Has anyone been saved by IM as a last resort?

I always tell people to keep a regular job till they have enough money saved up, and can replace their income. I spent 4 years without making any real money, so I know it's not easy as those products make it seem.

It's sad, because people turn to IM when they are in desperate need of making money to pay bills, and there's no easy way to tell them, that IM doesn't work that way. You have to put in work, and that takes time. People that make money instantly, already have their own money machine in place, that took them time to build.

Alot of "gurus" take screenshots or videos of money they made by selling a get rich quick course, then say they made the money with their latest product they are trying to sell you.

Perhaps not as a last resort, but at least financially IM was the only thing I had to rely on to keep myself afloat.

I was never homeless or anything but $10k in debt from credit cards, signing personal loans etc at around 19/20 years old was at least a big hurdle. I literally had to work persistently, not even simply to make IM projects work, but to restructure my mentality because of lingering old beliefs I had were actively holding me back.

I suppose IM works best if you're not in a desperate situation, needing money now rather than within whatever amount of time it takes for small projects to trickle $'s here and there, but i made it work for me though i had nothing else to rely on.

And to be fair I did write articles and other mundane stuff starting out before i really got into anything passive. But I did what it took, which made all the difference really. It isn't 1000% required that you need something like a support net (decent or adequate financial situation) for things to work, but it does help. But some of us got by without.

Very true Craig but some people perform better when they have their backs to the wall.

Personally I am not in the securest of positions myself, I have a bit of debt and am living in Thailand where my family is and am making enough money to keep a family of four in a reasonable standard of living over here.

Luckily for me I have a great mentor guiding me in the right direction so I'm not in this alone.

As a last resort I can go back to the UK and go straight back into my old job so I have a safety net.

Entrepreneurship requires a certain amount of risk taking in my opinion but ideally you should have a plan, you can't just go into this blind hoping that you can somehow make money out of Internet Marketing.

Down to my final $100... It was either using this for IM or getting a new job. Took the leap of faith and 6 years later I am here killing it.

Belief and taking that plunge, while knowing you will make it..

PS. Personally coached a person with 10k in debt to residual income, and now got one with 30k in debt on my team and I am motivated to help him get rid of it within the next few months. You need to be willing to help people like this, and if you are not sure about your abilities then indeed tell them to fix their financial situation first.

The IM world is full of little shiny objects that are not always worth the money and time invested in them, and desperate people are the exact type of public that will jump on them... It's sad to say but it's the truth. Hey, I've been there - years ago. I started by putting money in HYIPS if anyone remembers them (I'm not sure if these still exist... Probably).
Making money online, yes it's definitely possible. Making money online from day 1, no way. It takes time and hard work, and when you're desperate for money, time is usually something you don't have, unfortunately...

Edit: maybe good coaching like Steven says is a solution. I've never tried it so I can't tell.

That's the best advice.

I used IM to get out of $100k of debt, but I also took another job while I did it.

IM can be a great way to speed up a financial recovery but it's definitely NOT a good idea as a primary plan - especially if you don't already have a successful model to build on.

I was the same... I used my current business to fund my IM business and then my IM business replaced my current business :-)

If you are desperate for money then IM is not for them as it takes time to get over night success

Danny

I think it would be very difficult because you're making decisions from a position of desperation.

That would probably lead to a lot of jumping around, trying to find the "magic bullet" (that we all know doesn't really exist) instead of plugging away at a long term plan that probably won't yield results right away.

Depends on the person.

If the person is lazy and is expecting a miracle for doing nothing, they don't stand a chance.

But there are also people who work best when their back is against the wall.

Including me.

I know there are times when I get too comfortable with where I'm at in my life.

Then I think back to the time when I didn't have a single dollar to my name...

I don't know if anyone else here as experienced this, but for me, when I was running out of time and money 8 years ago, something happened...

The survival instinct kicks in and all these walls that your brain built up over the past months completely disappear.

Fear is no longer roadblock to your success. Now you are determined to succeed no matter what, because there is no restart button if you fail. You either win or it's game over.

It's the most amazing feeling in the world.

Nothing can stop you.

You do more work in one day than you previously did in an entire month.

This unbelievable motivation picks you up and takes over until your brain feels 'safe' again... Then it's gone.

I no longer look at hitting rock bottom as a bad thing. I believe everyone should experience what it's like to have your back to the wall. Your perspective on life will change for the better and you will be a stronger person for going through it.

It all come downs to power of "Desire", dedication and right direction with persistence. We are blessed with lot of powers inside, some people able to unleash them better when got back with the wall.

Even in offline business, there is no promises about 100% guarantee profit so it's the same for any online business. Most people who try IM just can't make a business out of the Internet.

