How many times have you heard people declare that this online money-making business is a scam? Is it legal, is it doable, many people wonder?

Besides that, how many times have you seen people so geared up to make money online only to give up after a few months of trying? Uncountable, right?

When I started working online and made a few dollars, I almost joined this bandwagon of naysayers. I believed it was impossible to pay your bills making money online. After all, with all the scams and jobs paying pennies online, how does one succeed in this area?

It took a lot of persistence, focus, and research to finally change my mindset. I realized that it was actually possible to live a comfortable life making money online.

Change is difficult

Human beings don’t like change. According to an article by Forbes on 9 reasons why people fail, 8% of resolutions made in a new year do not succeed, and about 70% of change efforts fail.

They continue to state that one way of ensuring that you do not fail is to diagnose the source of your failure. Diagnosing why failure happens puts you in a better position to deal with it. This increases your chances of succeeding.

From my experience working online on a full-time basis, I have gained some insights into why beginners especially fail to make money online. I also provide insights on what they can do to fix the situation. Join me as I discuss reasons for failure and what you can do to fix it.

Top reasons why people do not make money online

The top reasons beginners do not make money online include:

1. A lack of belief in themselves

As noted earlier, human beings hate change because it is uncomfortable. It also demands a shift in the way they do things. Venturing into a new area is difficult, especially if you don’t have the skills required.

When starting something new, I’m always motivated by toddlers learning to walk. Despite falling many times and hitting themselves, they don’t give up. They still stand up one more time and take a few more steps until they reach their goal of walking without falling.

How to fix it

You need to develop a toddler mindset as you approach the idea of making money online. As a beginner, you will fail many times as you learn to walk in this journey. But like a toddler, take the next step and believe that you will finally hack it and succeed in this journey.

However much a toddler gets discouraged by falls and other voices; he will still take a step one more time until he makes it. Supposing they decided they have had enough of falling, would they ever walk? Absolutely not.

Decide that nothing will stand in the way of you and your success.

2. Running after new opportunities

This is also known as the “shiny object syndrome.” Most people jump into every opportunity they hear about making money online even without getting all the facts.

The truth of the matter is that working online is full of shiny objects. Every other day, there is someone promising you an immediate shift from rags to riches if you tried their “one thing.” They make it look so easy and so tempting that it is hard to resist.

They work on your emotions to make you buy their suggested courses or whatever they are selling. Before you realize it, you have wasted so much money. You then declare nothing works and it is impossible to make money online.

How to fix it

Be focused and know exactly what you want. Decide which area of making money online you will concentrate on. Come up with goals you want to accomplish in that area and give yourself specific targets. Doing this will help you avoid searching all over the Internet looking for the next big thing.

Also looking for guidance from people who have gone ahead of you and are successful is critical. They can ground you in your chosen idea.

3. Trying too many things/lack of focus

This one is related to the previous point. Like any other business, you cannot expect to succeed if you are working on ten different things at once.

As a new business person starting out, you cannot open a restaurant, a fashion shop, a building and construction firm, and rear dairy cows at the same time.

The amount of overwhelm will be insane. You will have no time to focus on any of them or sharpen your skills in any specific area.

How to fix it

Decide on just one thing and give it all your focus. Learn everything you can about your niche until you become an expert that other people can look up to for help. Once you are an expert at one thing, you can then add something else to the mix.

4. Lack of persistence/giving up too soon

You will never become an expert until you persist in something for a time. Some people have suggested that to become an expert in any skill, you need to practice it for at least three hours a day without fail for one whole year. This may sound extreme but you cannot become great at anything until you master its basics, which takes time and effort.

Think about it, the best of the best in the world do not just wake up and perform. Athletes have to spend many hours practicing before a competition. The best performers spend hours and hours practicing before a performance. What makes you think making money online is any different?

How to fix it

Choose a niche that can make you money and that you also have some interest in. Striking a balance can be difficult, but it is important. Most of our hobbies will never make us any money. Yet, there is something that you have some interest in that people will spend money on.

