Just to recap: I started trying to make money online in April of 2008. So far I've tried mlm social marketing and affiliate marketing. I've dumped money into Renegade Professional, Renegade Breakthrough Mentoring Program Home Study, Ultimate Crash Copywriting Course, Clickbank Code, Affiloblueprint, and Article Marketing Automation. I've built three websites so I've bought domain names and hosting, too. Too much money out and not enough in. And I've worked my tail off.
Without much visible success despite following the instructions of several of these gurus to the letter.
I purchased NicheBlueprint 2.0 on January 17. It is an online training course to teach me how to build an eCommerce website. And I've taken about a month watching through the first 6 training modules and doing research into possible niches and possible keywords.
I've chosen a niche and narrowed keywords down to the vetted few. I've researched my competitor's websites enough to discover the brand names they sell and I know the names of a few dropshippers distributing those brands. I've applied for a trade name and vendor's license with my state. I've upgraded my PayPal account to business standard so I can attach it to the site.
Last week I finished building my second affiliate site using the AffiloBlueprint course. So this week should have been a major mover for the ecommerce business. Yet I've been wavering.
I cannot tell a lie. I'm just not feeling confident in the gurus. Is this program any good? Will it yield real results or just waste countless hours of my time? And nothing paralyzes you like lack of confidence in the process someone is selling you.
It's not these specific gurus - they seem like decent fellows. But don't the gurus always seem like decent fellows in the beginning? Don't they all tell you that you can really do it? That in just a few minutes (or weeks, or 30 days, or some ridiculous lie like that) you can have a six figure Internet income and quit that hated job?
I'm guessing that rhetoric sells better than water in the desert. Tell people what they want to hear and they will buy form you? I HATE feeling like a mark. My real question is this: If I invest another chunk of my life in yet another program, will I get any real results this time? Have I grabbed on to another "bright shiney object" in a desperate attempt to redeem my life?
Because I'm getting tired of zero results.
Everyone I know thinks I'm crazy. My friends and family want me to get some 14 hour a job (or two!) and put my daughter in daycare and get on with "real life." After all, they say, why should I expect any better? I'm a single mom. That's what life is for a single mom. This Internet business is just a pipe dream. Too hard to crack. If it was for real, everyone would be doing it.
Wow, it is hard to keep up enthusiasm for a new business endevour when you get feedback like that. Maybe you've heard stuff like that from your family and friends, too. Drop a comment on this post if you have endured that kind of "support!"
I can see the impact of the negative vibes on my work. I'm spending less hours on the computer. I'm making excuses to quit early every night. I'm watching a few hours of TV every week, when I used to work on the business all the time.
I need a shot of adrenaline in the worst way! You know, a syringe in the heart like in the movies. I need to find a reason to believe this set of promises or else I can see that I'm going to fizzle out on this. And I've got a lifelong habit of quitting on something right before the going got good. I just don't want to swing the hammer again and hit nothing but air. That's getting old.
Heck, I don't need six figures. Although I wouldn't say no, ha ha. I'd be happy to see just SOME results at this point. I'm still in the game, but tired of being on the (money) losing team.
This past week I received the trade name certificate from the state. That means that I can open a business checking account at the bank this week. I still need a vendor's license before I contact the dropshippers, so I'm going to continue researching product I want to offer in my store. And I think it would be good to begin product pricing research, even if I can't tell for certain which products I can ship. I can at least make up the spreedsheet and practice.
This week I also hope to watch module 7. And if I've got time, I want to review pieces of module 6 about marketing the site. There was a lot to learn there and I'm in need of a second looksie.
Pray for me. I'm praying for all of you, my fellow Internet hopefuls!