Can you imagine building a house with a plain old hammer and nails in this day and age of high power tools? That is what life is like when you try to build an internet business with an outdated computer and dial up.

It's a picture of frustration and delays.

When the numbers tell us that half of American internet users are using some form of high speed connection we are called to remember that that leaves half of them on some level of dial up. An old computer and slow internet isn't the least of their worries. They may be able to log onto the net and find some great resources, but they're still limited in the type of resources that they can consume.

If you desire to get started with an internet business you're going to need a bare minimum of tools.

A. A good computer.

Please don't take your circa 1998 system to cousin Bobby for an upgrade. Sure, Bobby's gonna have fun showing off his computer skills but you're going to be disappointed in the end. There is only so much that can be done to upgrade a system and if Bobby cares more about you than his ego - he'll tell you so.

If you're system is more than four years old, I would look at an upgrade.

B. High Speed Internet Access.

The number one excuse I hear from those who do not have High Speed is that it's expensive. Sure it is. I pay four times what someone on dial up pays in my community but without it I wouldn't be earning a tenth of what I earn now.

C. A Professional Website.

Resist every urge to sign up for a free website host 'just to get started'. The freebie website will represent you poorly. It's like wearing sweats to a job interview. You would never do it! When you can register a domain for less than $8 and buy feature rich hosting for around $9 a month, there's no excuse for cheaping out. I recommend the resources at MomWebs.com.

You can purchase a simple template for as low as $5 and adapt it for your own use if you're comfortable with it or hire a designer to put up a few pages for you. What matters is that what you put up represents you well.

D. A professional and reliable mailing list system.

From the moment that you set up your website you are working to build a following of one kind or another. When someone visits your site and has an interest in you they must have a way to invite you to stay in touch. With your mailing list invite on every page, they'll be able to do that. Whether you will be sending out a regular newsletter, a free e-course or occasional product specials - your list of interested contacts is golden.

E. Business Mentoring.

No matter what kind of business background you have off line, internet marketing is a whole different playing field. There are tried and true principles to learn and apply and some that change constantly. It's important to know who you can trust.

If you're serious about taking your business to the web you can use this as a preliminary check list. With the right tools in place your internet business will be on a solid foundation.

Kelly McCausey hosts the popular internet radio show and podcast, Work at Home Moms Talk Radio. She also mentors Moms who want to build a successful internet based business. http://www.wahmtalkradio.com