I've owned and operated my business for years. Nearly 15 to be exact. In this time I have seen ups and downs in the economy, watched numerous business start and within a short period of time end, and watched other businesses flourish.

I am fortunate to be among those business owners who have prospered and continue to do so. However, it hasn't always been that way. Before I could enjoy a successful business I had to employ certain practices.

Although the essence of my business has remained relatively close to what is was 15 years ago is has actually gone through numerous transitions. Through it all the primary aspects that have allowed me to enjoy a profitable business were to lay an extremely solid foundation and have systems in place.

The foundation
A huge part of the foundation and systems is to be clear on my market and to build a responsive list of clients and potential clients. In the world of Internet marketing this list can be referred to as an opt-in list.

Not a day goes by that I don't have people asking me what I attribute my success to. Many of those people pay me to guide them in building their business.

How responsive is your opt-in list?
Hands down, a huge part of my success is the quality and responsiveness of my opt-in list. Additionally, how much my market trusts me and the credibility I bring to the table. Simple. Or so one would think.

What boggles my mind is when someone asks what I have done to succeed, I tell them and then they attempt to reinvent the wheel. The fact is, I learned about the need to build a very responsive list from my mentors and other highly successful online marketers. So not only do I chant, "Build a list. Build a list. Build a list," so does every other successful marketer I know.

Now you might be saying, "I'm not a marketer!" if you own a business you need to be.

So why is it so difficult for some people to understand the need to build a responsive opt-in list?

Primary reasons this won't work
There can be a number of reasons. One, they just don't "get" how important this is. Two, they don't know how. Three, it takes time, effort and commitment.

For those who don't realize how important it is I recommend you open your mind up to accept this fact. For those who don't know how, there is plenty of information available on the Internet that can outline specific steps.

If you don't do this you won't grow
For those who are not willing to put the time and effort into building a list all I can say is, "Then how do you expect to grow your business?" Obviously if someone is not willing to put time and effort into their business shouldn't have a business. Simple as that.

To give you an idea of what I do to build my list, read on.

I have a very focused approach to building my list. I use various processes to grow my list such as article writing, blogging, Social Network involvement, teleseminars, Joint Venture Partnerships, advertising online (both paid and free) and forum involvement to name just a few.

As you build your list you also have to have a plan of what you will do with the list. You have to know how you will bring value to your readers, how you will gain their trust, and what products and services you can offer to them.

To learn more about effectively using the Internet in your marketing and build a responsive list (often for free) go to http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/free-ebook.htm  to access the FREE ebook The Truth About Making Money on the Internet.