Lots of people talk/daydream about having their own Internet business. But most of these folks don't even know what kind of business they want, and certainly have no intention of putting forth any real effort.

Here are two critical questions you should ask yourself right now:

1. How long have you been thinking/talking about starting an Internet business?

2. At this point, what have you actually done about it?

If you've been dreaming about getting rich with an online business for months or years, but have taken zero steps towards making anything happen, I'd say you have a fantasy on your hands. There's nothing wrong with a little escapism/fantasizing, but don't mistake this for anything worthwhile.

You can talk for hours about having your own Internet business. But without substantial action you won't see your first penny from an online venture.

Some people take this whole "Internet business" thing one step beyond daydreaming and actually spend time researching the idea. They might request some free information from a Website, or call an 800 number to ask for a brochure.

This is a great start, but it will do nothing to create profits without follow-up steps.

A few special people move beyond the information request phase and begin active participation in some sort of business opportunity system or home business education program. These individuals deserve recognition for going the extra mile, but sadly almost every single one of them will fail to build a real business.

And the reason for this mass failure won't be anything like economic issues, customer lawsuits, or declining market demand. Sadly, the majority of people who start some sort of online venture will simply throw in the towel after a time.

The truth is most of these people never intended to succeed in the first place. They may not realize this on a conscious level, but it's the truth.

What mainstream society calls "trying" is really a pathetic excuse for effort. People honestly believe they are "trying" if they simply bother to show up and twiddle their thumbs for a few minutes.

It's bizarre. And it's a real shame. Very few people honestly want the success they claim to be pursuing in life.

In many ways, the home business industry is like the drug trade. And the people who spend money on these business-in-a-box sales pitches are like junkies looking for their next high.

They get a rush while reading the latest sales page. Their heart races and their adrenaline pumps as they imagine the amazing wealth that will soon come to them as a result of the guaranteed home business system they are about to purchase.

At the peak of their high they push the order button, whip out their credit card, and order the super-mega-get-rich-now-opportunity package. Maybe they'll even download the product or open the box that is shipped to their door.

In extraordinary cases, these opportunity junkies might even follow one or two of the steps outlined in the program they have bought. This is very rare, but it does sometimes happen.

Ultimately, insufficient action is taken. The plan for getting rich without the slightest need for work or creative thinking goes belly up, and the individual points an angry finger at the "scammers" who sold them the opportunity in the first place.

Oddly enough, millions of people repeat this process multiple times during their life.

Here's the bottom line: Many people, including the author of this article, have created exactly the life they want by starting and maintaining their own prosperous online business venture. You too can enjoy this kind of wonderful success.

But it will never happen unless you get real. You must be willing to plan, set goals, work hard, focus your attention, and sustain your thoughts for long periods of time!

It's really a small price to pay for the kind of success your own business will bring. But clearly it's far more than what most pretend entrepreneurs are willing to invest.