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How to Make Money Now! and Other Myths

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You can’t help but see them if you spend any length of time online: ads and posts on “how to make money online now!”

Often they will tell you that there is no money involved. Others will go as far as to say that there is no time or effort involved. All you have to do is sign up, check out some training– or “Secrets” with a capital S– and then sit back and make anywhere from $50 to $5,000 per week.

Wow! Sign me up for that!

Only… don’t sign me up for that, because the truth is, that doesn’t really exist.

Myths and Fairy Tales

So, you want to make money now? Well, not so fast.

Not Without Effort

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I really do, but there is no way in the world to make money without any time or effort. In fact, you need both.  But the good news is that while those no-effort “systems” don’t exist, there are ways to make money online if you are willing to commit to them. 

You just need to decide what is more important to you: making money online and having freedom to work at home, or being able to sit back and relax while doing nothing.

Really, it should be a no-brainer.

Lately, I have been seeing a greater-than-usual number of people wanting to make money online, but many of them are looking for opportunities similar to what I mentioned above and I really don’t understand it. For me, it’s like trying to imagine opening a restaurant, but not wanting to have any waiters or even a chef.

You aren’t going to have people just come in and pay you for nothing. Likewise, we can’t go to work each day, sit in the corner doing nothing until quitting time, and then expect to receive a great paycheque.

It just doesn’t work that way.

So what can you do to work online?

Start Now

There are any number of things that you can do, but for me personally, I like connecting with people. I like trying to help people. That lends itself to what I am doing right here on this site, but also to affiliate marketing.

Maybe you are afraid of having to learn fancy, technical stuff to succeed. Or maybe you are afraid of paying large sums of money only to find out that what you signed up for isn’t a good match for you.

But if you know how to communicate with people, much like I am doing right now, then you can be an affiliate marketer. All you need to be able to do is express your thoughts and opinions.

Setting up a website is no longer a terribly hard prospect. In fact, much of the hard work is done for you. You just need to focus on content, such as reviews or blogs.

As pointed out elsewhere, traditional retail is fading away. As a result there will be an ever-growing need for affiliate marketers. Why not try it for yourself? Why not use your opinions to help others, as well as make some money for yourself?

Just remember that there is no overnight success.

That should be no problem, though. If you find an opportunity that pays you immediate, it’s because you are working to someone else’s benefit in their own establish business, and as fast as that can be given to you, it can be taken away. Creating your own opportunities ensure that you are in charge.

If you want to succeed at something, then you need to put some of yourself into it. It’s that simple. But then when it succeeds, you know that it is you who did it, not someone else working on your behalf.

Take Action, Anyway

Even if you can’t Make Money Now! you can certainly start right now to work toward making it in the future. In fact, the best time to start absolutely is right now. Try to keep in mind that what you are doing is building a business for yourself. This will be much more rewarding for you in the long run. You absolutely can make money online, but you do that by building something stable and long-lasting.

The foundation you lay today is what determines the strength of what you build tomorrow. The sooner you start, the sooner things will begin to happen for you. Knowing that, don’t you think you should take action now?

 

Craig

Want to learn how to make your own website? I can help. Learn how to build your site, rank it with Google, and become an affiliate to earn money while blogging about something you love. I’ll be there to help you, as will one of the most amazing communities online.

Get Started Here!

Craig Williams

Working online was a dream of mine for several years, and now I am doing it. You can too! I am here to help in any way I can!

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  • Paul says:
    April 2, 2018 at 4:20 am

    Dear Craig,

    I do fallen as victim for few make money online programs. I lost my effort, time and money. It really hurts when I think about it. The shiny object syndrome will lead us to big loss and there is no such program called get rich quick. You said it well “But the good news is that while those no-effort “systems” don’t exist, there are ways to make money online if you are willing to commit to them.” Yes with commitment we can achieve great success online. Thanks for the post!

    Your Friend,
    Paul

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      April 2, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      My pleasure. Thanks for responding.

      I am always sad to see people get tricked into wasting their time and money. There are many great ways to make a living online, but there are even more ways to lose your money. It pays to be prudent!

      Reply
  • Veronica says:
    March 21, 2018 at 4:17 am

    Wait…work is involved in building an online business, lol.

