We're all after financial independence - the security that comes with knowing that only you control your future. That that you'll never have to kiss up to another boss or chase another prospect to put food on your table. The amount of money that would provide that security depends on your needs and wants, but it's safe to say that you'll need at least a dozen years salary working for you to feel comfortable.

So, what's wrong with focusing all your energy on making that money as soon as is possible? Isn't the first step to reaching your dreams thinking and dreaming big?

The problem is that When you start thinking big, you have to plan big. Planning big leads to big commitments which means that you're going to have to invest a substantial amount of hard work, time, and money to implement your big plan. When you invest a lot of resources in any plan, you're also taking a tremendous risk that the plan you're pursuing is a good one. But, what if it's not?

Randomness plays a huge part in online business success. The history of the internet is filled with stories of good ideas that never reach a critical mass and break out. Online success is more a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right idea than it is about having the better idea or the better plan. With that in mind, does it make any sense as a small business person to invest all your time and resources into a big plan? Especially an unproven plan? What you're doing is giving yourself a single shot, committing to one idea that could make or break your business while at the same time having little idea if that idea has any potential at all.

Are you comfortable with risking the future of your business on a single big idea? Instead, think small. Try as many easy to implement and inexpensive ideas as you can. Evaluate what works and then commit more energy and money into the ideas that show some promise. Not only will you automatically diversify your business and insulate it against the loss or failure of any one part, it gets more of your good ideas out in public and substantially increases the odds that one of them will be a hit.