06 — CHOOSE YOUR DIRECTION
You don’t need every opportunity. You need the right direction.
You’ve done the groundwork.
You’ve looked at yourself.
You’ve examined your goals, ambitions, strengths and weaknesses.
You’ve taken stock of your time, money, skills, knowledge and experience.
You’ve thought about what drives you.
You’ve looked honestly at your past.
And you’ve started to understand how an online business actually works.
Now we can finally ask a much better question:
What actually fits me?
This is where we begin moving from self-understanding to decision-making.
And this is where many people go wrong.
They see an opportunity.
They get excited.
They join.
They start learning.
They take action.
Then, a few weeks or months later, they discover that the business doesn’t really suit them.
So they move on to the next opportunity.
And the cycle starts again.
New opportunity → excitement → action → frustration → abandonment → new opportunity.
The objective here is to break that cycle.
Stop Looking for “The Best Opportunity”
There is no universally best online business opportunity.
There is only:
the opportunity that may be a good fit for you
and
the opportunity that may not be.
Think about it.
Someone who loves creating videos may thrive with a content-driven business.
Someone who hates being on camera might struggle with exactly the same model.
Someone with very little spare time may need a completely different approach from someone who can commit 30 hours a week.
Someone with strong sales skills may choose differently from someone who is much stronger at writing, teaching, technology or relationship building.
That’s why the question isn’t:
“What’s the best opportunity?”
It’s:
“What’s the best fit for me?”
Start With Your Destination
Before choosing the vehicle, remind yourself where you’re trying to go.
What are you actually trying to achieve?
Perhaps you want:
- An extra £500 a month
- £1,000 a month
- A replacement income
- More financial security
- A business you can eventually leave your job for
- Greater control over your time
- A business you can build around family commitments
- Something you can eventually sell
- A long-term asset
- Simply the experience of becoming an entrepreneur
These are very different objectives.
If your goal is simply an additional £300–£500 a month, you may not need to build a huge organisation.
If your goal is to replace a full-time income, the strategy will probably need to be considerably more ambitious.
Your destination influences the vehicle you choose.
What Are You Actually Prepared to Do?
This is one of the most important questions in the entire YNMM journey.
Because every business model requires work.
There is no point choosing a model because it sounds attractive if you aren’t prepared to do what that model requires.
Ask yourself:
Am I prepared to create content?
Am I prepared to talk to people?
Am I prepared to follow up?
Am I prepared to learn sales?
Am I prepared to learn marketing?
Am I prepared to appear on camera?
Am I prepared to write?
Am I prepared to make phone calls?
Am I prepared to build relationships?
Am I prepared to learn technology?
Am I prepared to deal with rejection?
Am I prepared to keep working when results are slow?
You don’t need to enjoy every part of business.
But you need to be prepared to do the important parts.
Your Personality Matters
Different business models reward different behaviours.
For example, if you genuinely enjoy:
- Meeting people
- Talking
- Networking
- Teaching
- Encouraging others
- Building relationships
then a relationship-driven model may suit you.
If you prefer:
- Writing
- Research
- Creating videos
- SEO
- Building websites
- Working independently
then a content-driven model may suit you better.
If you enjoy:
- Designing
- Building
- Solving technical problems
- Creating products
you may prefer a product or service-based business.
None of these is inherently better.
They’re simply different.
Your Skills Matter
Don’t automatically assume you need to start from zero.
You already have skills.
Perhaps you can:
- Write
- Teach
- Sell
- Organise
- Lead
- Communicate
- Research
- Design
- Analyse
- Solve problems
- Build relationships
- Manage people
- Create videos
- Use technology
Your existing skills can give you a starting advantage.
But don’t make the opposite mistake either.
You don’t have to choose a business simply because you’re already good at something.
Sometimes the business you want requires you to develop completely new skills.
That’s fine.
The question is:
Am I willing to learn them?
Your Time Matters
A business model needs to fit into your real life.
Not your imaginary life.
If you have:
5 hours per week
you need a different plan from someone with:
30 hours per week.
If you’re working full-time, looking after children, caring for family or dealing with other commitments, your available time may fluctuate.
That’s not necessarily a problem.
But you need to be honest about it.
Ask:
How many hours can I realistically commit every week for the next 12 months?
Not:
“How many hours could I work if everything went perfectly?”
Your business needs to fit your actual life.
Your Financial Position Matters
Different models can require different levels of investment.
Some can be started with relatively little money.
Others require:
- Stock
- Equipment
- Advertising
- Software
- Training
- Websites
- Subscriptions
- Professional services
Don’t choose a model simply because someone tells you that you can “make money.”