Those that do, is not because they are smarter or better than anyone else. They just put in the extra effort to understand IM, know what they are doing and work till they got there.

I also paid my dues. The amount of late nights and sacrifices i make to make it work which has since paid off.

Work at it and you will get there eventually.

It’s funny how I can find the money and the resources for the
things that I ‘have to’ do. The car transmission fails and
suddenly my brain goes into overdrive to solve this pressing
problem and get my vehicle back on the road.

The rent is due and the thought of being homeless during the
winter forms new neuron pathways between my left and right brain.
I find myself battling a sickness, and suddenly life’s priorities
shuffle themselves into the correct order. Time spent with the
family seems more pressing than the business meeting that was so
critical. In fact, when I’m sick the only thought that dominates
my mind is to regain my health.What motivates you?

On opposite ends of the spectrum of human motivation are
inspiration and desperation. The reasons that drive you to act
can be found somewhere along that continuum. I know that many
noble feats have been accomplished through love for another
person, but this can be classed as inspiration. Love for the
object inspired the lover to perform acts that would be hard to
explain otherwise.

I must confess that I am closer to the ‘desperation’ end of the
spectrum than the ‘inspiration’ end. I am a deadline type of guy.
While in school, I always procrastinated until I just had to
write that term paper, study for that test or-you may smile-pay
for the tuition. It seemed the idea that there was no way out
placed my brains on steroids. I happen to know many colleagues
who operate on a similar principle. At the same time, there were
many students who just had to get the paper completed a long time
before the deadline.

Inspiration would appear to be a much nobler motivator than
desperation. Yet, it has always been said that necessity is the
mother of invention. Necessity is closer akin to desperation than
inspiration. It is often true that desperation can lead to
inspiration but seldom the other way around. There are countless
inventions which came about to solve a pressing problem compared
to those made for just a luxurious use.

Those who study direct response marketing tell us that buyers
respond more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. In other words,
Mr. Jones is more likely to buy the central air cooling system
because it saves him money, than for the reason that it keeps him
cool in the summer. Statistics also shows that the vast majority
of those who inherit large sums of money, either through family
or the lottery, end up losing their wealth or in some instances
their minds.

This reminds me of the old adage: ‘Easy come, easy go’. There are
many parents who have passed on a legacy of wealth, and hence
laziness, to their posterity.

The critical point for the home business owner is motivation. You
can no longer lose your job because you are late, tardy; hate the
boss, disliked by fellow-workers and a myriad of other reasons.
Now you are the boss and have less to fear outside of failing
yourself! Your motivation must now be intrinsic, and you have
less people to blame for all your failures.

Although many tout the superior benefits of owning a home
business, the harsh reality of finding that motivation to get out
of bed when there are no traffic jams to beat leaves countless
paralyzed.

My advice? ‘Know thyself’! Know what makes you tick and ‘trick’
yourself into that frame of mind. There are many motivational
speakers who teach that you should write out your goals and even
place a picture of your dream home next to your workplace. Even
though this may work for some-and it doesn’t for me-, I think
that contemplating the results for failure can awake many giant
ideas.

If you are on the inspiration end of the spectrum then listening
to motivational tapes and reading the stories of those who
overcame great odds, may just be the medicine for your soul.
Do you love being healthy or hate being sick? Do you love having
money or hate being broke? Do you love being with your spouse or
hate being away? Do you love being independent or hate being
bossed around? Do you love happiness or hate being sad? These
questions may all seem to be two faces of the same coin but very
different faces.

You may be like George Bernard Shaw who said, “You see things;
and you say ‘Why?’; But I dream things that never were; and I say
‘Why not?’ Or, you may identify closer with Dwight D. Eisenhower
who said, “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in
the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog”.

You may be the dreamer or the dog engaged in mortal combat. What
counts most is to know who you are, and light the appropriate
burner on your motivational stove.


-Ray Edwards

Great responses everyone!

I know desperation is a great motivator, but IM is meant for more long term income than instant quick profits.

At least with a 9-5 job, you can afford to make mistakes in IM and learn from them unlike when you're desperate, those mistakes will cost you big. I know I've made my huge share of mistakes in my journey.

While I too can relate to what TheSalesBooster stated above, I would like to add a few things that are critical in transitioning from desperate to a sustained income online or off...

People need to realize there is only 168 hours in a given week. We all get the same exact time to complete a series of demands to meet our survival, and if we're lucky; afford ourselves the time (and money) to explore our personal interests.

Sadly, too many people fall victim to time itself, and never learn to leverage that time and find a balance to afford the lifestyle which they desire. There is a definite trade off in finding that balance. I have experienced years where I worked hard and made 6 figures offline, but I had no time to enjoy much outside of running my business. I also found stalls in work offline where I had plenty of time, but no money to do the things I truly desired.

