Do you have a plan?

Do you have a plan or are you just randomly running around trying to find something that will work for you? You need to have a plan and you need to know why you are doing what ever it is you are doing.

Motivation is the key factor that makes everything in this world happen. Motivation makes babies (even if they are not the final goal!). Motivation creates works of art. Motivation gets great books written. Motivation...can make anything happen. The question is are you motivated?

If you're reading this blog, chances are you are motivated to quit your day job. You are motivated to find a profitable Internet income. But what kind of profitable Internet income? Do you care? NO? Long as it makes you money right? In that case, money is your motivation. That's not a bad thing - money has been the motivation for many things in the past and will continue to motivate people. Just don't let it motivate you to rip people off and we'll stay on good terms.

You can find a profitable Internet income doing anything that you enjoy though. You don't have to just think of it as a way to make money. That's where the plan comes in.

Say you like to bake. So bake. But let the Internet bring in all the customers you could ever want. The key is having a presence on the Internet that will be seen by your target market. You're likely not going to sell baked goods on eBay or to people who live on the other side of the country. So focus your Internet marketing strategy on the town or city that you live in. You think people don't use the Internet to find things in their own town? You're wrong. People are using the Internet for more things than you can imagine and finding services is one of the big ones.

Get a web site or a blog. Write in it regularly. Use keywords that will help people find you in search engines.

Every city has websites that offer forums and communities. Most of these forums and communities allow you to place a link in your profile. Sometimes you can place a link in your signature. You can get involved without advertising. Every once in awhile throw something relevant out there about your business. People will come to you.

This is only an example and only the beginning. There are many more things you can do. They key? Figure out your motivation and get a plan. Then put your plan to work. Learn every single day about ways to make your plan work better.

What's your plan?

Watch out for the Scams!

If your dream is to make a profitable internet income, you've likely been looking at some of these ads and thinking "What does it hurt to try?" But it does hurt to try. Why? First, because you lose money. Second, because THEY make money and if they are making money they'll keep doing it, thus scamming more people. So, yes, it hurts you and it hurts those that follow in your steps.

Be aware of what the scams are.

A good place to start is ScamBusters. They have a great piece on the Top 10 Work at Home Scams. Go read it now!

"Make Money Doing Data Entry From Home!"

Have you seen this in some of the help wanted areas - mostly craigslist I must admit but in other places as well. Usually if you respond to one of these ads they'll tell you that all you are doing is filling out forms online and that you'll be paid $10-20 per form. Each one takes about an hour's work I was told. It seems like something anyone can do. But it is very vague. Finally, they tell you that there is a one time administration cost of $14.95 (or $12.95 or anything up to $20) for the cost of training materials and setting you up and so on.

You know, in my heart I knew that this was just not right. What the hell kind of training materials could there really be? Why should they cost anything when you are receiving them online. Did I listen to my gut though? Nope. I just had to try it. I just had to receive those training materials and find out what this was all about. I wanted it to be a legit job so badly. I wanted to earn $10-20/hr from home! I have a couple kids that are pretty much all my responsibility and I tell ya, the extra income would have come in handy.

So, I sent off for it.

The next day, in my email was the "training materials". Turns out that these "data entry" jobs (sometimes also advertising for "typists") are doing the same damn thing! They want you to go out now an place these same ads all over the bloody place and con people just like you who want to make a little bit of honest money from home on their computer.

I thought about it but I simply couldn't do it. I actually even place a few ads. I got some responses and then I felt so bad about trying to screw these people over that I pulled all the ads and closed the hotmail account that I had opened just for this scam. I lasted about an hour before I became human again.

I regret like hell that I sent in that money, but I don't regret that I never put those training materials to use!

Welcome

Welcome friends.

Do you want to quit your day job? Do you want to know how to make the internet profitable? Are you sick of your day job? Tired of your boss and her boss and his boss and all those people who stifle your creativity? Are you tired of hearing, "Just do your job..."?

I am. I invite you all to join in a quest to making the internet a place of employment. This blog is all about finding ways to express your creativity, finding ways to become profitable doing things you enjoy, and finding ways to work smarter, not harder.

There are many ways to make money online and I am well on my way to making some of the programs that are available my full time job. You can be too, so join me. Share you ideas and let me know what is working for you. Do you have something that didn't work? Let me know that too and I'll blog about it so that others can learn from your experiences!