They reluctantly slink off to reconsider whatever inadequate options they were trying to escape when they first decided to go online. Many can be heard echoing the usual excuses that masquerade as explanations.

If you've been in this business for any length of time you've heard several of them before:

- The market in my niche is saturated.

- There's just too much information to sort through.

- These days it's too late to make any real money online anyway.

- Online marketing concepts are too complex to wrap my mind around.

- Things change on the Web so quickly that it's difficult to keep up.

- It was costing me more than I had budgeted.

- There are too many experts telling you their way is the way.

- I tried everything I knew and nothing worked.

- I gave myself six months to become successful.

- My spouse wasn't very supportive.

Whether or not any of these statements is true is immaterial. The reality is that at this very moment, there are successful business owners who are enjoying the good life and managing profitable enterprises, in spite of any of the above.

So what is it that separates them from those who fail or simply give up? At first glance the answer may seem paradoxical, but on closer inspection you'll recognize the logic and its surprising simplicity.

The single reason most Web businesses fail is that the owners do not start out with a definitive end result in mind. They do not have a clear vision of exactly what it is they intend the business to accomplish.

By "accomplish" I'm referring to more than just reaching a revenue goal, developing a responsive customer list, or writing persuasive promotional copy. My statement goes directly to the purpose for creating the business in the first place.

Know Exactly What You Want

Many years ago when I was a teenager, my best friend announced to his dad that he was thinking of becoming an accountant. My friend's dad complimented him on his choice, then calmly asked, "Do you want to be an accountant because it's what you really want to do, or because you think others would be impressed with your choice of profession?"

My friend thought for a moment, then admitted he found the idea of being an accountant more appealing than actually preparing balance sheets and income statements for the rest of his life.

A high percentage of Internet marketers today are in love with the idea of working from home, lured by the promise of earning a healthy monthly income for seemingly little work. But they are totally unprepared for the effort, discipline and persistence it demands.

So as their attempts to grow their businesses meet resistance, the superficial curiosity they began with slowly erodes and eventually crumbles from frustration and despair. They soon run out of steam and quit because they never had a firmly established vision to keep them focused and motivated.

Start From The Finish

The trick then is to begin with the end result and never lose sight of it. Every thought and deed that follows must be designed to get your business to that place.

If your business is Starbucks, the objective is not simply to brew a refreshing cup of coffee, but to provide the best coffee experience for your patrons. If your business is Google, the objective is not simply to be a search service, but to make the world's information universally accessible and useful.

Therefore, your ultimate purpose should always overshadow the business, which functions as a pawn in your quest to snag the bigger goal. The business becomes the final stepping stone to your ultimate achievement.

When you create your business around a purpose that motivates and inspires you, and your intention to make it happen is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar, it becomes almost impossible to be discouraged by the inevitable hurdles you will encounter. Your natural impulse will be to find alternative ways to overcome each challenge.

Embrace that mindset and you will significantly improve your chances of growing your business to deliver your vision. At the same time you'll be avoiding the scrap heap of broken dreams, dashed hopes and miserable failure.