Step 1: Keep your job - for now! There's no reason to put tons of pressure on yourself by quitting your day job. The time for that is when your business is making as much or more than your regular paycheck. This took me almost a year. Give yourself between 1 - 3 years. You'll know when the time is right. Actually quitting your job may seem far-fetched when you're starting out, but the time may come faster than you think. Step 2: Connect with an ISP. (ISP stands for Internet Service Provider) I started out on AOL. AOL is great for some things and I still have my AOL account to this day. I hardly ever use it for business purposes though. Simply put, it was just too slow, unreliable and the email interface still does not offer enough features to properly handle business email. (see step 3) If you have never tried a true ISP, you should. You can locate one in your area by going to this URL: The List Step 3: Download a Free Email Program. Once you connect to the net through an ISP you will be able to utilize a powerful email program. This is a basic necessity for any serious cyberbusiness owner. It will allow you to do things like mail to multiple addresses at once, sort messages automatically into multiple folders and autoreply to messages. I suggest starting with a free program such as Eudora Light or Pegasus Mail by David Harris. Once you have downloaded your email program of choice, install it and start using it right away. Sample and become familiar with every feature. Your email program will become your new best friend. Phase 2: Moving Ahead with a Plan - Steps 4 through 6. Step 4: Decide what you are going to market. That's right, you're going to have to "sell" to make money online. Whether you sell a product or a service, sales are what drives income. As far as WHAT you will market, they biggest secret is this: Sell something of your own! Whether you plan to write an information product or design web sites, it is important to develop at least one product or service that you control completely. Step 5: Marketing is the Key. Okay, you've got an idea of what you plan on selling. But how do you actually sell it? That is the biggest obstacle for many new business owners. The fact is, anyone can learn to market effectively, especially online. Pay particular attention to the section on magazines. If you are starting a business online, I cannot stress the value of regular email contact enough. An magazine is a great way to establish regular email contact with your prospects and customers. Okay, I think that's enough to keep you busy a while! Next week, I'll continue with this tip by picking up on step 6: Setting up a Professional Web Site. Then we'll move into the next phase and steps 7 -10. You'll learn tips and resources that will be helpful once you've started getting established, including... How to Leverage Technology and Automation. The Keys to Growth. And more... 'Til then, happy marketing!