Online Businesses: Why Most Give Up

If you’ve spent any time in the online business world, you’ve probably noticed something strange: people appear out of nowhere, start posting like crazy, and then… vanish.

They’re in your feed one week, hyped up about a new program, product, or business model. The next week? Silence. Their website goes down. Their social media accounts go dark. It’s like they never existed.

That’s what I call the online business graveyard — the space where abandoned dreams go to rest. And if you’re not careful, your business could end up there too.

The truth is, most people who quit don’t do it because they weren’t capable. They quit because they weren’t prepared for what building a real online business takes — mentally, emotionally, and practically.

In this post, we’ll break it into three parts:

1. Why so many quit too early.
2. The psychology of persistence.
3. Practical strategies to keep going.

Section 1: Why So Many Quit Too Early

Unrealistic Expectations

Let’s be honest — the online space is full of marketing that promises fast success:

• “Earn $10K in your first month!”
• “Make 100K – no experience needed!”
• “Go from zero to millionaire in 90 days!”

When you believe those headlines, anything less than an overnight success feels like failure. OK, I’m pushing it here but you get what I mean.

The reality (watch yourself, this is going to possibly hurt): most successful online businesses take many months and possibly a couple of years (if not more), to become stable and profitable. When your expectations don’t match the timeline, discouragement sets in and quitting starts to feel logical.

I’ve been there. I’ve started several types of online businesses. From a website selling my own products to another that used dropshipping, (selling someone else’s products without me holding any inventory), to affiliate marketing, (selling someone else’s software).

In hindsight, all had the same common denominator: the people I bought the courses from oversold and under-delivered. Now granted, there was me inside of all of this. Because of the “hype” they were selling, I got caught up. I was all pumped to get to where they said I could be and boom! The credit card came out faster than you can say “charge it!”.

Underestimating the Workload

Running an online business isn’t just about doing the “fun” parts like creating content or talking to customers. It’s also:

• Managing finances
• Learning marketing strategies
• Troubleshooting tech issues
• Testing, failing, and adjusting

Many people go in thinking it will be easy, and when the workload hits, they realize they weren’t ready for the grind. Within all that, there’s the stuff you repeat day after day. After a while it really becomes as if it was like a job working for someone else. Unfortunately, without the bi-weekly paycheck…

Lack of a Support System

Building something from scratch is hard enough, doing it alone is even harder. Without people to encourage you, offer advice, or just understand what you’re going through, burnout hits faster.

That’s one of the many reasons why so many who start with excitement fade out after a few months. They simply don’t have the right community or mentorship to lean on when things get tough.

I’ve seen so many times where the people I bought the products from would be available for the 3 or 4 weeks that they provided “training” for and then, bye-bye… You couldn’t reach them or it became a payable service.

One of the best things that has come out of having Dean Holland as a mentor is that he always over-delivers and takes every step possible to make himself or his team available if you have any questions.

The community he also created is one of the best. Not only because you’re surrounded by like-minded people but everyone I’ve talked to is open to helping each other and providing the much needed support being an online entrepreneur requires.

Constantly Switching Directions

Some quit because they never stick to one approach long enough to see results. They start a YouTube channel but give up after three or four videos. They try Facebook ads but stop after a week.

Every time you switch strategies, you lose momentum and eventually, the constant restarts feel exhausting.

One thing I’ve learnt was to focus on one Social Media product, in my case Tik Tok, and work to find out everything you can about it and then, only then, would I go on and possibly use another type of social media.

Key takeaway for Section 1:
Most people quit because they expect too much too soon, underestimate the effort, isolate themselves, or give up before their efforts have time to work. Reach out; talk to other online entrepreneurs, you’ll thank yourself for having done so!

Section 2: The Psychology of Persistence

Embracing Discomfort

Having an online business will challenge you. You’ll face rejection, technical headaches, and days where nothing seems to work. I’ve had those. Too many to count actually. The key is accepting that discomfort is part of the process. It’s not a sign you’re failing.

To quote Thomas Edison about how much time and effort it required him to create the lightbulb: “I have not failed. I’ve just discovered 1,000 ways that don’t work.”

When you expect challenges, they stop being roadblocks and start being just… part of the journey.

