| Some of you may have discovered that happiness | | | | engine list. |
| doesnt arrive just because one has attained material | | | | Let me give you a little example. I very fortunately |
| wealth. However, in this day and age money has | | | | recently went on a vacation to Costa Rica in Central |
| become as necessary as air itself for most people to | | | | America. While there I went to one of the many |
| survive. Back in 2000 a lot of people invested in the | | | | Internet cafes in Tamarindo Beach to search for a |
| Internet in hope of making it rich quickly, few | | | | hotel to stay in at Arenal Volcano which was over 5 |
| succeeded. Thats all changing now. Ive just read about | | | | hours drive away. I didnt want to make the whole trip |
| a 19 year old boy in the USA who has become a | | | | only to find that there werent any vacancies in the |
| millionaire simply because he had a great idea and put | | | | whole town. Plus, I couldnt call around because most |
| a website on the Internet to promote it. Thats all it | | | | people only spoke Spanish, as well as the strange fact |
| takes people. If youve got a new idea, or believe that | | | | that calling other towns in Costa Rica was as equally |
| you have a product or service that is better than the | | | | expensive as calling back home overseas. I searched |
| others around, you need to get a website on the | | | | the Web and found the Volcano Lodge ( and |
| World Wide Web. | | | | subsequently stayed there for 3 nights watching lava |
| Sean Belnick and his step-father started a website on | | | | spew forth out of the volcanos two huge craters. |
| the Internet just 5 years ago selling office chairs at It | | | | There were heaps of hotels near the volcano that I |
| was Seans idea, and he was only a young teenager | | | | hadnt seen on the Internet, as well as some which had |
| at the time. Now, when you type Office chair into | | | | low-quality sites (ugly or hard to navigate). Others didnt |
| Google his site is the first link that comes up on the | | | | even work so no matter how pretty they were they |
| whole world-wide list. Their company makes over 15 | | | | didnt give me much motivation to stay. In the end I |
| million dollars a year and its rising fast, with huge deals | | | | chose the one that best fit my budget, as well as |
| being made providing chairs for everyone from | | | | having shown me through pictures and information that |
| American Idol to the Pentagon. This just proves it. It | | | | it had the most features, services, and of course the |
| doesnt matter how old you are, if youve got an | | | | best view of the volcano for the price. They got my |
| entrepreneurial bone in your body you have to realize | | | | money because they were on the Internet, near the |
| that the Internet is only now coming out of its infancy, | | | | top of the list, and had a website that attracted my |
| and that if youve got a dream, it is the only place to | | | | attention. |
| make it come to fruition. | | | | Business isnt all seriousness and Sean Belnick of the |
| This business started out of the boys bedroom with | | | | office chair fame will tell you that because his |
| customers calling on a 1-800 number. It now sells over | | | | company was a family-based enterprise, it has actually |
| 2,000 products and has over 40 employees, plus owns | | | | brought his relatives closer together through the |
| a warehouse which covers 40,000 square feet. This is | | | | working experience. So, lets get back to that opening |
| how all great business ideas begin: small. You neednt | | | | thought. Material wealth doesnt necessarily make one |
| be afraid that you dont have enough capital. All you | | | | happy. However, if you follow your dreams and ideas |
| need is a great idea, and a website for people to find | | | | through to the end you might just make a healthy living, |
| out about it. How does your page ranking go up on | | | | and having fulfilled the goals that fueled your quest, |
| Google? First, you have to be out there. Secondly, you | | | | happiness may just sneak in for the ride. |
| have to be doing a good job. The more other people | | | | *Thank you to Andrea Jones at the Atlanta |
| mention or make links to your site (because of your | | | | Journal-Constitution newspaper whose article |
| high quality, or your efforts in networking) the higher | | | | Teenager sits atop office chair empire on April 28, |
| you become on that magic money-making search | | | | 2006 inspired this article. |