What's REALLY Required To Start An Online Home Business? 
by Gary Shaw

Everywhere I turn on the Internet, there's someone trying to sell me something.

People are being suckered into spending literally thousands of dollars on info products, unnecessary software and "killer marketing tools" that will supposedly increase your online revenue.

Unfortunately, 95% of Internet businesses fail within the first year due to their misinformed marketing advice, strategies, and lack of directional support.

Here it is... once and for all, the REAL list of Internet essentials. What you TRULY need in order to succeed online with the minimum of investment.

1) Desire. It starts with the goal in mind which pumps adrenaline around your body every time you visage what the future has in store for you. Every time you think about success, you need to KNOW that you have the ability to achieve it. And you will.

2) Motivation. You have the goal, but what about the drive? Where's the tenacity to keep you going?  Keep 100% dedicated at all times.  Whenever you have a lazy moment, you need to visualize your goals in order to stay on track and not drift off course.

3) Time. Lots of it. If you're under the false illusion that just an hour a day will be enough to turn your dreams into a reality, then you're going to be waiting a heck of a long time to achieve them. I've worked from 6am till 11pm many times dedicating myself to the Internet... this is not "get rich quick". Only effort produces success. 

4) Your own PC computer system (or equivalent) connected to the Internet. You need to have access to a phone line at all times so you can dial-up and do some work online whenever you need to.  Keep one machine just for work, and try not to let your friends or children use it for other purposes. After all, it's your business machine and the data you have on it will be very important.

5) Knowledge. I'm not talking about an academic education, I'm talking about real-world business knowledge that you can put to use. Do you know how to register your business? How about dealing with tax issues and book keeping? And how much do you actually know about the Internet?  Do you know how it works... how to develop your own website... how to automate your online income...how to market your products/services effectively?  This can be scary for the average person.  I made the mistake of putting my impatience before my research and making a pigs-ear of myself when I realized I knew nothing about accounting or keeping business records. Don't make the same mistake.

6) A definite plan. Many people just have money on their mind and think constantly cycling through affiliate programs and other opportunities will produce success for them. I can tell you from experience that only the people with sure-fire plans ever succeed.  After all, how can you end up where you want to be if you don't even know how you're going to get there? 

7) Your own business model. Many people say for true financial independence you need your own products or services. I say that's rubbish. Instead, what's more important is you have your own *Business Model*.  What I mean is a definite model that you'll work with.  If you can successfully market "on the shelf" sites and integrate your affiliate alliances, then there's no reason why you can't produce just as much success.  What's important is that you have a plan to stick to, a business model to work from and a good idea on how you're going to get there. It's common sense. 

8) Products or services to sell. These can either be your own, or an existing product line that plugs in well into your own business model. You should give your website model a theme (for instance, golf) and
then you may find that other sites exist that can supply the products you require for your own website.  Alternatively, your website may be geared towards another sales vehicle (such as advertising revenue) which will require your own unique plan for success. 

9) Your own domain name. You can get a domain for approx. $11 from Joker.com now and hooked up to a web hosting company for less than $20 a month. Why would you put your own professionalism in jeopardy for the sake of less than 200 bucks a year?  Even if you don't use your website as a direct sales vehicle, it'll provide you with a new professional foundation needed to effectively start your business.

10) Money. I won't lie to you, you're not going to get anywhere without at least some investment. It may not have to be a lot (depending on your business model). I started with $500 and now can produce that back every single day online. But joining a free affiliate program with your free URL won't get you anywhere. Just like a "real world" business, there are certain overhead costs that just can't be avoided.

11) Common sense. It's amazing how many people seem to lack this. They join a free affiliate program, grab a free website and promote on search engines and newsgroups... using spam and FFA links, then wonder why they're not yet rich. Here the truth:  The Internet is a communication's medium and nothing more. The rules of good business practice still apply, the only difference is that the economy has changed and introduced the potential for much greater success through ease and cost efficiency of customer reach and the ability to use technology in a big, big way.  You still need to think and act like a business. This one point, unless fully grasped, causes most failure.  

12) Contacts. As you go down the route of success you'll network with many people and develop contacts in the industry. If it wasn't for a small group of people I was fortunate to meet along the way, I wouldn't have made so many profitable business alliances. Network, network, network! Once known, your name will be said with respect. 

There you go, my "12 points of success". Of course there are MANY individual sub-topics (which is what makes Internet marketing so huge) like good website design, the right marketing knowledge, the ability to put technology to use, etc. But it's up to you to learn these aspects.

With the desire to succeed, the constant motivation and the willingness to learn, you're limited only by your own mind. Success awaits, you just have to know how to grab it. 

Want to hear something crazy? The author of this article, Gerald Shaw, turned his crack-pot marketing skepticism into a $200K per year venture! Learn how for free by contacting him directly: mailto:garyAGME@GetResponse.com.