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Almost everyone hears a voice deep inside which says, “Yes! I want to be rich.” And we know that even the people who say, “Money does not buy happiness; Money is not everything in life” want to be rich. Why? Because money can buy big houses, beautiful cars, and dinner with our loved ones in a five star hotel. Of course, there are some things in life which money can’t buy, but money will solve every problem that not having money creates.
The inconvenient truth is that most of the people who want to get rich will never get there. People who do become rich have one characteristic in common which differentiates them from others – they take action! This may sound too simple, but it is this piece of the puzzle which prevents most people from attaining their desired financial independence. To better explain this concept, let me give you an example.
A few years back I was watching a TV show hosted by a famous motivational speaker, Jack Canfield. He took a $50 bill from his pocket, raised it in the air, and asked the audience, “Who wants $50?” More than a dozen hands shot up. And after a few seconds, a lady walked up to him and said, “Yes, I want $50. Give it to me.” And she took the $50 from his hands! She took action, and that is what made her different from the rest of the audience.
The people who raised their hands had the intention of receiving the $50, but they did not take the necessary action. Perhaps they expected the speaker to come hand over the bill to them. This is the mistake that most people make in life; instead of being proactive and seeking opportunities, they wait for opportunities to knock on their door. Opportunity rarely knocks on doors, and when it does, most people miss it. Successful people are those who go out and grab opportunities before others do.
You have a desire to make money, and the fact that you are reading this article means that you belong to the 1% of people who take action. I congratulate you for that. You are already ahead of the people who do nothing more than want to get rich.
Build a Business which Can Run Without You
When we look at history, it is easy to see that the people who made fortunes did it by creating a business and not performing a job. Let me describe the difference between the two with a simple example I adopted from the book Good to Great.
In earlier days of human evolution, there were many experts who could see the position of the sun, moon, and stars and tell the time within a few minutes. Whenever people wanted to know the time, they would contact these experts. Then after some years a scientist invented a clock. This clock could tell the exact time whenever and wherever people needed it, and similar clocks could be manufactured multiple times. Now, who is the genius? The expert who could tell time by the stars or the man who built the clock? Business is similar to building a clock, whereas being employed to someone else is like being a time telling expert. Whatever you do, keep asking yourself whether you are building a clock or simply telling time.
Opportunities to Make Money Online
The Internet has opened up a wide range of financial opportunities. Just like in the real world, these opportunities can be classified into jobs, self-employment, or businesses. In my future articles, you will learn about opportunities from all three categories. If you are an Internet beginner, you can start making money through the various methods and techniques that fall under the category of jobs. As you move forward, make sure you do not stick to the same methods for too long. You should start investing your earnings in building a business so that you can secure a passive income and create a cash flow for fueling your business and personal needs.
Who Can Make Money Online?
Anyone can make money online. The Internet does not care which country you are from or what beliefs you have. As long as you can provide value to the Internet economy, you can make money. If you are a web designer, your clients should benefit from the designs you create for them; if you are a blogger, your readers should get value from your articles; and if you promote a company’s products for commission, they should get valuable customers in return for their investment. Whatever you do, make sure that it creates value.
One of the biggest advantages to online financial opportunities is that you can create your own schedule. If you are engaged in a daytime job or a business, you can start by investing one hour per day online then slowly work your way up. Within a few years, you will learn the ins and outs of Internet business and eventually rely on the Internet for a full-time income.
There are certain methods, called “black-hat” methods, by which you can trick people or systems and make money online. Many people use such methods to make short-term money. But keep in mind that such methods neither improve your skills nor help to build a business system. Any technique or method used to make money online which does not create mutual benefit for all parties involved is eventually going to collapse.
Where Does the Money Come From?
I can understand that even after several years of using the Internet and hearing stories of online fortunes, some people are still not able to absorb the fact that the Internet can be a dependable source of full-time income. This is because little information is communicated about how the Internet economy works. I am confident that within five minutes, you will clearly understand the power of the Internet and will change your outlook.
In every economy, money is born where value is created. When value exchanges hands, money flows in the opposite direction. So if money is being poured into the Internet economy from a few sources, it means that the Internet delivers value in return. Let us look at the two major sources of online money flow:
1) Advertisers: Any product or service requires advertising to a targeted audience. Television, radio, newspapers, and magazines are just channels of communication which have traditionally been used because there was no other way for advertisers to reach their target audience. Today, however, advertising dollars are being poured into the Internet because it provides a cheaper, easier option. Newspapers and radios might soon be objects of the past.
2) Online Buyers: Money is also being pumped into the Internet by people who click “check out” and sit back and relax while products are delivered to them. Ranging from small priced information products all the way up to tangible products like computers and hardware, many people make purchases online. These numbers are only going to increase. Why? Online ordering saves a lot of time and money, and that is of great value to people!
As far as I know, advertisers and online buyers are the ones who set the wheel in motion. All the other websites, networks, services, and online businesses were built around these two pillars of the Internet economy – and these pillars are growing stronger than ever.
It does not matter whether you have a blog, a service-based business, or a profitable offline business; whatever you do, make sure that you do not look back and regret skipping out on the Internet. Bill Gates wrote in his book Business @ the Speed of Thought that business will change more in the next 10 years than it did in the past 50. That is the power of Internet.
Online Business Models
There are various types of online businesses, some of which are out of reach for an individual just starting to make money online. For example, online payment systems like PayPal or auction websites like eBay have difficult entry barriers. They require several legal formalities and a financial investment ranging in the millions. However, here are some business models which anyone can adopt and grow easily.
Blogging: Blogging is the most common form of online publishing. Anyone with basic computer knowledge can start a blog of their own and share their ideas. If the content is strong and gains publicity, the blogger can earn money from advertising. Not every blog establishes a strong base of readers; there are certain key factors which determine the success of a blog. Some blogs have become so popular that they command attention comparable to traditional media.
Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing is the process of promoting a company’s products for commission. This is the simplest and easiest way to begin making money online, and it is accessible to anyone. The company which created the product will take care of delivery, shipment, and guarantees, while the affiliate simply earns money through advertising. Affiliate marketing can be done through various methods, one of which is blogging.
Author an e-Book: If you have expertise in a particular topic and if you can fulfill a common need, you can write and sell an e-book. The e-book creation process involves writing the content on a word processor and saving it in PDF format. Once done, it can be sold to anyone who needs your information. You can either set up your own payment system, or list the product at the ClickBank.com payment gateway. ClickBank has a substantial affiliate network and the affiliates will be ready to promote your e-book for a commission. Affiliate commissions for e-books usually range from 25 to 75 percent since there are no production and overhead costs.
Online Forums: Online forums are websites that enable Internet users to discuss and exchange ideas and thoughts. You can start a forum on a topic of interest and gain members. As it grows in content and popularity, you can monetize the traffic with advertisements. Popular online forums can reach hundreds of thousands of registered members, and have the potential to earn a large monthly income. The most commonly used software for online forums is vBulletin.
Online Directories: In the past, people used the yellow pages to find local business information. With the growing popularity of the Internet and its ease of use, people now rely on it to find information. This provides the opportunity to create an online directory in your home town or area. You can encourage people to post their classifieds in your website and charge for advertisements. This model is rich in financial opportunity as more people start to use the Internet on a daily basis.
