But do you really want to start a business?
You dream of arranging your hours to suit you.
To have time for family and friends, hobbies etc. 
You probably saw yourself, getting up, doing a bit of work, then swanning off out for the day to have fun or maybe go shopping or a day at the beach relaxing.
Or maybe having more time to go to the gym or go running. Get up later, have a leisurely breakfast then later pop out for coffee.
Anything there sound familiar? Is this your dream? Yes?
So you want to start a business, really? What does that entail?
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The next step……
is to do some research into the reality of running an online business.
Life might become like that when it’s been up and running for a few years but probably not.
To start your own business takes determination, perseverance and long hours of hard work. There will be times when you think it’s pointless and a waste of time. If you are starting alongside a full or part time job, you will get tired and find it hard going at times. After a while your family and friends may push you to give up saying it’s a waste of time, they never see you, you spend too much time online, it’s pointless you won’t earn money.
There is a lot to learn, especially with an online business. You can’t just set up a website and wait for money to come rolling in. You thought you could?
Yep me too when I started out 10 years ago. Except it was a shop on a big site. Luckily for me there were forums and loads of helpful people to answer questions. The more you learn, the more you realise how much there is to learn.
If you are looking for a way to earn fast money you are in the wrong place!
You may have seen videos about earning thousands of pounds a day/week/month. Sound plausible don’t they? Or may have signed up for one or more only to find it’s not what you thought. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The only route to riches/wealth is hard work!
Still want to have an online business?
Then next you need to decide WHY!
What is your motivation?
This is important as it will be the reason you keep going when everything and everyone is telling you to give up.
I always said it was for my family, which it is partly. A better lifestyle, better time management etc. But that’s not enough to keep you going regardless, especially when that same family says you are spending too much time online, time you could be spending with them.
Think hard about the WHY. Then write it down, be very clear about it, because it will keep you motivated and will make you persevere when you want to give up.
What is MY motivation? The challenge and the love of learning something new. When I’m told I can’t do something then I have to prove I can. A problem might make me want to tear my hair out and throw the computer out of the window but I don’t. I stop and walk away. I will keep going back until I solve it. I will ask and keep asking until I have an answer.
Yes I do want a better lifestyle/more money but once I reach that point I will continue on to greater challenges because I can and because someone is bound to say, You can’t.
You have worked out the Why and written it down.
What’s next? More Research?
This time research, into the sort of work you want to do.
Have you been looking? There are a variety of things you can do by freelancing but you are here because you want your own business. You can create a product yourself as a crafter. Knitting/crochet/ceramics/jewellery/artist and many more. To do this you can set up a website and or a shop on a large site. You will need to learn about SEO, social media, writing copy, photography and more.
Blogging is another route but that takes time to build up a following, plus you need much the same sort of knowledge.
Dropshipping is another area. You need to find a good company and get accepted by them. Decide what products you wish to sell. Learn how it works and then set up your website. Its also a good idea to blog about the products to encourage sales.
Then you have the fast growing area of Affiliate Marketing. There is a lot on the internet about this, various ‘systems’ that supposedly help. It is a good idea to read blogs on what is available as part of your research. Many bloggers do reviews on the various company’s out there. It’s how I found the one I am with after watching endless videos promising the earth.
Wealthy Affiliate is the one that I am with and was the only one I found that offered free joining and basic training to start. It gave you the chance to check out what was on offer before deciding whether or not to go further. It has a lot of easy to follow training that meant I was building a wordpress website in no time.
All of this can be overwhelming at first, so much to learn and do and obstacles to overcome and that is just to get started.
The next step!
Now you think the dream will come alive, that soon you will be living that lifestyle you saw in so many videos.
The reality?
Long hours, very long, the pay is less, if any, at first. That time off for yourself becomes a distant dream as you plod along, always something more to learn. Other commitments eat away at your time, maybe a full time or part time job, plus other responsibilities. The more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know.
