The one thing I have learned, when it comes to building wealth, is the fact that there are no short cuts to instant riches. While there have been a few high profile incidents of extreme wealth being created almost overnight, as in the case of Google and a few other "instant" successes, even in these cases there has been huge risk and extensive capital expended in order to create the wealth. In fact the most important factors which lead to success in business are the willingness to assume risk, willingness to expend capital, the ability to focus on an idea and bring it to fruition and some good old fashioned luck.

While I'll be the first to recognize there are some people who just seem to stumble into a situation and are in the right place at the right time, or that some folks will win the lottery, sell a stock at just the right time, or buy and sell real estate for a quick profit, most people who have built wealth have done so over time. Furthermore, they approach investing with a disciplined plan and the relentless pursuit of their dream. I will focus the rest of this article on the people who build wealth through a disciplined approach. Following this model is more likely to lead to the desired goal of financial security.

Many people wish to own their own business and be an entrepreneur, but many of us don't have the "brainstorm idea" which leads to a blockbuster business, or one that totally changes the dynamics of a business model. Luckily, this is not necessary in order to succeed as an entrepreneur. While it would be nice to come up with one of these blockbuster ideas, there are plenty of other ways to become the owner of your own business. Purchasing an existing business is one such way to join the ranks of the business world. There are individual businesses and franchises which can be purchased outright, or financed by various means. This is usually an expensive endeavor, and usually requires leaving your full time job in order to manage the business. This also involves a degree of risk, but if you do your homework, and devote the time it takes to manage the leverage of the purchase price, plus the day to day operations, it can be an excellent way to build long term wealth.

If the idea of owning a business while maintaining a full time job is more your cup of tea, there are many business models which can facilitate this. Again, there is no free ride, because nobody is going to provide you with all of the tools to run a profitable business, without some cost. Unless you are strictly interested in doing a specific task at home for a fee, most of the business models I've reviewed for an at home or online business require money to be spent for hosting a site, joining affiliates and marketing. These are reasonable expectations when you utilize an existing franchise, or affiliate program. Developing multiple streams of income is very desireable and can be achieved by developing a home business along with your full time job. While your goal may be to eventually quit your full time employement, or augment retirement, developing an online or home business can be a rewarding way to be an entrepreneur.

So, if getting rich quickly is your main goal, then there is a good possibility you will continue to go from one "cocktail party conversation" trend to another, such as day trading or real estate flipping. We all know where those bubbles have led. This is the equivalent of gambling, and while I know full well sometimes people do quite well gambling, I don't recommend it as an investment technique. If building real wealth is your goal, then developing streams of income and systematically investing in diversified assets will lead to ever increasing equity and financial security. One day you'll look at your portfolio of investments and realize you've built wealth faster than you thought you would.