Should I give up on my dreams to own my own business and in my efforts make mone

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   Bobby Watsonposted 10 years ago

   Should I give up on my dreams to own my own business and in my efforts make money online?
   
   I have been trying to make money online for what seems like a very long time and I have had minimal or no success.  I have read books, built websites, attended webinars, tried affiliate marketing, invested in so called keyturn "opportunities", and on and on.  My friends and family tell me I am wasting my time and that I should stop torturing myself.  Every time I am working on something that feels like it's going to really work, I find out that there is something else I need, and then I am out of money and broken.  I keep telling myself not to give up, but it's getting tough.

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   dragonflycolorposted 10 years ago

   I am sure you are trying your best, but by the looks of your profile, you may need to try a little harder.  Making money online is about having a following, promoting your brand, and being active.  You have been a member of HubPages for 3 weeks and there are no hubs.  If it's writer's block, check out a few hubs on how to get past it.  Let people know who you are and what you can do!

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      Bobby Watsonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks...looks bad huh..lol

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3. 89

   Billie Kelpinposted 10 years ago

   Bobby, I'm in the exact same place but have been at it much longer and am much older.
   But let me offer a few things I've done RECENTLY that might help.  I'm not sure if they're applicable to your situation or not. Answer this:
   What ties all of your endeavors together? Think long and hard about this and you might find an over-riding theme.  For years, my company was called Windmill Works.  (We don't make Windmills; we create software).  But that's not ALL I do.  I create online learning games, write essays, blogs, tutor students one-on-one in conversational English, have a background in deaf education, have written "The Perfect Husband" app, and have written a children's ebook. My counselor looked overwhelmed when I told him all that I did and added that I need to make money at it.  He said one very important thing to me: 
   "Put all of your endeavors in one place." 
   I had to come up with the one thing that tied all of my work together.  It's "Language".  So I am in the process of taking everything off of Windmill Works and putting it on languagerocks (can't be overly promotional here - a BIG problem with hubpages, BUT not insurmountable).
   So...1. If you haven't done it already,  put all of your work in one easy to find place.  When you meet people, give them your business card to that ONE website.
   2. Try crazyegg analytics.  I did the trial and then bought the basic plan for a year.  I can see EXACTLY where every one is going on my website.  Take their video tour if you haven't. Crazyegg might help you get a better idea of what visitors to your site are seeing.  Actually crazyegg is giving me a lot of hope. I can see what's happening much better now.
   3. While you can't promote on hubpages, you can write on your blog say at blogspot ABOUT an article you wrote on hubpages and link back here. Do the same with bubblews.  (There was an interview with the founders on hubpages just last week).
   4. Try kickstarter.com to get some funding if you haven't tried that yet.  There is an online "university" udemy.com that has videos on "Reaching Your Kickstarter Goals".  Perhaps you haven't visited that yet.
   5. If you haven't already, join Linkedin and figure out how to join groups there pertinent to your products, endeavors.
   6. Design a course to teach at your community ed center.  Sounds as if you know ALOT!
   If you haven't tried the above ideas, I'd try them first before you "stop torturing" yourself.You're on the cutting edge of something new-you're not alone

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4. 79

   Alphadogg16posted 10 years ago

   From the looks of your profile, you are very young and you have only been on here 3 weeks and from the sounds of it, you see one of those "make $3000 a week" boast and jump on the boat. Bobby as you mature you will learn there is no such thing as get rich quick, unless you one, win the lottery, or two have rich parents laying on their death beds. Think of being successful making money on the internet as playing Professional sports, if it was that easy, every one would do it and be rich. It takes time and effort.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Alpha, I agree.  AND want to add that reading "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Chris Hatfield applauds persistence. He gave the Canadian Space Agency a BOUND copy of his resume -the size of a phone book when they advertised for astronauts !

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   C.V.Rajanposted 10 years ago

   Any online effort to make money for living can take you nowhere. Better heed to your friends and family.

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      Bobby Watsonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      right on...thanks your the best

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6. 57

   Ewentposted 10 years ago

   The first thing anyone needs to do to make money online is to know what your personal strengths and talents are. I've been writing content online since 2008. Originally, it was just a part-time hobby that paid for small trinkets. That led to several private clients for whom I write website content for their businesses, technical white papers and copy editing for other writers.
   
   I've had three careers in my lifetime. Each very different from the other and each based on my ability to see my strengths and talents clearly.
   
   Owning a business begins with a plan. Few business owners just "jump in" and own a business lickety split. Write a 5-year plan for the business of your choice. The first two years of any business is always the most difficult. All businesses have ups and downs. If the business is the love of your life, you make a lifelong commitment to it or it becomes as disposable as one of the dotcoms that fell apart after a year or two in existence.
   
   An advertising exec once gave me the best advice. "Be consistent." If you start an online business, make certain it has consistency. Link all of your advertising, promotions and public image to your business name. That's how you "brand" any business. It's not magic that you recognize easily certain commercial business names. Everything is tied to that name, even the colors of the logos and labels.
   
   If you only want to start a business to be wealthy, that may be the reason your attempts thus far have fallen flat. If you don't love your business as if you're married to it, it lacks the fortitude needed to make it successful. Success, not money, should always be the foundation for starting a business. Just my opinion.

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   Marisaupaposted 10 years ago

   As with any business, being successful online requires persistence and tenacity. If you are just getting started, allow me to share some maxims that I have found to hold true.
   
   1- Never rely on "ready-made" systems. The same holds true for so-called gurus. Yes, there are people out there from whom you can derive great insight, but do not expect to find a person or system that will give you automatic success. Avoid those that promise you success for little work for a price.
   
   2- You will never be 100% ready. Whenever you star a new internet marketing project you will always be playing catchup to some degree. The market environs are simply to dynamic. This should not discourage you nor scare you. Simply be aware of the fact that you can literally strangle yourself by being in a perpetual preparation mode. Eventually the only way to be a success is to act.
   
   3- Be prepared to reinvest most, if not all of your initial profits. To be successful online you must be scalable. The only way to do that is to reinvest in that which works and discard that which does not.
   
   4- Don't get overly attached to your ideas. Many times we become sentimental about our ideas. We spend more time than we should on them even after they have proven to be ineffective. Be flexible, be willing to change and be proven wrong. It is the only way that you will be able to take advantage of opportunities.
   
   5- Believe in yourself. Do not pay attention to what others wish to opine about your dream. You are the only person that counts. Remember, the majority of people are followers. They are not able to grasp the drive that is felt by those with the entrepreneurial spirit. They are wired to seek security, they cannot fathom walking head-on into risk.
   
   6- While success at your first at bat is not impossible, it is not likely. Most people that find success online can recite a slew of failures that they had to overcome before finally "making it".
   
   
   REMEMBER--- be persistent.

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   UpixxIndustriesposted 10 years ago

   I would like to ask you if you are doing what most individuals online do when they want to make money online and that is jump on the next big thing?  Or do you have a headline swipe file, an email marketing list, a keyword swipe file, a niche topic that there are results for when you do a google/bing search.  Have you written articles and submitted them to the top three directories on the net with your website address in author's box for organic traffic?
   These are just a few of the things that come into my mind when someone asks about making money online.  You see many think that it is as simple as buying the latest and greatest product and then plastering a site up hoping to get sales.  Many people focus on sales and not relationship building.  Also you have to remember that if you do not generate any traffic to your site you are just wasting money.  Do you have a business plan? All of these things are extremely important when trying to generate income online, otherwise you are just having a hobby online and a very expensive one at that.
   Keep motivated and good luck to you.

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