Starting out, is this realistic?

41 replies
Hey guys, been reading the forums for a while for information, ideas, how to, etc and I decided to go for it. before embarking on this long journey I had a few questions I wanted to ask.

First off I want to say that for now im not looking to make 100k in 1 year. Quite frankly if in a few months im able to have a steady 500-600$ a month from this I would consider myself successful.

I want to know from experienced IM if it would be a lot easier to find a mentor to get started and not make all the rookie mistakes and if so how do you go about finding one, I'm honestly clueless as how to get a mentor.

Is making a few hundred $ a months within 6 months a realistic goal coming from someone whos starting out and is willing to get a mentor?

thanks for any serious input
#realistic #starting
  • Profile picture of the author aleksbogata
    Hey,

    I have a mentor but in saying that I would really recommend first getting your bearings in general IM before getting yourself one. There is so much you can do within IM and I think just spending a few weeks researching will give you a better idea of which direction you want to go. Then you are in a better position to choose the right mentor. Do you have a specific niche you are interested in?

    You can find so much FREE and extremely valuable information on the WF so don't go spending money until you have to.

    If you have any specific questions PM me and I will gladly try help you if I can. If I can't then I will point you in the right direction.

    Hope that helps
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  • Profile picture of the author eklipz316
    Even without a mentor, it's not too hard to be up to over $1,000 per month within six months, especially if you have money to invest. I'd suggest starting an email list, if you like that kind of thing. You can buy solo ads and send them to a landing page which will ask for their email. You can then send them free information on how to make money online and occasionally send out paid advertisements. You can also start doing your own solo ads when you get up to a few thousand people and charge customers per click they receive. And the best part is, you have these leads for as long as they're interested in your emails and don't unsubscribe.

    A mentor will help but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. I never had one, just read information that people put out on there own, but never had any one on one training. You will make mistakes but a lot of those are from simple experimentation. If you stay consistent though, these mistakes will only help you learn and grow your business. And if you ever get super stuck, there's forums like this to help you.

    Good Luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author Romeo90
      Originally Posted by eklipz316 View Post

      Even without a mentor, it's not too hard to be up to over $1,000 per month within six months...
      Hundreds, if not thousands of people who have tried and failed without making a cent, would disagree with you there.
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    • Profile picture of the author superAffJason
      Originally Posted by eklipz316 View Post

      Even without a mentor, it's not too hard to be up to over $1,000 per month within six months, especially if you have money to invest. I'd suggest starting an email list, if you like that kind of thing. You can buy solo ads and send them to a landing page which will ask for their email. You can then send them free information on how to make money online and occasionally send out paid advertisements. You can also start doing your own solo ads when you get up to a few thousand people and charge customers per click they receive. And the best part is, you have these leads for as long as they're interested in your emails and don't unsubscribe.

      A mentor will help but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. I never had one, just read information that people put out on there own, but never had any one on one training. You will make mistakes but a lot of those are from simple experimentation. If you stay consistent though, these mistakes will only help you learn and grow your business. And if you ever get super stuck, there's forums like this to help you.

      Good Luck!
      Haa, so the guy who can't make $500 per month online is sending others information on how to make money online?

      Priceless.

      The basic in Internet Marketing is 'Marketing.' My suggestion is to put in elbow grease learning real copywriting (Halbert, Robert Collier, Claude Hopkins). That will give you the real fundamentals of making money in LIFE. Then, you can start focusing on the internet. It is hard for those who don't have the fundamentals.

      Don't make it hard on yourself. Learn salesmanship in print.

      Jason
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  • Profile picture of the author gluckspilz
    This may be a bit off topic but it definitely works for me and my students.

    Instead of aiming for a 100K with no purpose, you aim for your "WHY"

    So your question is now, "Can you make enough on the internet to ....."

    Quit your job, retire your love ones/parents, spend time with your kids etc.

    Asking these questions will keep you motivated, pumped and will result in you taking a lot more action. Of course, earning 100K, 200K or even 1 Mil is good. But at the end of the day, you want to achieve something with life! Focus on that, it will definitely be better for you or anyone reading this.

