How Do You Justify the Money You Make Online?

[Dr. J]

You know; with people 'out there' "slavin` away" just to 'make ends meet,' it might not seem fair that I get money just for sittin` in my P.J.s and tappin` away on this 'old' noise-maker. Add to that the Keynesian theories of economics (in summary, 'the more they pay you, the less it's worth'), and I'm left with a feeling that I need to 'take responsibility' somehow.

First, a clarification: I don't rely on my online-money (luckily, because I make about $100 a year online ... not a lot, considering my rent until recently was over $500-a-month). I live off a settlement from the incident of my brain-injury ... which still dives deep beneath the poverty line, but I manage.

(... maybe that's one reason why I don't make much money online---that I don't have 'the hunger' ... but that's for another post)

I think the best way to justify the money is to consider any online-income to be 'a gift.' When you are given a gift, you use it as the gift-giver intended you to use it. (Naturally, the way the gift enriches your life SHOULD shine through into your online-activity ... even if it's just the extra confidence that comes with knowing that more money is coming :cool-44

At the same time, you cherish the gift---ONLY using it in the way that the gift-giver wanted!

Thoughts?

 

[sam11]

Making money online is just like any other way of making money. You need to work and work some more if you want to get something out of it. Yes, you do have the option to skip a day or two if you are not in the mood for working. You couldn’t do this if you had a job.

But you must also face the fact that, at least in the beginning, you will need to work for 3-6 months without getting much out of it. Some get lucky and strike gold from the start, but those are few. In my case, it took me over 1 year to start making money. I was making a lot of mistakes which I learned from.

I agree with you: this is a gift. Yet, it still needs work to get delivered

 

[Dr. J]

Of course, sam, that brings up the matter of 'what you are getting paid for' (or 'how the money is getting to you' or 'where the money is coming from') My 'biggest' success online (noting that online is not my "primary" income ) came from advertising-space sold adjacent to my writing---more people loaded the conjoined content onto their computers, I got paid more.

My work (what "pays," anyway) then becomes 'convincing people that they should load the conjoined content.' The tasks there involved include 'staying current' (as people look for the newest news), 'making sure my writing is "visible" (not locked behind my IP-address),' and 'making sure its content is attractive and displays what people want to see' (mostly-accomplished by 'keeping up with what's in the top news,' 'delivering truth on it' & 'avoiding the overuse of prepositions').

 

[ozadin]

Making money online is just like any other way of making money. You need to work and work some more if you want to get something out of it. Yes, you do have the option to skip a day or two if you are not in the mood for working. You couldn’t do this if you had a job.

But you must also face the fact that, at least in the beginning, you will need to work for 3-6 months without getting much out of it. Some get lucky and strike gold from the start, but those are few. In my case, it took me over 1 year to start making money. I was making a lot of mistakes which I learned from.

I agree with you: this is a gift. Yet, it still needs work to get delivered

Well basically you can skip a day or two at work... which ends in you getting fired.

I agree with Dr. J that online and physical working are two different things. You are not obligated to work online, it's a gift. Whether you have a successful blog or website that generates millions of viewers and visitors each day, which racks you in a couple hundred per hour, it's just not the same running a business. In a business, you have to manage your employees, interviews, meetings, you have no time since you're a busy man that has to do everything. When it comes to online, it's basically the opposite. You can just stop whatever you're doing, still generate tons of visitors and viewers, and your money flowing to you is completely passive. You can also make your own working times, take breaks, and actually have time to do other things. Writing an article or working on your interface is way easier than managing a business.

 

[donaldplozha]

Well basically you can skip a day or two at work... which ends in you getting fired.

I agree with Dr. J that online and physical working are two different things. You are not obligated to work online, it's a gift. Whether you have a successful blog or website that generates millions of viewers and visitors each day, which racks you in a couple hundred per hour, it's just not the same running a business. In a business, you have to manage your employees, interviews, meetings, you have no time since you're a busy man that has to do everything. When it comes to online, it's basically the opposite. You can just stop whatever you're doing, still generate tons of visitors and viewers, and your money flowing to you is completely passive. You can also make your own working times, take breaks, and actually have time to do other things. Writing an article or working on your interface is way easier than managing a business.

If you are a very good graphic designer and you skip one or two days at work, you get fired.
If you are a very good graphic designer who works as a freelancer you can work on a big project for 2 weeks and then skip the remaining two weeks of the month at all.

