$200k per annum possible, and how long did it take...

[Caro]

To say definitively whether you will earn $200K is impossible.

YOU are the person in fact who can say definitively you will make $200K as you'll make it happen.

What I can say absolutely that there is indeed the opportunity to make that sort of money and much more.

The biggest barrier to that is ourselves and our beliefs and mindsets.

This is even true for myself. I have my own limiting beliefs here and there that get in my way. And I also have many great beliefs. So my outcome absolutely reflects that.

To be successful in IM takes a lot of hard work. There is no magic pill, silver bullet or lottery win.

There may be a lot of grunt work to identify a profitable niche.

And then there may be a lot of grunt work to build it up.

Everyone has different experiences based on both the niches they pursue and what those stats are for traffic/conversion. And also based on their own beliefs.

I know of one friend in this industry who is making a VERY handsome living from a small niche - because he has the most tremendous dedication and focus, and is growing it brilliantly - I take my hat off to him.

I also know of other colleagues who are not getting everything out of their niche because they are not as focused and dedicated.

I'd maybe create this analogy. The soil of IM is very rich and things can grow incredibly well and bountifully from it. And if you still do not tend to that soil and plant, it will never achieve it's full growth potential.

So make a decision to be successful. Make a decision to make $200K per annum, or whatever other target you like the sound of - and go for it.

As an aside - Frank Kern once told me about how he had a 'secret' target to make $1 million in 12 months from his main niche. It was his goal. And his niche was doing nicely - but nothing like that previously. And well - he achieved his goal because his soul focus was to achieve that outcome and he has a 'never say die' attitude in doing so.

Oh and as for balancing - that again depends on your personality. Mine is a bit of a 'jump in the deep end' which I did, when many would suggest a more 'slowly slowly catchy monkey' approach.

YOU decide how you want to make it work. Get in the drivers seat yourself. Take control, work the gears and remember - you can achieve anything when you set your mind to it - you've achieved excellent outcomes already by the sound of it - now believe you can do it in a field you are passionate about.

Caro

[imrat]

Thanks to all, and Caro for taking the time for the motivating response. In particular your gardening analogy:

Originally Posted by Caro

The soil of IM is very rich and things can grow incredibly well and bountifully from it. And if you still do not tend to that soil and plant, it will never achieve it's full growth potential.

Here are some gardening quotes that relate particularly well to the 30dc and Internet Marketing in particular:

Originally Posted by Lou Erickson

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.

Originally Posted by Mirabel Osler

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling.

Originally Posted by Author Unknown

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.

Originally Posted by H. Fred Ale

My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.

Decision made!

[Grahunt]

Those who expect it to magically fall into their laps are in for a serious disappointment. It can be done though

[MrRess]

I love those quotes! They are definitely going into my swipe files.

[imrat]

@Grahunt > I agree that its not going to be easy, but I wanted some confirmation that it is possible. I got a lot out of Caro's response, but the recent results from the 2009 Affiliate Summit Survey highlighted that out of 450 affiliates, 17% make more then $20,000 per month. But 46% made 0 to $500 per month.

The other motivating stat was that the revenue was generated out of many many industries:



@MrRess > Wonders of google "quotes about gardening"

[RayE]

"...Because 10 hours per week on Internet Marketing, means 10 hours less with my Wife, Kids and Friends..."

While I can understand the time away from family, as this is often the one area that a lot of aspiring 'home entrepreneurs' have a hard time balancing (Time spent w/family vs working in their business), I have to laugh at the comment about 'friends'.

How would you benefit, monetarily speaking, by spending 10+/- hours per week with 'friends?'

Would you be having a BBQ every weekend and asking for donations at the door? Would you be having a bake-sale and hoping that all your friends buy at least a dozen or so cookies or pies? 10+/- hours a week is basically two hours a day, Monday through Friday.

