Your Internet Cash Machine E-Book

Joe Vitale

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Seitenzahl: 371

Beschreibung

Your Internet Cash Machine takes you buy the hand and leads you through the entire process of building a successful Internet business. It walks you through the process of selecting a niche based on your interests and desires, building a site, and managing your business. Covering important topics like marketing and attracting traffic and packed with handy resources, this is the hands-on guide you need to start making money now.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

PART ONE - Building the Foundation

IT ALL BEGINS WITH YOU

STRUCTURE

YOUR LIFE AND YOUR BUSINESS

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT SITUATION?

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS, TALENTS, OR EXPERTISE?

WHAT ARE YOUR DESIRES?

YOUR IDEAL DAY

SELECT THE BEST BUSINESS MODEL FOR YOU

BRING YOUR OFF-LINE BUSINESS ONLINE

SALES OF PHYSICAL PRODUCTS

SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB

NEWS AND GENERAL INFORMATION SITES

BLOGS

ENTERTAINMENT SITES

AUCTION SITES

AFFILIATE SALES SITES

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES/FORUMS

SALE OF INFORMATION PRODUCTS

EDUCATION SITES

MEMBERSHIP SITES

MULTILEVEL MARKETING/NETWORK MARKETING

GAMBLING AND ADULT SITES

A CLOSER LOOK AT ONLINE AUCTIONS

GETTING STARTED ON eBAY

WHAT TO SELL?

PRICING

BUYING FOR RESALE ON AUCTION SITES

PROMOTING YOUR AUCTIONS

SHIPPING

TIMING YOUR AUCTION

THE PATH OF THE POWERSELLER

TREAT IT LIKE A REAL BUSINESS

BELLS AND WHISTLES

HOW TO LEVERAGE eBAY

A CLOSER LOOK AT AFFILIATE SALES SITES

ADVANTAGES

MAKING MONEY AS AN AFFILIATE

HOW TO SELECT MERCHANT PARTNERS

INCLUDE VALUABLE CONTENT

GOOGLE ADSENSE

MARKETING THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

CREATE YOUR OWN INFORMATION PRODUCTS

WHAT IS AN INFORMATION PRODUCT?

DETERMINING DEMAND

DELIVERY

BENEFITS OF INFORMATION PRODUCTS

PART TWO - The Action Steps

SET UP YOUR WEB SITE

EQUIP YOURSELF

GET YOUR PIECE OF INTERNET REAL ESTATE

FIND THE BEST WEB HOST

SET UP YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE

DESIGN YOUR WEB SITE

PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR SITE

THE SINGLE-PAGE SALES SITE

GET THE WORD OUT

E-MAIL MARKETING

ARTICLES

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

YOUR BLOG

BRANDING

JOINT VENTURES

YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM

NEWSLETTERS

NEWSGROUPS

PRESS RELEASES/PUBLIC RELATIONS

TELESEMINARS AND WEBINARS

OTHER WAYS TO INCREASE TRAFFIC AND GROW YOUR LIST

MAKE IT HYPNOTIC!

WHAT IS HYPNOTIC WRITING?

THE FORMULA FOR CAUSING ACTION

THE UPDATED FORMULA

WHAT ABOUT YOUR WEB SITE?

HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?

HOW PEOPLE THINK

HOW TO CREATE HYPNOTIC STORIES

REMINDERS AS TRIGGERS

CHANGING AVERAGE WRITING INTO HYPNOTIC WRITING

FINAL THOUGHTS

PART THREE - Grow Your Business!

