KaChing: How to Run an Online Business that Pays and Pays

Introduction—Creating Your Personal KaChing Button

When the Internet took off, it introduced a whole bunch of new sounds into our lives. We've grown used to hearing the two-note ring that tells us we have mail. We can recognize the rising sound of Windows opening up across a crowded Starbucks. And we all know the death-knell "bong" warning us that we've just done something wrong.

But there's one sound we don't hear on computers, even though it's been part of our lives for decades: the "KaChing" sound a cash register makes when it opens.

That's a real shame, because to an entrepreneur, there's no music like it.

It's not just the announcement that you're getting money—although that's always very nice. It's the declaration that you've achieved success.

You've made a sale!

You had an idea. You did the research. You created your product, and when you launched it in the marketplace ... it worked!

You were right!

People do like the idea. They like it so much, they're even willing to put their hands in their pockets and give you their own money for it. There's no greater proof of your ability than that.

It's an incredible feeling. Not even your first paycheck can compare to it. There are no risks involved in renting your skills to an employer. There's no investment, so the rewards are much lower, too.

But when you're setting up your own business, when you're launching a product—even if it's a product as simple as an ad-supported web site—you're investing your time, your passion, and yes, perhaps ...