Are you too comfortable at your job to become a successful entrepreneur? If you stop to think about the job you are currently working at you may discover that you have become complacent about starting and building your own business because your job provides a steady paycheck to pay your monthly bills and expenses. This can be dangerous!

I worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years. Every month I received a paycheck that I used to make my house payment, car payment, and for my other expenses. It wasn’t until I had cancer for the first time and was not able to work for six months that I realized just how much that job was costing me.

At the same time I was working in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. This work allowed me to make my own hours, set my own appointments, and have control over the amount of income I could earn. If it had not been for my ability to make money in real estate while I was undergoing treatment for my cancer, I would surely have lost my home and would have had to file for bankruptcy. Instead, I had a steady flow of income coming in and was able to meet all of my financial obligations during this difficult time. This gave me peace of mind in a way I cannot fully describe.

How can you avoid being caught up in what I call the ‘paycheck comfort zone’? Ask yourself some serious questions to see where you are in this process. Are you satisfied with the number on your paycheck? Are you alright with the amount of time and effort required to stay at your job? If you or a family member were to become ill, if you’d want to relocate to another city to live, or to want to take time off to pursue other interests, would your job accommodate you? Is the amount of money you earn at your current job sufficient for what you need and want in your life? It may be time for you to quit your job and move on in your life.

There is a certain mindset that goes along with taking the leap from employee to entrepreneur. As an employee you look to your boss to find out what the company wants to do next; as an entrepreneur you make the decisions as to what actions and steps you will take to move forward. If it’s going to happen, it is entirely up to you to see it through. You must have the inner strength to trust your intuition and gut instincts when it comes to making smart decisions. This requires you to have the self confidence to know you can achieve your goals.

This is what I wrote about in my recent book ,The Inner Game of Internet Marketing, and it applies to other areas of your life as well. You can do it, and quitting your job to become an online entrepreneur will change your life forever.

Have you thought about working from home on the computer? Being able to work from the comfort of your own home definitely has its advantages. You can make your own hours, giving you the freedom to sleep late, take your kids to school, make breakfast for your spouse, or do any of a number of things you might not be able to do if you are working at a traditional job. In fact, you will find that you can be more productive than ever because you will soon figure out what works best for you.

When I was a classroom teacher my day begin before five in the morning. Everything was rushed each morning as I showered, dressed, ate breakfast, got my things together, and got out the door before six. Then I would sit in traffic for forty-five minutes before arriving at school. The weekends were also busy for me because that’s when I was working in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. I longed for a time when I could get up when I felt like it and have a leisurely morning at home as I prepared for my day.

When I finally resigned from teaching and gave away my real estate clients to come online in 2005, that’s when I realized for the first time in my life that I’m a morning person. All of those years that I had dreaded getting up so early and leaving the house was because I wanted to stay home and work, not be away from home for twelve hours or longer each day and work.

Now I get up around six, take my

Getting started online is an excellent way to build an online empire. You may already know that you can make more money from teaching what you know that simply by writing books or creating products on your niche topic. We live in a world where people are overwhelmed with information and ideas. They much prefer being able to learn about your area of expertise from you directly. This works well in any niche, and is the biggest secret known to those who have become online teachers.

In 2009 I started blogging about how to make huge profits with a tiny list. It seemed that everyone around me was saying that you couldn’t really make a living with an Internet business until you had at least five thousand people on your list. That had not been my experience at all. In fact, I was already earning six figures a year long before I had a thousand names on my list. I turned this information into a book in 2010, and then began teaching it through webinars and at live events around the country.

By teaching my topic instead of just telling people to read my book or take my recorded training, I was able to build a hugely profitable business based on my sharing my knowledge and expertise with those who came to me to get started online. You can do the same thing.

I recommend that you start out by blogging about your niche topic. This allows you to get your thoughts and ideas out of your head and into written form. Each blog post can be turned into an article and submitted to the article directories to help build your list. After you’ve written several articles put them together into a short report. You can give this to the people already on your list and use it as a free giveaway for building your list further.

Now it’s time to start teaching what you know. Use the short report you’ve just put together as the basis for a PowerPoint presentation. I like to record my presentation using Camtasia so that I have something to sell right away. You can also practice this by presenting your information to local groups in your city. Organizations such as Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Chamber of Commerce are always looking for people to share information with their members. Over time you will hone your skills as a speaker and presenter and will be asked to do it more often.

