10 Tips for the Beginning Internet Entrepreneur

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Originally published at Internet.com

For the beginning Internet business entrepreneur, here are 10 unwritten rules that may well prevent you from 'skidding into the ditch'. Make a point of reading through them regularly to remain focused on the road ahead! 1. First and foremost, lets look at the advantages of creating and building an online income. Our place of work is open for business 24/7 so we can work when we want and for as long as we want. Many of our regular duties can be run on auto-pilot leaving us with more time for family, social and leisure activities. This situation offers a less stressful working environment, and to a certain extent we are in control of your own rewards. However, it is important to remember that there are rarely any true 'Get-Rich-Quick' schemes on the Internet. Look upon it in much the same way as you would if you were creating an offline business, which, in order to be sucessful, requires commitment and a positive attitude right from the offset, with scant reward in the early days. 2. While it is important to have your mindset focused on a full-time successful online business, it is useful, especially early in your Internet career, as part of the learning curve, to try out a few programs in your spare time. Get the feel of the Internet marketing arena and at the same time learn a little about HTML, scripts, creating attractive images and even building your first website! This can all be achieved as a 'spare time' sctivity. Don't sack your boss till you have the confidence in your complete ability to earn regular income. There may be a lot to learn but, trust me, if you're focused, it will be worth the effort. 3. NEVER...get involved in 'get paid to read email' sites-they are scams and you won't earn a penny. They won't even answer your emails of complaint! MLM too, or in fact any website telling you that your money will be doubled or tripled in a matter of days, or you will become rich over night, are scams. Avoid them!! It's not difficult to find bona fide traders on the Internet. Look for offline contact points. An address or telephone number is a good sign they are genuine. Another good test is to send them an email before you sign up to see how efficiently they reply. Avoid the 'Get-Rich-Quick' schemes-they don't work! 4. Imagine you discovered a method of earning huge amounts of money on the Internet. Would you then offer to tell everyone about your 'secret formula'? I don't think so! You will no doubt come across those who will try to convince you they have found such a recipe, and no doubt offer to share it with you. Believe me it will cost you, not just financially but in wasted time too. Always shy away when you see the word 'Secrets', or see boasts of huge income! 5. Similarly, ask yourself this...would a guy who says he's earning several million dollars a year bother to write and market an eBook describing how he did it? I think not! Go with your first instincts, as they are usually quite accurate! 6. Don't pay too much attention to images of earnings checks or bank statements purportedly demonstrating how much the account holder has earned. It is a simple task to create whatever documents you want with a little creativity. The same goes for letters of recommendation or testimonials. Anyone can write them or get their collegues to do so! They may con some, but don't let it be you! 7. Think positive and stay focused at all times. If you were to take a close look at all the successful Internet marketers who have made a great deal of money from their endeavours, you would find they have one thing in common! Dedication!! They are prepared to work long and hard to achieve their goals. They do not lose heart if everything doesn't come together today, and they are rarely influenced by the 'quick buck'. I cannot stress this point often enough to you. 8. Be organised! Keep all your business activities logged and documents filed in the correct folders. Check your emaail accounts at least daily and file the important ones. Don't be frightened to name a file or folder with a long name (within reason). You should be able to access any file, folder, software or email within 30 seconds. So much time can be saved with a tidy desktop! 9. Stick to the basic etiquette of Internet Marketing. Don't be tempted to send out high volume unsolicited email (spam). It won't be worth the hassle, believe me! Read the Terms and Conditions section when you join a program and if you decide to sign up, then adhere to those terms. You will make useful contacts during your Internet campaigns. Try not to 'step on toes' 10. Avoid leaving large amounts of funding in any online marketing or promotion website! Most websites have a strict policy on spamming and if you are ever accused (rightly or wrongly) of sending unsolicited emails, you are likely to have your account closed, which could result in you losing your current funding too! So that's it! Not a set of rules...more a collection of simple guidelines which, if applied, will serve to make your Internet Marketing experience a safer and more enjoyable journey!

Trevor Taylor - Internet Business