Hi, I’m Mark Nicholson, a UK-based internet marketer and social media fanatic.

I am on a journey to reach my goal of complete financial independence based on passive and residual income from creating and selling information products online. When I first started this adventure I gave myself 5 years to achieve this; that was back in 2008!!! I have not reached my goal, yet.

You may well ask “What happened, Mark?”

Of course, that is a reasonable question to ask me, given the fact that at the time of writing this blog post, I am 3 years behind on my target year to attain this goal.

I am here to answer this rhetorical question, in order to help you. In fact the purpose of this whole blog is to help you, if like me you have chosen to go on a similar adventure.

Should you want to follow in my footsteps, I want to help you to avoid the ‘pitfalls’ and mistakes I made.

By the way, I am pursuing my quest not from pure greed; though I would like to have the ‘six figure, laptop lifestyle’ that we have all heard the so-called IM gurus tell us of.

Here’s my reason … I reckon if I can become financially self-sufficient, which for me is enough to pay the bills, clear my mortgage, go travelling whenever I want, and to put enough by for my old age THEN I have less worry and more energy to help others do the same, and, also, have enough surplus wealth to contribute to my favourite humanitarian causes.

It’s the old ‘oxygen mask’ story; if you’ve ever been an airline passenger, part of the safety drill is that they tell you in the event of an emergency you must put your own oxygen mask on before taking care of your children’s safety. This is because you cannot help others, if you’re not helping yourself first. This is not a selfish act, because once you have taken care of your basic needs, it gives you the capacity to help others.

This is the point I have reached, and I want to help you attain at least a modest income online. You will never here me use the word ‘easy’. Like anything else in this world, you have to put in some work; sometimes you have to work ‘hard’ and put in the hours, and sometimes you have to work ‘smart’ and use your innate wisdom and so-called ‘leverage’ through joint ventures with others.

I believe I’ve learned enough myself to help you, while still finding my own way to advance.

I don’t propose that I am better than you or some sort of expert in the internet marketing field, what I do hope is that over time you feel you can trust my integrity enough to perhaps listen to me once in a while. I genuinely want to help you on your way.

If you are new to internet marketing, I have a Facebook group just for you. This is for those who are completely new to internet marketing or who have a basic knowledge and want to learn more.

Here’s the link: Internet Marketing Dude’s Hints & Tips For Beginners

These are my personal Top Ten key learning points on my journey to creating a sustainable online income stream. If I had recognized these a lot earlier, I would have reached my aspirations much sooner:-

1. Get yourself an ethical and genuine mentor in whose steps you can follow; they are out there BUT you have to be extremely discerning because the water is infested with sharks.
2. You will need to invest some modest seed capital to get started; at least to buy a domain name, subscribe to web hosting, autoresponder etc.
3. Resistance will be your constant enemy; there will be times when you won’t want to do the work. Do it anyway.
4. Know the difference between ‘front end’ and ‘back end’ products.
5. Give, give, give before seeking something in return. Particularly when using social media.
6. Start to build a list of interested subscribers from the ‘get go’.
7. The money is in the quality of relationship you have with subscribers, not just the number of subscribers you have. People buy from people.
8. There is no such word as ‘easy’, you have to put in a lot of energy/time, but you can work ‘smart’. No short cuts.
9. Learn to be a ‘systems thinker’ and learn how sales funnels work.
10. Learn some basic copy writing skills and learn that ‘selling’ is not a dirty word, if it is done with integrity.

I have a reputation for being authentic, trustworthy, and walking my talk.

This is what others have to say about me:-

“Mark is a wonderful mentor and an inspirational leader. Mark’s approach to work and life is an extremely rare and powerful blend of science and logic combined with enviable people and business skills. Through Mark’s coaching and infectious interest in personal development he has truly enabled me to become a significantly better person. Mark is a catalyst for success for any business or individual.”

Ed Palmer, Technical Director, UK

“Mark is pioneering, creative and supportive. He’ll do what he says and what you agree. He’ll get you into the 21st century social networks in the right way for you.”

Richard Uglow, CEO, Enrich You Ltd, UK

“I really liked working with Mark. Here’s why: he has integrity, he hates BS, he is conscientious, he is motivated, he likes people, he also has his priorities and boundaries set so people know what he will do and what he won’t. He is a good coach and internet marketer and I would recommend working with him if you can.”

Joff Day, CEO, Entrepreneurs Insights Ltd, UK

“Mark’s social media starters kit arrived and it’s just what I need at just the right time. The tips to create a You tube channel, find the best blog platforms and the must have plug-ins takes my social media campaign off the sidelines and spring boards it into the mainstream. Before, with so many social marketing options, I was overwhelmed and now with Mark’s handbook I know where to start and where I’m going. I’m also learning a new platform that I might never have considered—a Secondlife. Thanks, Mark!”

Elizabeth C Page, Social Enterprise Entrepreneur, USA

“I have really enjoyed working with Mark. The main reasons are he is honest, values the truth, is motivated and a good motivator of others as well, he is also a people person which I find an admirable quality, He is able to prioritise and maintain focus and in doing so sets an example that others would do well to emulate. I have found Mark to be a gifted coach and internet marketer and if you have the opportunity of working with him take it.”

Len Foster, Regional Director, Reaching New Heights, UK

“I would thoroughly recommend Mark’s knowledge, expertise and techniques on both a personal and professional level. Mark has assisted me with the finer points of mental and emotional control when presenting to a client and his advice on marketing and business presentation has been invaluable. Mark is friendly, relaxed, thorough and incredibly informed and articulate. Thanks Mark.”

James Lewis, Architect, UK

I hope you let me help you on your internet marketing journey.