The sacrifice of being an Internet Professional

Nearly every day for close to eight years, I’ve read the hype surrounding the idea of being your own boss, breaking free of the 9-5 routine, and starting your own online business. I’ve read countless testimonials of people working at home in their pajamas and having untold wealth from being an Internet Professional. Many of these people claim that they saved their marriages and became more connected with their children by working at home. Well, this all sounds great, but I’m about to share with you the other side of the coin.

Do I tell you what you want to hear or need to hear?

If you want more grandiose tales of rags to riches, more hype about making untold wealth working at home, or more promises of freedom through being an Internet professional, I suggest you read something else. If you want to hear a personal story of how being an Internet Professional can be more of a sacrifice than a 9-5 job, how, if you’re not careful, working at home can cost you your marriage, and how working for yourself takes time away from your kids, then keep reading this post.

Still with me? Well, I guess I’m not the only one who thinks a lot of the hype is bunk. What follows is my personal story of the last eight years. Here’s the real sacrifice of being an Internet Professional.

Amy and James Morris - Christmas 2002

In the beginning, it was fun.

In 2001, I met the woman who would become my wife, Amy. She introduced me to the Internet. Prior to that, I had very little exposure to the Internet and didn’t even have an email address. Shortly after her setting up my very first email address at Hotmail, I became hopelessly addicted to the Internet. I still had a normal “day job” and I only spent a few hours a day online, but I loved it and wanted to know everything I could about it. It was then that I decided to go to college for Computer and Information Technology.

Tipping the hand of fate

During my first year at college, I took an introductory course on web design. It turned out to be more of an introductory course on Frontpage®. Frustrated with how little I learned in that course, the following summer I took the initiative to teach myself web design using search engines as my guide. This was the decision that tipped the hand of fate. Ever since that summer, I’ve spent more time at my computer than I have anywhere.

Even though I was in college to learn how to be a Systems Administrator, I spent most of my spare time learning web design, search engine optimization, social networking, open source software development, and many other related subjects. I was completely consumed by the Internet and becoming an Internet Professional.

Giving in to the hype

I kept reading how all these people were doing so great working from their homes. Given that I have an entrepreneurial spirit and I’ve always had problems working a 9-5, I thought this was the perfect fit. I could be my own boss, have plenty of time for my wife and make a killer living, all from my spare bedroom. I wish someone would have told me the secret to why those Internet Professionals were doing so good. I might have saved myself and my family years of pain, frustration, and very hard work.

Since that fateful choice back in the summer of 2002, I’ve succeeded in achieving most of my goals. I know how to design websites that are xHTML/CSS compliant, search engine friendly, accessible and visually appealing. I’ve learned enough about search engine optimization and marketing to own a few sites that have ranked very high for competitive terms and I’ve helped several sites attain higher rankings. I’ve held high profile positions in open source software projects and even helped start a new one. I’ve started my own online business and now own multiple websites that help generate revenue. I’ve graduated from college, with honors and have become a Systems Administrator for INBOX International, inc.. For the last couple years, I’ve been involved in Social Media and Social Networking quite a bit and have even started to develop a positive reputation.

Looks can be deceiving

This all sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? This sounds like all my dreams have come true and I’m living life to the fullest. Well, if the grass looks green, it’s because it was fed with a lot of fertilizer. You see, in all that I’ve achieved and all the thousands of dollars I’ve made working from home, don’t let me fool you into thinking everything is great. It’s not! Here’s some of the sacrifices that I’ve had to make and some of the myths I’d like to dispel for you right now. Maybe it will help you make better choices than what I made.

Sacrifices of becoming an Internet Professional

• Time: As outlined above, it has taken many years of hard work and research to develop the skills and knowledge needed to do what I do online. In the time I’ve spent learning how to become an Internet Professional, I could have earned a degree in Medicine or Law.
• Money: I’ve earned thousands of dollars working online, but I’ve also spent thousands. I’ve paid hosting providers, bought domains, bought software, bought books, and paid developers. Being an Internet Professional is not cheap. There’s a lot of ways to do some things for free or cheap, but eventually, there are costs you’re going to have to pay.
• Family Time: For every hour I sit at my computer, that’s another hour not spent with my wife, our live-in nephew or any other member of my family. Sometimes, my wife even has to pull me up on chat just to talk with me. It shouldn’t be like this.
• Personal Freedom: Most days, I feel like a slave to my business. I enjoy my “day job” with INBOX International, but that job ends at 5pm, Monday – Friday. Where I lose my personal freedom is the 40+ hours per week I invest in running my business.
• Personal Identity: I no longer recognize the man in the mirror. I recognize my avatar better than I do my own reflection. The man in the mirror is no longer “me”. It’s a shell of what’s left of me after working 80+ hours every week, sleeping 3-5 hrs a day and having a diet that consists of coffee, whatever is quick and beer. Trust me, this is not a good feeling.

Myths of becoming an Internet Professional

• Financial Wealth: Sure, I’ve made “thousands” of dollars online, but after nearly eight years of working online, my income online is still not enough to support my family. That’s why I work for INBOX International as my “day job”. I recently asked, What are you willing to sacrifice to make a living online? I could make a lot of money online, but there is a fundamental hurdle that I cannot overcome. I’m not willing to take advantage of people’s ignorance to make a buck. I give away what I’ve spent years of hard work learning. Altruism is great in itself, but it doesn’t pay the bills.
• Work around your schedule: I work 9-5 for my “day job”. I work every minute I can for my business. Sure, I could work around other things and make time for other activities, but that doesn’t make any money for my business. Every minute I’m not working, I’m loosing money. Flexibility, that depends on what you’re willing to give up.
• Enjoy the “Good Life”: If you call the “Good Life” being hunkered over a keyboard for 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week good, then go for it.
• Save your marriage and spend time with your kids: My wife is my best friend. I love her with all my heart and a big reason I work all the time is to try to provide a decent life for her and our nephew. Yet, with all this time spent working, is it any wonder she has to IM me to get my attention sometimes? Sad, but true.
• Enjoy the personal freedom you’ve always wanted: I have no personal freedom. I work. It is who I am now. It’s what I do. I’m a machine in a human’s body.

Hindsight is 20/20

Why would I share such an intimate picture of my life with you here? Why would I post such a lengthy post about what’s wrong with being an Internet Professional? Why go against the status quot and say working at home is not the greatest thing since sliced bread? Simple, if I knew then what I know now, I would have spent eight years in college and would be making hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, even during a recession.

I don’t want to discourage anyone from following their dreams of becoming an Internet Professional. Hey, if you are OK with the sacrifices you may have to make and you don’t have an issue charging people for knowledge you obtained through free research, go for it! More power to you! I wish you all the success in the world.

For myself, I’m now investing the bulk of my energy in INBOX International, inc.. A very good friend of mine owns the company and is working just as hard for me as I am for him. Best of all, I have a paycheck every Friday and he doesn’t ask me to work after 5pm unless there is a real emergency with the servers. I still own my business and numerous websites, but I’d love nothing more than to get rid of all of them except this blog. Anymore, the cost of that business exceeds what it is worth to me. I’d rather have the time with my family than the money it generates.

Feel my pain? Share your experience!