IT’S ALL ABOUT QUALITY

NO PLACE TO HIDE

DELIVER ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

GO BEYOND YOUR CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATIONS

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SUPPORT NETWORK

THE POWER OF THE MASTERMIND GROUP

THE FINE ART OF DELEGATION

COMPLY WITH CYBER LAW

SPAM

COPYRIGHTS

TRADEMARKS

FREE SPEECH

PLAN FOR SUCCESS

YOUR BUSINESS PLAN

INCORPORATION

INDEX

Copyright © 2008 by Jillian Coleman Wheeler and Hypnotic Marketing, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Vitale, Joe, 1953-

Your internet cash machine : the insiders guide to making big money, fast! / Joe Vitale, Jillian Coleman Wheeler. p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-470-12944-9 (cloth)

1. Electronic commerce. 2. Information technology. 3. Internet. I. Wheeler, Jillian Coleman, 1947- II. Title.

HF5548.32.V58 2008

658.8’72—dc22

2007024228

This book is dedicated to every aspiring entrepreneur in search of his or her perfect business. Welcome to the following pages!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

From Joe:

Thanks to Jillian for the book idea, and for all your hard work.

Thank you, Nerissa (and the critters), for your love, patience, and support that make my writing time possible.

From Jillian:

Thanks to Joe and to Tom and Diane Pauley, for helping me get started in this wonderful business!

Thanks to my family: to Dempsey, for your constant love and support, and to my children and grandchildren for your patience in giving up some of our time together.

I particularly want to thank Cheryl Cromer, Genevieve Vaughan, and Jerry Minshew for your practical assistance when it was most needed, and the community of sisters and friends whose spirituality, love, and encouragement continually enrich my life.

FOREWORD

From Jew Central to Islam Online

Mark Joyner

As I write this Foreword, I just finished giving a talk in Singapore to 2,500 budding Internet entrepreneurs about how the world has already changed—and how some of us will wake up to this new reality and prosper while others will remain asleep and go the way of the dinosaur.

My friend Joe Vitale just sent me an e-mail from Wimberley, Texas, which I read in my Singapore hotel room. He asked if I’d write the Foreword to a new book he had just finished writing with Jillian Wheeler.

I met Jillian years ago at a seminar I hosted in Los Angeles, and Joe is an old-soul friend of mine whom I love deeply—not a fair-weather “I love him when he promotes my stuff” friend, but a true friend whose friendship transcends our differences and meets somewhere in that space where differences don’t matter and all people are one. Hold that thought . . .

I said yes without even having read this book.

In this moment, I sit in the Singapore airport in a little jazz bar after a quick visit to the Philippines to see some close friends—on the way back to Auckland, New Zealand, where this former U.S. Army officer and eternal lover of America now resides.

I just demonstrated to you how this new world works. I demonstrated a new sensibility. Did you catch it? If not, here are a few more clues.

You may notice that my decision to write this review was based on real human connections, not on some cold sense of what I think will be profitable.

You’ll also notice that location was simply not an issue.

These connections have already transcended space and time because of the way e-mail detaches us from location and time. Joe can write the e-mail in Texas on Thursday and I can read it in Singapore on Saturday and it just doesn’t matter.

Are you catching it yet? Well, there’s a bit more than meets the eye.

Joe understood, I’m sure, without me even saying it, that my yes was conditional. Joe knows that my yes would be totally dependent on my looking at the book and liking it.

Fifty years ago this would likely have not been the case. Back then, things that sucked could be promoted to the gills and would still be successful purely on the merits of the hype.

This is true today, but the life cycle of things that suck is much shorter than it would have been 50 years ago—even if the arc of that life cycle is steeper today. You see, that which sucks today can rise quickly if hyped intensely, but it will come down crashing just as quickly because of its suckiness.

Not so 50 years ago. Suck could be masked by hype back then. Ownership of communication media would allow hypesters to drown out truth with a loud, singular voice. Today, the ownership of communication (along with the ownership of other forms of power) is decentralizing.

This is why you can see a reference to the web sites Jew Central and Islam Online on the same page of the book you are about to read, and no one will bat an eye.

I believe that people love the same things—and each other—despite the surface differences. This truth is being proven again and again as we watch the new dynamics brought on by the Internet unfold.

So what does any of this have to do with a book about doing business on the Internet? Well, it’s sort of a skeleton key that unlocks every important door of e-commerce success. I’ll spell it out for you, if you haven’t figured it out yet:

1. Treat people with respect.

2. Make products that don’t suck.

If you don’t understand why these are the new rules of the road, go ahead and try operating under the old rules for a while—(1) you over everyone else and (2) hype over quality—and I’m sure your skinned knees will put you on the right track.