That is the difference and that is what I think people who are really good at these things should start doing. I know that you can't change from working in a fix job to a freelancer right away but you can start and make the transfer slowly. I mean, most of the worthy and intelligent people I know work as freelance photographers, web designer, graphic designers, etc.

 

[Dr. J]

If you are a very good graphic designer and you skip one or two days at work, you get fired.
If you are a very good graphic designer who works as a freelancer you can work on a big project for 2 weeks and then skip the remaining two weeks of the month at all.

That is the difference and that is what I think people who are really good at these things should start doing. I know that you can't change from working in a fix job to a freelancer right away but you can start and make the transfer slowly. I mean, most of the worthy and intelligent people I know work as freelance photographers, web designer, graphic designers, etc.

The thing to remember is that they aren't paying you for 'getting paid.' You DO get paid, but 'getting paid' is not your job. 'Getting paid' is a PART of the transaction, but it's not the end of the bargain YOU hold up. Hold up your end by delivering what THEY need, and they'll give you the money to get what YOU need.

That's where the 'justifying the money' I'm talking about starts

 

[RomanAnthonysMama]

I justify it simply for the fact that I took the time aside to find how to work online. It took years of practice to make real money online at a good pace. If someone doesn't take the time to research ways to make money in the comfort of their own home, then they won't end up getting the benefits from it, and I can't say I feel guilty! They have the same opportunities, they just choose to take day jobs, which they may actually even enjoy more.

 

[Viktori]

I don't feel the need to justify it. The effort and risk equals out in the end when you consider that being employed and having a boss is still a lot more stable, and has its own benefits and disadvantages as well. I see both as being pretty much the same and equal, just has more to do with preference than anything else.

 

[mkcookin]

I justify it by simply acknowledging that after I spent thousands of hours learning implementing and testing -- I created myself an online business that will earn me money.

The same goes for offline businesses. How do you think that people that created a business from the ground up, then 5 years later are relaxing on the beach sipping drinks and enjoying life.

They both were willing to work hard and invest time in themselves -- rather then for some one else.

 

[Dr. J]

I don't feel the need to justify it. The effort and risk equals out in the end when you consider that being employed and having a boss is still a lot more stable, and has its own benefits and disadvantages as well. I see both as being pretty much the same and equal, just has more to do with preference than anything else.

I'm thinking more along the lines of 'are you more-careful with "more money"?' I'm not caring so much 'whether you feel you deserve it' (because--if people got money according to 'how much they deserve'--I would be one of the 'sources of all money' (i.e. I would be a Federal Reserve Bank).

I justify it by simply acknowledging that after I spent thousands of hours learning implementing and testing -- I created myself an online business that will earn me money.

The same goes for offline businesses. How do you think that people that created a business from the ground up, then 5 years later are relaxing on the beach sipping drinks and enjoying life.

They both were willing to work hard and invest time in themselves -- rather then for some one else.

You make money serving customers' desire to 'give you money'? I wish there were a niche-market of 'people who want to give me money' ... but---no, no I don't :laugh:

 

[protoboard]

I don't think you should consider the income you get for working online a gift. That will make you think that the time you put working online has no value but it has a value and the money you are making should be seen like a reward for your time.

Online work is just like any other work and you should always be serious about that if you want to be making some serious money.

 

[wasi90lk]

When you are making money online, you are still working for it.

There are many successful millionaires who have gotten rich from the internet. All of them worked hard, nothing was given to them for free.

 

[fltdude]

Justify is kind of a strong word. Whenever someone asks me I just explain that it is something like a hobby to me that I enjoy doin when I'm not at work. But unlike any other hobby this one earns me money

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[Cammie27]

I second the opinion that justify is a strong word. It implies a need to explain that I don't think exists in any legitimate work arrangement, whether online or in person, self-employed or punching a clock.

I am striving to learn how to make money online and from my home office for the same reasons someone else might choose traditional employment - because the wages and benefits suit my situation. In a different set of circumstances I'd likely make different choices, but since I have the freedom to take my time and build a business slowly and the skillset to work as a freelancer rather than an employee that is the route I've chosen. I don't feel like I work less than people who are out there in the "rat race". I just work differently.

 

[Kristy]

I don't make a lot doing it (so far it's just a hobby) but more money is more money. Even a little bit helps. Plus it's fun for me and I suppose there are worse things one could do in their spare time.