    Again, this works for me and maybe not for others. And yes, my "WHY" was to retire my parents from working 10 hours a day earning pennies. I have no excuses to fail really if you think about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author bnorton2010
    I would suggest not to invest a lot of money right away. Don't waste your money on paid advertising or any special software. The best way to learn is to start from scratch with just a website and slowly work your way up. I've been doing it for 6 months now and I've invested less than $200 dollars total. I'm currently making about 500 a month and building momentum.

    Build an email list from the beginning and build a relationship with your subscribers. Don't just try to sell them crap. If you work at it every day, I see no reason you couldn't be making a full time income within a year.
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    • Profile picture of the author jmarc55
      Thanks a lot for the input given so far.

      You guys are very helpful. I guess I must simply get started and see where this all brings me.

      I'm going to start a blog and hope for the best.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by jmarc55 View Post

        Thanks a lot for the input given so far.

        You guys are very helpful. I guess I must simply get started and see where this all brings me.

        I'm going to start a blog and hope for the best.
        Good for you.. taking action is by far the first and hardest step.
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        • Profile picture of the author Shadowflux
          Getting a mentor to help avoid rookie mistakes can seem like an enticing idea but think about this:

          Your mentor made rookie mistakes in the beginning.

          Rookie mistakes are great, as long as they don't cost too much time or money. That's how we learn. Sometimes it's also how we stumble onto new things.

          A mentor will teach you their way of doing things. It may work for them but you need to discover your own methods. Everybody is different. Even if it seems like we make money doing the same thing (CPA, services, affiliates etc) every single person has their own way of doing it.

          Feel free to ask people for advice. Ask questions on Warrior Forum. Read the answers to other people's questions. Pick up a few books. Watch some videos. Whatever way of learning works best for you.

          I learned by doing. I paid attention to the advice of people I worked with. I learned from other people's failures as well as my own. Hands on education is the best.
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnTheJock
            Originally Posted by Shadowflux View Post

            Getting a mentor to help avoid rookie mistakes can seem like an enticing idea but think about this:

            Your mentor made rookie mistakes in the beginning.

            Rookie mistakes are great, as long as they don't cost too much time or money. That's how we learn. Sometimes it's also how we stumble onto new things.

            A mentor will teach you their way of doing things. It may work for them but you need to discover your own methods. Everybody is different. Even if it seems like we make money doing the same thing (CPA, services, affiliates etc) every single person has their own way of doing it.

            Feel free to ask people for advice. Ask questions on Warrior Forum. Read the answers to other people's questions. Pick up a few books. Watch some videos. Whatever way of learning works best for you.

            I learned by doing. I paid attention to the advice of people I worked with. I learned from other people's failures as well as my own. Hands on education is the best.
            Spot on!

            Don't spend money on a mentor just yet. Find your own way with FREE info, make a few mistakes (experience) like we all did, and you WILL start making money if you stick with it
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      • Profile picture of the author vedremo
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        Originally Posted by jmarc55 View Post

        Thanks a lot for the input given so far.

        You guys are very helpful. I guess I must simply get started and see where this all brings me.

        I'm going to start a blog and hope for the best.
        Starting a blog is a good start already. You don't have to spend money on a mentor. You're already here. Simply ask around anything that you'd like to know or need some clarifications. Take advantage of the free information and advice in this forum.

        Figure out what you want to do so you can properly channel your energies. Remember that where you focus your energy is where you will get your manifestations. Set your Intentions. What you put your attention on grows.

        Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author noodle2005
    Whatever you decide to do, pick one method of making money to start with and try and master it. Give it 6 months or so and give it your all. Don't jump from 1 method to another then another then another.......There's many ways to make money online, just like there's many ways to drive traffic but trying to do them all at once will leave you frustrated and probably earning nothing.

    As for a mentor, see what you can do yourself for the first 6 months then re-asses if you think you need additional help
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Tandan
      Originally Posted by noodle2005 View Post

      Whatever you decide to do, pick one method of making money to start with and try and master it. Give it 6 months or so and give it your all. Don't jump from 1 method to another then another then another.......There's many ways to make money online, just like there's many ways to drive traffic but trying to do them all at once will leave you frustrated and probably earning nothing.

