7 Deadly Mistakes in Launching an Online Business
My 5-year income as an online entrepreneur:
2019: $10,000
2020: $25,000
2021: $30,000
2022: $45,000
2023: $250,000 (With 2.5 months left in the year)
As you can see, I've been in online business for 5 years, and this year I reached a breakthrough, earning over $30K per month.
I want to highlight the 7 Deadly Mistakes to save you time and steer you in the right direction when starting.
So, let's not waste any more time and get started.
1. Mistake: Picking the wrong business.
I've been there...
You browse YouTube for online money-making ideas.
Numerous business models are available, but many aren't worthwhile.
They promise fast money but lack real value.
Instead, consider this:
Don't focus on a specific model. Leverage your experience, expertise, and knowledge.
How can you start earning from what you already have?
2. Mistake: Not building your base
This is an often-overlooked strategy, but it's wiser to build your foundation from day one.
By foundation, I mean creating your online brand through content.
Instead of beginning with a specific business model, realize you are the business.
Once you establish your online brand, you can pivot to any business.
Want to sell products? You can do it without marketing costs.
Seeking clients? Your audience's trust sets you apart.
Planning to speak professionally? Your audience gives you leverage.
Don't start without a solid foundation; build your brand first.
Don't be the one constantly jumping between business models without building something real and meaningful.
3. Mistake: Don't know how to build an audience.
Building an audience is a vital skill for a successful online business.
It's not a matter of luck; it's a skill you can master and replicate.
I've grown my personal brand on Instagram to over 345K followers, and just to demonstrate it's not luck, I started a new page.
The result?
I've grown that to over 90,000 followers in under 6 months.
It's a repeatable process, as you can see.
That's why mastering content creation and audience building is essential for making money online.
I've compiled all my knowledge on this in The Instagram Creator Course.
Which takes beginners to content pros in less than a month.
For more information, click here and see for yourself.
4. Mistake: The fear of sucking
To make money, you need to be good.
To become good, you must practice.
To practice, you need to start.
And to start, you want to feel confident, right?
The reality is that most people never start because they lack confidence.
However, the only way to gain that confidence is by getting good.
To get good, you need to start. As you can see, you need to break this pattern.
It means being willing to struggle for a while and enduring the phase when it seems like nothing is working, which can last for some time.
That's why most people either never begin or give up—they fear sucking.
5. Mistake: Horrible lifestyle
Realize that to make this venture successful, you can't maintain:
- Consuming junk food
- Staying up late
- Partying
- Drinking
These habits will make you feel foggy, deplete your creativity, and drain your willpower.
However, most people aren't willing to give up these behaviors to improve their lives.
You don't necessarily need to take cold showers, meditate, or walk barefoot, but you do have to eliminate toxic habits that harm your body.
6. Mistake: $10K/month in 2 weeks
This is the most common mistake I see among beginners, and I've made it myself.
I thought I'd be making $10K+ per month within a few weeks of starting, and why not? Many online figures make it seem possible, right?
Realize that people study for 5+ years and work tirelessly to reach this income level.
You must understand that to achieve it, you need to build something sustainable and develop real skills.
While you might get lucky and make $10K in a month, I'm sure you want to sustain it, right?
That will take more than 2 weeks.
In my opinion, be prepared to work for 6–12 months, which isn't that long when you think about it.
7. Mistake: Lack of proof
Most of the time, when you're just starting out, you may not fully believe in yourself.
That's completely normal because you lack concrete proof that it will work.
So your primary goal when starting out is to begin collecting small wins:
- Your first comment
- Your first follower
- Your first sale
The first 1,000 followers and the first $1,000 in sales are the hardest.
But once you get the boat off the sand, it starts to float.
Keep creating.
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you:
Learn how you can earn 6 figures as a content creator with no experience. The Instagram Creator Course offers video lessons and access to a private community with over 2,000 members, delivering the best results in the industry.