We are 'programmed' impart to believe; if we work hard while we are young and save our pennies, we will have the freedom to enjoy life when we are older, and retire from working.

I find this a "BIG FAT LIE" - and I blame no one but myself for believing this myth. The key, IMHO is learning to leverage our time and money whereby, they work in unison and produce a balance suitable to afford us the freedoms & lifestyles we seek. Sure, the life of IM from the outside looking in IS pretty inticing, no doubt. No commute, work in your pj's, make money while you sleep....you get my point.

So, if someone is working a regular gig offline say 40 hours, gets 40-50 hours sleep each week, factors in their chores, bill paying, commute, shopping, showering, and ALL that we do to be amongst the living... many will find, they have NO TIME to endure the grueling task of taking up internet marketing, and I believe; this is the real reason most internet marketers fail. They do NOT foresee the time it takes to really learn this business, and many quit before ever tasting the rewards of such sacrifice.

This business takes time to learn. It takes a smaller start-up investment than ANY offline business, and the ROI's can be MASSIVE.

But, look at most people's reality (mine included) - it is difficult to break the cycle, and find the time to add internet marketing into a life that is already saturated in demands and time restraints.

Here some 2 years later, I am ready to feel with confidence, I CAN and WILL earn a full time income online, after 2 years of busting my hump... sacrificing sleep, FREE time, and a few bucks to get all the pieces sorted.

Truth is, I could've already been making more money online. However, I chose to learn as much as I could before making the money a priority. I wanted my IM foundation to be solid, and I have equipped myself with several strategies, methods, and technical "know how" over the past 2 years to feel satisfied that I chose advancing my education in IM over that of chasing the potential money.

And I'll add that I have suffered temporary financial setbacks intentionally as a result! -As a motivator to stay hungry, disciplined, and devote myself to the end goals the internet offers... such as automated sales, free time, and most of all personal satisfaction in reaching those long term goals!

Now, I am assembling that knowledge, preparing to create several products, and employing that knowledge to sustain a long term online business, finally!

The REAL problem is; people want that quick fix, instant gratification, overnight success, and get 'slapped hard' when reality catches up with them, and reveals a silent truth... it takes an investment going in to ANY business, in order to get something out of that business.

I started with a free blog, and pasted affiliate banners all over the internet, and dreamed of being rich when I started out, sure. Reality, had a different plan, and now I understand several aspects of marketing online that I had no clue were critical in knowing prior to getting a leg up on this business.

IM is not expensive if done correcetly, and I have invested maybe $2k - $3k to date. Much of which I already have earned back in a few sales here and there testing the waters. Sure, I may drop that much on one ad in the near future, but I needed to undergo the learning curve first. The learning curve takes a HUGE investment of TIME, more so than money... but time is money, so to speak, is it not?

Therefore, most everyday people who have worked for a living, must realize their first investment to success online is their TIME, without setting expectations on MONEY. To do so, is almost sure to FAIL.

Those who have succeeded, had to put time in to get money out and learn how to leverage that time spent learning to see the true rewards this business offers. Or, they had to put money in to get time out. For some who outsource right out of the gate, sure, they can get lucky and hit it hard right from the start, but I sincerely doubt it would be good advice to outsource something you know NOTHING about... for to do so, puts you at a HUGE disadvantage, and is taking a massive RISK... much like gambling! -Odds of success are not in your favor to start this way.

To answer the OP's question, YES... I did get into IM as a last resort, at the time. Yes, it did save me... from starting another 'offline' business that required more time and money. So, despite not having reached my financial goals as of this moment... it did save me from choosing a greater evil so to speak, and changed my mindset in "how I see my future businesses being run."

However, regardless of my mindset when I started out (fast money... gotta get rich, yada, yada, yada...) the WANT to succeed for all the right reasons was there, and quickly changed my focus and mindset to study nearly EVERY angle, every aspect of IM to know... I WILL SUCCEED... - for the TIME invested WILL reciprocate, and when it does... I know exactly what to do leverage that money, wasting less time questioning 'IF' it can be done(?), and rest easy in the KNOW that there lies the TRUE REWARD IM offers anyone willing to do the same.

Sorry for the rant... feeling a bit philosophical today, lol.

All the Best,

Art

I still currently work full time at my day job if you will, and do IM primarily to pay off my debts (student loans) and for some extra spending cash.

30 min a day or so to make an extra $1000-$1500 per month really helps out. People ask me why I don't scale up to be more successful and work solely from IM it typically my answer is Time & Money. I do not have that much more time to create and monitor CPA campaigns and can't afford to put more investment into my PPC accounts.