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Does this sound familiar? 'Start making a $1000.00 dollars per month from your home today.' 'Make $800.00 a day without leaving your couch.' 'How to make money the lazy person's way.' These are just some of the quotes I see floating throughout cyberspace as I have been searching for a legitimate online business opportunity. All of the quotes sound wonderful, and I want to believe they're true, but the honest facts are, having an online business takes a lot of work, direction, and motivation. So if you're ready to hear the truth about how you can begin making money online, continue to read on for the details.

Your Website Is The Foundation

Having a website on the World Wide Web is the equivalent to having your own brick and mortar store offline. If you do not have a website on the web, you do not exist. There are two very important components you will need to start your own website, which are a domain name and hosting. Both of these components are critical to your success. Your domain name is the access key to your website and is the only way people will be able to find you. Having a good domain name can be the failure or success of your online business. Also, having a reliable trustworthy host is just as important if not more important than your domain name. If you choose a host that does not have secure servers or the servers are always down, then it will be difficult for your online business to be successful. If your customers are always coming to your website to find an error message, they will get frustrated and take their business elsewhere. For additional details on the importance of finding a good website and domain name, along with a wealth of other valuable information, download your own free EBook at http://www.MakeUAMillionaire.com/dotcomology.pdf

Participate in Forums

There are dozens of forums available on the web related to your industry and I encourage you to begin participating in one of them on a regular basis. One of the best ways to find a forum for you to participate is to go to any popular search engine and type 'online business forums' 'home business forums' or 'internet business forums' etc. Choose the forum you feel the most comfortable and begin visiting the site each day. When you first begin using the forum, use it solely for educational purposes. Use it to get support and hear ideas from your peers who are trying to do the same thing you are doing. Forums are a great way to keep you encouraged and give you access to resources you would have not thought of on your own. Once you have been participating in the forum for a week or so, if you have some advice to contribute, begin to do so. Once you have contributed a few times to the forum, begin to add your signature to your posts linking back to your website. I do not suggest doing this at first because you want to give people within the forum the opportunity to get to know you. This also lets them know that you are on the forum to truly help and not just to promote your business. If you genuinely want to help and support other people, it will show and they will do the same for you in return. Always remember, home based businesses are a community and we are all in this together.

Work Your Plan and Plan Your Work

Develop a schedule for yourself at the beginning of the week for each day and make a commitment to stick to it. There is a wealth of information on the internet about how to make money online and how to market your online business. Some of the information can be very valuable and some of the information will be a complete waste of your time. If you develop a plan and stay focused, you will be able to achieve your online goals and not continuously get sidetracked. Your plan can be as simple as:

Monday 6:00-6:30 Go to online forum and gather information
Tuesday 7:00-7:30 Read newsletter about marketing tips
Wed. 5:00-6:00 Work on building my website

It is very easy to get distracted when so many people are trying to get you to invest in the next big thing. Just stay focused on your goals and you will begin to make things happen.

The ideas listed above are just a few suggestions to get you started on your journey to online business success. Remember, you are not in this alone. For further support, go to my website www.MakeUAMillionaire.com and sign up for my free newsletter. Goodluck, YOU can do this.

Lisa Bell is committed to being a resource and mentor to anyone striving to have a successful home based business.