I’m not too worried, though. Knee-skinning happens fast these days.

PART ONE

Building the Foundation

IT ALL BEGINS WITH YOU

In this book, we tell everything you need to know about doing business on the Internet. We guide you as you select a business model, and we give you a clear, powerful plan with action steps you can follow. We lead you to the tools that will make your work easier and more profitable.

STRUCTURE

The information we are sharing with you has been organized into three sections. Part One guides you through planning and building the foundation of your Internet Cash Machine. Part Two shows you the action steps, and Part Three gives you tools to grow your business over time. Each section is important, and we encourage you to read them in order.

Throughout the book, you’ll find “Guest Expert” articles. We have asked a few of our friends, each an expert in his or her field, to contribute specialized knowledge we think will be invaluable to you. At the end of each chapter, you will find a Resource Page with extra help and links to Internet sites. Be sure and read these Resource Pages.

Please note: URLs change frequently, and by the time you read this book, some of the web site addresses we have cited may have changed. We suggest you enter the name of the site into a search engine such as Google to find the most current URLs.

YOUR LIFE AND YOUR BUSINESS

A new business doesn’t grow in a vacuum. It grows in the context of your life. So before we get into the nuts and bolts of the book, we would like to spend a few moments telling you about our philosophy of business and life. We also share with you some processes we think you’ll find very helpful.

First, we’re excited about the world of Internet business. We believe we are poised at the very beginning of a new world economy. The basis of our economic system is moving away from the soulless, impersonal corporation, and toward businesses owned and operated by individuals and small groups of people. Small business has always been important in every country of the world, of course, but with the advent of the World Wide Web, individual businesses are now in a position to create significant wealth with minimal infrastructure and a manageable amount of investment and effort. This trend will only continue to grow and expand. You can be part of it.

We believe there are no accidents. Everything that happens in life is purposeful. Every event and every experience offers us the opportunity to learn and grow, and to move forward toward the life we desire. Even the most challenging, most painful experiences can be transformed, like lead into gold, to create beauty.

We have both lived through difficult times. Joe was homeless for a while. Jillian was a single mom who, for a few months, survived on food stamps. We have lost jobs. We’ve each been through a divorce. People we loved have died. We have overcome depression and hopelessness.

Today we are both well known, with very successful businesses. We have beautiful homes and loving relationships. We used a number of mental and spiritual tools to reach this point, and describing them all is not the purpose of this book. Briefly, we each created a clear mental picture of the life we wanted, and we held a firm intention to have that life. Each step of the way, as much as humanly possible, we remained conscious of and grateful for every good thing in our lives. We refused to spend time focusing on what we did not have, and we kept our attention and our imaginations fixed on our visions of our ideal lives—the direction in which we firmly believed we were heading. We were patient and we were totally committed. We took action as we were inspired, and every day we moved more fully into the amazing realities we are living today.

We respect your personal belief system, whether or not you are religious or spiritual. We believe there is a guiding intelligence in the Universe. That guiding intelligence has a plan for each of us, a way in which we can each contribute to the world in which we live. The key to figuring out your personal plan is to pay attention to your desires. If there is a desire in your heart, and that desire is inherently good (that is, it does no harm to you or to any other person), then pay attention! Act on your desires, and watch your plan unfold.

We each have a desire to write, to teach, and to run our own businesses. We happen to like keeping business simple. Some of our friends in the world of Internet marketing have created large, complex businesses with many employees. A few even own office buildings. We think that’s fine for them, but it isn’t for us.

We each have a desire to work at home, close to the people we love and close to our creature comforts. We like taking a break and slipping into the pool or, in Joe’s case, going out to his backyard gym to work out. We like taking naps in the middle of the day. We like going out to meet friends for coffee if we get the urge. We believe in giving back, and we both do that in various ways.

We like traveling to interesting places. Joe loves to relax in Hawaii. On a recent speaking trip, he fell in love with Poland. Jillian and her family spend a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest and in Mexico. When their younger children are all comfortably settled in college, she and her husband plan to live in Europe for a couple of years. After all, we can run our Internet businesses from anywhere in the world. All we need is a high-speed Internet connection.

