Instead, you'll realize that making profits online WILL require an investment of your time and resources -- just like any other business.

While it's true you can start with a much smaller financial investment than traditional business, you're still going to have to come up with a PLAN for your investment and for USE of your profits.

INITIAL INVESTMENT

Jumping on promise of immediate huge profits is ridiculous, plain and simple. Take time to consider exactly what you'll have to accomplish before you'll start to see some profits for yourself.

How many products do you need to sell or how many others do you need to recruit into your downline before your initial sign up cost is covered? How easy is that going to be to accomplish?

Do commissions from your downline recur ever month or do you continually have to bring new people into business? Are there consumable products that your customers will continue to buy on a regular basis or are they one time sale items?

You need to consider all of these factors and make a plan for your business. Set some goals. Your initial step should be to give yourself a deadline to make enough sales or get enough recruits to cover your own expenses. If you make your goal, then learn from that experience to set realistic goals for making profits. If you fail to make your goal of covering your own expenses or initial investment, reconsider your involvement in program or at least your methods of promotion.

USING YOUR FIRST COMMISSIONS

What do you plan on doing with your commissions or profits when you do start making them?

Most sales copy will set you to thinking of quitting your regular job, buying a luxury car, and having time for extended vacations. Quite often it's these dreams that are used for motivation in closing a sale.

Those are noble motivations, but let's get realistic. Sure, you can get there, but not without a plan of action, and not in your first week.

A few months back, I got an email from a California client who discovered that local part-time freelance publicity specialist he had hired was charging three times amount I charge and providing half services I offered. Because of that, client hired me to work with freelancer in heading up this nationwide campaign launch. The freelancer told me that because of West coast cost of living/overhead, he was forced to charge higher fees -- surprisingly, he was one of cheapest publicity pros in that area! I have heard stories like this time and time again from clients who hit 'net in search of a cheaper alternative to PR services listed in their local directory.

That fact was drilled home to me even more when I recently took a detailed look at my portfolio of clients. I was surprised to learn that over last few years more than 40% of my clients for my Midwest-based PR business have come from West coast, another 25% from East coast and 10% from Canada. A quick e-mail polling of clients revealed same story over and over. They simply found it hard to locate professional, affordable PR services in their area, so they turned to Internet to find it.