Benefits of starting off slow and broke

[TMG Enterprises]

I read so many posts where people say you have to invest money to build your business, you have to build a list from the get go, you have to do this or that...but as I think about it, I'm kind of glad I couldn't do this.

I started trying to make a few extra bucks just to pay for my internet connection, back when it was around $30 a month. I had three children, two jobs and was going to college full-time. I had to make enough to pay for the internet or it was going to be gone - I literally did not have $30 to spare.

From day one, I have always paid for my access by doing various things online from paid-to-read emails (back when you could actually find some decent ones) to paid surveys and other little "jobs".

Remember epinions? That's when I realized that I could make some serious money from my writing skills. I was amazed when I made around $500 in two months - that was a lot for someone who was just trying to pay for internet access!

Eventually, I found some companies that I could produce content for and they would pay me. I also started getting clients on my own. Then I found the WF a couple years ago. I was making money already but wanted to learn how to take it up a notch because I still had a regular job and my "extra" money was all going out on bills.

I didn't buy anything for a long time but I read...and read...and read some more. I signed up for what seems like thousands of lists and continued to read. I finally sunk some of my earnings into starting my own VRE empire and lost the lot due to an unscrupulous host that locked me out of my own domains.

I haven't and won't give up because I know that I can do it. I'm glad in some ways that I had to go round and round Robin Hood's barn in order to get to the place I am at today. I truly think that I have learned so much by having to go slow and not spend money.

I have developed a much stronger awareness of BS. I've learned who to listen to and who not to in the WF and general IM world. I've learned what to look for in a product and what to avoid. I learned the hard way not to register and host my domains at the same place. I've learned so many other things there isn't even space to list them here.

I don't make nearly as much money as some here do and that's okay. It's growing every month. I am almost 43 years old and I haven't had a regular job for almost a year. I am able to put money into my savings account every month and my bills are getting paid. I thoroughly enjoy what I do overall (hey, we all have moments...lol).

If you are sitting there in similar circumstances, do not despair. You can build from absolutely nothing if you have to. It may take a little longer and the road be a little harder but you will get an education that money can never buy.

Tina G

[Imran Naseem]

Good post Tina.

I started IM with a debt of over $3000+ and that debt is now all wiped thanks to IM.

You dont really that much money to get started in IM apart from hosting, domain name and perhaps investment to buy traffic if you really need to.

[TimRobinson]

yea I've started off slow and broke too (and still broke compared to many, though at least I do IM full time now ).

I think the trap a lot of people get stuck in is continuing to do everything themselves because that's what they've always done, rather than reinvesting the profits they gain into further growing their business / outsourcing etc.

[Loren Woirhaye]

The forest for the trees a lot of folks don't see is this -
there are SKILLS you can learn that people will pay you
for.

Particular areas are setting up and integrating e-commerce
systems and CMS systems like Drupal.

Do you have to learn technical stuff? sure you do. That's
why people will pay you well to do this stuff for them, they
have no idea where to start.

Of course "learn a skill" doesn't appeal to the guy who
is thinking "I just gotta make some money" - but it's still
good advice.

Doing direct-response marketing is really tricky with no
money to play the game. I wouldn't recommend it but still
there are people who pull themselves up and build businesses
with basically no investment. Those people though are as
rare as hen's teeth in their ability to take action.

[TMG Enterprises]

Of course "learn a skill" doesn't appeal to the guy who
is thinking "I just gotta make some money" - but it's still
good advice.

I think this is the easiest and fastest way to start out. It was my writing skills that really began to earn an actual income for me instead of the few bucks here and there. It's probably better if you already have a skill to offer rather than to learn it but that would work, too.

Tina G

[shibbeymon]

Very inspirational post, especially since the reason I've seriously started looking into IM is the very same reason you did. Needing to help pay some bills and eventually to fire my real JOB.

[Kay King]

Another benefit of start "broke" is that you may learn what is and is not an "investment" in your business before your blow your credit card limit.

It's sad to see new marketers talking about "investing" in one new product or launch after another or one WSO after another or....that's buying, not investing.

Much better to save your money so you can really "invest" in good hosting, domains, software you need, ads, etc. to build a business online.

kay

[JohnKnightCash]

If you don't make costly mistakes and do everything right, you can start making money right away. But newbies don't have this luxury...