 

[Dr. J]

What I don't think people are seeing is that MONEY DOESN'T CARE. The money you make doesn't care that 'you just got it by doing a hobby' or 'you really stressed yourself out getting it' or 'you put in long hours at the construction site' or 'you just sit around in your P.J.s typing smart stuff' or whatever, just like a knife doesn't care whether you use it to cut up-tin cans or -gourmet steak or -something evil ... the money isn't "good" until you use it right.

And protoboard, the time you spend working online DOESN'T have any value (not to anyone but you). What you are getting paid for is "the number of people who read/look-at/buy your work." If you spend-one hour to make one sale/connection or three hours to make another sale/connection, the one-hour transaction is going to pay EXACTLY THE SAME as the three-hour.

 

[John Smithers]

Whilst some may think that justify is a rather strong term to use here, I think that it is perfectly appropriate as there are far too many people making cents online, but working themselves to death for it. If you ask me, we all need to take a serious look at what we are willing to do online for a couple of dollars, and how it translates to what we'd do offline. Remember, a 9 hour job offline pays on average $50,000, whilst online you are pleased when you receive $100 a month.

 

[wasi90lk]

I do not think you will have to justify your money making online, that is just ridiculous.

As long as you are not breaking any rule, you will never have to justify to anyone.

 

[protoboard]

What I don't think people are seeing is that MONEY DOESN'T CARE. The money you make doesn't care that 'you just got it by doing a hobby' or 'you really stressed yourself out getting it' or 'you put in long hours at the construction site' or 'you just sit around in your P.J.s typing smart stuff' or whatever, just like a knife doesn't care whether you use it to cut up-tin cans or -gourmet steak or -something evil ... the money isn't "good" until you use it right.

And protoboard, the time you spend working online DOESN'T have any value (not to anyone but you). What you are getting paid for is "the number of people who read/look-at/buy your work." If you spend-one hour to make one sale/connection or three hours to make another sale/connection, the one-hour transaction is going to pay EXACTLY THE SAME as the three-hour.

I really don't understand why you are telling this. Of course the time you spend working online DO have value. You are telling exactly the same thing as I am. Your time should be valuable for you. That's what I'm talking about. That's why I don't see how the money you get through your work (and your precious time) should be seen as a GIFT. A gift from whom? If only it's a gift from you, because you are the one making it possible. It's not something that just fell from heaven. Is the result of your work.

 

[Dr. J]

I do not think you will have to justify your money making online, that is just ridiculous.

As long as you are not breaking any rule, you will never have to justify to anyone.

Maybe you think I'm using 'justify' in a "legal" sense (like you're breaking a law and have to have a good reason for it), but you're apparently unaware of what you are doing ... lemme see if I can explain: say I refer you into some business, and you 'earn' $1000 there; but the check you get is less than $800 (your earnings minus my referral credit minus taxation). When does that referral percentage stop being 'what you earned' & start being 'what I earned'? Is that transfer 'just'?

The 'law' that you are breaking is a fundamental law of the marketplace---Quid pro Quo (Latin for 'this for that' or 'mine for yours'). What do you give to the people who pay you?

I really don't understand why you are telling this. Of course the time you spend working online DO have value. You are telling exactly the same thing as I am. Your time should be valuable for you. That's what I'm talking about. That's why I don't see how the money you get through your work (and your precious time) should be seen as a GIFT. A gift from whom? If only it's a gift from you, because you are the one making it possible. It's not something that just fell from heaven. Is the result of your work.

Not exactly. Money IS NOT "the result of your work," it's 'the result of people being convinced to give it to you.' Often it is 'your work' that does most of the 'convincing,' but never without PEOPLE WHO GIVE!

I told you 'MONEY DOESN'T CARE' because I was trying to shift your point-of-view from 'what do I get for what I do?' to 'what does the money get for what I put it through?'. Another way to try to shift your vie is to remind you that 'online opportunity'-money buys just as much as 'VA-worker'-money, as much as 'prison guard'-money.

Long ago, the American money-system (outside of the resource-industries) was based upon 'an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.' Of course that--much like online employment--also rested upon the fact that employers GAVE the honest day's pay (Granted, most workers would not work if the pay were not offered; but the employers were not FORCED to agree to the contracts.)

Online, that translates from 'honest day's work' to 'honest page-openings by fans' and from 'honest day's pay' to 'honest CPM (cost per thousand)'.