Guest Post From Connie Ragen Green.
You may be familiar with the story of how Cortez ordered his men to burn the ships when they landed in Mexico. The purpose of this was to make his men see that they had to win this battle, because returning to Spain would not be an option. It is also the phrase we use when we talk about starting an online business and not giving ourselves an option of returning to our former job. Be extremely careful with this, and give it the careful thought you would give any other life changing decision.
I regularly share the story of how I burned my ships, or my bridges, if you are more used to hearing that term. I had been a classroom teacher for twenty years, and decided to resign my position. I was 51 at the time I signed these papers, so I knew that no other school district in the country would hire me in the future. Also, I was not old enough to retire, so I would not receive a pension or medical benefits. I was able to cash out my retirement payments, giving me enough money to live for about a year to eighteen months.
At the same time I was working as a real estate broker and residential appraiser. I began giving my clients away to people who were working full time in that business, knowing that it would be unlikely that I would ever get them back. I was truly giving up my former life with the dream of creating an online business.
I do not recommend that you do this. It worked for me because I made the commitment to myself to spend seven days a week in front of my computer, learning as much as possible and taking action on what I was learning. My money only lasted a year, and there were times when I wondered if I had made a bad choice with all of this. I did not have a family to support, so these choices were only going to affect me, but it was difficult many times to not be sure if I was going to have enough money to pay my expenses.
Make a plan before leaving your job to come online. Be realistic with what you are doing. Be willing to work harder than you ever have before to get your business going. Connect with a mentor and people who can guide you through the process of going from being an employee or self-employed to being an online entrepreneur. It can be done, but you must be prepared for what you are getting yourself into with building an online business.
Remember that the reason to start an Internet business is to give you the time and financial freedom to live the life you choose. Download a free teleseminar on building your online business by visiting Get Started Online to learn how to write articles, blog, become involved in social networking and learn the technology needed to build a profitable online business.
Guest post from Connie Ragen Green, online marketer and author.
Connie Ragen Green teaches new online entrepreneurs how to build a profitable business, as well as how to use the technology necessary to be successful on the Internet.
Connie has written two books, more than 1,600 articles, several eBooks, and many short reports, and is also an expert in affiliate marketing.
If you are ready to build your own onlne empire, Connie will show you how to do this. Her new book explains how she was able to build a 6 figure a year business online, before she had even one thousand names on her list.
Sign up for Connie’s free info here.