No matter what age your kids are, simply wake up one hour earlier then you normally do and use that time to 'work', then later that night, go to bed one hour later then normal, or (depending how old your kids are) start working once the kids go to bed. I don't think your wife would complain all that much during the week if she knew what you were doing was going to benefit her financially in the long run by maybe allowing her to become a stay-at-home mom soon rather then later, or if she is one now, allowing you to quit your job and work from home sooner-then-later too!

Devoting 10 hours a week to your IM business is much more of a sacrifice then say working 10 hours of mandatory overtime at a JOB don't you think?

And really what do you think you'd be doing with that 10 hours of free time with your family? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a good portion of that would be sitting down watching TV, which if true, adds nothing to your bank account. On the other hand, 10 hours of work in your IM business does have the potential to put at the very least a few $100's of dollars into your wallet within a short time period.

I'm not sure about you, but even if I had a family, I'd rather spend 10 hours per week in my IM business because the long term benefit would be that I'd never need to be working a JOB anymore, which would of course allow me to spend as much time with my family/kids as I wanted.

Do I know anyone in particular who is making $200K per year...yes I do...and he's one of my best friends, who I've known since I was 3 years old. He's also into making money online, but his 'niche' is X-rated...because like the old saying goes...

"The only two things that sell in any economy are SEX and INFORMATION"...

and while I wish I was making that kind of money myself, I wouldn't want his work schedule...as he works 10+ hours PER DAY!

While I'm not trying to be dis-respectful in my reply, I'm just trying to make you see that 10 hours a week devoted to YOUR business, which translates to your FINANCIAL FREEDOM really isn't that much of a sacrifice in the long run when you look at where you'll be once the journey is over.


Ray

[imrat]

There is no disrespect in your reply. Your direct & straight talking - I like that. "No time - dont talk rubish" I might use that as a quote in my first blog post.

I might have misunderstood your comment about friends, but I sense a difference of opinion about the importance of friends and the benefit of spending time with friends (real people, like the friend you have known since you were 3). For me that is important.

What your reply has helped me do is identify that rather then take 2 hours each day out of my family time, I should make time elsewhere. Get up earlier and work smarter. Dont waste time.

Re: time I spend with my kids - no I dont sit with them in front of the telly (I tend to get jobs done around the house when they do that). As I work away from home 3 to 4 days a week, I dont see enough of them. So I play cricket with them, read, play fight, make music, or just sit with them when they do their homework or make drawings.

Thanks again all!!

[Ali100]

Hi Imrat,

If you can wait a little longer, I think Ed is going to interview some of the successful 30DCers this year as part of our training, maybe they will give out their details then.

[imrat]

@Ali100 > That would indeed be fantastic. Two or three interviews with people that have made a real success since the last 30dc, and not related to trying to pitch the next IM product, would help many many IM nubies like me.

Cant wait...

[camkid]

The biggest problem with the Internet IMHO is that it's tainted with the GRQ schemes, and sadly too many people still think the 'cyber' streets are paved with gold and everyone makes millions sat in their PJ's for a couple of hours a month.

They 'have a go' at this Internet thing, expect huge rewards with little or no effort on their part and guess what? They soon leave, grumbling about it being a waste of time and that it doesn't work.

Obviously, the 30DC is a breath of fresh air and why it's so popular. A real no-nonsense approach to making a living online.

Making a living...not making a million! And certainly not overnight!

The reality is you need knowledge for sure (and the 30DC gives you that), but to really succeed, you need a few other things as well.

Napoleon Hill identified them as: Burning desire to succeed, clear & defined goals, being decisive, and networking (No man is an island!)

He wasn't far wrong in my book. My top tip is to always write your goals down and read them every day. Don't just have them in your head. Make them real, and achieving them will just seem inevitable.

I would personally add three more to the list: Testing, Testing & Testing ;-)

Ed's going to make the process as easy as possible to learn, but be prepared for some serious hard work to implement it and make a success of it.

One small step.....

Pete :-)