"Sir, I Want To Make Money On The Internet"

Binary Code 2 by flaivoloka, sxc.hu

I started a website about online businesses and how to make money from them a couple of years ago. Once in a while, I will get an email from someone who wants to make money on the Internet. With a few exceptions, it will contain just one sentence which will go something like: "Sir, I want to make money on the Internet."

The website in question is an informational site in which I try to keep as hype free as possible. On the site, I give the surfer an insight into home based businesses. I go into some detail about why people fail, how to start such a business, and what has to be done to make such a business a success. The main revenue of the site is from ads and I do not concentrate on product sales.

At first, I would take the trouble to reply. Painstakingly, I would craft out a few paragraphs, essentially repeating what was on my website. I would also ask about the background of the sender, so that I may be in a better position to understand what he wants and what he can do.

I can't remember ever getting a second email. After a while, I got the feeling that the sender was looking for some sort of business opportunity that he could register to, pay the membership fee, do a few simple tasks, and make real good money.

Come to think of it, there was an instance when somebody emailed me and told me he liked my site very much. And that he would very much like to join my site but he couldn't find the "join" button. It took me a moment before I realized that he was thinking that my site was some sort of business opportunity that he could join and make money.

I designed electronic circuitry and wrote software programs for a living. I studied electronics engineering for 3 years at the polytechnic to get my diploma, and it was only after about 5 to 10 years of working experience that I consider myself good enough to ask for a salary of a few thousand dollars a month.

On the Internet, many websites that advertise their business opportunities claim that a few thousand dollars a month after a few weeks or months is within easy reach. No experience or expertise of any sort is needed to pull it off. In fact, they will tell you that an unemployed odd job laborer made $1200 after his first month, or some other similar story. And what's more, the work will probably need only 1 to 2 hours per day.

All I can say is, "Wake up, people."

If somebody approached you on the street, and offered you $100 to deliver a parcel for him to a downtown address, would you do it? The errand would only take half an hour, and he would pay you the $100 there and then.

I can only hope that you will politely decline and walk away real quick. Actually, running will be an excellent idea.

You know that nobody is going to offer you $100 for a half an hour job that a 9 year old can do. There is definitely a catch. He is hoping that you will get greedy and accept the job.

The Internet has been variously called the most revolutionary development in the history of human communication, the great equalizer, or the information superhighway. Whichever superlatives you use, the same rules regarding money still apply. Money still has to be earned and competition for it is great. So, the sooner you get off your "the roads are paved with gold" mentality about the Internet, the sooner you will start putting in the time, ingenuity and work needed to make money on the Internet.