What’s Stopping You From Starting An Online Business?

What’s stopping you from taking the plunge and starting an online business? How many excuses have you made whenever the opportunity to start an online business has arisen, only for you to watch the opportunity pass you by and you’re still where you always were?

Over the past 8 years I have introduced hundreds of budding entrepreneurs to a number of businesses, both online and offline. Some got started and have done really well. Others haven’t got out of the starting blocks, and I’ve heard all kinds of reasons and excuses for them getting nowhere with some potentially lucrative opportunities. Opportunities that other people were making work, including me, so it wasn’t the opportunity at fault. I remember hearing on more than one occasion that “all excuses are equal”, just as “all distractions are equal” too.

Here are some of the most common reasons (excuses) I have come across for would-be entrepreneurs failing in starting an online business:

1. Fear of failure. Who wants to get started with something if they think they are going to fail? Usually this one is about losing face in front of loved ones and friends. They’re going to resent the amount of time you will devote to your new venture. They’ll also resent the money you’ve invested (if you’ve told them) and if it doesn’t work out you know you’ll hear “I told you so”, so it’s just easier not to get started at all, isn’t it? Then you don’t have to face the music later. But failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet today have failed their way to success. Failure is just another challenge built into life to help you grow. Embrace failure. It’s a positive experience.
2. Fear of success. I’ve never quite understood this one, but some people fear being successful. Maybe it’s the fear of not being able to cope with the unknown, not being able to handle the new responsibilities, the expectations or the attention that being successful entails. Maybe it’s the fear that if they are successful they will lose their friends as they leave them behind. Maybe it’s none of these, but for whatever the reason they fear success and it paralyses them into doing nothing, and although they consistently look for the perfect legitimate online business, they’re never going to get started anyway.
3. Procrastination. Entrepreneurs don’t procrastinate. They are doers. They take risks. That’s not to say they are irresponsible or don’t research a project thoroughly before executing it, but if a project is feasible they get on with it. They don’t spend all their time doing “busywork” kidding themselves they are achieving something. They don’t not join a legitimate online business because they are ‘not sure’ if it’s a scam, even when their research shows it’s perfectly above board. They spend too much time being ‘not sure’ and never commit to anything… and stay exactly where they’ve always been, because it’s safer.
4. Money/Investment Required. This is quite common, and an excuse used by those who just need an excuse for not starting an online business. It comes down to “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” and if you’re really committed to getting started in business you will find the money, irrespective of your credit status. If you have the belief in yourself to do the business, then money won’t be an issue, but if you’re looking for an excuse, then this it.
5. Don’t have the time. Same reasons as excuse 4 above.

I know there are many, many more reasons for not starting an online business, and these are just the tip of the iceberg. If, however, you’ve read these and none apply to you, and you’re looking for a legitimate online business, follow the links on this page to learn more.