I think everyone’s dream is to be their own boss. Imagine knowing how to work from your laptop, deciding when it’s time to “clock in”, answering to no one.
Most people would love the laptop lifestyle, but few know how to turn that dream into reality. The fact of the matter is, while calling the shots is appealing, to get there you have to be willing to put in the work.
Most will say, “Well I don’t have my own invention, or my own product or service, or my own ANYTHING. How could I possibly be my own boss in a business I could call my own?”
In the age of technology we’re living in, it’s more straightforward than you think.
How to Work From Your Laptop – 4 Attributes of Successful Internet Marketers
So how can you achieve this laptop lifestyle? Is it all about coming up with the next “big thing” and getting rich off it? Do you have to join some cringeworthy pyramid scheme to realistically have your own business?
Firstly, I don’t want to offend anyone working hard to maintain their network marketing or MLM business. Many associate network marketing with pyramid schemes, but the fact is that network marketing is 100% legal.
However, can you really make sustainable money network marketing? How many people working an MLM actually get to those high levels where they can truly be their own boss?
A look at the annual income disclosure statement from any MLM shows that very, very, few make substantial money with network marketing businesses. You may be able to profit and get back the amount you put in to join, sure. But full time income over an entire year? Doubtful.
So what other alternatives are there to having a business you can call your own when you don’t offer a product or service? How about blogging? Is there a way to earn consistent revenue through blogging?
It’s time to dive into the very lucrative world of affiliate marketing.
What Is Affiliate Marketing & How Does It Work?
Affiliate marketing is simply the way most online business gets done. You’ve probably been a part of the process for years without even knowing it.
In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is the process of connecting people with what they’re already searching for online.
The image above shows the process, but if you want to deep dive further into how the affiliate marketing process works, check out my full article on why, in my opinion, it’s the best way to make money from home and get to full time income.
So how does one get started? Thankfully, there are several great affiliate marketing training courses you can get online without emptying your pocketbook.
But before we dive into training, I think it’s vitally important to tackle the mindset you’ll need to succeed first. So many people jump into new business opportunities and end up being their worst enemy. Even though we’re all smart enough to realize you can’t get rich overnight, when it doesn’t happen, we still somehow get discouraged.
Must be human nature I guess. And for this reason, let’s first train the mind before we start building the business.
The 4 Attributes of Successful Affiliate Marketers
A good friend of mine wrote this article. I felt it was important enough to share it here as well. If you’re looking to work from your laptop and be your own boss, your focus needs to be in the following areas:
- Don’t focus on revenue in the first month
- Understand that you are building a BUSINESS
- Give yourself adequate time to succeed
- Approach your business like every other achievement in your life
1. Don’t Focus on Revenue in the First Month
I get it. We all want results. We all want them now. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works.
I’ve worked with hundreds of people personally over the last few years getting them started with affiliate marketing. In that time, certain patterns emerge.
Those who are successful in online business are not as fixated on making money in their first month. Instead, they are intrigued by the business model and making it work for them.
Having the right entrepreneurial mindset can be the real difference between being a success and falling short.
Treat your training the same way you would a college course. Be a sponge and make your focus learning and building. Commissions come later.
2. Understand That You Are Building a Business
With affiliate marketing you have a true BUSINESS on your hands. Don’t shortchange yourself by turning this into just an opportunity.
Your website can be built in any niche you’re passionate about. There is no ceiling to what you can earn.
So you need to take the time to treat it like a business. When undergoing training for a business, do you set aside 30 minutes each day to work on it? You probably set aside much more, don’t you?
Yes, we all have busy schedules, and setting aside 4 or 5 hours each and every day may not be feasible, but consistency is key. Set aside some time each and every day for it. And trust me, this business is actually fun to grow. You may plan on sitting down for an hour and before you know it 2 have gone by in a flash. This is a good thing.
3. Give Yourself Adequate Time to Succeed
How long does it take to succeed with online business? The short answer: “As much time as it takes.”
There are an infinite number of variables that go into success with your online business. For some, success comes in the first few months. For others, it could take a couple of years. This is true with traditional brick and mortar businesses too.
I was able to have a $4k month in my first year with my business. But let’s say it had taken a couple of years to achieve that. Would it be any less worth it to be earning thousands per month? Of course not. No matter how long it takes, your success is worth the effort.
The fact of the matter is that those who succeed understand that when they put in the work, success is inevitable. Be stubborn with your success! Don’t stop UNTIL YOU SUCCEED!
4. Approach Your Business Like Every Other Achievement In Your Life
Think about everything you’ve succeeded at, both large and small. Think about the work you put in to achieve those successes.
Did you always succeed right away, or did it take work? Did you succeed after working through failures along the way?
Treat your business the same as you have other challenges. Take the pressure off by understanding it’s a process.
When you’re building something that can give you financial freedom there are plenty of ups and downs along the way. There will be highs and lows. There will be days you’re motivated and days where you’re not. This is COMPLETELY NORMAL and a critical part to succeeding.
Final Thoughts
What does it take to be your own boss and work from your laptop? First, it takes the right mindset.
Once you’re on the path to success, DON’T GET IN YOUR OWN WAY! Understand that real businesses take time to build. Don’t focus on revenue in your first month. Give yourself the necessary time to build and learn. Push through failures and treat them like building blocks to your success.
Do these things and you’ll be living the laptop lifestyle with a successful affiliate marketing business.
If you’re interested in building a business you can call your own, check out my #1 recommendation for anyone looking to get started in affiliate marketing. The training is thorough and I’ve had nothing but positive experiences from it.