We are definitely entrepreneurs. We think it is likely you are an entrepreneur, also, or you would not be reading this book. Entrepreneurs are a unique kind of human being. We speak a different language than other people, because we see greater possibilities. We wrote this book so we could speak that language to you, and you could take what we have learned and live your plan—the life you desire.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT SITUATION?

When you begin a new venture, you don’t have to know in advance every step you are going to take. As a matter of course, each phase you enter on your journey will present you with new choices. But you do need to have an idea for the first few steps. So let’s begin there. As you go through this section (and every other section of this book), we recommend you keep a notebook nearby and write down your thoughts and ideas.

Where are you now in terms of your work situation? Are you employed in a job you like, or at least find tolerable? If so, you may be thinking of starting your Internet business on a part-time basis. That is absolutely viable. Many profitable Internet businesses are operated part-time by people who work at real jobs. Many more began as part-time businesses and grew to full time.

Are you a housewife, a college student, or a disabled person interested in supplementing your existing income? An Internet business is a great way to bring more money into your household. In fact, many women have begun small Internet businesses that have grown to the point that their husbands have left other jobs to join the business, and the kids are working there, too. Many college students have built incomes that exceed the amount they would otherwise eventually earn using their degrees.

We have a friend who was a musician when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Faced with the decline of his physical capabilities and his ability to play music, he and his wife started an Internet business that continues to provide for all their needs. You can read about him at www.ClayCotton.com, or visit his long-term care insurance site at www.prepsmart.com.

Have you recently left a job or been laid off? That is how Jillian got into Internet marketing. She was doing marketing for a software company, bringing in a high salary at a terrific job she loved. Then the software industry crashed, and she, along with thousands of other people, was suddenly unemployed. For two years, she looked for marketing jobs, but when companies are not making money, they slash their marketing budgets. She had been a grants, business, and government relations consultant for many years before that, but she really didn’t want to go out soliciting new clients. It felt like going backward.

Throughout those two years, her friends Tom and Diane Pauley were growing their Internet business, and they kept encouraging her to give it a try. Tom introduced Jillian to Joe Vitale, who was a neighbor, and Joe was encouraging as well. Eventually, she stepped into the unknown. She set up a web site to train people how to find and write grants and establish nonprofit organizations. From the first year, her business made good money.

Jillian’s husband was employed during this period (today he, too, works in their businesses), so her family had a reliable source of support. We do not recommend you leave a job cold turkey to start an Internet business, unless you have savings or some other income. But if you are already jobless, that may give you the incentive you need to work hard and smart and fast to get your business off the ground. You can do it. We personally know hundreds of people, and we know of many more thousands, who have created wealthy lives for themselves and their families, through their Internet businesses.

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS, TALENTS, OR EXPERTISE?

We firmly believe business should be fun. Life is simply too short not to have fun all the time. Also, fun will help you get through the times when you must work long hours, as you may in the beginning or when you have a big project.

Your heart wants to have fun. If you are doing work you dislike, you will find a way to unconsciously sabotage it. Loving your work and having fun working take you a long way toward success in your business.

What is fun for you? If you love riding motorcycles, you may build an Internet business about bikes. If you love golf, or tennis, or sailing, you may choose to build your business around your sport.

Do you knit, do needlepoint, or crochet? Do you make your own clothes? Then your craft may lead to your chosen business. Are you an artist? A musician? A filmmaker? Your Internet business may involve your art.

How have you made a living thus far? If you are a dentist, an architect, a carpet cleaner, a plumber, or a word processor, you have skills that can form the basis of your new business. In fact, tens of thousands of workers—professional, technical, blue collar, and clerical—have already translated their experience and skills into profitable Internet businesses.

Are you a mother or father? If you are successfully parenting your children, you have one of the most important life skills in the world. Are you a good cook? Have you learned how to maintain a happy and rewarding relationship with your spouse? You have information to share, and a potential business niche.