Turning your ideas into a book is the next step in this process. It has never been easier to publish your information for the Amazon Kindle. I highly recommend taking it to the next step and using the Create Space program available through Amazon to publish your book in paperback form as well.

The final step in this process is to start teaching what you know. Use your articles, blog posts, short reports, PowerPoint presentations, and books as the blueprint for what you will share with others as you build your online empire.

As 2011 draws to a close I am in an exotic, undisclosed location with my family and a few very close friends. The sun is high in the sky, the ocean is blue, and I am reflecting on my life as on online author, speaker, and trainer. This is the first year I have been able to find that work/life balance that many of us crave so badly. It took me almost five years to get to this point, and I’d like to share with you what can be done to arrive here much more quickly.

Treat your life like a business – This will be the topic of my next book, and I believe this to be the very best way to approach everything you are doing. My first year online, 2006, was spent with me trying to learn everything at once and dabbling in at least ten different niches. I thought that if I had my finger in lots of pies it would pay off in one way or another. It did not. In 2007 I began to approach what I was doing like a business would; I researched several niches to see what was happening with them online, took an honest look at my passions, experience and training, and where the market was, and then chose the niche of helping people to write and market eBooks on the Internet. I did this for about two years before making the jump into Internet marketing.

Allow for time off to do other things – You may have heard of people who retire from their job after forty years and then die soon after because they just didn’t have anything to do and no people to spend time with regularly. We are much more than our work. Instead of letting work define you, branch out and get involved with people and activities you love. There is a whole world out there waiting for you to jump in and make a difference.

Don’t try to do it all yourself – I spent way too much time during my first year in business trying to wear every hat. Once I began to relinquish control over much of what I was doing, leaving myself room to write and create and train, my business really took off. If you feel like you don’t have the money to do that right now, think about bartering with others so that it’s a win-win.

Connect with other like-minded individuals – This group will change for you over time as your business grows, you begin to earn more money, and your creative ideas begin to take shape. I spend very little time with people whose lives have become stagnant because that isn’t good for my inner growth. Branch out and meet new people who will understand where you are in your success journey.

I hope these tips will make a difference for you as they have for me. I look forward to sharing even more with you during 2012. Stay tuned for lots of new trainings and surprises that will help you to build your own online empire.

Success on the Internet can be enjoyed by all, but seldom is this the case. Have you been as successful as you hoped for during this past year? As 2011 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on this past year and my observations as to why people are successful or not as they embark on this journey of Internet marketing. I believe it is helpful to everyone to make a study of what occurs once someone makes the conscious decision to become an online entrepreneur, and how just a few shifts in thinking and mindset will make all the difference.

I recently spoke with someone who described earning money online as a ‘means to an end’. He is truly passionate about an entirely different industry, and views what he is doing online each day as something that will help him to raise the money he needs to be successful in this other area. It took me a day to truly think about what he had said and to come to this conclusion:

If you do not see the opportunity with an online business and express thanks and gratitude for it each and every day, it will become just another thing in your life that you are not successful at achieving. I believe that we must live ‘in the moment’ and do our best at all times. If you have spent the past twenty years or so wanting to be successful in another area of your life, why weren’t you able to give that other area the time and effort necessary in order to achieve your goals and dreams? Why will Internet marketing be any different for you? The short answer: It won’t be any different, and years from now you will lament the fact that you allowed this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers.

Life is much too short to be doing something you do not love. When I no longer loved teaching in the classroom, I made a two year plan to get out. Yes, it was stressful both financially and emotionally, but now my life is more rewarding than I ever imagined it could be. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled, so once you have identified what you love and have a passion for, start doing it every day with gusto!

Having the ability to work from home, or from wherever you are in the world with an Internet connection, is a gift. No other time in recorded history has given us this chance to earn an excellent living on our own terms. You can choose the days of the week and the times of day you will work, freeing up other time for the things in your life that run on a tight schedule. Whether you have children in school, an elderly parent to care for, or are involved in activities that meet at specific times, there will always be time for you to build a passive and residual income and enjoy true success on the Internet. I encourage you to take some time this week to imagine your life in this way, and to appreciate what this will mean for you for the remainder of your working life.

