The money is only a result of doing what you enjoy!

The money is only a result of doing what you enjoy!
It's not the other way around. If you don't enjoy it, you won't be successful because you'll eventually get burned out.
So many of my friends and family want to try this because they are fascinated by the money. That's great...but you still have to enjoy yourself. Money cannot be your only motivation.
You'll never meet a successful Internet entrepreneur that says, "I hate spending time updating my website and learning how to market on the Internet, but I'm still making $300,000 per year with my site."
The people that are successful out here enjoy themselves and work at this continuously, and they chose a website topic they are passionate about.
The Truth...
Let me be honest. The online world is not for everyone. Many people don't want or even have the time to spend in front of their PC going through the learning curve, researching, writing content, etc.
However, if you have some time and don't mind learning...you could clean up out here. However, don't expect to spend one hour a month on this and make $100,000 a year.
You have to set realistic goals and understand that the earnings will start out small. Mine certainly did. My first check in 1998 was for $14.95. But it was all I needed to make me believe "I can do this!"
No Get Rich Schemes Here!
If you're looking for a get-rich-quick-schemethis is not the place. I don't care how other websites make it seem, there is no such thing as quick money. Please don't believe the hype.
I roll my eyes at many of these websites that scream phrases like, "Make Millions Overnight!" They are usually run by people who have never made a dime.
Nevertheless, they want you to spend your hard-earned dollars on a "how-to-course" that they haven't even bought or used themselves. They just earn a commission if you buy what they have to offer.
Well, before you spend money on any of these products, be sure to ask the website owner to show you some proof of their success. Can they show you any of their checks they've received like I can?
Make sure they can also explain exactly what you have to do.
I don't know about you, but if I'm going to learn how to make money out here, I'd want to learn from someone who is actually succeeding - not from someone selling a cheesy course they haven't even used or read themselves.
How It Works
The Internet is the information highway. Everyday millions of people go to Google, MSN and Yahoo to perform searches on anything from potting plants to investing stocks.
People want information and the way you can benefit from this is to build a website that gives people what they are looking for.
Achieve a top 5 ranking in the major search engines for popular keyword phrases and you can really rack in a ton of free traffic like I've been doing.
The money comes in with affiliate programs. These are programs that are offered by companies that pay website owners to refer their products.
Generally, they pay a certain percentage for every sale that comes in as a result of your site's referral. Amazon.com has one and it's very popular among website owners.
So let's say you have an information website on baby toy safety. Your site is #3 in Google.com when someone types in "safe baby toys" and other related terms.
On your site, you've written various reviews on various toys based upon your own experiences. The more content you have, the greater the chance you'll be found in the search engines for free.
To earn money, you could join the free eToy.com affiliate program and when you recommend various toys for parents, eToys will pay you a percentage for every sale your site refers. (Companies provide a special tracking link to use on your site so they know when your site generates a sale).
You could also join Amazon.com's free affiliate program and recommend their books on baby safety. Amazon doesn't pay very high commissions (3-5% on most products), but if you refer large volumes, the commissions can add up.