Absolutely any interest, talent, or skill can form the basis of a successful Internet business, provided there are enough other people on the World Wide Web who are looking for what you have to offer. In other words, is there a market for your business? In this book we show you how to find the answer to that question.

WHAT ARE YOUR DESIRES?

If you are like most people, you have probably spent a lot of your life living the way other people wanted you to live. When you were young, your parents made the rules. They decided the location of your home, which school you would attend, and what time you would get up and go to bed. If they were particularly enlightened, they may have encouraged you to find your own passion and follow it. But if they were like many loving yet clueless parents, they may have told you what sports to play and what music lessons to take.

Later on, your lover or spouse, or your friends, may have set up the parameters of your life. If you live with someone who hates the outdoors, it may be easier to give up your desire to fish and camp than to argue about how to spend your time. If you have a secret desire to play the flute, but your friends would think you were weird, you may have decided to keep that desire under wraps. Little by little, that is how we give up our joy.

Your single biggest obstacle to living the life you desire may be your job. Your boss probably expects you to get to work at a specific time. You may be trapped inside an office eight hours a day. You may have little contact with other people, or more contact than is comfortable for you. Worst of all, you may be bored, never challenged to give the gifts you have to offer the world.

If you were to live exactly as you desire, how would that look?

Here are some questions you can ask yourself, to help answer that question. Feel free to write the answers here in the book.

Process 1

What time do I like to get up in the morning? What time do I like to go to bed? At what hour do I want to begin working? When am I most productive? When is my energy highest? What do I want to spend the majority of my time doing? Here are some possible answers:

• Write

• Engage in technical work, such as programming or building web sites

• Plan

• Organize

• Design graphics

• Conceptualize products

• Create something with my hands

• Make movies

• Make music

• Teach

• Speak

• Mentor other.

Do I want to work at home?

Do I want to go out to an office?

How much time do I want to spend inside?

How much time do I want to spend outside in the world? What type of physical surroundings do I desire?

Do I want a window out into nature? What type of view do I desire? Or would I prefer an inside space, to help me concentrate?

What physical activity do I want to incorporate into my day? When?

How much time do I want to spend with other people?

How much time do I want to spend alone?

Do I want to work alone, or do I want a partner or associates?

Do I want to manage other people? Have employees? Or work on my own, and contract with others when I need assistance?

How much time do I want to spend with family and friends?

What activities would I like to do with them?

Do I want to travel? How much?

What hobbies do I want to do?

Do I want to engage in continuing education? What type?

There are undoubtedly other questions you can think of for yourself.

Process 2

Here is another process you may have done in the past. It is powerful, and we suggest you do it at least every year. Ask yourself:

If I knew I had only one year to live, how would I spend my time? How would I change my relationships? What would I want to leave behind?

Of course, it is wise for us to work now for our future well-being and the well-being of our families. The ability to delay gratification is one of the markers of maturity. However, life comes with no guarantees as to the length of time we will be on the planet. We believe in balancing the work we do to build our futures with living fully and joyously in each present moment.

YOUR IDEAL DAY

Process 3

Here is another, very powerful process. Take some time when you are completely alone, and will not be interrupted. Sit quietly in a comfortable chair, and close your eyes. Imagine you are living an ideal day. Begin by imagining waking up in the morning, feeling very comfortable in your body. As you open your eyes, are you alone or with your partner? Do you spend the first few moments cuddling, maybe talking over your plans for the day?

Or do you get right up on your own, perhaps make a cup of tea, and go sit on your patio? Perhaps you do some yoga, or meditate. Maybe you go for an early walk, or go to the gym. What would you like for breakfast?

If you have children at home, your mornings may be quite different. Your day may begin when your little ones climb into your bed and wake you up. Or you may need to go awaken older children, prepare their breakfast, and help them start their day. In that case, you may visualize those activities proceeding peacefully, with everyone in the family being cooperative and calm and loving.

Every state of life has its own joys and challenges. You may be married or single, childless or with children, in your twenties, thirties, or any decade beyond. You may be a member of a religious order. The point of this process is to imagine a day in this life you have chosen, unfolding in the way you see as ideal.