Ask:
What will this actually cost me?
And more importantly:
Can I afford that cost without putting myself under financial pressure?
Never confuse available credit with available investment capital.
Understand How the Money Is Made
This is essential.
Before joining anything, you should be able to explain in simple language:
Where does the money come from?
For example:
Does the business make money from:
- Product sales?
- Services?
- Subscriptions?
- Advertising?
- Commissions?
- Licensing?
- Memberships?
- Customer referrals?
- Sales generated by a team?
And then:
How does my role generate income?
If you can’t explain the answer clearly, you don’t understand the business well enough yet.
That’s a reason to investigate further — not a reason to join immediately.
Don’t Confuse Marketing With a Business Model
This is another important distinction.
Facebook isn’t a business model.
TikTok isn’t a business model.
YouTube isn’t a business model.
Email isn’t a business model.
A website isn’t a business model.
They are channels and tools.
You can use them to build many different types of businesses.
For example, YouTube might generate:
- Affiliate sales
- Product sales
- Advertising revenue
- Leads for a service business
- Customers for a membership
- Customers for your own products
The same platform can support completely different businesses.
So don’t ask:
“Should I do YouTube?”
Ask:
“What business am I building, and would YouTube help me build it?”
Compare the Main Directions
At this stage, you don’t need to investigate hundreds of individual companies.
Start by understanding the broad directions available to you.
Affiliate Marketing
You promote another company’s products or services and receive commissions when your referrals generate qualifying sales or actions.
Potential advantages:
- No need to create the product
- Can be started relatively simply
- Many niches available
- Can work well with content marketing
- Can potentially build multiple income streams
Potential challenges:
- You need traffic or an audience
- You don’t control the underlying product
- Commission structures vary
- Competition can be significant
- Results can take time
Network Marketing
You promote products or services and may also build a sales organisation, depending on the company.
Potential advantages:
- Product and infrastructure are often already established
- Training and support may be available
- Can suit people who enjoy relationships and community
- Potential to build an organisation
Potential challenges:
- Requires selling and relationship building
- Recruiting alone isn’t enough
- Team development can be difficult
- Company and compensation plan matter enormously
- You need to understand the actual economics
Selling Your Own Services
You use your skills to solve problems for customers.
Examples:
- Consulting
- Coaching
- Design
- Writing
- Marketing
- Administration
- Technical services
Potential advantage:
You can often start with skills you already possess.
The challenge is that your income may initially be closely connected to your time.
Selling Your Own Products
You create or source products and sell them directly.
Potential advantages:
- Greater control
- You own the customer relationship
- Potential to build a valuable brand
Challenges can include:
- Product development
- Stock
- Fulfilment
- Customer service
- Marketing
- Cash flow
Digital Products
You create something that can be delivered digitally.
Examples:
- Courses
- E-books
- Templates
- Training
- Memberships
- Software
The attraction is obvious:
Create once, potentially sell many times.
But creating the product is only part of the job.
You still need:
Audience → attention → trust → sales.
Don’t Choose Based on Hype
You will encounter claims such as:
“This is the next big thing.”
“Everyone is making money with this.”
“Get in early.”
“You don’t want to miss this.”
“This is the future.”
Be careful.
Hype encourages you to make decisions based on emotion.
A mentor should encourage you to make decisions based on fit and evidence.
Ask:
Does this fit me?
Does it fit my goals?
Does it fit my resources?
Do I understand it?
Can I actually do the work?
Does the economics make sense?
Can I see myself doing this for several years?
Those questions are far more valuable than asking whether something is currently popular.
Your Direction Scorecard
Now let’s make this practical.
Take any business model or opportunity you’re considering and score it from 1–5.
| Question | Score 1–5 |
|---|---|
| Fits my financial goal | |
| Fits my available time | |
| Fits my personality | |
| Fits my existing skills | |
| Fits my interests | |
| I understand how it makes money | |
| I am prepared to do the required work | |
| I can afford the investment | |
| I can see myself doing it consistently | |
| I believe there is a genuine market | |
| I am comfortable with the level of risk | |
| I can see a realistic path forward |
Then add the scores.
But don’t simply choose the highest number.
The scorecard is there to make you think.
The Red Flag Test
Sometimes the answer becomes clearer by asking what would make you say no.
Walk away or investigate much more carefully if:
- You don’t understand how the company makes money.
- The opportunity depends primarily on recruiting rather than genuine customer demand.
- The costs aren’t clear.
- You’re being pressured to join immediately.
