That's a simple statement but it's entirely true. If you want to build a real business (anywhere, but online businesses is where I focus, of course), you need to earn money. You cannot “make money” – only the Federal Reserve can create money (and the US Treasury prints money, but that's mostly just to replace what gets destroyed).

To earn money online, you have to earn trust. People must trust your brand, your company, and most especially YOU.

What have you done to earn somebody's trust, in a business sense? That's the question you should ask yourself every day. And earning trust is what you should endeavor to do with everything you do.

If what you do doesn't go a bit towards earning a person's trust, there really is no need to do it.

Thoughts?