You've heard that massive amounts of cash are being made online.  And you’re aching to stake your claim! But before you leap, you should know;

The internet is like an old-fashioned gold rush.

J.S. Holliday, author of "The World Rushed In" described a gold rush:

“In a sleepy valley, the American Dream was re-defined. An accidental discovery near an obscure river forever changed a young nation. The simple life would no longer be enough.

In its place would come a new lifestyle: entrepreneurial, wide-open, and free. The American dream: to get rich quick.

Instant wealth was here for the taking. All across America, young men made the decision to go to California."

Every city, and town sent the brightest and strongest to California. They also came from Europe, Asia, and South America. It was the greatest of adventures, the search for instant riches.

Gold in California was easy to get at. Elsewhere, deep dangerous mines were needed. But in California gold was often found lying on the ground!

More gold could be had by panning the streams and rivers. Even more gold could be had for the price a digging around the banks of streams and rivers.

The prospect of making lots of money creates an excitement which was called gold fever in the days of the California gold rush.

Gold rushes have certain characteristics.  For example when word gets out that gold is found, there begins an instant massive relocation of men and material to that place. Overnight, a wilderness is transformed into a mining town. Men and women flock to the place all flush with gold fever.

People affected by gold fever make poor decisions.  Feverish describes their state of mine.

Similarly, entrepreneurs with Internet fever make poor decisions.

The Gold Rush Reality:

Every gold rush needs a booster. The booster is the guy, the P.T. Barnum kind of guy; part showman, part huckster, always the opportunist; who's able to see the big picture in any situation.

Sam Brannan was such a man in the California gold rush.

“A San Francisco merchant, Brannan was a skilled craftsman of hype. Eventually, the Gold Rush would make him the richest person in California -- but Brannan never mined gold.
 
He had a different scheme -- a plan he set into motion by running through the streets of San Francisco shouting about the discovery of gold. As proof, Brannan held up a bottle of gold dust. It was a stroke of genius that would spark the rush for gold -- and make Brannan rich.

When he started racing through the streets yelling, "Gold, gold in the American River," Sam had no intention of digging for it. He was planning on selling shovels. And the first person who sold shovels got a lot more gold than the person who had to dig for it."

Brannan keenly understood the laws of supply and demand. His wild run through San Francisco came just after he had purchased every pick axe, pan and shovel in the region. A metal pan that sold for twenty cents a few days earlier was now available from Brannan for fifteen dollars. In just nine weeks he made thirty-six thousand dollars.”” Quoted from JoAnn Levy, author "They Saw the Elephant"

Internet marketing looks like a gold rush. 

Often a would-be miner left for the gold fields with little more information than a rumor. Little thought was given to what was going to be required in terms of time and material. And so, one of the first casualties of a Gold Rush is accurate information.

Mining the Miners:

The first casualty of internet marketing is the lack of accurate information. People start online business with nothing more than rumor and/or misinformation.

Sam Brannan's story reveals that it's the promoters of the Gold Rush, that make money. Similarly, there are plenty of internet marketing hucksters willing to sell you a shovel they themselves don't know how to use.

(FYI) offers solid information to enable you to make good business decisions. On the following pages you'll find information how to start various small businesses online.

 Best eBay Businesses