7 Myths About Making Money Online

All successful online marketers had a lot of money when they first started and also got lucky at some point or are just making money by scamming people over!

Well, that’s a pretty bold statement now isn’t it!?

The truth is, this is how many people think when it comes to hearing about people making money online — whether it be hundreds of dollars or even millions. Just like many of my readers, I’ve heard it all before and will continue to hear it time and time again.

However, I wanted to shed some light on the topic for anyone who is still sitting on the sidelines and wants to actually take control over other lives and finances by possibly making a little money online. These 7 myths about making money online will not only keep you inspired for success, they will also keep your head level and business on path in the process.

1.) It Takes Money to Make Money

The old saying ‘it takes money to make money’ used to be the truth… especially when your only options for making additional money was through the use of a retail business, buying real estate and putting money in stock market.

Now anyone can start a business online or perform freelance work to start making money online. The first several years I started making money online back in the mid 90s, I didn’t spend a single dime. I used free AOL disks for internet access, free hosting sites like geocities and AOL member pages, then built out my own sites and made money with affiliate marketing.

There is no excuse for not starting a business of your own online.

Even to create a legitimate web site or blog with your own domain name, setup with a premium theme and hosting — you are still looking at less than $100 per year in costs. Follow my free start a blog guide to walk through the process step by step.

2.) You Should Quite Your Job to Get Started

For some reason, when people start making a few dollars online they think they should quit their job and go at it as a full time entrepreneur.

I have some advice for you… DON’T!

It’s not easy to make money online, and it’s even scarier when you realize there is no time clock to check in and out of. This means you have no guarantee on where your next check is coming from and if you have a family or responsibilities of your own — leaving your job is not a responsible solution.

Starting a business online or even just making a few dollars here and there takes time. You don’t need to quit your job, just stop watching so much TV and dedicate a few hours per week to your online money making efforts.

If you put in enough time and effort, you may soon surpass what you are making at your current job and can quit sooner than you think!

3.) Always Follow Your Passion

Another popular saying is… “go after your passion and the profits will follow”. It’s cute… but it’s also not true 99% of the time time.

Instead you need to go where the money is and create a legitimate business that can grow and scale with time.

Don’t get me wrong, passion is great and it makes your business efforts that much more fun… but no one is getting rich off talking about their favorite sports, tv shows and what their eating. (well, there are a few exceptions like Perez Hilton and John Chow)

If you are going to follow your passion, make sure it has a business model associated with it. Here’s a few examples on how to get started.

4.) You Need to Be an Expert at Something

It seems like everyone is an expert these days… so what does that tell you? There isn’t much value in them anymore.

Register your name as a domain, throw up a site, create a fancy logo and contribute to other blogs within your space… then you can be an expert too!

The good news is that you don’t need to be an expert at anything to find success online. Through the use of freelance writing, designing, affiliate marketing, blogging, content creation and a million other things, anyone can get started with making a few dollars here and there online — while also developing their skills, portfolio and business in the process.

Don’t worry about being an expert — just create expert content and services.

5.) Making Money Online is Easy

Making money online is NOT easy. For every success story you read online, there is another 10,000 stories of failures that you never hear of.

Sure, I had a site that made over $800,000 in profit in 4 months, but what about the hundreds of sites I’ve created that didn’t do squat?

At the same time, it’s easy to find yourself making a lot of money one month, then in debt the next!

The world of online marketing and business is a blessing and a curse… don’t for a second think it’s easy.

6.) Only Scam Artists Make Money Online

There are plenty of ways to make money online, but not all of them are ethical, legal or a good longterm business solution.

However, these “scams” and unethical practices are just a small fraction of the actual business that happens on the internet daily.

No matter what type of business or industry you get into, there are always going to be people who cut corners and take advantage of the situation or opportunity they have.

If you are going to make money online, do it the right way and build a respected following in the process.

7.) Online Millionaires are Just Lucky

Winning the lottery is lucky. Finding longterm success is a skill.

The worst thing you can say to a successful entrepreneur or business is that they are lucky — it strikes a nerve and makes all of us really angry.

Sure, luck might have something to do with it every once in a while — but in terms of business, it’s the blood, sweat and tears that make us successful.