Somewhere online someone gave out impression that because we can click on a link and be transported to a site in an instant, that starting an online business would be same way. Unfortunately, starting an online business, or any business, does not move as fast as DSL. It takes time.

If you were to bake a cake from scratch, you wouldn't expect to mix all ingredients together, put cake in oven and 30 seconds later take it out and presto, it is done. It takes time.

NEWSFLASH: Time is not a four-letter word.

Most things that you have accomplished in life have taken time. It took time for you to learn how to walk, talk, and eat by yourself. It took time to get through school and get a J.O.B. It's going to take some time to get your business going. If you haven't arrived at success yet, it's ok.

I've read a lot of articles, books and tips on starting an online business. I've put most of them to use in my business. Those strategies make up most of ingredients to your online success. You submitted your site to search engines, submitted to FFAs for link popularity, placed free and paid classified ads, used banner ads and other suggestions offered. These ingredients to your success should be used on a consistent and persistent basis. But if you leave out patience your success is liable to come out flat.

In beginning there was a thought. You had an idea that you would start your own business, be your own boss and take charge of your own life. At that time you should have written purpose of business and how you were going to fulfill this purpose. Don’t lose sight of it.

The internet is constantly changing and evolving. Your goals and strategies may change but your purpose, reason you do what you do, should not change.

My purpose is to offer high-quality, low-cost vitamins and herbs to people so that they can enjoy a good and healthy life. That purpose has not changed but many of my goals to accomplish purpose have. If you don't change your approach with changing of internet you will be lost.

For example, part of my daily goals was to submit to FFAs. Before emergence of auto submitters that was a worthwhile daily goal. Now a site will be bumped from FFA listing in a matter of minutes and you will be bombarded with confirmation emails. Some say submitting to FFAs helps with site popularity in search engines. I agree, but I no longer submit to them daily. It usually is done on a weekly basis now.

Another change is I have developed a newsletter. This was not part of my original goals. I like to reach out to a specific client base and give them information and tools necessary to make an informative choice about their health. Before I stated newsletter I had to review my purpose and see if it lined up with it. You must always keep site of your purpose.