If you are not familiar with the power of the Mastermind, let me tell you more about how it works. I have been a part of two Mastermind groups for the past couple of years. These are a group of like-minded people who listen to your ideas and give you honest feedback. If it’s a terrible idea, they will have no qualms about telling you so. If it sounds like it has promise, they will help you get it off the ground.

This past summer I put together a Mastermind for several of my students. Each was reluctant at first, but over time they really connected and made great progress. Two of these people, Geoff Hoff and Helen Raptoplous, were competing for the Better Your Best contest. You may remember that I was the grand prize winner for that back in 2009, taking home 25K in cash. This is the contest held annually by my mentor, Armand Morin.

Helen had entered the contest last year and came in second. Considering the hard work and dedication that goes into this it was quite an achievement. However, a true winneris never happy with second place, and Helen decided to enter the contest again this year. Actually, about 12 people entered this year, but only two made it to the finals.

Those two were Geoff and Helen. I have the greatest respect and admiration for what they have been able to accomplish, primarily because I know firsthand what it takes to achieve your online goals.

Did the Mastermind make a difference in what they were able to achieve? Yes. Did my coaching make a difference. Yes. Ultimately it was their own determination and hard work that made the difference, but there is true value in coaching and in the power of the Mastermind.

Who are you masterminding with on a regular basis?

Are you a part of the ‘Laptop Lifestyle’ world? I now am, but it was not always this way. Since starting my online business in 2006, I have undergone a major shift in my working life. For more than twenty years I got up each morning and left my house to go to work. I worked as a classroom teacher and also in real estate, so that meant I was gone for twelve to fourteen hours each day, six or seven days a week. I longed for a way to work from home. Having time flexibility where I could make my own schedule was just a dream for all of those years.

Now I am able to work from home, or from wherever I happen to be. At least one week each month I am on the road, travelling to another city to either speak at or attend a live event. These workshops and conferences give me a chance to connect with people who understand what it is like to be an online entrepreneur.

You may have a dream of doing something similar in your life. I will tell you now that it is possible to build and grow a profitable online business you can run from your home or from wherever you happen to be, once you make that commitment to get started and to stick with it. Here are some steps to get you going.

First, decide who you will serve. Any business, online or offline, is all about serving the needs of a particular group of people, whether they are people who need to have their dog groomed, have a leaky faucet, or have a fear of flying in an airplane. Once you understand this concept you can truly begin.

Next, start a blog on your chosen topic. It does not matter if you are not an expert; you will become one after months of reading, writing, and learning as much as possible. I believe that we can all become experts in an area of interest that we devote time, energy, and thought to on a regular basis. This is all for the purpose of building credibility online.

Finally, become active on the ‘Big 3′ social media sites and start talking about your topic. These sites include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. By connecting with others you will increase your visibility very quickly.

Taking action in these areas will increase your visibility and credibility, which all lead to more profitability in the future. You deserve to have a business that serves your own needs, as well as those of your prospects, and the time to get started online is today. Be sure to go through my 21 Day Productivity Training to get started right away.

What is your hedge against the world’s economy? Have you ever thought about your business from that perspective?  When I made the decision to come online in 2006, I was thinking about my health issues and the lifestyle I wanted more than of the economy. Within a year or so, after I finally started earning some money, I realized I had made a wise decision because of what was happening around the world with the economy. We were entering the deepest recession we had experienced in decades, and being able to work from home within the global economy was very comforting.

A few months ago it seemed that recovery was on the horizon. I even wondered if people would still be so interested in starting an online business. Unemployment eased up. Real estate began to move. People were buying cars and televisons. But just as things were starting to get a little better, we have now been hit with this recent news that things will get much worse before they improve significantly.

There has never been a better time or reason to have another way to earn income that can sustain you regardless of what’s going on with the world’s economy. These are some things to think about:

Someone you know personally will lose their job before Christmas this year. Most likely this will take them by surprise, because they have been lulled into a false sense of security during the past few years that this could not possibly happen in their industry, at their company, to them.

A recent college graduate you know will still not have the job they were hoping for during this next year or longer. They may have borrowed money to finish school, believing they would have a job doing what they enjoy and earning a comfortable starting salary. When I went back to school at age 30 to earn my teaching credential I borrowed about $25,000. There was a teacher shortage at that time. Now teachers are being laid off in record numbers as budget’s are cut and class sizes increase. Even a graduate degree does not guarantee a satisfactory job placement.

