There are several companies on the web today who offer excellent affiliate programs. However, if you think you just have to sign up to become an affiliate and sit back waiting for the checks to start rolling in, it's just not gonna happen. You CAN make good money as an affiliate but it will take some effort and time on your part. The following tips may make that effort a little easier, and the time a little shorter.

1.Make sure that the company you sign up with has some sort of "training" site, or tips for selling their product, AND someone in your upline you can contact if you need some help. You don't want a company that just turns you loose with no direction or help.

2.Look at their commission tiers. Do you have room for advancement? Will you make a commission from the affiliates you refer? Can you earn residual income? You definitely want to be compensated for your hard work by moving up in the ranks, and residual income is crucial to continued checks each month.

3.Do they offer gateway websites? In other words, do they offer a ready-made website with your unique affiliate ID# that you can promote, or do you need to have your own website. Either way is fine, it just may be easier for a beginner to have a gateway website to promote first.

4.Are their products something that you yourself would be interested in or benefit from? You don't want to promote something that you yourself do not believe in.

5.Do they offer several streams of income or only one or two? The more products, or "streams" of income they offer, the more opportunities for a sale.

6.Once you've chosen a company (or companies), you need to learn as much as you can about their products and/or services so you can better promote and sell them.

7.Promoting is the single most important aspect of any successful business. Due to the many varied ways to promote your business, this will need to be the subject of another article.

8.Be sure to utilize the training and tips offered on your members-only site. They are usually full of useful information on how to promote their specific products, along with links to other helpful sites.

9.Designate a specific time each day to work on your new business and stick to it. If you treat your new business as a hobby, your commissions will reflect such.

10.Be persistent and don't get discouraged. It will most likely take several months to see real profits start rolling in, but they WILL roll in if you stay on course. The Roman Empire was not built in a day, and neither will Your Empire be.

About the Author

J E Sheward publishes "Blue Sky Profit Home Business Tips", an informative and helpful newsletter designed to help people like YOU earn a living from home. If you're looking for the tools to do just that, pick up your free subscription today at http://www.blueskyprofit.com