Imagine a business that doesn't require thousands of dollars in startup costs – no inventory, no rent, no franchise fees. Imagine a store with the potential to start earning money for you from day one, where you can sell anything under the sun without having to worry about stocking a single item. Imagine being able to run a store in your PJs without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. Imagining it? Here's the reality. You can build an ecommerce storefront to cash in on the internet money making craze in just a few hours – but it takes planning, promotion and the sweat of your brow to make it into an ongoing source of internet income.

We're in the second wave of an internet money explosion. Unlike the first, the one that made a few people who were in the right place at the right time very very wealthy, this one is open to anyone who has the right qualities. Those qualities are the same ones that made names like Sears & Roebuck household words – vision, persistence and good old-fashioned elbow grease.

The increasing ease of internet publishing has made it possible for anyone to have a fully functioning store online and in operation in less than an hour – and for less than $100. Storefront malls like Yahoo Small Business, CafePress and others let you get your own business started with full supports with just a few mouseclicks and a credit card number. But it takes far more than a ‘prime location' to be successful as an internet merchant.

The dismal truth is that failure rate in ecommerce retail is even higher than in brick and mortar stores, even if the financial loss is generally far less. The very fact that you can start your own business for so little has turned starting your own business into an impulse decision. It's far too easy to make a decision on the spur of the moment – and walk away when it doesn't work out. There are things you can do to avoid becoming just one more internet money failure story. Here are five tips to help you make a success of your internet store.

Don't Make An Impulse Decision

Don't jump at the first ecommerce opportunity that you see. Before you make a decision, take the time to do some research and ask yourself some questions about what you want out of your business then evaluate the best business opportunities for you.

Know What You Want

Evaluate the amount of time you have to put into a startup business. How involved to you want to be? There are many different ways to cash in on internet money. It's possible to buy into a complete setup with store, merchant account and fully stocked shelves where all you'll have to do is promote your site. On the other hand, if you'd like to have more control, you can build a store from scratch right down to stocking the shelves.

Comparison Shop For the Best Business

You wouldn't buy a car without comparison shopping. Why buy a business that way? There are literally dozens of ways to cash in on the internet money boom. Do you want the jump-start that goes with name recognition and support from a parent company? Then a franchise business might be right for you. Do you want total control over what you sell and for how much? Then you'll want a business that lets you stock your own shelves. Are you creative and want to capitalize on your artistic abilities? Look into a storefront to market your own work. The possibilities are endless. Your hardest job is finding one that suits your style best.

Pick Something You Love.

The way to succeed on the internet is no different than the path to success in the brick and mortar world. It takes time and hard work. If you're starting your own business, why would you choose to do something that you don't love to do? Even if you decide to buy into a total package ecommerce turnkey store, pick a product that you love and can believe in. The better you know what you're selling, the more successful you'll be in promoting it. And when it comes to making internet money, promotion is the name of the game.

Educate Yourself.

No matter what you choose to sell, your main job is going to be promoting your website. The more you know about website promotion, the more successful you'll be. Spend at least a few hours a week keeping up on the latest techniques of promoting your web site and watch your sales grow as you put them into practice.

The potential for making money on the internet is real. It just takes some forethought, planning and a lot of hard work. Know what you want to do. Love what you do. Believe in your abilities - and you'll find the internet money rolling into your account.