Investments you were counting on will decrease in value more than you ever imagined. This includes stocks, bonds, real estate, and more. If you own a home, know that the primary advantage right now is the right to live where you choose, not the possibility of appreciation in the near future.

Is this negative thinking? No, this is just the way it is right now.

Think of your online business as your hedge against the world’s economy. Just as people went to the movies in record numbers during the Great Depression, people are continuing to turn to the Internet for education, entertainment, and information during these times. You can be there to serve their needs. Serving others is a worthwhile and rewarding goal.

As the saying goes:

Tough times don’t last; tough people do.

Let’s be tough together and allow me help you to build a business that will withstand any external events imaginable. Peace of mind is priceless. Let me know what you need from me, and I will guide you through the steps to get there. The Internet marketing lifestyle is becoming more popular every day, and it also makes more sense than ever before.

Starting an Internet business has been a dream come true for me. When I made the decision at the end of 2005 to leave both my classroom teaching job and my real estate business, I knew that I would need to learn how to become a successful entrepreneur. Getting started online with a business you can run from wherever you happen to be is the goal of many new entrepreneurs. Anyone can do this, and the important thing to remember is that you must lay the foundation for your business if you are to succeed. This includes choosing a niche you care about deeply, building a list of prospects from the very beginning, and offering content that teaches and explains the area of expertise you will be focusing on. This all can start with a short report you prepare in order to connect with your target audience and show them why they should be listening to you.

Passion. That’s what you need in order to achieve true success in any area of your life. There is some controversy about this, but it’s my belief that you’ll be far more successful if you have some passion for your niche. This usually means that you have some experience and background in the area you choose, would spend time with it even if you were not being paid, and know that there are people who would be willing to spend money to receive answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.

You absolutely must build a list from the very beginning. They say that the gold is in the list, and I have certainly found this to be true since I started my Internet business. Now I understand that collecting the names and email addresses of the people who visit my sites and want to know more about what I do and how that can help them is crucial to online success. Adding a simple optin form to each of your sites will accomplish this very easily.

Offering ongoing, relevant content to the people who come to your for information will build your business quickly. You want to become known as a trusted resource in your field, so create content on a regular basis that can be used in a variety of ways. This is one reason I am such a proponent of short reports. They can be written easily, either by combining your own articles or the articles written by those in your niche. Then you can distribute them in a variety of ways to get your name in front of your target audience in a big way.

As you can see, the ideas and techniques involved in getting started online are simple and straightforward. It’s up to you to take action and implement what you are learning on a daily basis. Anyone can be successful in this industry if they are willing to work hard and lay a foundation that will serve them for years to come. Having the time and financial freedom to do as you please each day will change your life forever.

How long will it take you to make a million dollars from working in your current job or career? I was thinking about this as I read an email from my friend Dennis Becker on how his 5 Bucks A Day training has made him well over 7 figures since he created it in 2006. I’ve now made over a million dollars online since getting started in 2006, and that’s after a very slow first year. And Dennis and I are certainly not alone in being able to say this. Our stories are fairly common among those who are serious about building a business on the Internet.

So, how do you get started? This is hard work, and it demands your time and your dedication. You begin with the idea that you will serve others by helping them to achieve their goals. After all, isn’t that what a job is all about? As a classroom teacher I helped hundreds of students to learn the information they needed in order to go on to the next grade in school. My goal was to make this a rewarding experience that would encourage them to do their very best each and every day. At the rate of pay I was receiving when I left in 2006, it would have taken me about 15 years to earn a million dollars.

As a real estate broker, my job was to make sure my clients found the best home to live in, and at the best price. My goal was to find out exactly what they wanted and needed, and to then show them the homes that met their criteria when it came to location, price, amenities, and more. I worked part-time in real estate, so I was at least twenty years away from making a million dollars.

A job only exists if there are others who have a need that must be met. Think about this and you’ll see that it’s true. A business opens with the idea of meeting needs and solving problems. The examples that come to mind are grocery stores, hospitals, plumbing companies, gas stations, and veterinarians.

When you start your business online, think about what someone else needs, and how you can be the person to provide it for them. Many times you will only be one of the people that helps to meet a need or solve a particular problem, because we all want as much help as possible when it comes to achieving our goals in life. Start with my 21 Day Productivity Challenge, which is completely free to you, and then read Dennis Becker’s course, which sells for less than ten dollars. You will then be on your way to making a million dollars online over the next five years or so.