Are you nervous about anything involving money and the Internet, fearing identity thieves and scammers in general? Are you certain that every website is out to steal your money, your idea, or both? Do you stay away from websites that ask for even the most basic of information?

If so, you might be missing out on a great opportunity to make money. Make money, you say? How can that be, when it seems everyone on the Internet just wants to take mine? Well, you need not be afraid to make money online, if you do your homework.

First, protect your personal information – your online self, including your business website information. There are multiple means to do this. Find a professional you can trust and learn what physical means you need to protect yourself, like firewalls and virus-seeking software. Get an external hard drive to store your data. Back up everything, all the time. At worst, you only lose what you’ve done since your last backup.

Second, if you’re protected, you can stick your neck out. Risk a little – it’s the only way to know if you’ll gain or not. That means more homework – study the successes you see online and off. Decide how much risk you can handle, and try something new. Email your customers. Post a new website. Target a new age group for your sales. The only way to know is to study, and to make an educated guess.

Third, don’t be afraid that making money online, be it through sales or whatever, isn’t “OK.” As long as you are not defrauding your customers, or cheating them, you need not fear doing it the “wrong” way.

Again, do the research. Find out what you need to know to put your mind at ease about tax laws, interstate selling and shipping, etc. Arm yourself with knowledge, learn what they want, and give it to them, even if you’re not an expert in it. Work with an expert you know – or find one! There’s nothing wrong with giving people what they want, and you need not fear being the one who pounced on the idea and ran with it!