I once received an email from a gentleman who asserted that couldn't possibly do business as an affiliate marketer.

"Why?" you no doubt wonder.

Because - get this - he thought that it would be too expensive!

Huh? Too expensive? WHAT's too expensive?

Time for some debunking...

Let's assume that because he sent an email, he already has the basic equipment and software that he needs to start an affiliate marketing business - that being a computer, email software and an Internet connection.

We can probably also assume that he has a desk on which to store that stuff, a chair on which to perch and a telephone line. So... nothing more that he needs to buy or lease for his office.

Maybe he was concerned about buying, stocking and shipping all those products?

The best thing about affiliate marketing is that you don't have to buy SONY's TV's or Dell's computers in order to promote and sell them. So you save a big chunk of change in storage fees and shipping charges on those heavy items.

Actually, those affiliated merchants are pretty good guys all around. Not only don't you have to buy, store or ship the products that you promote; you also don't need to deal with those pesky customers. You justust send them from your site to the merchant's site, and the company will handle all the sales details. They'll take the customers' money, figure out your share and send you a check.

Pretty sweet deal.

So, maybe it was the cost to build a web site that bothered him?

Well, most good hosts, like BlueHost, include FREE site builders and Wordpress installation software so that you can set up a blog in minutes.

Perhaps he didn't want to hire an expensive web site designer?

Although I'm glad that he knew the benefits of having a professional-looking web site, it's too bad he missed finding out that you can buy professional Wordpress themes for as little as $79.95 (one-time fee).

Was the problem domain registration costs?

Ya, the huge initial outlay of $8.95 at Godaddy.com can be a huge stumbling block! Maybe he overlooked the discount available when you register for more than a year.

Or, maybe he didn't shop around enough to discover that for a whopping $6.95 per month BlueHost includes domain registration when you purchase a 1-year or 2-year hosting contract. Actually, with that Bluehost package you can host an unlimited number of domains and you also get free site builder software.

If $6.95 was a problem, then $17.95 per month for an autoresponder service would certainly be a deal breaker.

Consider this... that covers the first 10,000 subscribers on your list, and anyone who isn't making enough to cover their monthly hosting and autoresponder fees with 10,000 names on their list is doing something really, really wrong.

Perhaps he was concerned about the cost to advertise.

If that was the case, then he apparently missed the lessons on social marketing too. Using social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and hundreds more is absolutely FREE.

OK, so let's do a tally to see how much, or how little, it costs to start a business as an affiliate.

First Month

• 1 Year Hosting Contract: $6.95 x 12 = $83.40 (includes domain registration)
• Autoresponder: $17.95 / month
• Total: $101.35 for the first month.

Months 2 - 12

Each of the following months would only cost $17.95 for the autoresponder.

Total for the Year

$101.35 + ($17.95 * 11) = $101.35 + $197.45 = $298.80

If you want to go ALL OUT and get that Wordpress theme, add $79.95 for a total outlay of $378.75.

So, if you've got a C-note and a little spare change, you're in business...

To really sum up... the truth of the matter is that there is no business that costs so little to start as an affiliate marketing business.