After years of looking at Internet from outside, Ben decided to take advice of gurus and turn his own specialized knowledge into an information product. His e-book, 'Software Secrets - Exposed', tells real inside story of how anybody can develop software products.

It sure hit a nerve, because Ben tells me that in first eight weeks after launch, he sold over $75,000 worth of his book. And his sales, and good reviews, continue.

Here is a great example of what you can achieve once you get up and have a go.

BizE-zine: Your book reflects your work, so what exactly do you do for a living?

BP: I'm an software development consultant. Previously, I was Chief Technical Officer of a web-based company - so I've been seriously involved in programming side of things for some time now.

BizE-zine: And Internet-awareness must go with job.

BP: Oh yes! It wasn't long after Internet became popular and accessible in my home town that I got online. In fact, early on, I was paying per-minute fees to be online. I've been excited with Net since beginning.

Although I haven't been doing it for myself, my whole career has been involved in web and web-related businesses. Even when web wasn't commonplace, I was using my background in programming and graphic design to build some of first commercial web sites that people were using. The Internet was amazing - anyone in world could see my work within seconds of me posting it online. This blew me away. I was hooked!

BizE-zine: What made you take giant step to become an online entrepreneur?

BP: Microsoft is to blame! I'd been thinking about creating a product for some time, but it was only after a visit to Microsoft that I finally decided to get on with it.

'Software Secrets - Exposed!' came from my direct experience with my own clients. Making their dreams a reality meant putting a plan together that they and I could use. Over time, I began creating a step-by-step system we could follow and it worked like a charm!

Once my mind was made up, it was a simple process of packaging my system into an ebook and offering it online.

BizE-zine: So you were really making money online even before book came out.

BP: All my income is effectively derived online. Originally from my consulting business - but now, rather more directly through my online publishing company.

BizE-zine: When did you first realize that you had a success on your hands?

BP: With my new book? Overnight! Within first month, book had pulled in over $30,000 in profits. And sales have been steady ever since.

I just wish I had started much, much sooner!

This is still a part-time hobby for me. I still have a regular day-job as a programming consultant. Imagine what I could accomplish if I could dedicate eight-hours a day to doing this!

BizE-zine: You are making money from a self-published book, but do you buy any ebooks or courses on online marketing?

BP: There are tons of great books and courses that some very brilliant marketers have put together - and if it sounds like they can add something to you business, grab it and call it an investment.

The reason most people don't find success is that they don't create a plan and hesitate to take any action. I waited far too long, but at least I made a start eventually.

Absorb as much info as you can get your hands on, build your confidence level, and do something.

BizE-zine: Getting noticed is probably hardest part of running an online business. How did you set about getting traffic?

BP: Many moons ago, in my first foray into marketing online with my web design business I focused on attracting attention by search engines. As time has passed, I've focused less on search engines are more on more active ways of attracting attention.

I miss those days long ago, before Netscape and Internet Explorer came along. There was a little more magic, I think, and a larger sense of exploring unknown wilds of cyberspace. It all seemed, I don't know, more fulfilling when I searched for hours using FTP and Archie for someone who had a copy of Dungeon (before it became Zork) or for a document about how DNS worked.

I guess difference is like flying across country to Boston, taking train, or driving there in your car. If only thing of interest is destination, then by all means take fastest airplane. If, however, you want to enjoy trip and take in sights, you may want to drive.

My first "browser" was via CompuServe. I don't know if you could really call it a browser, but it worked. There was only text, and it was very difficult to get around, but somehow we all managed to get along and we got what we needed. I followed CompuServe with America Online, which was, believe me, a huge step up. From there I skipped to Netscape, then to Internet Explorer.

In my humble opinion, Internet Explorer (even those early versions) was a tremendous step up from anything else that was available. It wasn't that IE had any better features or anything like that - it was just that IE, well, felt better. The browsing experience was smoother, a little more refined, a touch classier.

I found that Netscape stuttered. As pages loaded it would stop and start and stop and start, and I found it incredibly annoying. On other hand, Internet Explorer was smooth; it seemed to load pages and graphics much cleaner.