This is the first in a series of weekly articles in which I discuss issues involved around earning money online. I begin by discussing some of the myths associated with creating online businesses. Zimbabwe has a high unemployment rate and the majority of those employed are earning meager salaries (which they don't get at all at times). It is against this background that making money online can create a viable alternative source of livelihood. The article is rather long but I promise it will be worth your while if you read to the end.
Chances are, you have come heard someone or seen an advert talking about making money online. You may even have gone as far as googling 'How to make money online' and you the search results showed a multitude of ways that could help you earn money online. Chances are also that you did not take action on any of those stated methods or you tried but you 'failed' and you discarded the idea. What ever the case, I hope this article will help you see how YOU can make that a reality.
Myth number 1
Everything involved with making money online is a scam
This is a very common reason judging from our snap survey. Failed schemes like MMM are still very fresh in a lot of peoples minds in Zimbabwe. There are also scams involving forex and binary trading where some people invite people to invest with them so that they trade for them and in the end the investors lose their hard-earned money. Without a doubt, such scams have left a sour taste and people would want to refrain from anything of their sort.
It is true that there are scams on the internet, they probably outnumber the legal ways available to make money online, but it is also a fact that there are 'working', legal ways to make money online. The fact that there are scams should not put you off, rather it should impress on you the need for careful research before attempting any venture online. You can make money by starting a business where you do not even risk your money. (I will look at such business models in future articles)
Myth number 2
It doesn't work in Zimbabwe
Some believe that it's possible to make money online, but only if you are in first world countries. Nothing could be further from the truth! The beauty of the internet is that you can operate your business from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. So you can run your business even kumusha, ekhaya(at home).
Myth number 3
You need to be a tech whizz
Another common misconception is that for you to succeed online you need to know such technical stuff as programming, coding etc.
This is not true, you only need to be open minded and resourceful to build a successful online business. Did you know that anyone can build a website using free platforms such as WordPress? There are plenty of free videos and pdfs online that show you how to do it step by step using already made templates and just dragging and dropping. This is just an example of how seemingly technical stuff has been simplified online. So even if 'you are not good' with computers, you can create your online business if you put yourself up to the task!
Myth number 4
You need lots of money to start
Some believe that you need to commit a lot of money to make money online. This is not true. Of course having money to commit can make your business grow faster and start making you money sooner, but if you are resourceful you can create your business without using a lot of money besides paying for the internet connection (if you have free internet at work or school then you are in luck). For example, you can create your free website on your own, and have it hosted for free on WordPress and use it to grow your business. The point is, its not a lack of resources that limits you, rather its a lack of resourcefulness!
Myth number 5
You need to work on it full-time to make it work
This is also not true, you can create your online business part-time balancing between school, work, family etc. Where there is a will there is a way. For example, you can choose to work on your online business during your lunch break rather than engage in idle chatting.
Myth number 6
It's an overnight success
You might believe that money can be made online and you think it's an overnight success. Sadly, many people fall into the “make money online now” trap and invest in products and services that promise this, with only disappointment at the end. The truth of the matter is it does take some time for you to get established, depending on your circumstances you may go for six months or more without making that first dollar online. Times like these need one to be pushed by their self-belief, their resilience, determination etc. It will be worth it in the end, and when you are set you can make 'passive income' which is money that you make even when you are sleeping! (I will discuss this in my next post). it does take hard work just like creating a successful in 'real life'.
Myth number 7
At best you can only create a part-time income online
Some believe that you can only make a few dollars at best online. NEWSFLASH!.. you can get a 5 even six figure income monthly from your online business. Yes, the internet has the potential to make you millions, but as stated earlier, it does take time to get to that point. It is possible to quit your day job and make a full-time income online. Why not research if there are people who made millions online?
I hope this post has made you challenge some of the beliefs you have on earning money online. I thank you for reading up to this point. If you found this useful kindly share with others. Lastly I challenge you to ask yourself, 'Why can't I build my own online business?' Don't just ask yourself the question in passing, ponder over it, meditate on it see what you come up with.