Internet Entrepreneur

American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said that, “Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.”  That is because unlike formal education, which is confined to certain limits, self-education has no limits.

Before I made the decision to become a freelance writer, I only looked at the negatives. I was sure I did not possess the dedication it took to work from home. And I thought that lacking a college degree would hinder my ability to find clients.

However there are so many benefits that I had not considered. For example I could set my own hours which would allow more time to spend with my family. Working from home meant sleeping later in the morning, not sitting in rush hour traffic, and a more relaxed dress code.

Why Unemployment Isn’t the End

Although layoffs in the fourth quarter of 2012 were down overall from the third quarter of that same year, more than 130,000 people still found themselves getting a pink slip for the holidays. (www.bls.gov) While some went on to find others jobs, many others are still looking and continue to draw unemployment.

Whether you are one of these people, or you want to replace your daily commute with a stay-at-home job to be more eco-friendly, or you just want to supplement your paycheck, consider a career as an internet entrepreneur.

One place to get started is through an outsourcing company for freelancers, like Elance. Review the types of jobs available, decide on a price that you will charge for doing the work, and then bid on some open jobs.

Internet Entrepreneur Opportunities

It is true that working from home, especially over the internet, takes a lot of discipline and hard work. But the benefits far outweigh any of that. Here are some of the benefits that my fellow freelancers and I enjoy working as internet entrepreneurs.

1. Lower Taxes – We still have to pay taxes, but the amount we pay in now is far less. Computer equipment, cell phones, and other things directly related to the work that you do are things that you can take off your taxes at the end of the year. Ask your accountant about other tax incentives that benefit you.

2. Higher Income – I make more money now as a part-time freelance writer as I did working 40-hours per week at my last full-time job. How much you make means determining how much your time is worth per hour depending on the type of work that you do for each client. Your salary is literally without limits!

3. Better Training – A fellow freelancer who is a Server Administrator, or SA, recently took vSphere 5 training online to get his certification. He said that taking the class online was a great investment because the instructors were more like mentors, and unlike a live conference where everyone goes home afterwards, this allowed him the benefit or forming a working relationship with a professional who has real world advice in the field.

4. Set Your Own Hours – Unlike an office which is only open at certain hours each day, internet entrepreneurs who work from their own computers can be available whenever their clients need them – even if they are halfway around the globe from one another. You can also set your own hours for training, returning emails, and anything else you need to do for your business.

5. Networking Opportunities – When you work online, you are opening yourself up to networking opportunities from across the globe. In addition to gaining clients from other continents and time zones, you can also share marketing tips and promotional ideas with other freelancers in chat rooms and on message board forums.

Another benefit is just the sheer amount of work available. In fact, the opportunities for working online are so widely available that it is easier to get independent jobs working as a freelance entrepreneur as it is to be hired on full-time by a business.

Do Not Give Up!

While it is easy to get discouraged and give up if you do not get hired right away, stay optimistic and be patient. During the time that you spend waiting for a client to hire you to do their job, boost your online portfolio, pad your website with blog articles, and brush up on your skills.

You will want to learn as much as you can, taking online courses through distance learning whenever the opportunity presents itself. As your certifications pile up, clients will see that you are a contractor who not only wants to work, but is qualified to do the job as well.