Is IM a hobby/part time or a Real Business to you?

Excellent question!

As others mentioned, you can work your IM business part-time and still treat is as a BUSINESS.

Your question touches on one of the fundamental problems of so many Warriors here: they're NOT treating it as a BUSINESS. They're treating it instead as a part-time, "I'll TRY this and see if it works" HOBBY.

And that's a big reason for so much of the frustration and lack of results around here.

IM isn't hard per se, but there IS a steep learning curve. Granted, everyone is on their own journey and learns at their own pace.

But to be successful in anything, you must be COMMITTED. And if you're going to commit to a business, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort -- and yes, money! -- to make it work.

I see such a poverty mentality around here. "I can't afford it." "How can I start a business with no money?" Too many aren't willing to invest in their business. And then they wonder why it's not working.

However, like a lot of people here, I have a full-time day job and work on my business part-time. That's just reality for me. But I AM treating it like a business, not a hobby.

I think you can build a successful business by working on it part-time, as long as you treat it like a business.

When you look at it like a BUSINESS -- and treat it like a business -- you do things differently:

1. You get serious and focused.

Don't jump from tactic to tactic. Pick a business model, a niche and a target market and then stick with it.

2. You invest in learning what you need to know.

No one truly is a "self-made man (or woman)". Successful people invest in their own success by buying the courses they need, going to workshops/conferences and hiring mentors/coaches. No, you don't need to do all of these things. Your skill set, personality, strengths, resources and business will all determine what you need.

But it's doubtful you don't need anything.

Too many around here think that Google can give you all of the answers. Yes, there's tons of great information online. But it's like a giant box of jumbled puzzle pieces. The pieces are NOT laid out for you in a step-by-step plan.

That's why I recommend everyone buy at least one good comprehensive course on online marketing. It will save you a LOT of time, money and frustration.

3. You work at it consistently.

Of course, it helps to have clarity in what we're doing. It's hard to be consistent and have the perseverance necessary to succeed if we're not focused and clear about what business we're really in and the steps we need to take.

Too much attention is paid to how to get to the top of Google or the latest, hottest piece of whizbang software.

Trouble is, those are just TACTICS, not an overall business plan. And Google is fickle. True, Google is extremely important to all of us and we need to rank as high in the search engines as possible.

But there are other ways besides Google to get traffic and customers. Joint ventures is one. Positive media attention (not just online press releases) is another. Speaking to groups of your target customers is another. Etc.

I want to rank as high as possible in Google, but my real goal is to become as independent of Google as possible. I want their algorithm changes to be nothing more than a blip on the radar of my business.

If your entire business can be wiped out with one Google algorithm change, then that's not very smart business.

First, pick a niche, a target market and a business model. (Not enough attention is paid to choosing the right business model. Most people don't even know what their business model is.)

Then start marketing! Selling products or services online happens in the same basic way for everyone, no matter what they're selling:

Traffic > Opt-in page > Autoresponder series (or e-zine) > Sales page

Focus on building your list and building a relationship with them.

Just doing this will give you a LOT of clarity and specific steps to take every day which is a HUGE leap forward in the direction you want to go.

Hope that helps!

Michelle