Have you ever dreamed about being your own boss and running your own internet business from home? Who wouldn’t love the freedom to set their own schedule, work in their PJs, and earn a comfortable living all at the same time?
First Things First About Internet Business
I’m not going to sugarcoat it — starting a profitable internet business takes serious dedication. But if you have the drive and patience to put in the hard work, it can be incredibly rewarding, both financially and personally.
Before you submit your two weeks’ notice at the office, let’s talk about what it really takes to make it as an online entrepreneur. I want you to go into this with realistic expectations so you’re not pulling your hair out after the first few frustrating months.
Working from Home = Distractions Galore
Many people romanticize the idea of working from home. No commute! No annoying coworkers! You can take as many breaks as you want!
True…but along with flexibility comes a whole lot of potential distractions. Your dirty dishes won’t wash themselves. Your kids and pets certainly won’t ignore you. And even on days when life is calm, you’ll still need to discipline yourself not to waste time endlessly scrolling social media.
Succeeding with an internet business requires putting your nose to the grindstone regularly. Can you push through the distractions day after day after day to get work done? If not, running an internet business solo may not be for you.
Patience Is Absolutely Critical
Very few online businesses are overnight successes. In many cases, it takes months or even years of experimentation to discover your winning product or service and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
During those early days, you need determination and patience in boatloads as you learn the ropes of internet marketing, website creation, search engine optimization, and more.
You’ll also need persistence when things don’t go perfectly according to plan. Maybe a new social media campaign totally flops and you need to rethink your approach. Perhaps you invest in a fancy new shopping cart plugin that totally confuses customers.
As an entrepreneur, you have to be willing to pick yourself back up, analyze where things went wrong, and try something different. Every failure brings an opportunity to grow and improve if you have the right mindset.
Run Your Business Like a Pro
Treating your internet business like a casual hobby in the early days is a recipe for disaster. Even if you’re only working part-time hours as you maintain a day job, approach things professionally from day one.
Set up a dedicated workspace, establish a routine schedule you stick to, create revenue goals and business plans. These things not only help you stay productive, but also train your brain that this is serious.
Additionally, invest time self-educating on relevant skills instead of trying to wing it. Read books and blogs, take online courses, follow experts on social media. The faster you can become knowledgeable about online marketing, SEO optimization, web development, sales funnels, and so on, the faster your business can gain traction.
Stay Positive in Spite of Naysayers
When you first tell friends and family about your new internet business plans, you may get less than enthusiastic reactions from some.
“That seems risky…”
“But you don’t know anything about running a website!”
“You’re leaving your stable job for THAT?”
Let their skepticism and doubt roll off your back. The most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in history all had naysayers who said it couldn’t be done. But the critics didn’t have the vision, courage and determination that you have.
You might not get everything right out of the gates, but if you believe in yourself and your business idea, you WILL figure it out. Every setback brings valuable lessons. As long as you stay persistent and positive, you’re destined for great things with your online business!
The Early Months Are All About Learning
Look, building a thriving internet business doesn’t happen overnight for 99% of people, despite what internet marketing gurus might have you believe. In your first 6-12 months, your primary goal is to test ideas, establish your processes, learn effective marketing strategies, and build your audience.
Don’t get discouraged if the early days feel slow financially. Consider this phase an investment as you gain knowledge and experience that will 10X your earnings down the road.
If you stick it out through the tough early stages, there will come a tipping point moment when everything starts coming together. Stay patient, keep learning and improving every day, and eventually your side hustle will transform into a highly profitable full-time internet business!
Conclusion
I hope this gives you a transparent idea of what it takes to succeed as an online entrepreneur. It’s not easy, but with the right expectations and mindset, it’s entirely possible to build the internet business you desire!
