intrepreneur in-tra-pre-noor, n. a person who organizes, maintains and takes responsibility for an internet business venture.

Starting any business is a somewhat daunting task, but to start what is now known as a traditional or offline business should only be considered if you have very deep pockets, a lot of patience or a unique and brilliant idea.

I say this because I have been running my own traditional style businesses for the last 17 years and to be perfectly honest, it is not getting any easier. On the contrary, it is actually harder if not impossible to earn a reasonable income now because of ever increasing overheads and diminshing profit margins due to unprecedented levels of competition both on and offline. Each year I have seen my expenditure increase as a result of higher rent, rates, water charges, electricity/gas charges, insurances, staff costs, telephones not to mention raw materials. What makes matters worse, if I increase my prices accordingly to compensate, I notice a dramatic drop in sales and so I have become the proverbial hamster in the wheel running faster and faster but going nowhere.

However, with the advent of the internet and in particular broadband, it is now so much easier to start and run your own business. Furthermore, what is especially interesting is that this can be done with very little overheads, no business premises, no stock and no staff. The business is open for trade 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can actually make money whilst you sleep. Now is that a good business or not.

But wait a minute, any business whether it is traditional or online requires hardwork and effort and if you are not prepared to give them this then I wish you well in whatever you do because it is unlikely you will make money working for yourself.

On the other hand, if like me, you are prepared to give it your all, your total commitment, your undivided attention, you too can become an intrepreneur.

Believe it or believe it not, setting up an internet business venture can be done by following the same blueprint that everyone before you has followed. It is not rocket science and you dont have to re-invent the wheel. All you have to do is be committed, keep at it and do what others have done before you. This is very much the key to be successful online.

What I have found in my years of business is something which I have called the 10% rule and it goes like this.

90% of the worlds wealth is owned by 10% of its population. 90% give up easily and only 10% go on to be reasonably successful of this 10% only 10% go on to become very wealthy

and the reason they did was because they followed the rules and stuck at it.

There is no magical formulae, no holy grail, just pure determination, commitment and with predetermined goals you and me can become one of the 10 percent.

All the information, tools and resources which you require are readily available to download from the internet itself.

I wish you every success and a prosperous future.

Gordon McAlpine