Why did I feel that way? Well, my daughter is 11 years old. I’ve paid someone else to raise her for 11 years. She’s coming up to some changes in her life that I want to be there for.

It seems that today’s society demands that we do whatever necessary to bring in almighty buck, not for groceries, house payment, electric, etc…but to buy bigger and better “things”.

So, we’ll see how this plays out. I think when today’s society realizes what is really important, they’ll realize that newest car or flat screen T.V. is not what is really important. I think investment of time in upbringing of our children and getting back to basics is what’s really important. And what better investment can there be than that?

I’m going to try to put everything behind me and focus on my internet business. I’ve learned hard way that I just can’t do everything. Of course, winning lottery sure would help. But maybe this venture will turn out to be lottery for me!

Old ancient sage, “When student is ready, teacher will appear.” This student is ready!

Kathy Stone is an independent distributor for Cajun Country Candies, http://www.cashforcandy.com Please feel free to email with any insights, questions, or comments to kastone@pbtcomm.net This article may be reproduced freely as long as this resource box is left intact.

7. Develop your portal site with free or low cost tools. Some of web tools can be found at DollarTemplates.com. Hire a freelance consultant or offshore consultant to work on your portal project. It is much cheaper than hiring a full service consulting firm.

8. Develop your portal site structure and service offers. For instance, a B2B portal should include Storefronts and optional classifieds, auctions, and request for quotes (RFQ’s) serve their needs. Community features should have online polls, mailing list management, real-time news feed. They provide a highly profitable and competitive offering in most vertical portals. User personalization can also make your portal "sticky."

9. Manage your finance efficiently. Forget about free lunches or parties. Start with solid budget plans and spend your money wisely and carefully. Market your portal site by forming strategic alliances with other websites rather than spending hard-earned cash.

10. Many startups fail because of their poor management. If you want to start with low risk and low budget, consult with freelance consultant rather than hiring a consulting firm. Freelance consultants offer services and expertise at very reasonable rates. If you think about seeking venture capital to jump-start or strengthen your project, you may get a sample plan "B2B DotCom Startup Company Business Plan and Executive Summary" at B2B Resources Center at http://www.SmarTechLab.com/b2b.htm. However, it is very difficult for a dotcom startup to get VC funding now.

11. Partner with other startups or businesses to strengthen market presence. Many smaller portals are willing to team up with other portal sites to create a network presence on World Wide Web. Simply ask other portals and it would not hurt you at all!

In conclusion, it has never been easy to build a sound and successful dotcom operation, but keep your dream alive by working hard and working smart. Money will eventually be pouring in.