If you're like me, you're pretty skeptical of all those claims you hear about people making loads of money on the internet. Oh, I knew there were people out there making cash, but I had many excuses for why I couldn't do it. That all changed as I watched a friend become wildly successful in his internet business. I thought, if he could do it, so could I! It all started for my friend about seven years ago as he started selling various products on e-Bay. He learned mostly through trial and error. But, after working at it for two hours a day for only nine months, he was able to quit his day job! I sat back and watched figuring he was "just lucky". I reasoned that he'd soon be going back to work mailing list at his 9 to 5 job. Well, seven years have gone by and I'm still waiting! What's more, he's recently bought a vacation home and is showing no signs of slowing down. (For more information on this friend of mine, visit my web page and look for "Little Known Minnesota Man.") Now, while I don't necessarily expect to achieve the same success as my friend, he has given me confidence that I can achieve at least a good "hobby income" via the internet. I've learned that perhaps the most important first step in internet marketing is developing and cultivating a mailing list.