I've recently begun working with individuals one-on-one who are truly interested in earning an income from the internet in the comfort of their own home. A common complaint I hear from them is that they are constantly overwhelmed by the enormous amount of information that they are bombarded with each and every day.

This is understandable; everyone has faced it.

Those who have been successful online, however, have done so because of a simple process - narrowing their focus.

In any business, this is necessary. But online, it is critical for success.

There are a lot of people who are working from home, and not all of them are earning their income solely from the internet. Some have businesses that are run completely offline, and many have both online and offline components.

For purposes of this article, however, I'd like to address those whose goal it is to work completely online, since that seems to be ideally what most people wish to do.

So what works best?

Many things, but I believe that the vast majority of truly successful online businesses fall into one of three groups:

Network Marketing

Information Products

Affiliate Program Promotion

Some successful entrepreneurs have incoroporated two and sometimes all three into their businesses.

Why did I single these three out?

Simple. The great majority of home-based online entrepreneurs I've ever read about, heard of or communicated with has achieved their success through at least one of these three methods.

Let's break it down further -

Network Marketing - with all its bad press, network marketing is indeed a viable business model. The power of the internet to disperse information quickly and efficiently is ideal for those who enjoy working with others one-on-one. But that is key, for network marketing is still a person to person business, any way you look at it. The internet simply makes it easier and more cost efficient.

The key to network marketing success is to choose wisely. Rather than join the latest and greatest matrix program being touted as the fastest way to internet riches, look for a company whose products truly fill a need and who has been in business for at least five years. There are a lot of companies who have been in business for many years and who are now offering an internet presence for their distributors and customers.

Information Products - The internet is all about information. We all know that some individuals over the years have amassed small fortunes selling information to highly targeted groups. It is only natural that this type of business would move seamlessly to the online world. Even more significant for those in the information business is the fact that they can operate online at significantly reduced operating costs, thereby increasing their profits.

To be successful in the information business, one doesn't have to have a college degree in English or be a published writer. Everyone has specialized knowledge; if you can put it together in a way that is easily understood by others, you will have a ready-made market for those who want and need your information. No matter how obscure you may think your information is, you can be sure that there are people out there looking for it!

Affiliate Program Promotion - Although I see many of the so-called "gurus" telling everyone that the only real way to make money online is to have your own product, I have to respectfully disagree. There are a whole lot of people quietly working at home, out of the spotlight, who are earning significant incomes promoting the affiliate programs of others.

The key to success in profiting from affiliate programs is by building a theme-based website targeting a very specific market and promoting only those programs whose products meet the needs of its visitors. Critical to this type of business is ongoing communication with customers and visitors, usually through newsletters and updates on new products and information that is available on the site.

Joining affiliate programs helter-skelter and trying to promote them individually via inefficient means such as classified ads, safelists, and other forms of ineffective advertising is an exercise in futility. It is this method of promotion that is often used by the newcomer online and results in their frustration and belief that earning an income with these programs is impossible.

You may be a beginner to the world of online marketing. Or perhaps you're a victim of information overload that has hampered your forward progress. In either case, your best chance for success in your own business is to first choose from one of these three business models.

When you have done that, then you can move forward. Decide which resources you need to get your own business up and running. This will make it much easier to hit the "delete" key when your email is filled with those products and opportunities that you simply don't need.

Stay focused on what YOU want to accomplish, and avoid the confusion of going in too many different directions. You'll be amazed at how easy it will be to accomplish your goals once you've eliminated so many distractions!