Continue to visualize your entire day, on through until you go to bed. Take plenty of time imagining the portion of your day devoted to work. Then, when you have fully visualized your day, write it down. Write the story of your ideal day, from that first moment you open your eyes until the moment you fall asleep.

This exercise may take several days to complete. Most people are so busy coping with the challenges of each day, they seldom step back and imagine how it could be if they had their ideal day. You may find it quite difficult to think of what you want. But until you let yourself get in touch with what you truly desire, and hold a picture of those desires, you will not achieve them. As soon as you complete this process, you will be astonished how quickly your life will begin to transform in wonderful ways.

Our first guest expert article is by Tom and Penelope Pauley. They have made millions in their own Internet businesses, and they specialize in teaching others how to live rich lives.

GUEST EXPERT ARTICLE

CREATING ABUNDANCE IN YOUR CAREER

Thomas L. Pauley and Penelope J. Pauley

You were born rich. Whether you know it or not, whether you recognize it or not, whether you allow it or not, you were born rich. Regardless of the condition of your checkbook or what you think is true in your life, you were born rich. Because at birth you were given a great and awesome power.

You were given the power to draw to you absolutely anything you desire. You can have anything you want in this life. You can live the life you know in your heart is yours to live. In fact, you were meant to have that life. And all you have to do is ask and allow yourself to receive. That’s the gift that will bring abundance into your life and your business. What’s more, it’s a natural law—a universal law. And it’s as old as creation.

You have the power to get what you want by simply asking for it.

Take this book you’re reading, for example. You were drawn to this book. You’ve been asking for more money and success in your life, and that desire has attracted you to this book. This book gives you the physical tools you need to get started in a relatively technical business. It’s an education in how to do the mundane things necessary to create a vehicle for your money to find you. But the business you create is never going to be the source of your success. It’s just a vehicle. The real source of your wealth is your amazing power to attract anything you want in life.

Now you may find this part shocking. The reason you are not rolling in cash today is because you don’t really want more money in your life. And this is your biggest obstacle to success in any business.

Oh, I know you think you want more cash. You probably make a fuss about not having enough all the time. Obviously you want more. Every time you see the bills or that car you’d love to have, but can’t afford; every time you think about all the things that don’t fit into your budget—the new furniture, the new clothes, dinner out at a fine restaurant . . . You want it all. So, saying that you don’t want an abundance of cash in your life is ridiculous, right?

Wrong.

Every time you make a negative comment, every time you say you can’t or won’t or shouldn’t, you’re telling the Universe no.

“I can’t afford that car.” “I’ll have to wait on those new shoes.” “I just don’t have enough money for a nice dinner!” “Money’s tight.” “I have a lot of expenses this month.” “Instead of having money left at the end of the month, there’s always ‘month’ left at the end of the ‘money.’ ” “Look at that guy—I’ll bet his parents bought that car.”

Every time you bad-mouth money, you’re saying “I don’t want any.”

All of these negative expressions are orders. You are telling the Universe exactly what to do: “Keep the money tight.” “Don’t let me afford that car.” “I want to wait on the new shoes.”

You can read all the books in creation. You can start a million businesses, but unless you clean up your asking, you’ll just keep getting more of what you’ve already gotten so far.

You must talk, think, and write in positives.

“That’s my car, that Mercedes Benz GL450.” “I’m going to Paris this year.” “I have a great new outfit for that special dinner.” “I’m going to have a great month financially.” “I have more income than I can spend.” Ask for what you want as though you already have it. That tells the universe that you are serious.

Positive requests bring positive results. We talk about this in great detail in the book my daughter and I wrote, I’m Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams—I am. I am. I am. It’s the story of how we created a rich and happy life practically overnight and the system we used to get there.

We suggest you ask for what you want in the present tense using simple written parameters. “I have my new Mercedes. It is Everest green. It is easily paid for.” Never the future tense. Never write, “I will have my new Mercedes,” because you don’t want it in the future. Tomorrow never comes. You want that car now. You want to drive it now. Love it now. Don’t ask to want something, or you’ll forever want it.

