I can only say, "Pinch yourself, for you are dreaming."

I can hear you saying, "But what about the MLM (multi-level marketing) and Associate programs that proliferate on the Net? " Sure, you can generate some cash from these programs. But I have never heard of a successful Multi-Level-Marketer who doesn't devote a lot of time to the business. Even if you do manage to get plenty of people in your "downline" -- your time will be spent motivating them, trouble shooting, record keeping and more.

If you want to make money from an Internet business, you will work as hard as you will with a bricks-and-mortar business. And as always, the hardest work happens during startup and for the first year or two. If you intend to run your Internet business as a sideline to your regular employment, then you have a part time job that will take up at least 15-20 hours a week of your time.

1. Establish a method of online payment. If you are asking your customers to send you checks, you will lose at least 80% of your sales. I receive about one check every three months. All other sales go through one of my two online payment options.

2.Tinker with search engine placement. Registering isn't enough. You must consider ranking and placement. Successful webpreneurs learn the "how-to's" of search engine placement and they expect to spend a few hours every week working with their ratings. And yes, you can get buy software that helps you do this -- but you will still spend many hours acting on the information it gives you.

3. Develop and follow a marketing plan that allows you to reach your target market. This can include paid or barter advertisements, publishing your own newsletter, providing articles for other people's newsletters and web sites, writing e-books, running free contests or surveys, entering into joint ventures with other entrepreneurs, registering your site with directories and arranging reciprocal links with others sites. Purchasing an Internet Marketing Course is money well spent

4. Provide customer support. Expect to spend time answering emails, talking on the telephone and otherwise providing good customer service. Webpreneurs who avoid personal attention face order cancellation, credit card chargebacks and other complaints. Word-of-mouth promotion can be your friend or your enemy, depending on how you treat your customers.

5. Providing tech support. If your payment method or your product involves using a computer, then expect to assist customers whose computer skills are minimal. This eats up time but it's a reality of online sales.

6. Keeping yourself updated. The Internet changes at the speed of light. Not only will you need to learn how to do all the things mentioned above, but you can never sit on your laurels. Being a webpreneur involves a commitment to ongoing learning.

If your pockets are deep enough, you can hire someone to do this work for you. But whether you perform the labor or hire it -- these tasks have to happen if your business is going to succeed.

However, the news isn't all bad. People who do their homework really can make a decent living from a Web business.