      As for a mentor, see what you can do yourself for the first 6 months then re-asses if you think you need additional help
      Bang on advice about not jumping around. But here is where I firmly believe a mentor can help. It is EXTREMELY difficult for someone new to focus on one area with all the shiny buttons and offers floating around.
      A mentor will keep you focused and provide you with structure to get underway. In my mind an incredibly worthwhile investment.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dipajanki
        Originally Posted by Mark Tandan View Post

        Bang on advice about not jumping around. But here is where I firmly believe a mentor can help. It is EXTREMELY difficult for someone new to focus on one area with all the shiny buttons and offers floating around.
        A mentor will keep you focused and provide you with structure to get underway. In my mind an incredibly worthwhile investment.
        Great advice!!!! Shiny box syndrome is bad! I know, I've had it
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  • Profile picture of the author JJPerkins
    Maybe for the time being at least look for an accountability partner?
    It's so easy to get off the right track and not even know it when you are all new and starry eyed.

    Personally I know that if I had invested in a mentor sooner success would have come much quicker.
    But if you don't even know which direction you want your business to go in it's hard to select a mentor.
    Find your path, then find someone to emulate, they don't even have to be a paid mentor.
    The right person will come along at the right time, or so I believe!
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  • Profile picture of the author gasman
    Mentors are great, but be careful most only make money by taking your money. Very few are legitimate.
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    • Profile picture of the author Charmed Life
      Originally Posted by gasman View Post

      Mentors are great, but be careful most only make money by taking your money. Very few are legitimate.
      I completely agree! If you are going to have a mentor make sure you interview them to make sure that they have the right skills and knowledge to help you get to where you want to be.

      Many coaching programmes with try and convince you that you are "lucky" to get through their "selection process". This is clever marketing, but it may not be the best thing for you and your business. Make sure you ask questions such as how long have they been making their living from the internet? What business models do they use? Do they just coach now, or are they still running and maintaining their own on-line business(es)? How many years experience do they have? What did they do before they became successful on-line? (so that you can see what, if any, business management skills they can bring to the mix). Don't get sucked into thinking that because you've been "selected" that they are right for you. You need someone who is the right "fit" for you

      Personally, I think that with so much information available for free now, that you may not need a mentor until you have reached a point where you need coaching to take your business to the next level.

      I agree with others who say that you need to focus on one way of getting started making money and not get caught up constantly trying out the "latest thing". It can be very easy to get caught up in the "next big thing", that you end up not giving any one method enough time and commitment to see if one method works, before you jump to the next method.

      In my opinion, the key things to remember are that good quality content on your website is essential if you want to build a reputable, on-going business and also don't treat your list (once you have one) like a "cash cow". Remember that they are people on the end of an email address and not just "cash on tap" for you. Sell to your list, but also remember to communicate and share free stuff as well, otherwise you will find a lot of people unsubscribing from your list quite quickly. Of course, it does depend on what niche you go into, but it's been my experience that people like to know that they can trust what you are selling, and a great way to build that trust is by communicating and sharing great quality free info first. If people see that you are offering a lot of great info for free then they are more likely to buy from you when you offer them something that they have to pay for.

      Good luck in your new venture! I think it's great that you are ready to take the plunge and get started on building your own business
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  • Profile picture of the author JoeMack
    I agree with Shadowflux and a few of the other Warriors that have given you good info to start with.

    If you have the funds, then working with a mentor can be highly beneficial because his experience can save you a lot of wasted time, energy, and frustration.

    But there is also plenty of information here on the Warrior Forum. Be sure to stick to one thing long enough. I see to many newbies giving up way to early.

    JoeMack
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  • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
    Originally Posted by jmarc55 View Post

    I want to know from experienced IM if it would be a lot easier to find a mentor to get started
    Get started doing what?

    Don't say IM. That term is grossly overused and stretched into things that aren't even IM. So you'll need to be specific. Exactly what kind of business do you want to run?
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    • Profile picture of the author Eric Lovelace
      Mentor know doubt will have you leaps and bounds above the rest. Also mind set has a big place in it to. Seems from your goals you set forth aren't too out there seems like you have the right mind set.

