, and I was willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to get there. Today, as my dogs wander in and out of my house on my farm while I sit here and type at my desk surrounded by computers, I am living the dream. But I had to go through many dark days, in which there were times when I was not sure I would survive, in order to get here. I failed many times, often not sure why, in other cases learning harsh lessons that would enable me to step up the next time. But I was determined to see it through. My persistence paid off.

The Internet, like any business environment, is tricky and will present you with multiple challenges on a daily basis. But it is rewarding to an extent you will scarcely imagine when you first embark on the journey., both personally and financially. If you have the willingness to invest the time, learn everything you need to in order to succeed, and persist in the face of failure, the chances are you might become a successful Internet Entrepreneur. It really depends on you.

Here to Help,
Derek

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