When I created my first website, I had no idea where it was going to take me. I really did believe that it was possible to create a regular income online – even without any programming skills – but I didn\’t have an end goal. I wasn\’t planning to sell out within a few years, swap my sites for a big bag of cash and head off to Hawaii for the rest of my life.
Why should I? I\’m having fun.
Not everyone feels that way. I\’ve met lots of entrepreneurs who work with toy Ferraris on their desk or pictures of yachts on their desktop. That\’s their goal. They plan to make just enough money to lead the lifestyle they want, then stop.
That\’s fine. If that\’s what would make them happiest, I\’ve got no problem with it.
But it does sound a bit like doing a J.O.B. and hoping for a big bonus if you do it right.
There are two things that make the Internet business different to any other business I know. The first is that anyone can do it. There are really no entry requirements. You don\’t need a degree in computer science, social studies or anything else. You just have to want to do it and have the willingness to stick with it until it\’s working. When that happens, you don\’t just hear a click as everything falls into place. You hear a giant Ka-Ching as the money starts to come in.
The second – and this is no less important — is that you can earn that money doing the things you love.
The first content I created was about computer games. I could have produced a site about anything but I like computer games, so I created a site about gaming. I also like shopping and saving money online, so one of my next sites was about bargains.
These days, what I like most is sharing my knowledge with other rising entrepreneurs. I get a real buzz out of it so I keep giving workshops, attending conferences and producing books. It\’s work that pays well but investment banking pays well too. I\’m doing this because it\’s fun.
And that\’s when I think it\’s the right time to stop. Not once you\’ve bought your Ferrari. Not once you\’ve got your yacht. Not even when you\’re lying on the beach in Cancun. But when you\’re no longer having fun. That\’s the best sign that you\’re not doing what you should be doing – and you should be doing something else.
Me? I\’m still having fun!.