I made a post to a forum recently in response to a CFS/ME sufferer's thoughts about running an online business. They expressed a few concerns that I thought might be shared by other sufferers out there, so I've posted my answer here too:

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The sufferer wrote that they have worked from home before (developing software) and that they found it stressful because they had no support and no one to ask when they had problems. I wrote:

This all comes down to the type of business you run. And it's why I always recommend running a content-based web site.

I, for example, get all my support from the other web masters who use the same webhosting/marketing package I use (Site Built It!) by visiting their amazing forum frequently. Whenever I'm stuck, I ask questions there and also learn a lot of tips that way too.

Click here to find out more about SiteBuildIt!...

The sufferer also commented that the deadlines imposed on them meant they ended up doing more hours than they should. I wrote:

Again, this is another reason why I suggest running a content-based web site to ME/CFS sufferers (if they feel well enough and motivated enough to do it ofcourse). If you choose your monetizing options carefully, then you don't have any deadlines apart from those you set yourself - i.e. not set by clients.

In a previous post the sufferer explained what they had in mind in terms of a work-at-home business. Although their ideas would have great merit if that sufferer were well, my concerns were that they would be setting up a work-at-home business that would perhaps be too overwhelming for them. I replied:

The important thing to realise when planning to work from home with CFS/FM is that, as a sufferer, you do have limitations and that there are certain ways of making money that will just be just too demanding for you, either physically or mentally. So you have to be careful with what you plan for and that you plan a business that is within your limitations health wise.

With CFS/ME/FM and the way brain fog and exhaustion affects us (along side all the other symptoms), it's important to think about the work load you're setting yourself up for. And that's why I always recommend to sufferers to build a content-based site about their interests, passions or skills and monetize once they get enough traffic.

With a content-based web site the main thing you need to concern yourself with is creating content. After a while (and if done properly) free traffic (visitors) will come via Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves etc.) and then you can monetize in any way you wish - from using Google's Adsense program, to promoting affiliate programs or even selling your own products.

If you want to learn about the 4-step process of how to create a content-based web site, click here...

The sufferer also wrote that they felt that trying to sell information goes against the free nature of the internet. I wrote:

That is certainly not most of the online business community's opinion!

The Internet is all about give and take - obviously, you need to give your visitors enough good quality, free content. And that is the whole point of your content-based site - it would attract people looking for that free information.

But generating good quality information takes times and work and although some of it, you should give away for free, there is knowledge of yours (or anyone reading this) that people would pay for.

Once visitors read how good the quality of your free content is, they are more likely to want to read the information that you do charge for.

Charging for an ebook you've written is no different from all the hundreds of hard back books out there that are written and that are sold online. It's the same thing - just a different delivery medium.

Ofcourse you can package your knowledge in different ways. Software, ebooks, instructional dvds, a membership area (although I would perhaps not advise this one to sufferers because then you really DO have deadlines to meet i.e. constantly delivering fresh content to your membership area). The list goes on.

And ofcourse the topic of your ebook/web site etc. would be whatever you'd choose it to be - from how to throw the best kid's parties, to how to grow an english garden.

As I keep saying in my work at home section, everyone knows **something** about **something**. The 'focus your light' article might be helpful to anyone who's wondering about this aspect (link below):

http://www.sleepydust.net/focus-your-light.html

And an ebook doesn't have to be long - it can be an ebooklet and you'd just charge less for it.

The sufferer then wrote that they thought that selling other peoples products on a web site is the best route. I replied:

I do not advise sufferers to **sell** other people's products because that means they would have to take care of ordering, packaging, shipping etc, which is totally unfeasible when you have this condition.

I do recommend that people **promote** other people's products by way of affiliate programs. This is totally different because then you don't have to do anything apart from placing a link with a few promotional paragraphs about the product.

To find out about affiliate programs, and about other different ways you can make money by running an online project click here!

But even so, I do not recommend that people focus purely on affiliate programs because it's always best 'not to put all your eggs in one basket'. The monetizing options I write about in the article (linked above) is a good spread and I recommend them because those ways to make money are easier for sufferers to put into place than other types of monetization.

Affiliate programs also have pros and cons just like the other ways. For example, with an affiliate program you rely on someone to click your 'affiliate link' and then BUY something from the affiliate merchant before you are eligible to receive commission. Whereas with google adsense, you receive money if someone just **clicks** on a google adsense advert. So it's much easier to make money that way.

But although it's harder to get the click, Affiliate programs can pay a lot more than a click on a Google's Adsense advert (although this obviously depends on the affiliate program and what you're promoting). So there are pros and cons. That's just one example.

And that's another reason for using a spread of monetizing options.

The sufferer also wrote that they thought that selling information (e.g. in the form of an ebook) on the Internet would not be a good idea because there would be resistance to buying the ebook and so the web site's reach would be limited. I replied:

Selling information is done successfully online the world over! There are people who make most, if not all of their income from just selling their ebooks on their web site. But once again, you need to give in order to receive. There are so many ways of promoting an ebook. Just one effective way is to give away a couple of free chapters from your ebook so people get to see what they'd be buying.

