Have a spare $18,000? Want to start a business?

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Do I think money grows on trees? No. But I do have something that I wish to share and I ask you to seriously consider this each time you make your payment to Wealthy Affiliate.

Want out of Wealthy Affiliate?

I have seen so many people wanting out of this website for reasons of their own, and whilst I respect that sometimes events occur in our personal lives which take things out of our control, often this is not the case.

Often people think they can't do this, or the grass is greener on the other side or things have happened and they hit a brick wall that they can't be bothered climbing over. I often wonder what would have happened to me if I had given up so easily.

A little history to show you where I am coming from.

Starting a business from scratch.

I started my first business when I was 24. I was working and my husband gave up his job and started a mobile business. My income paid for the rent, food and essentials. We had no savings, I managed to get a lease to cover the business vehicle and equipment. Times were tough. We did not spend on anything but essentials. I was a secretary, so no big salary. We had an old bomb car, already paid for that took me to work, and a dog. We had the phone connected, and this became the work phone.

Initially a friend stayed and answered the phone during the day. After 6 months, I was pregnant and gave up work to stay home full time. We made less money that first six months, after business expenses than the unemployment benefit. Yet we survived and our first child was born slightly after.

Over the next 3 years we plodded on, I fell pregnant (oops a bit earlier than planed). I made my own clothes and the kids, made most of the soft toys, knitted jumpers, grew my own veggies and did everything I could to ensure that the business did not suffer from having to supply too much to our wages.

I even managed to find a melanoma which threw me for 6 and I ended up with a huge chunk missing out of my leg. You appreciate life when something like this happens.

The business earned a reasonable amount and enabled us to purchase our first really cheap home ($35,00). Not a lot but interest was 15% and the repayments were tough. That business become too expensive because of franchise fees we were paying for the use of the equipment and we were forced to start in another direction so we started a bricks and mortar Shop for our business and used different tools.

I Needed Money.

Now I needed money to do this. What do you think I did. Did I say - can't afford this anymore and give up. No, we sold our house.

Fortunately while interest rates were still reasonably high, they were coming down and the housing prices were starting to go up. We sold our house, and once selling costs were taken into account we had $18,000 to start our new business. This was in the late 80's. Probably an equivalent today would be closer to $60 to $80 thousand.

The message I am trying to make is if you want a business, you must expect that it will cost money. You will need to put in time and effort and do everything you can to ensure that the business has the best chance of success.

The second business had its ups and downs, good years and very bad years. Nothing is ever easy, but if we faced a brick wall we either found a way around it, or climbed over the top. Even being nearly a million dollars in debt, we never gave up.

I have sold this business, paid off my debts and started again. Life is short, but eventful.

Every business has costs

With an online business, the start up costs are so low. If you look at your domain name and WA costs for less than $400 a year you can start your own business. sure it will take 2 or 3 years to make money and longer if you want to earn a full time income from it. You may need to make 2 or 3 websites and spend time marketing it - again mostly free whereas I had to pay hundreds of dollar per month to advertise in the paper to get new customers for my second business.

Grasp the opportunity

Think very seriously about the wonderful opportunity that you have been given and when times get a little tough because you can't afford to have steak for dinner and instead have to settle for a hearty stew.

You may have to suffer holes in your socks, or learn to darn them (I did that too). Even thowing a few tomato, cucumber and pumpkin seeds in the back yard and supplimenting your food budget will save you $5 a week most of the year. All it takes is a little weeding and watering.

Remember, you have not forked out thousands of dollars and given up your home to start an online business. You may need to make some sacrifices along the way.

It will take time and work

Yes, you will need to work in your spare time. Long and hard if you truly want to replace your current income. But will the effort be worth it? You won't be risking everything like I, and many many other business owners have.

You have been blessed with a wonderful opportunity, if you will just reach out and grab it with your whole heart. And this is from someone who to date, has only had one person join under them, who just went premium.

Yet, I still have a positive outlook as I abandon my last 18 months work and concentrate on starting again with a whole new website as I have learned so much more and applying my training to make this website everything the other one was not.

Next time your $49 payment is due, or $359 annual fee - think how lucky you are to be starting a business without selling your house and your soul to do it.

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Recent Comments

55

Your message is a good one for everyone on here to read -- especially those who haven't made a bunch of money yet and are getting discouraged. It all takes time, and building content and credibility, and we just have to keep at it until something works and the traffic starts flowing in. Meanwhile, we can try whatever things we think might move us forward; keep the ones that work and replace the others.

I hope many people who think this is a "get rich quick" scheme see your story.

thanks

Awesome blog. And I feel you with the hard times. I am not here for the "get rich" quick thing, I am here to try to survive. And with the support that I get here, and the training, I know that I will make it.
Great thing to you in your future.

All the best,
Tiffany

Hi Rosie,

I admire your courage and hardship... it's what makes you who you are today. You're very strong, determined, inspirational woman and I thank you for your words of wisdom.

I agree with what you've been saying about time and work. Everyone can be successful with their online business here. The cost to learn and maintain a business here is so minimal (less than what a cup of coffee costs ... even a beer...).

I always think of successful entrepreneurs, how hard they had to work, endure and the sacrifices they made to get to their dream lifestyle.

I'm so glad you're not a quitter.

Thank you for sharing your story.

I wish you much success in 2019! Ya... let's do this.

Monica

thanks for your kind words. I only hope to inspire others and not have them drop out of the race.

That is a heck of a story! Lots of good lessons and how to get through difficult times.
Thanks,
Ellen

didn't Forest Gump say - life is like a box of chocolates? You dig in and never quite know what to expect.

You have been through a lot of up and down, learn the hard way to do business, building a business, indeed requires so much patience, persistence, confidence, you have to work very hard to get some results, but you have found WA and you seem to do so well congratulations, RoseAnn.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, have a successful 2019!
Jacqueline

Hey Rosie that is an awesome story of perseverance and dedication. With experience comes wisdom and it shows through your writing. You Go Girl!!

After I retired I had a couple of pretty good desktop support jobs. Not great money but very comfortable money. But, after the second company laid me off because it was being sold I decided to buy a produce stand. It was really really hard work and all I did was break even. When the selling season was over I decided to sell the stand and get a full-time job again which is where I am now. When I sold the stand I didn't get the money out I put into it. So, I know exactly what you are talking about. The cost for this online venture is minimal compared to what I paid for and lost with that produce stand.

Thanks for your post!

Cal

sorry to hear of your loss. Unfortunately, you are not alone. Many businesses just provide a living, at a cost.

GREAT THANKS

Beautiful, inspiring story Rose. Thanks for sharing!

Rosie, first off, I like your profile picture that is fitting with your theme.

All of what you said is true.

In cased anyone missed what you said above: "The message I am trying to make is if you want a business, you must expect that it will cost money. You will need to put in time and effort and do everything you can to ensure that the business has the best chance of success."

thanks, it is the new me.

The old you was nice. The new you is perfect for business. :)

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