Many months or a year or more into your dream, you become aware if how hard it is alongside everything else. Doing your taxes shows you that there is more going out the coming in.
Now what do you do?
Plod on for another year hoping it will get better? Only to find there is still more going out than coming in. Less than before, the gap is closing and you wonder……. Is it worth it? Really?
This is the point, or maybe sooner that decides the future! You either give it up as being too hard, or.
OR, you grit your teeth and decide you will work longer and harder because you WILL make it!
Others are mocking your efforts, telling you it’s not worth your time and effort, constantly trying to lure you away.
BUT you are building for the future. For your own future and (maybe) your family’s future.
Those that are destined to become a success, however big or small, don’t give up at this point. They keep going, sheer stubbornness/determination makes them go on fighting.
Then comes the day the books show you broke even.
Then …………………
you actually have to PAY tax!!!!
The first time you will jump for joy, I did. It was amazing.
From then on you keep up the pressure and grow. Earning a living wage is a success. You can give up the 9-5 working for someone else. YOU are finally your own boss, working for yourself!!!
You have YOUR own BUSINESS!! There is no better feeling.
I recommend Wealthy Affiliate if you are keen to learn about starting a business or even improving the one you have. Perhaps you want to branch out and diversify like I did.
Want to see what I do? Read my 6 month review HERE!
Starting a business? Read HERE!
Did you enjoy this post? Is so, please share.
Do you have a comment to make or a question to ask? If so, please do comment or ask your question and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
I like that you have set realistic standards for making money online. Most adds for programs claim a ton of money with little work and those are always scams!
You mentioned Wealthy affiliate is a good place for learning about affiliate marketing. Are there other good resources for learning different trades on the internet?
Thank you for commenting Wilson. I prefer to let people know the reality rather than dressing it up as easy and fast. People are less likely to drop out if they know what it’s really like, they are prepared to work hard to achieve their goals.
I looked for many months before finding Wealthy Affiliate and in all that time came across many scams but nothing that offered any real substance and value for money. I am sure there must be some other good companies that offer training etc, but from reading reviews on other companies, none I have seen so far are as good as Wealthy Affiliate.
This post is great for highlighting the commitment required in deciding to join an online programme. Many people don’t realise the dedication needed. Do you know of any other affiliates apart from Wealthy Affiliate just for comparison. What makes Wealthy Affiliate stand out for you? You also touched on research, what research tools do you use?
Hope to be be back for your responses.
Thank you Kavinah for commenting.
I feel that starting a business, taking on the training and building a site, learning so much is a very big commitment. Not everyone is prepared to invest so much of themselves for their future, so I feel that laying out the reality is the right thing to do.
I don’t know of any so far that have so much excellent training, the wonderful community as well as the site hosting and the availability of up to 50 sites all for such a reasonable price.
For me after many months of looking, finding a genuine site was like a miracle, I like that they offer a free starter training so you can get in and have a look. It was the only one I came across that did that. Every other one I saw wanted money up front before you could have a look at what was on offer.
I use Jaaxy as a research tool for finding great keywords and blog titles for general research I google everything and follow the trails I find.
Hi, Linda! I relate to every word you are saying in your article. For me, I searched the internet for years to get an online business running. The one I found and stayed with is Wealthy Affiliate, the best platform you can join. The starter membership is amazing; you can join for free, build up your website very quickly, get much help from the community.
You are so right; for someone who is not motivated enough, will it stop quickly. I had to spend so much time beside my other job and household and family that sometimes, I felt exhausted, but it is so much worth keeping on going! To stop should never be an option! I recommend the Wealthy Affiliate platform to everyone. That is the place to be! Thank you very much, Linda!
Thank you Sylvia, for your comments.
I recommend Wealthy Affiliate and always say they should try the free version first. When people jump in too fast without proper research or trying it out, they often give up, realising it is not a “get rich quick” scheme. That is always a shame as sticking it out and putting in the work can bring them a solid business that brings in the money for years to come.