Of course, asking is only half the equation. You must also allow yourself to receive, which is the hardest part of all. We are all caught up with doubts and fears about our own value, or about whether we’ve worked hard enough and long enough to justify having what we really want. “Put your nose to the grindstone.” “The harder I work the luckier I get.” “It’s the early bird that gets the worm.”

Come on! All birds get worms. Nobody in his right mind will put his nose on a grindstone. I’m Irish, so don’t even get me started about luck. Luck is simply receiving without putting up a fight.

This work and slave nonsense has been hammered into our brains since we were old enough to watch TV. You get it in school. You get it from your parents. You get it everywhere.

Why do you think people like Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Mark Cuban have so much money? Do you really think it’s because they worked their backsides off 18 hours a day and saved religiously? Give me a break! They got rich because they allowed it. They asked for outrageous success and then they allowed themselves to receive it.

Working long, hard hours is not the secret to success.

Oh, you may work some long, hard hours building your Internet cash machine. But that’s not the secret to your success. The secret is allowing yourself to be rich. The secret is having a dream, asking for that dream to become a reality, and then allowing it to reach you.

When we started our online business we worked long, hard hours for two years. Because we loved it! It was a joy to create something of our own. I’d worked my whole life making other people rich and the only thing I had to show for it was two personal bankruptcies and the opportunity to start from scratch in a rented two-bedroom condo when I should have been planning retirement cruises.

I asked for my Internet success and I allowed myself to receive it. Building it was the best part. What a ride! It was like living a dream. We still tell stories of those times. We were doing what we loved, and watching our success unfold every day was priceless.

Now I make more money some days than most people make in a year. And you can be absolutely sure of one thing: Those 14-hour days are not on my to-do list anymore.

You can do this.

You can have absolutely anything you want in life. All you have to do is ask and allow yourself to receive. Now here’s a secret to facilitate your receiving: No matter what happens, no matter how tight the cash flow seems or how difficult the learning curve, keep your dreams on the front burner. Focus not on what you think life is giving you. Focus only on how you want your life to be. Think only of your dreams. Don’t ignore problems, either; just know the Universe can change anything instantly.

Then nothing can ever stop you or your abundance. Because in truth there is only one person is this entire world who can stop you from succeeding. There is only one person who can destroy your Internet cash machine. You know who it is. You see him or her every morning when you look in the mirror.

Now, this is a short chapter and we don’t have time to give you all the tools we used for getting rich. But we can give you seven free lessons and an hour-long audio called The Three Keys to Success. Go to RichDreams.com and join the Rich Dreams News. That newsletter alone has empowered so many just like you to reach and enjoy the life of which you dream.

Ask. Allow. Focus on what you want—and only on what you want. Ignore the naysayer. Stay the course. That’s the secret to building a magnificent life and a powerful Internet cash machine.

Let us know about your success and that new car. You were born rich, remember? Creating an Internet cash machine should be a piece of cake. You have all the resources of the entire universe at your command after all. Good luck and great adventures.

Tom Pauley and Penelope Pauley, father/daughter authors, of I’m Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams—I am. I am. I am., provide courses, e-books, MP3s, and CDs that can help you create abundance in your life. Their transforming programs, “Quantum Marketing” and “Quantum Selling,” are revolutionizing personal and business development worldwide. Join their free newsletter at www.richdreams.com and get seven free lessons and an hour-long MP3 detailing the Three Keys to Success.

Resource Page

Summary of topics discussed in this chapter:

• There are three sections in this book:

• Part One: “It All Begins with You.”

• Part Two: “The Action Steps.”

• Part Three: “Grow Your Business.”

• Your business grows in the context of your life.

• Assess your current situation.

• Inventory your interests, talents, and expertise.

• Write down your desires.

• Describe your ideal day.

Guest experts Tom and Penelope Pauley write about how to create abundance in your career.

Go to www.YourInternetCashMachine.com and access much more free information, including additional questionnaires to help you identify your interests and desires for your life and your business. Enjoy interviews with our guest experts. Claim your free membership now!

SELECT THE BEST BUSINESS MODEL FOR YOU

You have made a crucial decision in your life, to move forward with an Internet business. Congratulations! Now it’s time to choose your business model. Where will you focus your efforts and your energy?

