That’s a very controversial statement to make, especially when there are so many good membership sites out there. So let me clarify it based on my own experience.

I have subscribed to several types of membership sites during the last eighteen months. I did this for two reasons. The first reason is I was looking for the “Holy Grail” that would help make it easy for me to be successful on the Internet. The other reason is I wanted to see what these sites offered. Since starting my Internet Empire Quest I have paid membership fees from $9.00 to $197 a month to probably twenty or more Membership sites. At most I paid for two or three months then cancelled. Why?

Some had sample periods for several days or for $1 or some other trial method so I was able to take a look for minimum cost.

Many of the membership sites were well organized and had lots of good information.

But I found I had several problems:

• I found I was not really ready for some sites to take advantage of their information
• Some I found complex and time consuming to use
• Some got my “Crap Detector” buzzing!
• Some I realized were not what I wanted to do in the Internet
• Others were great but I could not apply myself to doing what I should be doing consistently

From the list I’d say my lack of ability to concentrate was the biggest problem. I just saw too many other things on the Internet that seemed “easier” once I’d signed up for a Membership site. Or I would promise myself this time it was different and I really would do what the site was telling me I must do. It would last for a few days and then my “real work” or a family issue would break my determination and there I was paying a monthly fee and not even visiting the site to follow through.

I have run a Computer Consultancy business for 25 years and have been consistent and reasonably successful. However I have found as I have gotten older my concentration has waned. I lose interest in something new quite quickly and can get sidetracked by a new product sent to me in my email. I go to bed at night determined to stick to my plan the next day. On rising I find myself looking forward to opening my email and clicking on all the new links to new products and membership sites. I start doing the things I said I would not do. In this I am consistent!

As we Baby Boomers get older I’d like to think it is not just me with this problem. So if you are looking to start an Internet business or Blog for money or just do it for interests sake you need to find out if you suffer from “my problem”. Don’t spend any money on paid Membership sites, or anything to do with the Internet for that matter until you know for sure.

It probably will pay all us Baby Boomers to take a concentration test to avoid starting an Internet business when our concentration skills are in need of improving. It could save a lot of frustration. Queendom.com has a concentration test that might just help identify if you have a problem.

I have no affiliation to Queedom.com and do not receive any commission for send you there via the link above.

In my next Post I will write about what I consider to be one of the most useful programs for your Blogging business.

This blog is about “How to Blog for Money” but it is just as important to know “How not to lose Money”. This article tells you why I am qualified to talk about how not to lose money. As with most successful business it is the first rule – don’t lose money.

My first venture into the Internet Business was a disaster. I invested $18,500 USD with Stores On Line to help me build three Web sites to sell products. I spent many hours (not included in the $18,500) creating the first site and did sell some product but it was hard work.

Stores On Line support was just too hard to use. It took some months to get the payment processor approved. Then it took weeks for me to have it cancelled. The coaching and marketing was a joke. It was an experience I would not want you to go through.

I found out later that a year earlier in Australia their Australian agent or subsidiary had to pay back approximately $600,000 to people who had purchased their packages. StoresOnLIne is still operating in Australia.

If you Google StoresOnLine you will see thousands of entries on them. Many they have set up themselves, to counter the negative sites. A forum is also on line so you can check it out yourselves here at the Online Merchant Forum.

Despite all of this I got bitten with the Internet Marketer’s Bug and have kept working at it. I have now gained a good understanding of the Internet.

Since then I have tried many products includes Google Cash, Affiliate Radar PPCRiches and SpeedPPC. Many I have asked for and got a refund. Some were good products whilst others looked like rubbish to me. Many were not what I wanted to do after I looked at them in more detail. But not one of them were as difficult to deal with as StoresOnLine was.

The result is whilst I have spent some money on eBooks and low cost software I have gained a good education on Internet Marketing and have decided to write about what I haver found useful and helpful that may lead to making money from a Blog.

I can also write about blogging from a Baby Boomer’s perspective since I will be 60 this year and am in semi-retirement.

In the next few posts I will talk about what software I have found the most useful for getting started on the Internet. There are many things you should know that you can do yourself or out-source.

Don’t forget to turn on your Crap Detector though!

Tags: baby+boomers, blogging, storesonline.com