In my search for a presence on the internet, I searched many avenues, but was finding more scams and dead ends than I would care to speak about.

It was one last scam and six months of my presence on the internet that I realized that the only way I could possibly make a living on the internet -- and gain any amount of satisfaction --was to work for myself. Duh! But how? Affiliate Marketing seemed to be the answer.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is the promotion of another person's or company's product, in which you get a percentage of the profit if a sale is made. That doesn't sound so hard, does it? Well -- it's doeable if you have the information you need to get you started in this field -- and it is work. So let me begin the enlightenment.

First and foremost, you need passion?

What is Passion?

Passion is a feeling that you have -- a feeling that is so strong that it is your driving force in doing it.

As you can see, passion is needed in any venture if you want to succeed. With passion, it will drive you forward through the hard times, the bad times, and the good times when developing your business.

This passion thing, I must admit, was my first stumbling block. I believed I didn't have a passion for anything -- and feared that maybe, just maybe, the corporate world and it 70 hour work weeks may have consumed my passion.

However, I was not willing to give up. Not yet. I searched out sites, read articles, examined web sites -- in search of my passion. Then one day, in the middle of my research, I heard myself asking probing questions of -- Why? Where? When? How? My passion was found.

Research, curiosity and learning -- my strengths and my driving assets. My creation -- "My Affiliate Place", was born. It would be a place where an affiliate marketer or a want-to-be affiliate marketer could find information, articles, and free tools.

So, I say to you, if I can find my hidden passion, you can too.

Onward and upward --with my passion defined, I needed a web site.

Web site! Do I need one?

Many people say you can do affiliate marketing without a web site -- however, with a web site you can promote more than one product and reach a greater number of people with the same interests. And last but not least, marketing is the act of connecting with people -- and on the internet -- a web site is your vehicle.

Web Site Is Built. Now What!

Now that your web site is built, you will need to begin the promotion process. There are many avenues in which you can venture. To name a few:

1. safelists

2. ezines

3. classified ads

4. writing articles

5. Off-line advertising -- brochures, flyers

6. Search engine optimization -- To get help in this area, go to my web site at: www.myaffiliateplace.biz/affiliate_info -- to begin your optimization process.

As you can see, advertising is only limited by your own imagination.

To conclude, affiliate marketing is a viable way to begin your journey on the internet and to your own business. But as you know, with anything that is worth having, you must work diligently and passionately, and continue to grow and learn -- if success is to be yours.

To your success.

Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and Marketing. She left the corporate world as an Reports Programmer, to begin her journey as an Internet marketer.