If you've read this blog long enough, you've probably heard me mention my free PDF, The Great Big Picture of Internet Marketing. In just a few pages, it gives you an overview of what you need to do to start your internet marketing business off on a solid foundation.

Seth Godin reminded me of the importance of building on a strong foundation when he wrote:

Fledgling sushi chefs spend months (sometimes years) doing nothing but making the rice for the head chef.

If the rice isn't right, it really doesn't matter what else you do, you're not going to be able to serve great sushi.

Building the foundation isn't always glamorous. But if you're serious about what you're getting into, it's a step you can't skip.

In internet marketing, the "rice" includes things like getting an autoresponder account and setting up your opt-in forms. If you build your house first, you'll end up ready to sell with no list to sell to, and then you'll have to start building from scratch.

The rice includes things like getting a business checking account, separate from your personal account. Skip that step, and come tax time, it's a lot harder to separate business expenses (which reduce your taxes) from personal expenses (which don't). And if you happen to get audited, then it's an even bigger problem.

I won't drone on too long here, since I've already written about it in the PDF. If you haven't already, click that link and give it a quick look. It'll only take a few minutes, but it might remind you of some important piece of your foundation that you haven't built yet.