    I think it’s the nature of the Internet where everything happens in an instant that people think – mistakenly – that they can achieve their “riches” within a few blinks. Sadly, many people feed off of that and promise things that are just not achievable.

    You said it perfectly here, Craig:

    “The foundation you lay today is what determines the strength of what you build tomorrow.”

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      March 22, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      We are conditioned to always want everything faster and easier… I know that my mother used to cook for hours each day, but now we are accustomed to being able to microwave things in minutes. I’ve actually even caught myself looking at frozen dinners and thinking “5 minutes???? Why on earth does it take so long?”

      Plus, of course, many people wait until they need money before trying something online, so their hope is to be paid right away.

      Reply
  • Michelle says:
    March 4, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    Great post, Craig. You got me ‘good’ at the beginning of the post…nope, they don’t exist – this overnight sensation money-making machine,- kill that animal.LOL.. Yes, every method needs a system but more importantly, it needs to be consistent. Thanks for the tips and all the best to you.

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      March 4, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      On one hand, I sometimes think it would be nice if those get-rich-overnight schemes worked, because frankly, we all have times where a little quick cash would be nice. On the other hand, success is worth so much more when you have to work for it.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  • Annie Collyer says:
    March 2, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    Hi Craig, thank you for this! I love your analogy to opening a restaurant without hiring the help!
    I agree with you that you have to do the work to make it work. To quote a friend, “The Dream is on the other side of the Work.”
    The resources you provide in your link are awesome!

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      March 4, 2018 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      I think that pretty much anyone can do well working online, but they get scared off when they see that it won’t be quick and easy. I wish they would take a moment to look into is more closely and see that it isn’t all that hard, and while it does take work, it’s enjoyable work that will end up giving you the freedom that you seek.

      Reply
  • Sunaina says:
    February 26, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    Good article.
    Keep writing and sharing with us.

    Reply
  • Craig Ostrander says:
    February 23, 2018 at 7:19 pm

    I find it amazing that so many people still fall for those get rich quick kind of deals. They’ve been around for years as I remember reading them in the back pages of magazines like Popular Mechanics etc. People were falling for them back then and even more so today with everything online. There are good ones around like Wealthy Affiliate but when I was searching I found so many that just want your money, then to go farther more money and on and on. Thanks for your post it was very informative.

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      February 23, 2018 at 7:38 pm

      Thanks for commenting!

      A lot of these scams are becoming quite adept at fooling people. They can look quite professional, and they know that a lot of people are desperate for a change in their lives.

      There are still a number of good, legitimate ways to earn online and to learn how to build a business, but anyone looking to get started really needs to take some time and do a bit of research. Missing a good opportunity can be almost as bad as falling for a scam.

      Reply
  • Lisa says:
    February 23, 2018 at 5:59 pm

    Craig,
    You are absolutely right when you say there are many scams out there. Common sense tells us, we must put work into something for it to be successful. When I first started looking into making money online, I ran into many of those scammers. I’ve always been taught that if it sounds too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. I am happy to have found a great program that helped me. Wealthy Affiliate has helped me so much!
    Lisa

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      February 23, 2018 at 6:38 pm

      One thing that’s really unfortunate about those scams– aside from the money people lose to them– is that anyone who is burned by one is less likely to try something again later, so they likely miss out on what could be an excellent opportunity. It’s really sad.

      Reply
  • ariel says:
    February 15, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Hello Craig, I think that what you said in the beginning of this article is so well said. If we are not willing to truly invest time, nothing will work. And so that has been my way of insuring that I am indeed doing well. Great article. in peace and gratitude, ariel

    Reply
    • Craig Williams says:
      February 16, 2018 at 5:14 am

      Thank you for taking the time to comment.

      I know how tempting it can be to pursue those get-rich-quick schemes, especially when you are struggling financially, but the only ones getting rich are the ones running the program. There are plenty of options for working online, and many can pay quite well, but everything takes time.

      Reply
  • Sneha Shah says:
    September 2, 2017 at 10:55 am

    Hello Craig, your article is an eye opener for me 🙂
    You have covered some nice points here. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  • Neil says:
    August 12, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    There are certainly many misleading get rich quick opportunities that promise boat loads of “free cash”.

