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Affiliate Programs: Can I REALLY Make Money? © Copyright Rosalind Gardner

As an Internet marketing consultant, I often hear the
question, "Can I REALLY make money online with affiliate
programs?"

To me, that question speaks of the asker's skepticism, so
let's put aside any question of whether money is REALLY
being made online before we look any further.

Thousands of merchants have put resources into developing
affiliate programs so that others can promote their products
in exchange for a commission, which is usually a percentage
of the product's price. If there wasn't money to be made,
Sony, Dell and those thousands of other merchants wouldn't
waste their time and money building affiliate programs.

I personally know at least a hundred people who make
marketing on the Internet their full-time occupation. If
there wasn't money to be made, that wouldn't be possible.

I am one of those people. The secondary title of my ebook
about affiliate marketing is 'How I Made $436,797 Last Year
Selling Other People's Stuff Online'. Although I dislike
that subtitle and its crass approach, it IS the truth, and
it IS effective proof that money can be made online. The
statement is backed up on the Super Affiliate Handbook
homepage with a picture of part of my income tax statement
from 2002 which shows my earnings.

See it for yourself at: http://SuperAffiliateHandbook.com

So, having dispelled any question about whether there is
money to be made online, let's proceed to the REAL question.
Let's take the emphasis off the word 'REALLY' and place it
where it belongs - on YOU.

Can YOU really make money online?

Sure you can! IF you REALLY want to.

Desire is the first key to success. But here's where it gets
a little tricky. If your desire is for money, as opposed to
what money can buy, your work will be made much harder, if
not impossible.

'Huh? Why is that?' you may wonder.

Money is a concept. In and of itself it does nothing for
you, unless you are very fond of small rectangular pieces of
colored paper.

If you focus instead on the good that money will bring to
your life, such as free time and all the fun ways to spend
it, then you'll give positive direction to your efforts.

Think about it.. what can that money buy you? The kids'
education, a new car, a new house, a second honeymooon...
how about a sailboat?

Dream a little - dream a LOT, but create some desire, and a
REASON to work hard for what you want to achieve.

And that's the second key to making money online - Work.

Too many people still hold onto the notion of 'get rick
quick'. I've got news for them - there's no such thing. You
can get rich a little quicker on the 'net, but the truth is
that nothing worth having comes without a price. You must
invest some time and money.

Not much money, but some. Compared to starting any other
business, the amount of financial investment required to
start an affiliate marketing business on the Internet is
negligible.

If you don't have one or two hundred bucks - or can't beg,
borrow or steal that amount - then maybe you can get a
part-time job and save up to start your online business.

No matter how you slice it, you won't find another
opportunity anywhere that has the potential for this much
reward for so little outlay. This IS one of the least
expensive businesses you can start.

Last but not least - can you stick with it over the long
haul?

Persistence is perhaps the MOST important quality shared by
all entrepeneurs. That's why you hear about those who make a
million, lose a million and then make another million. They
go up, then down, then up again, but they never gave up.

You can't let the ups and downs get to you. Not everything
is will go your way all of the time. You'll have to make
some effort and it won't always be easy.

But, if you keep your goals foremost in your mind, learn
what you need to know and invest your resources wisely and
with persistence, you virtually can't help but succeed.

That's how you REALLY make money online!

Author's Resource: Article by Rosalind Gardner, author of the best-selling "Super Affiliate Handbook: How I Made $436,797 in One Year Selling Other People's Stuff Online". To learn how you too can succeed in Internet and affiliate marketing, please visit http://NetProfitsToday.com

Back when my online business consisted ONLY of affiliate sites, I had no need for a personal assistant.

The sites were all in place, and my affiliated merchants handled everything related to orders.

Last week, one of my clients mentioned that he was moving AWAY from selling his own products to promoting more affiliate programs just for the simplicity and freedom.

Yup, he definitely 'gets' it.

Although there are many, many benefits to promoting affiliate programs with your own home-based Internet business, here are my top 10 reasons to become an affiliate marketer.

No Product Development Costs - The cost to develop and produce a new product is expensive! But you needn't worry about that as an affiliate.
Low Cost Set-up - Got a desk, Internet-connected computer and word-processing software? You're in business!
No Fees or Geographic Limits on Distribution - Affiliate programs are usually free to join, and market reach is limited only by the affiliate's ability to promote his or her web site.
Choose From Thousands of Products and Services - What isn't sold online? With affiliate networks like Commission Junction, Be Free and Linkshare, it's easy to find products related to your current or planned web site.
No Merchant Account Required - Forget the problems associated with collecting and storing names, addresses, credit card numbers, etc. The merchant handles all payment processing, so you never have to lose sleep over chargebacks, fraud or losing your merchant account.
No Inventory to Carry - Even if you live in a small one-bedroom apartment, you can sell large items without storage concerns.
No Shipping Costs - Don't worry about buying packing supplies or postal rates. The cost and hassle to prepare and ship products to customers worldwide belongs to the merchant.
No Customer Concerns - Do you hate the prospect of dealing with nasty people? Don't worry about it! The merchant handles the snivelers.
Make Money While You Sleep - What other business allows you as a sole proprietor to keep your doors open and keep making money even when you take breaks or after you go home for the night?
High Income Potential - With your own affiliate business your income potential is limited only by your desire, effort and imagination - not your boss.

Relatively low outlay of resources with huge potential returns truly makes affiliate marketing on the Internet an outstanding business opportunity.

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