You know you want to work from home. You have heard about the big money and the flexible hours. Perhaps you have seen the screen shots of $20,000 days from folks who claim to work only ten hours a week. Maybe you lost your job in the current crisis and you’re looking for something that pays the bills, or maybe this dream has haunted you for years and now you believe you are ready. Whatever your situation, you have decided to look online and see how to start.

You may be bewildered by all the information available to learn about starting your online business. If you take a week or two to do your research you will save a lot of missteps and and avoid spending money on a scheme that cannot work for you.

Starting Your Online Business: 3 Mistakes to Avoid
Starting Your Online Business: 3 Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Investing in an online business model you do not understand.

Study the models currently in vogue and earning income online. You must understand how a business works and how it makes money before you invest. Online business models include:

Storefronts that resell drop shipped merchandise.

Affiliate marketers who promote products for others.

Writers who create content that attracts readers.

Mentors who market training courses.

New online business models are evolving all the time, and you will want to know what is out there and generating income today. E-bay, Google, Facebook – each of these created a model that opened up opportunities for new entrepreneurs to jump in and develop innovative and successful online businesses. But if you invest before you understand a business model you risk spending good money on a system that doesn’t make money for you.

Mistake #2: Underestimating the skills and effort your online business will require.

Once you understand the online business models available, you should assess your skills. We all have talents, and with today’s technology, we can all learn the skills to run a successful online business. Besides, anything you can’t do, you can pay someone else to do for you, right?

Perhaps, but knowing what you can do already and what additional skills you will either need to learn or outsource will help you judge whether a particular online business model is suited to your talents. You need to ask yourself – if you have to pay someone else to do the work, will there be anything left to pay yourself? If not, you should either consider taking a course or look for an online business that matches skills you already have.

Mistake #3: Trying to start your online business alone.

With so much free information available, you might be tempted to start your online business and muddle through on your own. Finding a mentor will pay off in many ways by guiding you through all the confusing and conflicting options. Look for someone just a few rungs up the ladder from you who can lead you on the next few steps on your climb. Someone who stood in your shoes a year or two ago knows the efforts that pay off in today’s world and can show you how to create your perfect job and not simply drone away as someone else’s worker bee. Taking the time to do your research before starting your online business will help ensure your success. When you understand the various online business models available and the necessary skills, you will be able to choose your business and mentor wisely. With the correct business and mentor you can quickly start your online business and join the millions of entrepreneurs making money online.