Nothing beats the ’school of hard knocks’ to gain experience when it comes to learning new skills. Learning to ride a bike, playing golf, the piano or even setting up an online marketing business. I know because I’ve been there and done all of that.
If you’re just starting out you’re probably in the same place I was in no too long ago. The decision had been made to go for it! The spare bedroom had been converted into a functional office, house rules established and the computer was staring back at me waiting for instructions – now what? Well that’s the point of this story. That’s where the school of hard knocks comes in.
In those early days I was so impressed by all the super-successful online marketers parading their success stories across the internet. Many of them multi-millionaires, magnificent lifestyles, mansions, boats and cars and ‘modestly’ displaying the latest PayPal statement with cash balances that looked like Lotto numbers for the past month. Good on them! I think it’s great and I have an enormous respect for their success and the skills they learned to get them there- but now I wanted some of that – but where to start? Well there was no shortage of options. It seemed that everyone who was ‘anyone’ in the online world was offering training courses, gizzmo’s, memberships, boot-camps, you name it – you could get it!
As time has progressed the technology has surpassed our wildest imagination of even just five years ago. Systems are so sophisticated that the best of the best of the Guru’s are no further away than the keyboard in front of you – this is just great. But you know, I’m a bit of a soft touch when it comes to sales and marketing. As a result it wasn’t long before the hard drive was groaning with the weight of all the software, eBooks, DVD’s, MP3’s, free reports, emails, one-time offers, upgrade offers, bonus packages – and the best tactic of all for me – “Don’t click away from this page, you will only see this offer ONCE”. – I had to face it I had become an internet ‘Junkie’ and I was loving every minute of it. That is until I realised that the credit card was changing color from green to red and had yet to see anything coming back the other way.
I won’t say how much was spent in that one and a half years but it was into five figures.
Day of reckoning – lesson learned – you bet! It all came down in the end to focus, discipline and application. There is no way all of the material purchased will be utilized, there are just not enough hours in the day to get through it all anyway. Even if it were possible, by the time it rose to the top of the pile much of it would likely be obsolete.
And so, from the school of hard knocks emerges some pearls of wisdom for our visitors about to set up their own on-line business for the first time. If you’ve made the decision to go for it, the first thing you must do is lock up the credit card – until you’ve done your due diligence.
Spend time researching, make comparisons, evaluate cost options, carefully scrutinize special offers, go to appropriate forums and read what others are talking about. There are excellent mentors out there that I have become dedicated to over time like Jimmy D. Brown and others that I watch closely. The headline on this post sums up the message I want to give you as you make a start. Above all beware of the scams and rehashed, outdated junk out there and work only with known and recommended professionals. Good luck – success will be yours!
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Thank you, I hope to see you here again.
I have plenty of ‘no-hype’ information to share on the home business industry which I hope you will find helpful.