    If that were true, I think we would all be wealthy individuals. It would be like winning the lotto. Where’s the fun in that? LOL.

    As an online business myself, I know only too well, all the time and effort that’s involved. Not to mention the struggles that come with it.

    But it’s all part of the journey and makes building a business online all the more fun. Plus when you’ve earned the money, you can appreciate it a heck of a lot more as opposed to the folks wanting “easy” cash from “laziness”.

    People must bear in mind that building an affiliate marketing business online requires the same amount of effort as working a job. If not more.

    Neil

    Reply
    • Craig says:
      August 13, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      On the plus side, even if working for yourself might be a lot of of work, it can (and should be) a lot of fun as well. In theory, you should be working with something that already holds interest for you. In some ways, it can feel like a paid hobby, if you’re lucky.

      That’s not to say that there are no difficult moments, or even pull-your-hair-out moments, but overall it can be fun, and you have the knowledge that what you are building is entirely for you and not someone sitting in an office somewhere laughing.

      Thanks for replying!

      Reply
  • Simon says:
    August 4, 2017 at 11:49 am

    Hey Craig,
    The internet is littered with scams and most of them live on the popular Social Media platforms, trumpeting out how easy their system is to earn a fortune with minimal input, leaving you to sit and wait for the cheques to roll in.
    Their brochures make me laugh; dream cars, fabulous homes and yachts which are achievable just around the corner once you’ve joined.
    Yeah right! Do any of these scammers actually own a yacht?

    Unfortunately to become wealthy in 99.99% of cases, you have to be determined and willing to put a lot of effort in however this is surprisingly achievable by running an affiliate marketing website once you understand how to create informative posts and attract visitors. Forget conversions because if you accomplish these 2 steps, conversions run on autopilot however making regular income doesn’t happen overnight but affiliate marketing in my view is by far the cheapest way to set up a genuine business with worldwide earnings potential.

    Learning how to genuinely attract the visitors is the key to success.
    I’ve a fair way to go – ha! How long have you been an affiliate marketer?
    Simon.

    Reply
    • Craig says:
      August 7, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      I absolutely understand the desire to make money  (who doesn’t want that?) and the desire to escape a dead-end or unfulfilling job I (been there many times…) but the sad thing is that so many people just throw away their money on schemes that they hope will change their lives overnight. To be clear: unless you win the lottery, nothing, even the best legitimate opportunities, will work that fast.

      But there are opportunities that do work. They just require you to commit some time and effort. Aren’t you worth that? Isn’t the future you dream of worth pursuing with everything you’ve got? If the things you “want” aren’t worth pursuing until you achieve them, then I’m going to say that you don’t really want them. You might like to have them, sure, but until you actively pursue something, you’re really not likely to obtain it.

      Every day I see new videos of people waving money at the camera, saying how for only $5, $7, or maybe up to $15 “you can make thousands every day, even in your sleep!”  Well, for $5, why not try, right? Maybe it could be real? Let’s hope!

      Then, a week later, they will be spending “Just $7” on something new…

      The more I see of this, the more it irritates me, especially because there is another way. A legitimate way. And truthfully, though it requires some work, it is not especially hard work if you know how to emulate others and follow the simple lessons laid out for you. It can even be a lot of fun.

      As for gow long I have been involved in affiliate marketing, not terribly long. I was introduced to quite some time ago, but only seriously started pursuing it about 9 months ago.

      Thanks for your comment!

      Reply
  • Barb says:
    July 22, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    Hi, Craig!

    I honestly don’t understand why people still fall for these get rich schemes that promise you’ll be raking in the cash as you sip cocktails on your yacht all day. Really?

    People want the expensive toys and lifestyle, but don’t want to actually put in the work to achieve it. I guess that’s really the difference between the dreamers and the doers.

    I am already a member of Wealthy Affiliate so I can back you up by saying that it truly is the best online business opportunity out there.

    Cheers!

    Reply
    • Craig says:
      July 23, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      These types of schemes are popping up on Facebook quite a bit now. It’s really sad because I see people who I know could benefit from real, legitimate training and support from Wealthy Affiliate, but instead they will try those “no work” options. That’s actually a good name for them because the “no work” schemes don’t work.