Following is a discussion of the most popular Internet business models. Most of them can be initiated with a small investment, while some require a more complex infrastructure. We recommend you read them all and notice what ideas come to you. Then select one model to get started. Concentrate on building your business from that model. Later, you may decide to expand and incorporate other models.

BRING YOUR OFF-LINE BUSINESS ONLINE

If you own a business with a physical storefront, an office where you meet clients or treat patients, or a gallery where you hang paintings, you are doing business in the off-line world. In online-world jargon, you have a bricks-and-mortar business. Do you also have an Internet presence? If not, it’s time you move to the next level: bricks and clicks.

There are compelling reasons to create an Internet presence for your business, or more fully develop your existing site. The first, very basic reason is visibility. Sixty-four percent of U.S. households now have Internet access, and 31 percent of those who do not pay for Internet service at home have access at work. As Internet proficiency increases, fewer of your potential customers are reaching for their local yellow pages. Instead, they go online and use a search engine. Even if they are simply ordering a pizza, more and more hungry shoppers are turning to Google rather than a paper directory. We are not suggesting you discontinue your yellow pages listing, of course. Good marketing requires reaching out to customers through multiple channels. One distinct advantage of a web site over a paper ad, however, is your ability to make real-time, day-to-day changes in the content of your site.

Second, more and more of your potential customers are doing research online. For example, someone in the market for a tent used to trek all over town to sporting goods stores, comparing brands, features, and prices. Now, that same customer is more likely to find the information he needs online. Eighty-eight percent of people who sometimes shop online do product research on the Internet.

Third, your customers and your potential customers are definitely buying online. Studies show that 85 percent of adults with Internet access have made purchases online. Among households with an annual income above $75,000, that number jumps to a whopping 97 percent. ComScore Networks, a global Internet information provider, estimates $100 billion was spent online in 2006, exclusive of travel-related purchases.

Some forecasters believe the economy is poised on the cutting edge of a trend, in some market niches, completely away from brick-and-mortar businesses. Some businesses have already moved entirely to the Internet, while others have gone out of business perhaps to some degree as a result of online competition. It is too soon to know how business will change as we move forward in the Internet age. Clearly, however, the savvy business owner will get ahead of the curve.

In a nationwide survey of 53 small-business owners, whose annual sales ranged from less than $250,000 to over $5,000,000, 57 percent reported they have web sites. The survey revealed that a high percentage of this 57 percent believe their Internet site has improved the economic health of their business. Among the benefits they cited were greater resilience during economic downturns and a significant increase in the number of sales leads.

Of course, web sites operated by real-world businesses are not all the same. They run the gamut from one-page sites that are not much more than business cards, to fully performing commercial sites. Let’s examine what may be right for your business.

If you are going to invest the money to build a web site and budget a monthly payment to have it hosted on a server, the very least you need is a site that functions as an attractive and informational brochure for your business. Like a paper brochure, your web site should describe your business and explain what products and services you provide. It must include your telephone number and fax number, your e-mail address (provided you are available to respond to inquiries), the location(s) of your business, and directions to get there.

Visitors to your web site might also enjoy learning about the history of your company, as well as your values and principles. If you have won awards or achieved particular distinction in your field, by all means include that. For example, if your restaurant was voted as serving “Best Greek Food” in your city, you will want to display that honor in a prominent place on the site. Also include any certifications or licenses held by the business or the business owners. Advertising specials and coupons are a good way to entice customers to choose your business over others.

Although more and more customers are buying online, only about 5 percent of online activity is related to making purchases. Most Internet activity is centered on a search for information. The smart business owner focuses on creating a relationship with visitors to his or her site, and building trust. A great way to do that is by providing valuable information.

For example, if you own a restaurant, you can provide articles about the history of a specific cuisine, and interesting tidbits and photographs about the part of the world where your cuisine originated. You might offer recipes. Customers enjoy visiting restaurants with a history, and seeing the old photographs they display on the wall. If your restaurant, or the building you occupy, or the part of town where you are located, is historic, put those photos on your web site.