      Eric
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
      Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

      Get started doing what?
      Don't say IM. That term is grossly overused and stretched into things that aren't even IM. So you'll need to be specific. Exactly what kind of business do you want to run?
      This is the first post in the thread to actually address the issue. There's no point discussing making $x amount per month or getting mentors until you decide on a product or service you can offer, and a market you can realistically target. That's your business. The money comes as a result.

      .
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      • Profile picture of the author 4DayWeekend
        Yes that is a realistic target.

        The route i'd suggest taking is to create your own product and try to sell as many as you can (price low, give generous affiliate commissions). Then you'll start to build a list of buyers who you can market other products to as an affiliate.

        EMail your list with value (and promotions) regularly, from day 1.

        Rinse and repeat.

        Each product you bring out you will get repeat buyers and some new ones - increasing the size of the list.

        Momentum and steady growth. In time, you'll have a list big enough to enable you to get on the affiliate leaderboards and earn prizes as well as commissions

        Best of luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chad Eljisr
    Getting a good coach/mentor has always been a good investment for me, and I still do that at least once a year - and I am talking about a few thousands spent each and every time. You never stop learning, and getting the right insight from somebody that already went through and can guide you on a specific strategy or blueprint is priceless. I always got my money back and 10 times more.

    Said that, I think it would be wise if you do some research on your own and try out what works for you and what you like to do most. Once you do that you'll find the right mentor/coach coming your way...
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  • Heya JMarc55,

    I think for us to provide possibly suitable advice, you first need to let us in on some specifics, such as the time and other resources that you intend to invest in your venture, your real world expertise and knowledge that could be valuable to others and so on. Why?

    If for example you're a software programmer and want to work on interesting projects for just say four hours per day from home while simultaneously nurturing a passive online income generation venture on a $100/month budget, then you could most likely earn $500 to $600 per month with just one or two small custom software development projects that won't take up collectively 40 hours of your time per month, and you can use your other 40 hours per month to set up and nurture a website in the niche you want, i.e. A tech website that offers info, advice and affiliate product recommendations for speeding up gaming PCs, correcting and preventing OS, software and hardware-related issues and so on, and you can use your $100/month budget for advertising your custom software programming services in the online (and even offline) places where prospect clients go to look for people who offer such services, for paying your Web hosting and domain registration and auto responder costs, for implementing paid advertising campaigns for your website and so on, and when you believe it'd be necessary, you can search for a mentor that has real world experience in doing things similar to what you're planning to do...
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  • Profile picture of the author Pedro Lopes
    I would pick an area and master it, learn as much as I can on it(there's free information all over)
    You'l find that just in your research you'll come out a LOT better in the end..
    I would definitely recommend a mentor to take what you know and put it into effective action..
    If you're gonna do this, I would shoot for more than 600-700/mo I would shoot for at least that in a week, because its definitely possible.
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  • Profile picture of the author workwithpatricia
    Speaking from personal experience. First know your "why" and the ultimate goal you want to accomplish. Then decide what you want to do online. What do you like, what are you good at. Then, research people who are successful in that area. With that research you will find a mentor that you connect with. I highly recommend working with a mentor. They can help the process move more smoothly and quickly and even help by promoting you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard Burn
    Hi Jmarc A lot of people have already given sound advice if I look back of when I started online there is just to much to take in and where do you start? So make all the mistakes that most people do, now have invested in a mentor and a IM training program that show's you what to do and how to do it. Your WHY as some people have mentioned is important. Once you know you WHY then you can find what type of IM your looking for, find something that you enjoy doing not just to make money as your looking at this for the long term and it will take time to get going. When you get to momentum then you can really see it working which is what I'm working on myself, already I can see each month growing which can really be motivating. Wish you the best of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author gela g
    When I was starting out it's really a challenge how to keep up with all the information. Yes, we need to take one step at a time. But having a mentor will save you more time and at least make you aware of the mistakes that you might encounter as you go along with your journey.

    Good thing I found my super awesome, no BS, legitimate mentor. Just saying.
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  • Profile picture of the author amwarner
    A mentor is a good thing to have but having one won't stop you from making mistakes though. In fact, you should expect to make mistakes along the way because that's how you'll learn and how you'll develop the skills and knowledge to not make the same mistakes again.