- You’re encouraged to borrow money to participate.
- The income claims seem unrealistic.
- The business model cannot be explained simply.
- You dislike the actual work involved.
- You’re relying on “someone else will do it for me.”
- You’re joining mainly because you are afraid of missing out.
A good opportunity doesn’t need you to abandon common sense.
The Mentor’s Rule
Here’s a principle I want you to remember:
Never choose a business because someone else says it is right for you.
Understand it.
Question it.
Compare it.
Then decide.
That’s especially important here at YNMM.
I’m not interested in telling everyone:
“This is the opportunity you should join.”
I’m interested in helping you understand why something might or might not fit you.
Your Direction Exercise
Choose three possible directions.
They might be:
- Affiliate marketing
- Network marketing
- Selling a service
Or perhaps:
- Digital products
- Affiliate marketing
- E-commerce
Now answer:
Direction 1
What attracts me to it?
What concerns me?
What would I need to learn?
What would I actually have to do every week?
Could I realistically do that?
Direction 2
What attracts me to it?
What concerns me?
What would I need to learn?
What would I actually have to do every week?
Could I realistically do that?
Direction 3
What attracts me to it?
What concerns me?
What would I need to learn?
What would I actually have to do every week?
Could I realistically do that?
Now Eliminate
Choosing isn’t always about finding the perfect answer.
Sometimes it’s about eliminating the wrong answers.
Ask:
Which direction clearly doesn’t fit my personality?
Which doesn’t fit my available time?
Which requires money I don’t have?
Which requires skills I’m unwilling to develop?
Which would require me to do things I know I won’t consistently do?
Which doesn’t give me a realistic path towards my financial goal?
Elimination can be incredibly powerful.
You don’t need to find the perfect answer immediately.
You just need to remove the wrong ones.
Your Shortlist
After completing the exercise, reduce your options to:
ONE PRIMARY DIRECTION
and, if necessary,
ONE BACKUP DIRECTION
That’s it.
Not ten.
Not twenty.
Not every opportunity you find on social media.
One direction.
Because concentration creates momentum.
But Don’t Rush Into an Opportunity
This is an important distinction.
Choosing a direction is not the same as choosing a company.
For example:
Affiliate marketing is a direction.
There are thousands of affiliate programmes.
Network marketing is a direction.
There are many companies operating different models.
Your next job is to investigate the options within your chosen direction.
That’s where we start looking at:
- The company
- The product
- The market
- The business model
- The compensation
- The costs
- The support
- The tools
- The training
- The customer demand
- The risks
- The opportunity itself
In other words:
First choose the battlefield.
Then choose where you want to fight.
The Sun Tzu Principle
One of the strategic ideas we’ll keep returning to throughout YNMM is simple:
Don’t fight every battle.
You have limited:
- Time
- Money
- Energy
- Attention
- Skills
- Resources
Trying to build five businesses simultaneously may feel ambitious.
It can actually dilute your effort.
Concentration gives you a better chance of becoming good at something.
You don’t need to be everywhere.
You don’t need every platform.
You don’t need every opportunity.
You need a strategy you can actually execute.
Mentor’s Question
Forget what is trending.
Forget what everyone on social media is talking about.
Forget what someone says is the “next big thing.”
Ask yourself:
“If I had to work on one business model consistently for the next three years, which one would I be most willing and able to build?”
That’s a much harder question.
But it’s also a much better one.
Your Decision
Complete these sentences:
My primary direction is:
I chose it because:
It fits my goals because:
It fits my personality because:
It fits my available time because:
The skills I already have are:
The skills I need to develop are:
The work I will need to do consistently is:
My biggest concern is:
The first thing I need to investigate is:
One Final Thought
You have spent the first five stages of this journey looking inward.
Now you’re beginning to look outward.
But don’t lose the principle that has guided everything so far.
The opportunity comes after the person.
Not before.
You are not trying to find something that sounds exciting.
You are trying to find something that fits the person you have discovered through this process.
Because ultimately:
The business has to fit your life.
You have to fit the business.
And you have to be prepared to do the work.
That’s when an opportunity becomes more than just an opportunity.
It becomes a possible vehicle for achieving your goals.
NEXT: 07 — DEVELOP YOUR STRATEGY
Choosing a direction is only the beginning.
Now we need to decide how you are going to compete.
Where will you focus?
Who will you serve?
What will you offer?
How will you get attention?
How will you generate leads?
What will make you different?
And, perhaps most importantly:
What battles are you going to fight — and which ones are you going to ignore?
Develop your strategy →
