The most promising route to financial freedom is not through working for someone else and the online business option is a very attractive but overly beguiling one for several reasons. First of all, the accessibility and low start up costs of an online business can give the impression that all you need to do is to set up Adsense pages based around PLR articles. Secondly, it seems very easy to set up a website, it's something you can do using software in a matter of minutes. Finally there is the impression that ease of online business start-up means that money can be made with very little effort. All of the above notions lead to failure because they omit the need for a sound business plan.

To be successful online you must give value and have a long-term view that includes the provision of something unique. PLR articles are used by many other people and so don't provide value. Even if you re-write PLR articles you still won't be providing value unless you incorporate your own additional material. Using software-generated sites can be beneficial if you can give those sites your own unique stamp but some software will restrict the development of your site and therefore the development of your business. Having a business plan is not just about providing value its about having robust strategies for site promotion and product delivery, all of these things require hard work and expense.

The number of websites on the Internet is mind-bogglingly huge and finding an area to compete in requires some careful keyword research. The Internet has become a vast social network where people assess each other and word gets around. This means that your most valuable business asset is your reputation rather than the size of your list or even how much money you happen to be making at a particular time. If you have a unique, in-demand product that works well then you are bound to be successful as word gets around. If you are an affiliate marketer then you have to devote much more time, effort and expense to garnering targeted traffic to your website.

In conclusion, developing an online business should be seen as no different from developing any other type of business. All businesses take time, effort and money to build. The get rich quick mentality will render you vulnerable to losing a lot of money rather than making it.