    Is it possible to make money in 6 months or so, sure? But you have to really work at it. You can't have the mentality that you didn't make money in the first 4 months so it's probably not going to happen, let me just find something else to pursue. Any mentor will tell you that even when the chips seems down, and it seems as though nothing is working in your favor and you're at your most vulnerable, that's a deciding factor in if you'll eventually succeed or not.

    If you push through it, regardless of all the uncertainty, things will start to fall into place.

    Lastly, you should shoot for smaller more attainable goals to consistently keep yourself motivated. Focus on getting your first $100 first then try for $300 then $500 a month etc. Those small goals that you continue to reach will be the motivating factor to help you make much bigger money in the end.
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  • Profile picture of the author davidvicary
    Hi JMARC, I was in a similar situation to you. I found affiliate marketing really hard and then came across Kindle publishing. at the moment I make about $500 a month from a few Kindle books I published. I would suggest that is the best place to start as it is the easiest path to making a passive income online.
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  • Profile picture of the author NicheService
    Try doing it without a mentor first. There is so much valuable information available on the Internet for free. Then, if you still need personal guidance, search for a mentor that is willing to discuss your personal situation (your skills, resources, etc) and your personal goals. Some mentors are not flexible.
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  • Profile picture of the author eonjohn
    Although your goal is realistic and doable, a better goal with or without a mentor is a $1 for your first month, $10 on the next, $50 on your third, $100 on your fourth...get the picture?

    Once you're earning $100 a month, it would now be easier to scale it up (repeat and keep doing what is working) to reach your desired goal of $600. Just try to earn that first dollar first.
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  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    It's been my experience that you're better off focusing on your career than following an IM pipe dream.

    Why not find a decent career now the economy's pretty good?
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  • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
    I believe you can reach your goal of $500 a month within six months or less as longs as you make it your #1 priority and push through any obstacles and distractions along the way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    If you are going to have a mentor make sure you interview them to make sure that they have the right skills and knowledge to help you get to where you want to be.
    How will you know that if you don't know where you want to be? If you don't know what good information is, you won't know it if you see it.

    Too many people don't want to do the required research and take responsibility for their own success, instead of putting that completely on some one else.
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  • Profile picture of the author absolutelee
    Internet marketing actually has a fairly steep learning curve. So a good mentor is an excellent idea.not getting distracted is another excellent idea, too!
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  • Profile picture of the author Bailey Ing
    Hey,

    If you are committed to building your business I would firstly get clear on knowing what your strengths are.

    Think about what you are naturally good at. Are you a good writer? Have coding skills? Good at systems and processes?

    When you know what you're good at, build a business based on those strengths because things will get tough and you will need to use your strengths and what you enjoy to push you through.

    You mentioned you may work on a blog. If you enjoy writing and connecting with your tribe then go for it.

    Now find a mentor who has built a successful business blogging also because the experience, insights and value you can get from that will speed up your success much faster than trial and error.

    Sure there is value in learning yourself and failing, but even with a mentor you will still fail, so it's best to fail fast! The quickest way to success!
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  • Profile picture of the author TheCodex
    Originally Posted by jmarc55 View Post

    Hey guys, been reading the forums for a while for information, ideas, how to, etc and I decided to go for it. before embarking on this long journey I had a few questions I wanted to ask.

    First off I want to say that for now im not looking to make 100k in 1 year. Quite frankly if in a few months im able to have a steady 500-600$ a month from this I would consider myself successful.

    I want to know from experienced IM if it would be a lot easier to find a mentor to get started and not make all the rookie mistakes and if so how do you go about finding one, I'm honestly clueless as how to get a mentor.

    Is making a few hundred $ a months within 6 months a realistic goal coming from someone whos starting out and is willing to get a mentor?

    thanks for any serious input
    Yes.

    With someone ACTUALLY invested in your success.
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  • Profile picture of the author affguy89
    You must generate traffic to whatever niche you go after. Most people have problems getting traffic. I personally get questions about that the most. A mentor is not mandatory but if you can afford a good one I would not sleep on it.

    And when I say mentor I don't mean just any mentor. You need a targeted mentor. So if traffic is your core problem you're mentor should specialize on that subject enough to get you to where you need to be.

    But seriously there is enough free information on here and youtube. You can either find it or pay someone if you can't wait on it...
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