When you start a new business you need to start off on the right foot. Starting at the beginning and looking forward you can see many different paths to follow. Knowing which route is the right one and which one leads up a blind alley is one of the many things you will have to learn.

Give it some thought, here you are about to commence your journey with no map, you have an idea of where you want to travel but have no real knowledge of how to get where you want to be. You do have the will to reach for success and reward but somehow you're not quite sure in which direction you need to go. Coming up with the idea is just the beginning, many people achieve this but then fail to take the next step. There are many ways to proceed, but finding the right path with guidance can be the difference between success and failure.

Those who do decide to take that next step commonly tend to let enthusiasm take over and off they go, rushing up the first route that looks like it may lead to success. They often have no idea where they might end up but know they need to do something quickly or the desire might leave them, it also probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

Could you be the person I am talking about in the above scenario? Well, you are probably in the majority and I presume the fact you are reading this means you are now conducting some research and are looking for some guidance.

Let's review what may have transpired:

• Did you conduct any research? No?
• Did you produce a plan? No?
• Did you seek any advice? No?
• Did you go out and buy every eBook or course you came across? Yes?
• Did you actually read and finish any of these eBooks? Some?
• Did you complete any of these online courses? No?
• Did you waste a lot of time and effort to gain little or no results? Yes?
• Did you spend lots of money which you now think was wasted? Yes?

Do the a lot of the questions and answers above resemble you experience? If so, you are not alone, this is almost the norm now. Lots of people read and hear how easy it is to work from home and make a living, then start out without proper planning or research. After a few months hard work and toil they suddenly realise that it's not so easy, a lot of work and little or no profit. It's at this moment they generally do one of two things.

1. Capitulate and return to their day job, counting the cost.

2. Realise, they need help.

A great deal I'm afraid tend to return to the day job, slightly more experienced but generally poorer. One thing to note, without going through the various stages of failure and disappointment, we would never learn how important research, planning and guidance are to the success of any business.

Even to carry out the research and planning you will probably need guidance in the form of a teacher or mentor. Here a mentor would seem more appropriate as it's really just guidance that is needed.

When starting an online business, in whatever area or niche, you should conduct serious research before you act. The internet is packed with pitfalls and dangers for the unwary. One of the most valuable and sensible things to do is to seek out a knowledgeable and successfully mentor. Be very cautious in the selection of your mentor, there are a lot of people out there masquerading as mentors, experts, gurus, or specialist, call them what you will, they will promise you every success and very often fail you.

Don't get me wrong there are the genuine articles out there, a many of them but you need to do your research to find them. Always have a get out clause or trial period; then if you find they are not delivering the goods you can then recover any fees you have paid.

There are a lot of companies who provide a marketplace for mentors to promote their services. The companies are able to facilitate payment methods and act as the go between, handling the payments and settling the refund if you are not happy with the service. So if you use the services of one of these for your initial sign up and payments you will have your get out should the service not be delivered.

Having a good mentor can really start you off on the right path and in the long run save you a lot of money, time and effort. They also as an added bonus can help grow you network and develop a presence on the online; this alone is worth its weight in gold. A mentor can open doors to a world you normal would not be able to enter and if they have a forum you can interact and work with them and other members to help lay down a solid foundation for your new business, whatever that maybe. I know this is true because I am lucky enough to have found one and I am benefiting right now.

The Winners Inner Circle Reviewed a review site which details the benefits of good mentorship it has a blog on how and why I choose to find a mentor and what they are doing for me as I progress with my online goals. Go and have a look it costs nothing and it may be just what you need to help you achieve success. Gordon Trimby.