by David Lim
I occasionally get emails from site visitors about how to make money from the Internet. The emails would generally just contain one or two sentences phrased something like, "Sir, how do I make money on the Internet?" or "I want to make money from the Internet."
I would reply by explaining that making money on the Internet is not as simple as it is usually made out to be, and that there are some things they would need to figure out first, like whether they want to work for a company, or start a business of their own, and what kind of business would be suitable for their temperament. I would also ask a little about the background of the sender, so that I would be in a better position to advise him.
I don't think I ever got a reply to my emails. I was a little puzzled as although I was willing spend a little time to brainstorm what could be a very profitable venture for the senders of the emails, there seemed to be no takers.
It was when I received another email from a guy who said he liked my site a lot and wanted to join my site but couldn't find the join button that I think I got to the root of the problem. Every single one of the emails was probably from people looking for a site that they can join, pay a membership fee, perform a few simple tasks or recommend a few friends, and earn thousands of dollars a month.
I studied electronics and communications engineering for 3 years at the polytechnic to get my diploma, and it was only after about 5 to 10 years of designing circuits and writing software that an electronics company might consider me good enough to deserve a salary of a few thousand dollars a month.
Many websites advertise business opportunities that claim a few thousand dollars a month can be easily achieved after a few weeks or months of easy work. No experience or expertise of any sort is needed for the work. In fact, they will tell you that a stay-at-home mom made $900 after her first month, or some other similar story. And what's more, the work will need only 1 to 2 hours per day of your time.
The only thing that I can say is, "Wake up, people!"
The Internet is a great tool. It enables us to communicate with one another across enormous distances almost instantaneously, and access vast amounts of information and data from the comfort of our home, or anywhere with Internet access. But for all its power and convenience, the same rules of money, economics and business still apply.
On the Internet, just like in real life, money has got to be earned and earned in equal measure with appropriate work. No website will reasonably pay you a few thousand dollars a month to perform simple tasks just like no company will pay a lawyer's salary for work that a production operator can do.
The Internet is still a new and evolving medium, and it offers capabilities only dreamt of just a few years ago. It offers exciting opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs alike, with tremendous potential for financial reward beyond your wildest dreams.
But the good old-fashioned idea of the work ethic still applies, perhaps even more online rather than offline. So, the sooner you give up your idea of a quick payout and put in the necessary work and ingenuity, the sooner you will realize the true financial potential of the web.
David Lim is the webmaster of http://QuittingYourJob.com, a business resource for the entrepreneur looking to start, or grow an online home-based business.
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