The Internet is so 'wide open' at this point in history that the excitement of it all is contagious. And that spirit of excitement is where your online journey really, truly begins.

You begin on the Internet by exploring. Move in any direction you wish, go anywhere you want - with NO qualifications.

And that's the trick. If you feel the 'gold rush fever' right from the start, you are in danger of quantifying and qualifying everything:

"Will it make me money?" ... "Can I use this to my advantage?" ... "Is this a winner or a loser?"

...

Stop!

...

These questions have the potential to stop you cold, before you even get started along your own online profit path. Because if you are brand-new to the Internet and World Wide Web, how can you possibly know what works and what doesn't?

Because someone tells you so (and then tries to sell you their "get-rich-quick info...)?

Or because a big company has a multi-million dollar Web site and lots of banner advertising on Yahoo? ("Gee.. they MUST know what they're doing...")

The truth of the matter is that you will only know if a business process works - for "YOU" - by testing it, over and over again.

The Internet is an evolving, moving diagram for business and commerce, which only began to arrive in force within the past 5 years. Which means that - for the purposes of making money - the Internet is about 5 years old. So let me ask you:

"Would you trust a 5-year old to tell you what to do?" (Even if 'kids do say the darndest things...')

Now having suggested to you that any flat statement about making great wads of cash on the Internet is suspect - because it comes to you from the mouth of a 5-year old - you should know that there are certain individuals you can trust who are now making excellent incomes entirely online. Living where they want to live. Right from the comfort of their own homes.

Here's how you can recognize them:

These people are not from big corporations (where the size of your budget determines how much you can afford to fail - IF you dare).

For the most part, these trusted individuals began with no staff to do their grunt work, so they have literally had 1000's of hours of practical, hands-on experience sorting through Internet chaos.

These people started their own businesses operating with a limited marketing budget. Once spent, this money would be gone forever. Which meant (and still means) they had to plot each step they took carefully by 'testing the waters' first.

These people failed in many of their quests to profit - over and over. Yet they have freely admitted to their past mistakes. And thank goodness they did (and do!), so we don't have to make the same missteps ourselves. After all, we are sure to make plenty of our own.*

*(This is called "growth". Your ability to pick yourself up after falling down is essential to your success online. This truly is a cornerstone of your journey as an entrepreneur - you learn from your missteps, miscues and other bad craziness out of left field. Let it roll off you like water off a duck's back - but learn from it, because it will hurt even more the second time around.)

Most of all, these people you can trust admit that there are NO hard and fast rules. What was true even 6 months ago may not be true at all today. As a result, these people are 'pathfinders' leading from the front - caught up in the thick of things, savvy and sensitive to the Internet ebb and flow.

These are the exact people you need to seek out and listen to - which is a great reason to subscribe to this newsletter!

Right now, don't be too concerned about "who knows what". Simply explore the Internet today with an open mind, and enjoy the journey. Jump in and paddle around. Allow yourself to get excited about things - new processes, new people, new ideas.

Know that it will work to your advantage to keep an open mind, for now. Please don't stop yourself. Feel the spirit of freedom the Internet provides, because that's where your personal online profit path truly begins.

Here are a few pointers at this first most crucial stage of the game:

BENEFITS

Think in terms of benefits for you and for others, not in terms of technology. Unless you are a technician and naturally enjoy 'technical ecstacy', please - let it go.

Most people only need a very basic understanding of how technical things work to make money on the Internet.

REALITY

Be realistic. Weigh the hype. Here's the reality:

To succeed with your online business, either you have to spend your money or your time. We advocate the second approach, but - you can't spend your time all at once, and that's perfectly okay. Plan to be involved with the Internet environment for the long haul, not to 'get rich quick'.

Concentrate on a single aspect of your online business until it's in good shape, and then move on to the next. Your presence online is an asset that will only continue to grow.

TECHNOPHOBIA

"Are you scared of technology? Afraid you'll become less human by getting more deeply involved?"

You should recognize that a fundamental benefit of the Internet is the ability it gives you to interact. Person to person. Instantly. Globally. Not to mention, it brings back the fine old art of writing letters to one another. Sharing our feelings and thoughts through the power of words.

"Are you technically challenged?" It is good to learn at your own pace. Who says you have to know it all right now?

Give yourself permission to walk away from your technical problems when your brain starts to sizzle. You'll come back refreshed to your technical challenge, and you WILL make new progress. One step at a time IS progress. So relax, and take it a step at a time.

UPGRADING YOUR EQUIPMENT

Upgrade your equipment only when you must. "Clothes don't make the woman or man", and the latest, greatest equipment will not automatically result in business profits.

1. Invest in training first.

2. Then invest in marketing.

3. THEN invest in upgrading your equipment.

Of course, there are basic requirements you have to meet in order to properly access the Internet. But you're here now, aren't you?

You've arrived.

SUMMING UP

This is how you begin.

To sum up, look around you first. Play as much as you want. Assess and weigh, but - try not to be too judgmental. Stay open to all kinds of new possibilities.

Steer clear of the 'get rich quick' mentality. Take your time.

Test. Be willing to fail. It's a temporary state only, and you WILL learn from it.

Think in terms of benefits for yourself and for others, and remember: technology can be good. When it gets hard, let yourself off the hook and simply walk away from it. It's a tool, not an oppressor.

Most importantly, take the time to discover why you want to be on the Internet for the long haul. Because that is truly your first step.

With intent every real journey begins.

"Hands-On Internet PR & Marketing Solutions For Long-Term, Profitable Business Growth" http://www.infowriter.com

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