      The people who try them out are largely dreamers, I think. I don’t mean that in a judgmental or condescending way; I mean that they dream about the things they would like to do. They dream about being successful and they dream about how these schemes can help them. 

      Dreams are good. We need to have dreams to aspire to. But these schemes don’t really offer a way to come true. They only take advantage of those dreams and people’s hopes. 

      Worse, when someone fails at making money, which they almost invariably do, they are less likely to try something else– something which could actually work. 

      Thanks for taking the time to reply!

      Reply
  • Tara says:
    July 14, 2017 at 2:32 am

    Very informative and well laid out page. I agree with you totally. There is no way to make money without putting in the time and effort. I’m in alot of groups online and people are always posting those sites that say your going to make all this money with no effort. So many scams out there. So glad I found wealthy affiliate.

    Reply
    • Craig says:
      July 14, 2017 at 3:18 am

      I am not sure why it is, but I am seeing more and more of those sites, as well as many ads for them on social media. I understand the appeal in some ways, but I don’t understand people believing that such things could be real.

      I would sincerely love to guide people toward legitimate means to build wealth and gain financial freedom.

      Thanks for responding! 

      Reply
  • Barb says:
    July 10, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    Hey, Craig! Thanks for this wonderful post.

    I totally agree with you. People want to be financially free. They want to be able to work from home, go on trips etc., but they don’t want to put the work in to achieve this success. This is why, I believe, people are getting scammed by work from home opportunities that promise tons of money with little effort. Then they sit back and scratch their head wondering why they’re not successful.

    I’m so glad I came across your site and discovered a genuine online business opportunity.

    If I work at it consistently on a daily basis, how long do you think it will take to see results?

    Reply
    • Craig says:
      July 10, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Hi! Thanks for taking a moment to comment!

      Well, I hate to say “it depends” but… it depends. 

      I am not trying to be evasive, but there are many factors to consider. For example, if you set up an online business as an affiliate marketer, then you need to consider if the products you are promoting are really in demand by a wide audience, or if they are for a specialised few. Also, how carefully do you follow the lessons of those who went before you? Do you try to emulate them, or do you do things your way in an attempt to “improve upon” the things you are learning?

      I have seen people make good money (enough to quit their jobs) within 6 months, while others have gone more than a year before they make a sale. I don’t say that to discourage you. On the contrary, I fully believe– I know– that if you put the work and effort required into it, you can succeed at this.

      Everyone’s journey is different, but depending on how much time you put in (5 hours a week, or 5 hours a day?), I would expect you to start seeing some results within several months. I think you should count on giving yourself at least 6 months or so.

      If that sounds like a long time, consider how long it would take to go back to school and study for a new career. Not only would that take longer, it would cost much more. Same thing with opening a traditional business, like a store.

      One thing I can say for sure, though, is that the sooner you start, the sooner you will see results!

      Reply
  • Jeannie Brickley says:
    July 7, 2017 at 4:08 am

    Hi Craig.

    You are absolutely right. Making money without commitment is next to impossible. You need to be willing to train, work hard and don’t give up when the going gets tough. I liked your analogy of the restaurant with no chef or waiter. Sometimes people think they should be making money before they have put in the effort, time, hard work and commitment. It is like wanting to be paid without really working for it.

    Wealthy Affiliate has everything to teach you Affiliate Marketing; but you have to be willing to spend the time and energy to put it in to practice.

    I think there are a lot of people who think running an online business will be like a walk in the park. I love to walk in the woods; but if that’s what I did all the time, it wouldn’t be very productive.

    Great article and well written. Thanks.

    Jeannie

    Reply
    • Craig says:
      July 7, 2017 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks for responding.

      Yes, I don’t know why so many people have taken the attitude of wanting money to just come to them without any real effort on their part. Recently on Facebook, I have seen people asking “do you know of any opportunities where I can be making $1,000 a day but without any real training?”

      I can think of one or two, but they are not opportunities that the average person would be willing to take.

      It’s a little frustrating at times knowing that there is a good, effective way to make money online that isn’t even terribly hard– it just requires patience, a willingness to learn, and the ability to take action– but people pass it by.

      I’m just very happy for the people who are brave enough and decisive enough to take control of their lives.

      Reply