On the other hand, if you start doing something that can you make you money but you care less about it, eventually you will lose interest and give up.

The solution is to strike the balance of interest and making money.

5. Failure to educate themselves

We all go to school to learn different things and spend thousands of dollars funding it. Yet, with making money online, few people will fund their education to improve their skills.

Many people just want to work through trial and error or better still, ask a few people here and there what works and what doesn’t. This can only take you so far.

How to fix it

You can start by looking for free information from blogs in your niche. Many expert bloggers provide courses on specific niches. For example, there are many courses on how to start a blog or how to do transcription besides many other niches.

Do a simple search on Google and look for free or paid courses on your area of interest.

Besides, there are many platforms that offer different courses in any niche. Examples are Udemy, Teachable, and Thinkific among others.

Most of the courses on these platforms are fairly priced. Regardless of the cost, invest in your own education to gain skills in your area of choice.

A simple Google search on make money online courses or make money online + the platform will give you an idea of the courses that you can buy.

6. Lack of necessary tools

Like any other business, you cannot expect to succeed in the online business world without the necessary tools. If you opened a restaurant but there was no furniture, cutlery, or food, you would not expect to get any customers.

Similarly, an online business requires the necessary tools for it to succeed.

How to fix it

Before you start, ensure that you have the basic tools that you require to make money online. The bare minimum is to have a computer and an internet connection. You can add more tools as it gets clear which area you want to focus on.

For example, a person who focuses on transcription will need to invest in quality headphones, a transcription software, and an internet connection. So, the tools you need will depend on the niche you focus on.

7. Shooting for low paying opportunities

Before you become an authority in a niche, it is okay to accept low-paying jobs as you refine your skills. Most of these jobs are in content mill platforms and freelance sites. However, this does not have to continue on forever.

Earning money that can barely meet your basic needs is enough reason for you to quit. As soon as you gather enough skills and experience, it is time to move on to better-paying jobs.

How to fix it

Connect with other online workers in your niche to find out the best places to get good-paying jobs. Facebook groups and forums in your niche are great places to get to know and develop relationships with other people.

In addition, do not be afraid of cold pitching people. Just write emails or talk to people you think may find interest in your product or service. It may take longer to hear from people when using this strategy. But when they reply and you turn out to be a good match for each other, you can work together for years.

8. Laziness

Let’s face it, many people fail just because of sheer laziness. They do not want to search for information. They do not want to learn. They do not want to sharpen their skills; they just want to receive everything in a silver platter. We only find this in fiction movies, not in real life. To get anything good, you have to work for it.

How to fix it

Come out of your comfort zone and take the necessary steps to get what you want in life. Make a list of goals to accomplish and do whatever it takes to accomplish them. Do not rest until you have accomplished your goals. Wake up early, focus on your goals, sleep late and remove every distraction.

9. Scams, scams, scams and more scams

Needless to say, the Internet is full of scams. There are hundreds of people out there looking for unsuspecting people to prey on. People starting out looking for ways to make money online are usually the target of these scammers. If you are not careful, you can lose thousands of dollars and eventually give up.

How to fix it

In most cases, people asking for money in exchange for jobs online are usually scammers. Run as fast as you can from such individuals. You should not have to pay to work.

You can almost always uncover a scam through a simple Google search. Search the name of the person or the program they are offering plus the word scam or review. This will let you know whether they have swindled other people before you.

Checking within forums and social media groups like Facebook groups can also unearth a scammer before they swindle you.

Final thoughts

I have spoken from my experience sharing with you the reasons that made me almost throw in the towel when I started making money online.

I wanted to give you a head start as you start this journey so you know what to expect and avoid the pitfalls I fell into.

Having the information and being honest with yourself concerning the weaknesses that you need to work on will ensure that you do not give up when tough times come.

Remember that if you fail, all is not lost. We all fail at one time or another. Wake up, dust yourself, and try again.

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