If you want to start an online business, you simply cannot do it for monetary gain alone. Yes, we all strive to make a good income but if you're not having fun, you'll never see money. See, it is having fun part that gives you courage and wherewithal to ride waves of good and bad, ups and downs and inconsistent income when you first start out.

If you are not having fun, you simply will not have passion to get through tough times and decisions that will have to be made. Your customers and clients will come to rely on your enthusiasm (which comes from having fun) for confidence and encouragement they need to do business with you.

What is your hobby? What do you enjoy doing? Have you invented a better way to do something? Are you passionate about a solution that solves problems? Is there a product you've used yourself and love? Do you have valuable experience to share?

Then build a business on that and you'll thrive because you will have emotional and principled commitment to make things happen. Think about what you have fun doing and think of a way to turn that into a business. Now you're thinking! Look, you're having fun already!

The Web is filled with folks trying to make a buck who aren't having any fun. You can tell by their poor presentations, their lack of decent service levels and commitment to quality. The ones who aren't having any fun and are just going for bucks cut corners every chance they get and complain about latest challenge technology offers because they don't enjoy or believe in what they are doing. Just show them money! Within a short time their site is shutdown and they've wasted a lot of time and expense.

For those who are having fun, you know what I mean. You're on other side of this screen with that smirk on your face because you've been there, done that. You know that when you are having fun you are working harder, learning daily and more focused on your goals than anyone you know. You also happened to be happier, more grounded and a more enjoyable person to be around. Your customers love you and your business thrives because you are having fun!

I'm having fun! Actually, after over 10 years I'm still having a blast! How about you?

The second way to detect their situation is to have customers talk about their favorite subject themselves. Encourage wholesale customers to talk about their shop/gallery, what they have been doing lately, etc. As for retail customers, get them to talk about other craft works they currently own and enjoy. Often they will talk about things that they feel very good about. Sometimes they will talk about things that they don't feel very good about, but they will do it as a way of saying they won't repeat that mistake.

Sales will be made when customers understand how merchandise you are selling fits into what they are doing, planning to do, or would like to do, so apply contrast/complementary - complementary/contrast theory to what they are contemplating buying.