So many online businesses advertise “free to join” or “No Obligation” but we all know that no business can survive if nothing is sold. So there have to be costs associated with starting a home business. So when you decide to start an online business the question that you need to ask is can I afford the start up costs? Before we look at the costs of starting an online business first we need to take a look at the difference between offline, or brick and mortar business and an online business.

Both businesses will require start up costs – no business can start for free. A brick and mortar business will require lease payments, salary payments of employees, insurance, heating and the list goes on and on. Someone starting one of these businesses can easily go deeply into debt to raise the funds to start their business, they will work 12-16 hours per day seven days per week hoping to build a (non residual) income of between $50,000 and $75,000 per year after five to seven years.

In an online business it is possible to create a large six or even seven figure RESIDUAL income after only 2-4 years working 5-15 hours per week, and with start-up costs below $3,000. Because people have so little invested in the startup, many of them treat it as a hobby instead of a business. They don't put comparable efforts into their home business as they would a J.O.B., and expect the outcome to produce greater results anyway. (Usually because of the hype they believed from the person who enrolled them)

Look for an online business that does not require a huge investment to get started, but realize that a REAL business DOES have overhead and start-up costs associated with it. Beware of opportunities that claim there are not expenses involved in starting and growing your business. "Join for free!" One of the great advantages about network marketing is that the start up costs range only between $500 and $2,500. This is much less than most other businesses with start up costs of $10,000 and much more.

I have very little empathy for people when they tell me they just don't have the money to get started. It is a matter of priorities. What I hear when they tell me that is that they just don't want it bad enough to make the necessary sacrifices to do whatever it takes to make a change in their lives. Having been in a situation where I had little money and fear of losing my only source of income, I can share some advice with you. When you get tired of never getting ahead of your bills and want to put that problem behind you, you need to do something to change that. Ask yourself three simple questions.

1 - Where do I want to be in 2-5 years?

2 - What is my plan to reach my goals

3 - What have I done today to change my life to be able to reach my goals.

When I was introduced to this industry the company I was working for was going through its 4th downsizing in 3 years, I was on the chopping block, my wife was very sick and not able to work or earn any money, and we had a huge dept over our heads. I was spending more time at work trying to prove my usefulness to the company and to stay ahead of the bills instead of helping my wife get better. We were very close to losing everything, our home, our life savings, my job. Without a source of extra income, I made a decision that I did not like being in this situation and realized my situation would not change unless I made it change.

I saw this industry as a way to solve my financial problems, instead of using my financial situation as an excuse as to why I could not make a change. I found $20 a day in my spending that I could sacrifice to get started. It cost $600 to start my first home business, and without any source of income, I did not have $600. But I was not going to let $600 stand between me and financial independence. I found a way to come up with that $600, just like people find the money to have their car repaired when it breaks down, or purchase a new refrigerator when it stops working, or have the furnace repaired when it fails. It is all a matter of priorities. Not wanting yourself or your family to freeze to death is a pretty good incentive for most people to find the money to have their furnace repaired when it breaks down in the middle of the coldest part of winter.

After finding the $600 and starting my home business, I put all my extra time into learning what was required to succeed. Failure was not an option. I learned that the way to be financially independent was to help many other people solve their financial problems and become financially independent. I have helped many other people be able to quit their job and come home to raise their kids, pay off their bills, get out of debt, buy a new home or automobile, support their church or charity, have more time with the family. I enjoy nothing more than to help people with financial problems to turn their lives around and put those debt problems behind them.

As the quote says, "You must stop chopping wood long enough to sharpen the axe." When you decide to stop and develop a plan to resolve you financial problems you will see that the excuse of not having the money is to start an online business is just that, an excuse and not a reason. If you are serious about putting your financial problems behind you, and you are coachable, you can become successful in any online business of your choice. You will be able to resolve your financial problems and you will never again have to say, "Right now I don't even have the money to pay attention". That will depend if you really want to be rid of you financial problems, or if you just like having something to complain about.