Are excuses holding back your online business? It may sound like a slightly uncomfortable question, but I believe it is something we all need to ask ourselves from time to time. Building an online business can be rewarding, but it also brings challenges, setbacks and plenty of opportunities to become distracted.
There is also a lot of noise surrounding the make-money-online world. At one extreme, we see people suggesting that everything is easy and that huge results can come almost overnight. At the other extreme, some people seem convinced that nothing works and that succeeding online is almost impossible. In reality, I believe we need a much more balanced approach.
An online business takes time to build, and there will almost certainly be mistakes along the way. However, there comes a point when we need to stop analysing every possible problem and start taking practical action. Sometimes the biggest thing holding us back is not a lack of information, but the excuses we allow ourselves to make.
Are We Making Progress Or Making Excuses?
I speak to quite a few people about online business, affiliate marketing and content creation. Over the years, one thing I have noticed is how differently people respond when they encounter an obstacle. Some look for another route forward, while others immediately start listing all the reasons why something cannot work.
Of course, genuine obstacles exist. People have jobs, families, financial pressures and other responsibilities, so I am certainly not suggesting that every difficulty is simply an excuse. The important thing is being honest enough with ourselves to recognise the difference between a genuine limitation and something we have allowed to become a reason not to move forward.
Sometimes we already know what needs to be done. We may have completed the training, chosen our niche and learned the basics, yet another week passes without publishing anything. At that point, more information may not be the answer. Taking one practical step could be far more valuable.
What Gary Vee Said About Taking Action
I recently made a video about something Gary Vaynerchuk said regarding what he would do if he suddenly lost his job. His answer caught my attention because he immediately talked about taking action rather than dwelling on the problem.
Gary said that he would start creating plenty of content on LinkedIn. He would look back over his career, consider everything he had learned and turn those experiences into useful content. That might include lessons from previous jobs, problems he had solved, mistakes he had made and things he wished he had known earlier.
His point is particularly relevant because most of us know more about our chosen subject than we realise. Every article we write, every video we create and every problem we solve adds to our experience. Over time, that knowledge can become extremely valuable content if we are willing to share it.
There is also a wider lesson here for anyone trying to build an online business. We can spend a great deal of time thinking about what we should do, but eventually we need to put something into practice. I have written previously about how taking consistent action can lead to real results online, and the principle is the same here.
Taking Action Is More Important Than Talking About It
The phrase “take action” is used so often in online business circles that it can almost become meaningless. However, there is a very good reason why successful people keep repeating it. Nothing changes until we actually do something.
Training is useful and research is important, but neither replaces implementation. Someone can spend months studying affiliate marketing without ever publishing a website. Another person can watch dozens of YouTube tutorials without recording a single video. At some point, learning needs to turn into practical work.
Your first attempt may not be particularly good, but that is completely normal. Skills improve through practice, and mistakes often teach us more than endlessly preparing for the perfect moment. I would much rather create something imperfect and learn from it than spend months waiting until everything feels exactly right.
Results Usually Take Longer Than We Expect
Another common problem is expecting results too quickly. Someone creates a website, publishes several articles or uploads a few videos, then becomes discouraged because very little seems to happen. Online business rarely works that quickly, especially when we are building something from scratch.
People often look at successful entrepreneurs today and forget about the years of work that came before their success became visible. Gary Vaynerchuk is a good example because he has spoken many times about producing large amounts of content before seeing major results. The audience sees where someone is today, but they do not always see the years of work behind it.
The same principle applies to affiliate marketing, blogging and YouTube. A new website needs content and authority before it can attract meaningful traffic. A YouTube channel needs videos before it can build an audience, while social media accounts need consistent activity before people begin recognising the person behind them.
Patience does not mean sitting around waiting for something to happen. It means continuing to work while understanding that results may arrive later than we would like. That is why consistency is so important when building something online.
“I Don’t Have Enough Time”
Lack of time must be one of the most common reasons people give for not moving forward. Most of us are busy, so I understand the problem, but it can still be useful to look carefully at where our time is actually going.
I personally like to work early in the morning and aim to start around 5 AM whenever possible. My mind is normally fresher at that time of day, there are fewer distractions and I can often achieve much more than I would later in the evening. That routine will not suit everyone, of course, because some people work better at completely different times.
