Who knows about your online business and how do they react?
Over the weekend I had a small reunion with some family friends and close relatives. My loved ones have a tendency to inquire about where I am career wise, accomplishments etc.. which I am comfortable with discussing. However, one this occasion things went in a slightly different direction than normal.
Since mid February 2014 I've been working diligently on my website. My immediate family know about my website and they support me, but my extended family did not know. During the weekend reunion I decided to share my passion with a few relatives and lets just say I was met with skepticism and dismissal. They nodded and agreed but I could tell they didn't take me seriously, in fact they were more intrigued by my mundane job than my website *sigh*. Well they're going to be in for a surprise when I showcase my website and eventually become the entrepreneur that I'm destined to be.
The plan is to unveil my website to loved ones once I build up some more content which shouldn't be too long now.
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has been met with a similar response of doubt? Have you shown or told your friends and/or family about your online business or are you choosing to remain low key for the time being?
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I personally wont tell anyone until I feel it is fully established with lots of content and all the pages full. Even create business cards if you want to get twice the following, just an idea. That's what I plan to do. Just because its an online marketing business doesn't mean you cant market offline either. Best of luck to you and much success!!
I completely forgot about business cards. Thanks for the reminder, I am and will definitely treat my website like the lucrative business I want it to be. Good luck with your journey
My kids and parents know about my business. My dad is my number one fan. He has brain storming meetings with me lol My oldest daughter, she is 30, is a wait and see what happens. I can't till my site is profitable so I can show her :)
I agree with Kary, the internet marketing part is hard for them to understand. One of my sons keeps saying scam scam scam. Now mom is a scammer LOL but I will prove him wrong
I think you and Kary have hit the nail on the head. When I tried to explain affiliate marketing I was met with a blank expression. Although the affiliate marketing will only be a fraction of my long term goal. Glad to hear you have some support from your immediate family, such a confidence booster.
Yes, I think the affiliate marketing portion is difficult for people to understand or grasp. I have had people really interested in the web development and design portion of this business. There are so many components to affiliate marketing, it's often hard to explain all the facets, let alone other people to understand. Keep up the good work, they will be surprised to see your site.
Kary, you are right about people not understanding. I have a friend with a degree in computer science, that couldn't understand how I can sell merchandise I don't have, lol
Yeah, Gordi, I think the entire affiliate marketing business difficult to understand to most ;)
Hi Starrlet, I think people, especially family, are always sceptical when you tell them about things like this. It’s as though making money on line is for some else to do; you are meant to have a proper job – so to speak. To be fair my wife has been great but I think deep down she suspects that I am just playing at it – so she lets me play :) Good luck with your website, Paul.
I wish you all the best too Paul. I totally agree if we don't become a roaring success who else is supposed to do it?
My kids say they are proud of me having built a website. And friends that have seen it were quite surprised that my website looked so good.
So, now I tell people that I am getting sales. Not enough to retire, mind you, but it's a start.
You do what is right for you, not what others think
That's wonderful news Gordi and glad to hear you're securing some sales too. I hope you continue with that stream of luck....
Most people don't understand it. They can't imagine earning money online and not a 9-5 job. That's the way most of my family is anyway and even some of my friends. My kids understand. I'd say perhaps it's a generational thing but then many of us are "older". In any case, don't worry about it. Just keep doing what you're doing. ~Debbi
I think most people are content with "job security" in a means of working for someone and earning money from a company which they do not own. The thought of being your own boss is an alien concept to most.
The reality is that working for someone especially in this economic climate does not equate to financial security. Heck, some of my co-workers were recently made redundant. These job cuts have reminded me of the instability in the corporate world. Now I'm working even harder to pursue my online business.
You're right about the job security but some people don't even feel comfortable with computers. You GO, girl!!!!!!
There is an old saying, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear". Anyone not ready, sees what you are doing as Not for them. Don't let that deter you, all of us here see the value in what you are doing and will encourage and support you.
I have had this to, but I have the support of those who matter to me and the rest can stay with their doubts, I am committed to the journey of building a good online business and will stay the course
There are many people who will react like this because you are taking a risk and most people want to stay safe, that is why most people go to work in a mundane job, because they will not take risks or go outside their comfort zone
Even if you do succeed online, they will not be impressed - what ever you do in this life, don't do it to impress others, because they don't care
Just do it for you
I could not careless of what people think of my online business, I want to do it, so I am doing it, period!!
Barry
Thanks for your input Barry.
It's not the first time that I have spoken about becoming a business owner only to be met with a fearful response. I definitely agree that people are too scared of taking risks. If we all lived that way then we would remain a stagnant nation.
Whatever the outcome I'll be doing it for myself and not others.
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Hi.
I think it's natural for people to think like that (the majority of people anyway), because how we think and what we know about "earning a living" is programmed into us from an early age.
It's how our parents (my parents) paid their way in life - it's what they did day in day out to get by. It's what everyone around our family did to get by.
The fact we're all here at WA shows that we've realised you can change the way you look at your life, and you can do things differently. You don't HAVE to go and work for someone, to earn them money - you CAN develop your own business, and provide your own income - where you decide what you work on, and how much you want to make.
So I don't think their reaction is a surprise - it's just that they haven't developed the mindset to think you can do things differently.
All the best, Mark
Now that I've given myself some time to reflect on the past weekend conversation I'm starting to appreciate where the skepticism stems from. Virtually everyone around me works for someone. They equate success to landing a well paid job or elevating in the corporate environment from being an administrator to a managing director or becoming a barrister, not that there's anything wrong with those jobs, but that's the problem you see, you work for someone else, you didn't build the company.