Hi Janise; You're right that those are also things that need to be looked at. They both fit in as "bullet points" underneath #3 in my list. I could probably make long lists of "how to" and "to do" in each of the five primary points. (you could probably, too,) One of the things I see a lot of (esp online) are people taking "subsets" of primary points and covering them alone. For example, "search engine optimization" is just one tiny part of overall "how will you promote?". As is advertising budget. And ad copy. And PR. When people see these "fingers" of the glove as stand alone entities, they often don't realize there's a whole glove, not just one tiny finger of it. : ) Linda

A Great article Linda. Oddly this should be common sense stuff shouldn't it? Yet we tend to skip over and take all the short-cuts only to find ourselves back at the start ping again having to start over. The Newbie Factor is a big killer. As Cheri mentioned one doesn't know where to turn with all the information out there. Sometimes the learning curve in this area alone is a bit hard to handle. And just what is a Newbie? I used to think it was someone just getting started, and to some degree I suppose that is correct. But for me it's someone that is finally "starting to see the light", or "gets the message". Having the paitence is one thing. But being able to find someone that can at least direct you in the right direction. . . that can be frustrating not to mention costly as Cheri also mentioned. Having people like yourself here at Adland who are willing to share that information is a blessing. I know I have learned more in the past couple of months or so that I have in the past three or four years about internet business, websites and such. If I haven't alreadys said it Thanks! I will be copying your article here and posting it next to my computer. I think it's something we have to remind ourselve of every day.

Hi Cheri! Your posts always make me feel good because you are SO honest and up front. That's absolutely essential if one is ever going to succeed... which means I have very high hopes for you. =============== This post hit a nerve for me, and I'm sure for others. Your question "Why Are So Many Failing?" has one answer...because the vast majority of us would-be's are rank amateurs. Everyone starts out that way, really. =============== You hit the nail on the head. Many people beat themselves up for their failures... but we ALL start out as rank amateurs. Every single one of us. Experience is how we learn. =============== Many if not most of us would gladly pay for expertise, if we could figure out who the experts really are (and if we could get the money together, which is a whole other discussion). The internet itself clouds the picture. Anyone can claim to be an expert. How is an amateur to tell who has the real information? =============== Oh God, I know. Do I ever know. It's been the bane of my existance online since I first logged on in 1995. I could go on a whole tangent.... from people that have never sold a thing but "how to make money" programs to schools teaching students to use Frontpage and creating sites that are not browser compatible. I once had a guy contact me because people could only use his order form in ONE browser. He'd taken a college course in website design, paid for Frontpage certification and was livid to find that he paid as much as he did to *not* know basics like browser compatibility. Then we get into the "gurus" that have never sold anything but how to make money programs and they're teaching people "how" to sell. Selling "how to make money" to someone that needs it desperately is a whole different ballgame than selling a pound of coffee or a financial service to someone that can get it anywhere they turn around. Okay, I won't carry on.... lol =============== I think it's human nature, though, to want a shortcut. I know I do. Especially when I look at what it really takes to begin to make a real income on the internet. It's overwhelming! =============== Do you know what I really and truly believe? I believe that if there is a shortcut - it's honesty. My first website had a short letter on it. It explained that I am (was) a marketer and graphic designer and I'd asked my ISP for a quote for website design. Then I discovered that the websites they designed didn't work in both Netscape and Internet explorer. (there was only one version of each back then) I said that I couldn't see the sense of paying someone to create a website that only worked for some people so I learned html and made my own. I said I have no clients yet, but if a website that works in both browsers is important, I will offer a special price for the first 5 people to help me build a portfolio. It was honest, simple and TOTALLY unlike what I design today. lol. You know what happened? I got orders. We are, at heart, a species that connects through language. Through shared experience and stories passed from friend to friend, and even generation to generation. I think that if more people stopped "selling" and started "telling" - they'd discover what I mean. Take your case, for example. Why do you sell Ascend? What led you to seek it out? What sold you on it? What makes you like it so much that you joined the company to sell it? Those are all things people would be able to relate to. Just the pure honesty behind what you do. You know? =============== As we say in my industry, those next five years are going to pass by no matter what you do. Are you going to use them, or will you still be in the same situation, complaining about the same things, at the end of them? =============== I love that. Pure truth. Most people are in the same boat today as they were five years ago... and if they don't change something, they'll STILL be there five years from now. It's all about choices. : ) Linda

Hello Linda, Thank you once again for a to-the-point, frank, and honest post that slices off the hype covers. The Internet technology has kind of levelled the playing field, it's true ... and has made otherwise difficult possibilities now reachable. And yes, certain shortcuts may appear because of this new field. But .... ... the basics of business and marketing cannot be done away with and expect consistent results. I wish I learned these principles a long time ago. But better now now than never. Thanks Linda. Cheers! Ricardo

Thanks Bogdan for the ebook. It will get much use and shared wih friends. Thanks to for sharing your life story, you are an inspiration as well.