Hey there,
Let’s start with a question…
Do you remember the very first internet search you ever did?
I do!
It was a cold, wet slow day in the office where I worked and one of the “nerdier” guys had worked out how to access the internet – which in that era, was no mean feat.
Then It Grew…
Now, for fear of stating the bleeding obvious, the internet has grown and changed quite a bit since then – I mean my original search was undertaken way before the likes of Google was even a thing.
Now of course there is not much we don’t do online… from banking, to working, to ordering food and of course – shopping.
Now, think of your own behaviors online – How much do you buy? What do you search for?
Chances are, you are searching and buying more online than ever before… And you know what? So is everybody else…
And little did I know at the time, but that little search was the first step in a number of searches that led me to make money online and work from home.
How Did It Start?
I spent years in an office cubicle working 9 to 5 (or longer) and hated it. I was sick of working for someone else and I had worked my career to the point that I had painted myself into a corner – both in terms of skill set and earning capacity.
I was always jealous when I heard people say that they made a living doing what they love and whilst I knew I wanted to do my own thing, the trouble was that I just didn’t know where to even start.
I just couldn’t see a way to change my situation.
It got to the point (with some ‘productive’ words from my amazing wife) where I had two choices:
- Keep doing what I was doing and just be happy with my current life… or….
- Take the opportunity (chance) to change things and live a life that I want to – which included working from home
During this time, I had got interested in online marketing and decided to take the opportunity to make a change – i.e. option 2.
How Did I Start?
So, I did a lot of research, and started reading about this thing called affiliate marketing. Which led me to spend a lot of money on so called training programs that told me how easy it was to make money this way…
Most were scams but in there were a few little bits and pieces that gave me enough incentive to keep trying.
The trouble was that many of these programs had the information, but not the tools. So even though I had a slight idea of what I wanted to do, I had nothing to do it with.
I guess it is is bit like a carpenter who knows he wants to cut wood, but doesn’t have a saw.
It was then that I came across a program called Wealthy Affiliate. It had the training, but also all of the tools I needed in the one spot to get started.
And best of all, I could try it all out for free…
And with its help, I have since then built three websites that make me over a $5000 each and every month and growing.
I have even sold one for $17000 which I have used to fund family vacations as well (like our Christmas trip to LA below).
And furthermore, just to put this into context. You are reading this post purely because of the tools and training that I got from joining Wealthy Affiliate.
So, what is Wealthy Affiliate?
For me, it is the platform that provided me with all the tools I needed to get my affiliate marketing business started and eventually allowed me to work from home full time (oh, and from Bali and the U.S. as well).
In not so personal terms, Wealthy affiliate is for those that want to learn more about how online business works, set it up and run it. This includes:
- Website creation and publishing tools including access to WordPress editors and themes.
- AI-powered content article design and content creation.
- Domain name purchasing (you get a free domain when you upgrade to the Premium membership).
- Website hosting, security and backup.
- Complete training programs to assist with the development of your own affiliate marketing website.
- Online help and chat forums.
- Weekly live training events.
- 24/7 support.
- Keyword access tools.
- SEO assistance
What did I do?
I joined on their free starter membership and if I am being honest, was presented with a very busy program that was more than a little daunting.
So I ignored it all and just clicked on the training. This taught me everything I needed to know and even had me building a website within an hour or so.
And whilst that sentence alone my be scary, the best thing I found about the training was that it is very task based – meaning you learn and do, learn and do!
I did a little each evening until it all started to make sense and as I have mentioned, before long (I am talking a week) I had a working website.
I will cover a bit more of this below, however at this time, I then got to the point where I was ready to release my work to the world.
This meant it was time again to revisit my original decision options:
- Keep doing what I was doing and just be happy with my current life… or….
- Take the opportunity (chance) to change things and live a life that I want to – which included working from home
I Chose Option 2 Again and Invested in a Membership
Let’s be real here.. If you are still reading this (and thanks for doing so), then I am either a semi-decent story teller, or you are still interested making money online and working from home.
If this is the case, then here is a little reality check for you. All businesses need an investment in tools to operate. And an online business is no different.
I will include all of the pricing options below however to cut the story short, I invested into a premium membership and used my free domain to get my website published.
My journey had started.
And this is where you are at.. Obviously I have learned a lot over the years since, both within and outside of Wealthy Affiliate. However none of it would have happened without me clicking on the button and creating my starter account.
So, if you want to get started on your own journey, then click on the button below and I will be there to take the journey with you every step of the way.
Wealthy Affiliate Run Through
Want to see a bit more first? Here is a step by step guide get started (or you can watch the video above).
You can also see more information (including membership pricing) about Wealthy Affiliate here.
So, once you’ve created your account, the first thing you’ll want to do is click on the first training section to get a run through of the task oriented training processes.
Once you have completed that, you will then start to actually create your online business:
Note: you can also start this at any time by clicking on the “Launch Your Business Now!” at the top of the screen to open up the 5-step business builder.
To begin with, you will be asked to input your earnings goal. Select how much you think you would like to earn and keep it in the back of your mind as you build your business.
Then, as you’re creating a new business, choose “Create a New Website”.
If you have a website, you can select “Use Existing Website” and follow the steps to import it. However, as we are looking at this from the perspective of a new starter, we will continue down the new website option
On the “How Do You Want To Make Money?” screen, select “Choose My Own Niche“:
This is where you choose the subject you want to work in so type in your interests/hobbies to generate additional ideas that you can use:
Now, I know I haven’t really discussed this to this point however the beauty of affiliate marketing is that you can literally do it within any subject you want – the initial training will cover this also. However, if you are confused, reach out via the comments below and we can have a chat.
Again, this could be anything. My websites have been on fishing and camping, travel, BBQ and essential oils. What do you know about? What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies?
The sky really is the limit.
Next is branding – which is the name of your site/business. Think of the big brands you know of (Nike, Coca Cola etc.). This is where you start with your own famous name.
Additionally, the tool will suggest ideas based on your niche, or you can input your own.
Don’t worry, you can change at any time during the initial stages of setup.
After choosing your brand, hit “Finish & Build My Hub” & your website will be created.
And just like that, you are one your way…
So What Now?
Now it is time for you to make the choice I did:
- Keep doing what you are doing and just be happy with your current life… or….
- Take the opportunity (chance) to change things and live a life that you want to – which includes working from home
I mean, without being too forward, you have come this far and you can join for free!
And of course I will be there to answer any questions you have and help you on your way as well.
You really have nothing to lose! So click on the button below and let’s start your journey!
Oh, And My Search?
It was “What is Chewbacca?”
The answer:
I never found out as after waiting for at least 30 minutes it timed out… haha… maybe some things don’t change afterall…
Anyway
Have Fun
Paul