by Jim Daniels

Recently, I received the following message from one of my faithful BizWeb Gazette subscribers:

"Jim, I've been trying for nearly a year and I need to start making more than I'm losing. PLEASE, tell me how you did it so quickly! Can a new, small business really make money online?"

The answer is YES. Many new small businesses are making a substantial and ever-growing income in this new arena. But it DOES NOT happen overnight.

In 1995, before I was fortunate enough to get swept up by the emerging internet, I was "OH for ONE" at the plate.

As a hard-working nine-to-fiver, trying to carve out a home business in my spare time, my success did not come overnight. If fact, my first venture into the wonderful world of self publishing was far from successful.

I spent five months writing what I thought was a very good, 72 page manual about how to start a mail-order business. I sold ONE in four months. End of project.

Why did that venture fail? Lots of reasons.

Among them:

1. I knew little about marketing. (The experience itself was my best lesson on the importance of marketing.)
2. There were already about a million similar products.
3. I had no marketing budget, a BIG problem before the emergence of the "commercial" internet.

So why am I sharing my first failure with you?

Because it is important to know that over HALF of all successful entrepreneurs experience at least one failure along the way to success. Success demands persistence. I know this first-hand.

I did NOT let this setback stop me from achieving my dream. Yes, it was depressing to open the mailbox, praying for an order or two, and finding it empty day after day. Had someone told me I would be needing a larger mailbox less that two years down the road, I would have certainly let out a burst of laughter! (Perhaps accompanied by a twinkle of the eye!)

Here's something that kept me going. Perhaps you can put it to use...

Around the time my doubt was reaching a peak, I received a little 3" X 4" card in that same oft-barren mailbox. It turned out to be just the encouragement I needed.

The words of wisdom on that card are printed below. (I still keep it right here on my desk.)

Here's how it reads:

PORTRAIT OF AN ACHIEVER

Failed in Business - Bankruptcy, 1831
Defeated for Legislature, 1832
Sweetheart/Fiancee Dies, 1835
Nervous Breakdown, 1836
Defeated in Election, 1836
Defeated for U.S. Congress, 1843
Defeated again for U.S. Congress, 1846
Defeated once again for U.S. Congress, 1848
Defeated for U.S. Senate, 1855
Defeated for U.S. Vice President, 1856
Defeated again for U.S. Senate, 1858

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Elected President of the U.S.A., 1860

"You cannot fail... unless you quit!"

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