Imagine a business where you are a sales consultant working on commission. However, unlike most sales jobs, you never have to meet or speak with a customer or even your employer. You are not restricted to working for any single employer or are you restricted in the products or services you can sell. You can sell low-priced goods and services at volume or high-priced stuff to very select markets.



Affiliate programs also offer you the freedom to work whenever and wherever you want. Work as hard as you like or find a sweet-spot and ride it for years with just a little bit of setup work!

You can work your business 100% online or offline or some variation of the two. The options and combinations are endless.

In this post, I'll talk a little about what you need to get started and succeed in this business arena both in terms of the skills that you will need and the infrastructure (products, services, web sites, etc.). This can only be a very brief overview given my space limitations. However, there is tons of free info available at many places, including my site at .

What kind of skills will you need?

First of all, if you're financially able, you can hire other folks or purchase service products that can help tremendously and even automate much of the work and to cover knowledge gaps you may have.

Assuming though, that, like many folks, you're on a limited or non-existnet budget, here's a list of the traits and talents you will need to do it all yourself:

1) Analysis - the ability to carefully consider that can often be a very confusing and numerous array of options and strategies.

2) Patience - the ability to carefully construct and build your business and to stick to and believe in yourself, your dreams and your plans for success.

3) Drive - the ability to work hard to overcome obstacles and the real desire to succeed no matter what it takes.

4) Curiosity - the desire to keep learning and improving every aspect about yourself, your habits and your business.

5) Ambition - the burning desire to succeed and to benefit not only yourself but others too.

There's really no difference in these success traits for starting an Internet home business or any other business such as a greeting card store or a home painting business. However, without ALL of these traits, you'll be very unlikely to succeed.

What about the infrastructure (products, services, support systems, etc.) you will need?

A brief list (not at all comprehensive) follows:

1) An Internet domain and web site. Many affiliate marketing pros wind up with many of these!

2) An email list of hot prospects and existing customers and a way to keep in touch with them on a regular basis.

3) The ability to make attractive and compelling on-line sales presentations.

4) Affiliate programs to join and promote in your targeted market(s).

5) Commision management systems to ensure you get paid when you deserve to.

6) The ability to support your customers willingly and with enthusiasm.

Sound daunting? At first glance, yes it can be. Keep in mind though that there are plenty of products and services to help train and motivate you and to fill in the gaps when you don't have the time or knowledge to do it all yourself.

As you succeed in this business you'll find yourself more and more able to repeat the same steps over and over and thereby gain multiple income streams that, if you do it correctly, will continue to make money long after you've finished putting effort into their startup.

Have fun learning and doing. Be smart and start small, implement and repeat.