Many of the "sure thing" programs that were hot last year, aren't
to be found today; you know the ones I'm talking about. Did
anyone take the time to sift through the misinformation,
analyses, and charts showing how with no work you could be the
next jillionaire. Naw - with misplaced faith, and believing the
soothsayers, they just plunked down their $49.50. Guess who were
the only ones to make money here.

In the meantime, internet stocks, which had ridden a wave of
investor enthusiasm got slammed. Many of the dot.com industry
giants have fallen from the proverbial "Beanstalk", and today are
among the missing.

Predictions of a declining economy have some in a panic. Because
the holiday season retail sales virtually "flat lined" many are
calling it the start of a recession. Is this the case, or is it
that we are just getting smarter? I wonder how many gave that
great old gift called "Cash", instead of an overpriced present
that could be gotten at half price after the holiday "feeding
frenzy" ended.

Are we facing an era of "doom and gloom"? I don't think so.
Have the stock markets taken a hit - Yes, but is this a portent
of bad times? I doubt it. The stock market goes up and the stock
market goes down. The guy who does two eTrades a week will
probably lose his shirt. Those who buy now, and hang in for the
long pull might just make a killing.

We are warned by the old proverb that, "A fool and his money are
soon parted", and "There is no such thing as a free lunch", seems
to be the current buzz. But did you heed this sage advice? It
sure seems that some didn't.

But what does all this mean to us? Is it time to pull in our
horns and lay low on the Internet? Not me - I view this as a
great opportunity. More and more, the opportunities abound. Now
is the time to get involved with a straight-forward, no hype type
of a business.

Don't expect to join a minimal investment affiliate program that
will peak out in 90 days to be your salvation. And most people
should simply "walk on by" that hot new MLM program of the week.
So where do you turn?

Maybe the adage "it takes money to make money" is even truer than
ever. The web promises almost free everything, from email
accounts to web space. So, you might think, you have a great idea
and since you can get all this free stuff, you can launch your
business at almost zero cost.

The guy who jumps out an alley offering Rolex watches at twenty
bucks a pop doesn't have much overhead. But he doesn't engender
much trust either, and only the gullible and greedy, hoping to
make a quick buck, will bite. Do you think people don't
recognize that you are riding on that same free wagon, and will
give you the same trust as that Rolex Guy?

OK - so we all agree that you have to show some signs of being
serious. Do you think that AOL or some other ISP is the answer?
You can start up a business and get a few suckers to bite within
their 30 day trial period. Hey, they're currently offering 700
free hours the first month, and if you stay on the computer 23
hours and 20 minutes a day, maybe you can use it. Who needs more
than 40 minutes of sleep a day anyway?

There is absolutely no substitute for your own domain. A "no
frills" domain today costs about as much per month as a "fast
food lunch". If you can't afford that, you can't afford to be in
business. This gives you a professional sounding name for your
web site, plus an email address that doesn't scream "here today -
gone tomorrow".

But the kids just love AOL, and I don't need two ISP's, might
well be the argument. True, and if this is the case, just
automatically forward the email which is sent to your domain
there. But set up a separate screen name used only for that
purpose, and give it a name that bears some resemblance to your
domain name.

Is there "Doom and Gloom" in some quarters? Sure is, and those
who view the current times in that perspective are missing a
great opportunity. Those who can look beyond the "dire
predictions" we hear on the news everyday, will be the winners in
the long run.

About the Author
Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter
Visit his Web Site at http://adv-marketing.com/business to
subscribe. As a bonus, get 40,000 FREE E-Books from
Larry Dotson, when you visit http://www.ldpublishing.com