Reframing Failure

Many people treat failure like a dead end. In reality, it’s just feedback. A campaign that doesn’t convert isn’t proof you’re bad at business. It’s proof that you learned something that doesn’t work.

The most persistent entrepreneurs are the ones who collect failures like data points, adjusting until they find the right formula. We all go through the challenges life brings us. It’s how we continue that makes who we become.

I love Deans quote: “Become a person capable of success”. It’s written on my whiteboard and I see it every time I walk into my office.

Building Mental Endurance

Just like physical endurance in sports, persistence in business comes from training your mind. What does that mean?:

• It’s setting realistic timelines for results. Some results don’t come overnight. It usually can take 2-3 months.
• Celebrating small wins to stay motivated. Making your first $1 can be so uplifting. Now imagine having $100 days! Then your first $1,000!
• Practicing gratitude to balance the frustrations. However you see this, no man or woman is self-made. We all need support from family, friends, mentors.

The stronger your mindset, the more you can handle long stretches without obvious rewards. This is one of the hardest part of being an online entrepreneur if you ask me. When you start off, so many people around you can have their say. “It won’t work“, “your not qualified” are some of the arguments I’ve heard around me.

Building that mental endurance to keep yourself focused on the result you want can be a challenge but it definitely has it’s rewards.

Detaching Self-Worth from Results

If your self-worth depends on how your business is doing today, you’re in for an emotional rollercoaster. Separate your identity from your current numbers. Otherwise, a bad sales week will make you feel like a bad person.

Persistence becomes much easier when you remember: your value isn’t determined by your metrics.

Key takeaway for Section 2:
Persistence isn’t about never feeling doubt. It’s about training yourself to keep going despite it. Being able to reframe failure as well as separating your identity from your current results will be key.

Take the time to sit down and review where you stand in regards to the resilience you’ll need to succeed. Take a look around you. Can you say that your support system is working with you instead of against you?

Section 3: Practical Strategies to Keep Going

Set Milestones. Not Just End Goals

If your only goal is “to make six figures,” you’ll feel like a failure until you hit it. And let’s face it, it could take years and it really isn’t realistic. Instead, set smaller milestones:

• First 100 followers
• First email subscriber
• First $100 in revenue

Each small win is proof you’re moving forward, and they help maintain momentum. As Dean says: “Become a better person than you were yesterday“.

Build a Routine That Fits Your Life

Burnout often happens when you try to work in a way that doesn’t match your lifestyle. Instead of trying to work 12-hour days like someone else you saw online, create a realistic schedule you can sustain for months and years.

Yes, whatever people may say, you can build your business even if you only have 1 hour a day to work it. That’s 7 hours a week and 30 hours a month. That’s enough to learn, build and grow.

Your consistency to a routine that you can keep matters more than any intensity. We recently went through a period of posting a video every day. I didn’t know I had it in my but was able to get that done for 60 days. Even pre-recorded some during the time I was on vacation.

Keep Learning (But Apply as You Go)

Education is important, but don’t get stuck in “learning mode” forever. Pick one or two strategies to focus on, learn enough to take action, and then test them in the real world.

This keeps you from feeling overwhelmed by too much information — and gives you real data to work with.

Stay Connected to Your “Why”

Your original reason for starting matters. Maybe it was more freedom, a better income, or the chance to do work you enjoy. Write it down. Keep it visible. Look at it every day.

When you hit tough days (and you will), reconnecting with your “why” can be the difference between giving up and pushing through.

Key takeaway for Section 3:
Stay in the game by setting smaller milestones, building a sustainable routine, applying what you learn, and remembering why you started in the first place.

Conclusion and Call-to-Action

The online business graveyard is crowded, but you don’t have to end up there. Most people quit not because they couldn’t succeed, but because they didn’t prepare for the reality of the journey.

If you set realistic expectations, build mental endurance, and create systems that support persistence, you’ll already be ahead of the majority.

So here’s your challenge: pick one persistence strategy from this post and put it into action this week. Maybe it’s setting smaller milestones, building a sustainable routine, or reconnecting with your “why.”

The online space moves fast — but slow, steady progress still wins in the long run. Don’t let temporary challenges bury your business.

Like what you’re reading or have any questions? Don’t be shy, write it up in the comments section for me to reply and more importantly, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for continuous insights and tips.

Trust the journey – victories await along the way!