There are so many voices online stating that making money online is easy. To an extent I agree. I’ve discovered the level of difficulty in this business is dependent on several things including the obvious such as the degree of computer competence, an individual’s work ethic and so on. In this article I’ll cover a few things that are required to run a successful internet marketing business.

1. An investment in training is required to learn all the steps. For some reason people think learning how to create a profitable online business should cost very little, if anything. This is like expecting to receive a free college or trade school education. Unless you are getting a full-ride scholarship, it doesn’t happen.

Now someone who already has a relatively high degree of computer and internet-based knowledge can learn a lot by studying free content on internet marketing and by trial and error, but most people will need to make an investment into getting a proper education to learn how to setup an internet marketing business.

2. An investment of time is require to set up and grow an online business. You must be willing to set aside a few hours each day to work on your business. If you only have an hour or two on the weekends, then this probably isn’t for you. Most people can organize their lives in a way that allows them a few free hours each day even if it means waking up earlier than normal. The good thing about this business is that over time, you will learn how to do most tasks fast. Also, once you start generating a substantial income, you can outsource most of your busy work.

3. An investment in patience is required to run an online business. This bullet point may seem odd to you, however I believe this may be the most overlooked component of all. The average internet marketer doesn’t have the patience to wait for a business to begin generating a profit You see, it will take time for you to begin making a decent income online.

4. An investment in consistency is required on a daily basis. You’ll need to work on your business daily to achieve success. This may mean sending emails to your list, driving traffic to your offer creating products, etc. I’ve read about set-it-and-forget-it online businesses, but I have serious doubts about their validity.

If you desire to earn a full-time living online and the above points seem reasonable to you, then you are probably the type person who would do well online.