[Here's what you've been waiting for: the final installment in the 4-part series on the costs of starting and growing an online business from home. Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here.]

After outlining different kinds of start-up and ongoing expenses, now would be a good moment to take stock again and ask yourself if you really have what it takes (clue: not everyone does!):

• Are you willing and able to do whatever it takes to work online from home–successfully–or does the very thought of it take you waaaayyyy outside of your comfort zone? If the latter, then it might be time for you to request your refund and step away from home-based Internet Marketing.

If, on the other hand, you are still highly motivated to succeed by taking on these challenges, then you would do well to press on. The possibilities for exceptionally high returns on your investment can make it all worthwhile.

Remember that you are in business now and that you will have to spend money to make money. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Here are a few final rules of thumb to follow on your way to Internet marketing success:

• On average, you should not spend more than 20-30% of your anticipated commission on the marketing needed to make that commission. For instance, if your compensation plan pays a $100 commission on the product or service you are marketing, then you should not spend more than $20-$30 to make that first sale.


• Make your first goal to pay yourself back for your start-up costs.


• Once you have recouped your initial investment, continue putting no less than 10% of your profits back into your marketing in order to build your business. The MORE you put back into your business, the faster and stronger your business will grow.

Q: ARE YOU KIDDING? I need to make money, not keep putting it down a hole.
A: EXACTLY! Drastic as this sounds, it is the only way to ensure that you will survive and thrive in the face of the competition.

Consider these things:


• The number one reason people fail in any kind of business venture is the failure to manage cashflow and reinvest profits in order to grow their businesses. If you take your first profits and buy that big screen TV with your name on it, chances are you will start to FEEL “scammed” because you won’t see the kind of steady traffic increases and response to your marketing that more experienced Internet marketers are having. So get your priorities straight and tough it out.

• The best home-based Internet Marketing opportunities offer professional guidance and direction about how to start up on a limited budget and be responsible with your money.

• High caliber online companies will teach and provide you with a range of effective marketing strategies that fit your budget while you are still getting started. If the company you are considering can’t deliver that, then keep on walking.

In business, it takes money to make money-there is no way around that. If you can easily accept that basic truth, then simply keep your wits about you while you are gathering information, and resist the temptation to react (positively or negatively) ONLY on the basis of reading other people’s claims about getting rich.

I wish you all the joy and freedom that others–myself included–have discovered in online entrepreneurship. It is a great life!

Be amazed and amazing today,

Thia

If you found this helpful, please post a comment (below), ask a question, share it, bookmark it, or ReTweet it; and subscribe to Thia’s RSS Feed. Learn more about the business model that Thia trusts and learn more about Thia too!

Thia is currently at work on a new series, on the topic of wealth building and financial intelligence in the age of the Internet . You’ll find Tips For Ordinary People Who Want To Live Extraordinary Lives. Stay tuned!!

Share and Enjoy:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•