You may be just starting, or contemplating, your first online business. Or, just like me, you may be trying out yet another online business scheme.

No doubt you are reading about all those guys who got rich just doing what you have started to do, or contemplating to do. Many claim to be making 10s of 1000s of $$ per month! So how do you, poor, moneyless, no-clue would-be, get to become a successful entrepreneur with your own online business?

Easy! Just do what they do! Simple, huh? Then you discover its not that simple. Its hard!

OK, you still want to succeed. If they can do it, so can I, you say. This is a good start - a positive attitude. Think big! That's what the guys at the top say, and that sounds good to me. You'll not get anywhere if you don't believe in yourself.

Right, so where do we go from there. You get a positive picture of your success, you set goals, and you get determination to reach those goals. But following that we need action! If you do nothing you will gain nothing. You will reap what you sow. On the other hand, if you put a lot of effort into it, you will reap a profitable reward.

So far so good. The top dogs tell us these things. Be positive and work hard. Then what? We are talking about online business here, and that's what I am doing, so let's look at what action can be taken, and indeed, should be taken, to increase your income. Sorry, I mean start your income - we are only starting out, right?

Advertise! they tell us. Wow, wait a second! I tried that and got swamped with hundreds of emails making similar offers. There's a lot of offers out there, some good, some just plain crooked. Let me ask you a question. If you had apples to sell, would you go to an apple market or a banana market? How many apples do you think you would sell to a bunch of people trying to sell you apples? My guess is none!

Which market do you want to reach? the buyers or the sellers? You will say, "The buyers." But not all the sellers are selling the same product as you. The banana seller might want to buy your apples. Sellers, then, are also potential buyers.

A better question to ask is: Who do you not want to market to? Obviously you want to avoid wasting your time reaching more apple sellers. Whatever your product is, you

Now, you might argue that you have the best opportunity on the Net, and all these poor guys who think they have the best, need to hear about my offer. This is true, in my opinion. There are a lot of people pushing opportunities like they will drop gold from heaven. In reality they are just as desperate as you, and are trying their best to make a good sale.

Let's go back to the apple market for a moment. You look around at those apples your fellows are selling. You see many have bad apples, dirty apples, old apples, small apples, dry apples. You know that your apples are much better than these. Hey! You have just found a potential buyers group.

But how do you sell your good apples to these bad apple sellers? Give them one to taste! Once they taste how good it is they will want more. In fact they will want to disgard their old apples and want to join you selling yours. You just won an affiliate! Isn't that what half of Network Marketing is all about?

Give things away! Have something to offer free. Be it a newsletter, advice or even a sample product, or in affiliate programs, how about prospective affiliates? Give and you will receive.

Scrooge from Christmas Carol was rich. But he was also mean. people didn't like him, and he got a picture of how glad people would be if he died. But Scrooge had a change of heart. He became generous. And what else changed? His popularity. I guarantee you that when the new Scrooge died, he was sorely missed.

Let's sum up. You are a beginner. It won't stay that way.

Get a vision and set your goals.

Work hard towards your goals and don't give up.

Sell to those who don't have what you sell.

Give away things and prove your honesty.

Are you ready to climb that ladder of success?

Foot on the first rung, and lift!

See you at the top.

Jim Murdoch is new to network marketing. Read what he has to say about “Why you need your own home business” in his autoresponder: mailto:whyahomebusiness@upward-path.com His web site is at http://www.upward-path.com?64