Working At Home is Easy But......

I live in an idyllic part of the world with forest and nature all around me.I have pet cattle,a beautiful garden which gives me much pleasure,two dogs,one cat,and of course my wife.(bless her) The only fly in the ointment is that in order to maintain my piece of paradise,I must work! Paid employment starts in the late afternoons until 2am the following morning in a factory some 55 miles away. This allows me to work at home in the mornings and early afternoons.(naturally my wake up times are very flexible) This routine generally works very well.

Suddenly my world was turned upside down. Can you guess what happened? I bought a computer! First off I went and frenetically downloaded music to my new mp3 player which I could not operate properly. To save my perceived embarrassment I emailed the mp3 manufacturer along the line "my daddy bought me one of your players but he can't get it to work for me." Their reply was a comprehensive manual with an understanding note "we hope this will help your daddy" Only I knew I was the oldest kid in the world.

The foregoing sets the scene for my next and continuing adventure;internet marketing.A new and fascinating place that still excites me to this day. I attacked internet marketing with a vengeance.Here was my exit ticket to not being forced to leave home to work.From Google to forex trading to Commission Junction I blindly threw myself into this new medium. The world was going to be be my oyster because every marketing "guru" told me how easy it was to succeed online,never mind the fact I knew absolutely nothing about the subject.

My wife disapproved.I could see her point of view for I made no money but I spent plenty (I hope she never reads this) chores weren't getting done and I was falling asleep at work. Panic and guilt started to set in to my psyche.I had to compute after work by the eerie glow of my 19 inch LCD screen.(what a beauty) Mistakes were made,wrong keys were hit, passwords lost and notes sent to the wrong recipients.Emails went flying around to "guru's" to double check if I was doing the right thing.(how are you Steve) This mayhem lasted about five months and I felt as if I was going to blow up. I had to take a large breath (read slap) and cut out all my programs with one or two exceptions I felt comfortable with. Slowly but surely my blood pressure dropped and I began to get a grip on this brave new world. Things began to fall into place and my learning curve headed north.

Having given you some idea of my turbulent internet marketing initiation,I feel somewhat overqualified to be able to give some basic tips to those of you who know very little about the net but are contemplating taking the plunge into internet marketing.If I had have applied these tips from the beginning of my foray into this business,I would have saved a heck of a lot time, money and hair on my head.I call these tips my "pre sign uppers."

Firstly,have a good look at yourself. Are you psychologically suited to internet marketing. Any successful selling requires a certain flair; tailor your efforts to your strengths and use the expertise of others to bulk up your fluffy areas. One advantage of the internet is that contact is thru a keyboard and not face to face.

A solid working knowledge of your computer before you begin marketing will save an enormous amount of time and frustration. This may sound strange to-day but if I was in this position then you may be too. Your website and product range may get set up for you but you will then have to drive it;this will take some computer skills.

Will you be able to manage all your commitments? Internet marketing will be a rod across your back if you already have two jobs,six kids, and three wives. It's a fact that especially in the beginning it takes time to get up and running. Earning money on 'auto pilot' didn't just happen for me.

Create an area of calm and comfort without unwanted distractions. This business requires concentration and accuracy. You don't want the kids queueing up to play games or email their friends. Save a mountain of time by organizing your online/offline work station. Do this from the start and the result will be more time available for the other half of your life. As you progress you will develop a rhythm of working that suites you.

Ask questions. Everyone I've dealt with have been helpful and courteous no matter what the silly question. I'm a member of one forum which has become indispensable to my progress.

Gather information thru newsletters,forums,free manuals and the like. The more you delve into affiliate marketing the more you'll become aware of who the experts are in your area of interest. Accept freebies that appeal or may be useful, just be aware that there's an underlying reason for everything.

Don't buy any software when it's probably available for free somewhere. Once you enter the mainstream the opportunities to obtain software will find you. I say this with the qualification that in some cases it does end up cost effective and more productive to purchase a few services and software items. Well, it's now up to you to make the decision whether or not to become an affiliate marketer. If you do take the plunge get a program you will be comfortable with; one that provides second to none products, training and ongoing support.

I wish you every success.