In a previous post the same sufferer expressed their concerns about their brain fog and short term memory loss and how it would affect them if they worked from home. I replied:

'Short term memory' and 'brain fog' certainly can be barriers. And if it is too severe, then yes, working from home is probably unrealistic.

Although the severity of our symptoms are probably quite different, I too suffer from short term memory problems. I cannot remember things unless I write them down - so as you can imagine, I have A LOT of 'notes to self'! I also get brain fog too.

Personally, I have had to learn to be patient with myself.

You know, often there are days where I can't spend any time at all on sleepydust.net. Some days I'm so exhausted, ill and weak, and sleep for so long that I'm only up for an hour or two. Often (most days) I can't even watch tv because of visual and auditory overload. And that does make me mad, and I do have to learn to be even more patient with myself.

If there was a coherence scale then I'd say most of the time, I can't read text back and understand what I've just read, or at least find it extremely taxing. But I just focus on the times when I can - even if it's just a few minutes.

I guess that's what I focus on - what I can do - no matter how little it may seem. I bank on the premise that little tiny steps contribute to one big step in the long run.

It might not be nearly as much as I could do if I was well, but I just maximise the times when I do have a moment of clarity, so to speak.

When it comes down to it, YOU have to decide whether you're well enough to try an online project to gain financial stability.

But if you do think you might be well enough and never try - how will you ever know if you'd succeed?

And what if you just don't dare to try it because you're scared of failing?

Well, the only failure is in never trying, that's what I say. And on that note, here's the last excerpt from one of my posts:

I guess it really all depends on how severe your ME/CFS/FM is. If you're bedridden or have extremely bad brain fog then starting your own online project probably won't be realistic.

But having said that, if a sufferer can think coherently enough to write and read a few posts on a forum, or write an email, or surf the net for even a few minutes every other day, I think that with time, and perseverance, it can be done.

It just means it will take much longer. But hey, where's the fire? There's no rush.

Starting a content-based web site (essentially an online business), whether you're well or not, requires a positive and motivated mental attitude to power it, and so it's definitely not for everyone.

I think it's definitely something that you really have to want to do, and feel ready to do. There is a large psychological aspect to it all, and starting an online project can be a big deal to anyone who's healthy, nevermind to someone who is ill!

Also, I would hate to think that people are interpreting my words as insisting that all sufferers are able to and should work. I do not believe this or want to imply this in any way. It would be a completely ludicrous, arrogant and unrealistic thing to even imply and my message couldn't be further from that.

What I'm saying is that, for some sufferers, the loss of a career and loss of hope for financial freedom means that working from home can really be an interesting option for them, particularly if their condition is not extremely severe and if they feel motivated enough to do it.

Working from home is a large area - and some types of home businesses just aren't suited for sufferers. That is why I recommend starting a content-based web site because you can essentially spend a couple of minutes on it here and there - you don't have to work every day on it - or even every other day - and there's no pressure. No time limit, no boss - just you.

And for those of you who are thinking, 'I can't even code a web site and I know nothing about web marketing!'. You don't have to. I recommend that you check out my article 'Running a web site is easier than you might think' here...

And those little spoonfuls of work slowly build up into a mountain and before you know it, you've built a little empire - just by doing a little each day or every other day - or every third day... basically whenever you feel up to it.

All you really need to do is 'bring your own brain and motivation' - or 'BYOBAM' as Ken Evoy puts it! ;)

I'm testimony of that - the way I feel (exhausted and ill because of the ME/PVFS), sometimes I look at sleepydust and think - 'how on earth...'

When I look at sleepydust.net with fresh eyes, it looks like I'd have to be fighting fit to have created it all. But it was just little old me, plodding along, working at snails pace, (granted it takes a loooooong time) - but doing it.

You see what I've learned is that you have to take those first steps and actually do it. Sounds obvious and straight forward but for many (healthy or otherwise), people think 'Oh well there's no point because it will take so long'.

In my opinion it's like saying, 'I'd love to play the piano but there's no point in learning because it'll take a good couple of years before I can play anything decent'. Well if you did start to learn playing that piano, you'd be a lot further towards your goal two years later! In fact you'd actually be playing the piano! If you chose to do nothing, you'll still be saying the same thing; wishing, hoping and wondering 'what if'...

At first it doesn't seem like much. Even now - I do little things and it still doesn't seem like much. But that's because an online project is just a collection of little actions - actions you can break down and do when you decide and when you feel well enough.

At at some point you'll find that you've been adding your little 'spoonfuls' with such patience and perseverance that you'll be startled when you look up and see the bigger picture. All of a sudden, you've built a little empire without really realising it!

That's the one thing that we have on our side as CFS/FM sufferers, which many of our healthier counterparts perhaps don't - an appreciation of our time and precious little energy, and the perserverance and patience that comes with it.

This page might interest you:

For proof that a CFS sufferer can succeed online click here!

Hope this is helpful. If you have any questions or concerns about working from home, please do feel free to contact me here:

http://www.sleepydust.net/general.html

Claire

Editor of http://www.sleepydust.net