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But even with all the good training that Wealthy Affiliate provides is not the field of affiliate marketing completely SATURATED ALREADY
making it impossible to succed considering also all the competition that is out there ? -thanks
Do you think the internet as a marketplace will ever be “saturated”? Do you ever think people will stop buying and selling online? It’s like wondering if another Starbucks would make money, or another gym? They’re everywhere right? Yet they’re constantly filled with new customers and new members. Now more than ever people flock to the internet to buy, sell, and search. This is why there has never been more demand for affiliate marketing than right now. When you’re creating a niche site, you’re not competing with the Amazons or the Apples or Walmarts out there. You’re literally partnering with them and helping connect people with what they’re already looking for online. That’s affiliate marketing in a nutshell. And with all the money on the table, there’s no better time than now to learn exactly how it all works. Click my link at the end of the article and see for yourself. I hope to see you on the inside:) Thanks for the comment!
This is an excellent article on affiliate marketing! I truly appreciate your in-depth insight. Great article! I truly enjoyed reading it! I will be coming back to this blog in the future.
Thanks so much for the comment! I appreciate it!
You really do a great job of highlighting the important material that pertains to your topic. There is a lot of information for someone who does not understand what affiliate marketing is, and you make it easier to understand the concept. I love the layout of the page with all the different images to help make the page be more engaging and pop with splashes of color. This is definitely a page that I would have loved to come across if I was doing research on affiliate marketing.
I appreciate the kind words. I’ve always been a firm believer that when you focus on user experience you’ll have the most success. Just like with any business, you want the experience when they walk through your doors to be a good one that leads to return visits. Thanks for the comment!
Great article Eric. I really like that you emphasize what I think are two of the most important, but overlooked, points about running your own business from your laptop.
1. It’s still work. Yes, the flexibility to work at home in sweats instead of at an office in a suit is great, as is being able to set our own hours, but we still need to put in the hours. The business doesn’t build itself if all we do is watch tv, mow the lawn, etc.
2. It doesn’t happen overnight, even with hard work. So many people expect to get rich right away, but that’s not realistic. I use a running analogy. Anyone can run a marathon if they train properly, but a brand-new runner probably needs a month or more of training before they should even attempt a 5K, much less a marathon.
Well said. And to that point, while I do enjoy being able to work in sweats haha I think when people treat their own business the same as a business they’d clock in to, more progress gets made. Set a schedule. Get yourself ready for your day and sit down just like you would at the office. That’s key 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I love the very attractive way you have presented your case for affiliate marketing. You make it sound so easy but for me it has been very difficult so I know I could learn a lot from you.. I have fallen victim to so many online scams which have been costly and certainly did not live up to their claims. Very intrigued by your great Wealthy Affiliate review and results! I hope I can follow your lead and start earning an income from affiliate marketing on my laptop.
Thank you so much for this comment! I was in your same boat before I found WA. Every “opportunity” just seemed so shady. I enjoy being as transparent as possible with my WA Review. I’m very glad you enjoyed it! I hope to see you on the inside!
Hi Eric
I would like to work from my laptop. And I have tried so many times before but never hit success. Your guide is really informative and by reading it, I realise many of my mistakes. So, it looks like you know what you are talking about.
Thanks so much for sharing!
When you have the right training and right mindset, I believe you can accomplish anything. Thanks for the comment!
I am a network marketer and I agree in some points that you have shared. But with the issue of not being sustainable, I must say that I disagree. If you will check the top list of network marketing companies in the world, some are making billions of dollars in revenue per year and are in the business for almost a century now, like for example Amway. If the business model isn’t sustainable, they wouldn’t be here now. So, I must say that it depends on a specific opportunity and you cannot just label the concept as unsustainable.
You’re looking at it from the angle of the company, like Amway. Yes there are a handful of network marketing companies that make billions per year. This is because there are always new people buying into that concept. However, I’m looking at it from the point of view of the actual rep, the person looking for the opportunity. That’s the point of view that matters. The Annual Income Disclosures don’t lie. Overwhelmingly reps who are working for network marketing companies either don’t make their money back or don’t make a single dollar. That’s why they’re not sustainable. You can make a quick profit with them in the short term, but when your success is banking on the ability to build a team of successful reps and the numbers show that the vast majority of your team won’t be profitable, it’s hard to call that model sustainable. Thanks for the comment!
This is a great guide for how to work from your laptop You lay things out in an easy to understand manner that anyone can use to plan and then take action on. Just as with any business, you have to put time and effort in, but if you have no plan, you will not likely succeed. The path is there, and if you have the attributes and will, it can be done. Great post and great suggestion on a platform to use to show how you can work from your laptop to make a living.
I appreciate the comment! Well said and thank you!
Nice article! Online business is one that requires work, but most people who dive into it begin with the mindset that it is easy & tend to be the ones that end up quitting because they had unrealistic expectations.
It is a really good business model that can be of great benefit to anyone that decides to go into it as it can generate income for a lot of years. A lot of us want to live the laptop lifestyle but quickly realize that it was not as it seems from the outside and is quite something else from the inside.
I do believe this is a business a lot of people can succeed in as long as they have realistic expectations.
The only thing I would disagree with is that the laptop lifestyle is EXACTLY what I thought it would be and more. I absolutely love travel, and last week I found myself with my laptop on the incredible Grace Bay Beach of Turks and Caicos. I had dreamed of that moment for so long, and there I was making it happen 🙂 Put in the work, and you can reap the rewards! Thanks for the comment!