The important thing is finding a routine that works for your circumstances. You may not have three or four uninterrupted hours available, but perhaps you can find 25 or 30 minutes to complete one useful task. A short period of focused work can still make a meaningful difference when it is repeated regularly.
If time management is something you struggle with, I have also written about simple time management tips that work. My own approach is deliberately uncomplicated because I find that simple systems are often easier to maintain over the long term.
My 25-Minute Productivity Test
One technique I use regularly is setting a timer for 25 minutes. During that period, I try to concentrate on one task rather than jumping between different things. Once the timer finishes, I look back and ask myself what I actually achieved.
This works particularly well when working online because distractions are everywhere. A quick look at Facebook, an email notification or an interesting article can easily take us away from what we intended to do. Before we realise it, half an hour has disappeared without anything meaningful being completed.
The timer gives me a simple way of staying accountable. It also makes larger tasks feel more manageable because I am only committing to one focused block of work rather than thinking about several hours at once. If the 25 minutes were productive, I can start another session after a short break.
Perfectionism Can Become Another Excuse
Wanting to produce good work is obviously a positive thing, but perfectionism can easily become a problem. Some people spend so long trying to make everything perfect that very little ever gets published.
Your first blog post probably will not be your best article, and your first YouTube video may make you cringe when you watch it several years later. That is simply part of learning. Very few people begin with professional-level skills because those skills develop through repeated practice.
It is generally better to publish something useful and then improve with each new piece of content. The next article can have a better introduction, the next video can have improved lighting, and the next thumbnail can be clearer. Progress comes from doing the work and then learning from the result.
If you are still at the early stages of building an online business, my guide on how to start building an online business now may also help. It focuses on taking practical steps rather than becoming overwhelmed by everything at once.
Mistakes Are Part Of The Process
Mistakes are unavoidable when we are trying something new. I have made plenty over the years and fully expect to make more, because running a business always involves testing ideas and occasionally getting things wrong.
A video that performs badly may teach you something about titles or thumbnails. An article with little traffic might reveal a problem with keyword choice or search intent. A marketing campaign that does not convert can show you that your message needs improving.
The important thing is learning from what happened rather than treating every setback as proof that the whole business model has failed. A mistake can become useful information when we analyse it properly and make an adjustment.
That mindset is also one of the reasons I continue to believe in affiliate marketing. I have written previously about why I did not quit affiliate marketing but added something alongside it. Sometimes the answer is not abandoning everything, but learning, adapting and adding another approach where appropriate.
Be Careful With Continual Negativity
I have recently been trying to encourage someone who is struggling to make progress with his online business. We have exchanged quite a few messages, and I genuinely want to see him move forward. However, almost every suggestion seems to come back with a negative response or another reason why something cannot be done.
There is only so much encouragement another person can provide. Someone can point us towards useful training, suggest ideas and offer support, but eventually we still have to take the next step ourselves. If we stop for a month and do nothing, we cannot realistically expect the business to move forward during that time.
This does not mean pretending that everything is wonderful or ignoring genuine problems. I strongly dislike the unrealistic hype that sometimes surrounds online business because it creates false expectations. A balanced outlook recognises that difficulties exist while still looking for practical ways to overcome them.
Being realistic is healthy, but constant negativity can become a habit. Once we automatically look for the reason something will fail, it becomes much harder to recognise the opportunities that may already be in front of us.
Procrastination Does Not Always Look Like Procrastination
One of the dangers of procrastination is that it can sometimes look like productive work. We might spend several hours watching training videos, researching tools or reading articles and then feel as though we have worked on the business all day.
Learning certainly has value, but we need to ask whether the information is leading to action. If we already understand the basics of affiliate marketing, perhaps we do not need another ten videos explaining the same concept. Publishing an article or improving an existing page may be a much better use of that time.
The same applies to endlessly changing software, themes, tools or business models. Sometimes the search for something better becomes an excuse for not working with what we already have. There will always be another tool to try and another course to watch, but eventually we need to build something.
Small Actions Can Build Momentum
Progress does not always come from huge bursts of activity. In many cases, small actions carried out consistently are far more valuable. Writing several hundred words, recording one short video or improving an existing page may not feel significant on its own, but repeated effort adds up.
After several months, those small actions can turn into dozens of articles, videos and social media posts. Your skills improve at the same time because every piece of content gives you another opportunity to learn. That growing body of work can eventually become a valuable business asset.
Consistency also helps build momentum. Once we get into the habit of doing something regularly, starting becomes easier because the activity becomes part of our normal routine rather than something we continually postpone.
Use The Platforms That Make Sense For Your Business
Another lesson I have been thinking about recently concerns social media platforms. I have always liked LinkedIn and taken the platform seriously because I appreciate its more professional nature. Facebook is different for me because it has never been one of my favourite platforms.
However, some of my recent experiments with Facebook have produced surprisingly good results. That has reminded me that personal preference and business evidence are not always the same thing. If a platform is putting useful content in front of the right people, it makes sense to pay attention even if it is not the platform I naturally prefer.
Different platforms can also perform different jobs within the same business. LinkedIn may be useful for professional connections and demonstrating experience, while Facebook might produce unexpected reach and engagement. YouTube can provide searchable video content that continues working long after it has been published.
I have written more about LinkedIn in my article on why conversations matter when growing on LinkedIn. If Facebook is part of your strategy, you can also browse my Facebook articles and tutorials.
Your Website Should Still Be The Main Platform
Despite the power of social media, I still believe your website should remain at the centre of your online business. Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube can all be extremely useful, but we do not own any of them.
Those companies control their platforms, algorithms and rules. Reach can change suddenly, accounts can be restricted and policies can be altered without us having any control over the decision. I personally know people who have built very large audiences on social media platforms and then found themselves shut down.
That is something I hear about regularly, which is why I would never feel comfortable relying entirely on one social platform. A website gives us a central place for our articles, videos, recommendations and other resources, while social media can help people discover that content.
In other words, I see Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube as useful channels rather than the entire business. The website remains the main asset, while the other platforms can help bring people towards it.
Taking A Break Is Not The Same As Giving Up
Taking action does not mean working seven days a week without stopping. I normally try to keep Sunday different from the rest of the week because I believe a proper break can help me return to work more refreshed and productive.
Everyone needs to find a rhythm that suits them. Six focused days may achieve far more than seven tired and unfocused days, especially if we begin making mistakes because we never stop. Rest can therefore be a productive part of a routine rather than something to feel guilty about.
The difference is whether we are deliberately taking a break or continually postponing something that needs to be done. A planned day off can be healthy, while repeatedly saying “I’ll start tomorrow” can easily turn into weeks or months of inactivity.
What Is Really Holding Your Online Business Back?
If your online business is not progressing as quickly as you hoped, it may be worth asking yourself a few straightforward questions. Are you taking regular action, or are you spending most of your time preparing to take action? Have you allowed perfectionism to stop you publishing, or are you expecting results much faster than is realistic?
It is also worth considering how effectively you use the time available. Could 25 focused minutes move something forward today? Are you implementing what you learn, or are you constantly consuming more information without creating anything yourself?
- Am I taking consistent action?
- Am I expecting results too quickly?
- Do I spend too much time trying to make everything perfect?
- Am I continually learning without implementing what I learn?
- Could I use my available time more effectively?
- Am I allowing one setback to become a reason to stop?
- Have I confused a genuine obstacle with an excuse?
You do not have to solve everything in one day. Identify one useful action that can move your business forward and complete it. Once that is finished, choose the next sensible step and continue building from there.
Keep Moving Forward
Building an online business is not about pretending everything is easy. There will be problems, disappointing results and days when very little gets done. However, those things do not automatically mean the business is failing.
Learn from people who have achieved what you would like to achieve, take advantage of good training and use the tools available to you. Most importantly, turn what you learn into practical action rather than waiting indefinitely for perfect circumstances.
You will make mistakes and some ideas will not work as expected. Other things may surprise you by performing far better than you anticipated. None of us knows exactly what will happen until we actually try.
So, are excuses holding back your online business? If they are, do not try to change everything at once. Choose one thing you can do today, complete it properly and start building some momentum.
I would also be interested to hear about your own experience. What has been the biggest thing holding you back with your online business, and what helps you overcome procrastination or discouragement? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
You can also browse more articles and videos here at Roy Bretton Online about affiliate marketing, content creation, social media and building an online business.