Any Good Ideas For A Website Business? Options

[abt123]

hello. i want to start some money making websites. or forums in the field of business, stock market, etc. might also be a good thing. any ideas? would be nice to find experienced partners in this. anyone interested?

[Jill]

What do you like, what do you know?

You can't just start a business about anything. Where's your passion lie? What are you an expert at or could become one?

[abt123]

well, i know how to make and run websites. but i know almost nothing about how to get to top 10.

[abt123]

my main passion is making money and living a good life. one thing that attracted me to internet business, which is not true of all internet business, but in general, i though it would be very flexible. meaning that i could operate it from anywhere in the world that has internet access.

also, i think internet business has lots of room for growth. it's like a virtual real estate that seems to be getting more and more expesive. 5 years from now it will be more difficult and competitive. i know there are lots of oportunities right now online that will be profitable, but i just don't know which path to take. internet television and radio will probably be huge.

[abt123]

i don't have any special skills other than how to make a website, which i'm not a pro at, but i can manage. my education is b.s. in psychology, and also i have a J.D. but i'm not interested in those fields. my dad is in the wholesale furniture business, so some of my time goes to that. also i'm interested in real estate. in the future we may get out of the furniture business and concentrate on real estate.

[MaryKrysia]

"Do what you love and the money will follow." There is a book by that title I believe, but more than just the title of a book, this says everything about success in life and work.

Find your bliss, your passion, find where your genius lies, find what "runs your motor" and you will find success in life and work.

Mary

[mal4mac]

What if "your bliss, your passion" is an obscure branch of transcendental poetry? Creating a website on such a topic is unlikely to pay your hosting fees.

[Jill]

What if "your bliss, your passion" is an obscure branch of transcendental poetry?

Aha! Now we're getting somewhere.

You most certainly can make a business and money out of it. You can make a business out of anything you're passionate about. If you are passionate about it, certainly lots of others out there are too.

[Cosita]

You mentioned several times you are familiar with developing websites. Perhaps that is an area you should consider pursuing. It seems that you are hesistant for two reasons. One is because as you put it, "i know almost nothing about how to get to top 10." From my understanding, website development and SEO are two different animals and you can run a successful website development firm without indepth SEO knowledge. Though you can brush up on SEO or hire a SEO expert on a per diem basis as an added value for your customers.

The other factor that may be holding you back is because you are "not a pro" but can "manage." The reality is that most people who are start a business aren't pros. What turn us into pros is our clients. Once you get clients under your belt you will become better at your craft.

You also mentioned that your passion is making money. It's okay to follow the money. You don't have to choose to open a business based on passion for a particular area. You can learn to fall in love with what you do. And if money is a driving factor for you, then whatever you choose, if it's profitable, you will enjoy. Though it may be easier starting a business based on something you love or know, it isn't necessary in your case.

Some may question what I just wrote. So let me be clear. We all have different motivating factors. For some, like myself, it is important to find something we love do to and find a way to make a living at it. For others, like abt123, the important factor is to make money. People who fall into his category don't need to find a passion, only a niche that will bring in the desired income.

[Betty]

I think you are asking people - what's a quick unique way I can make money when I have no specific skills or interests?

And the answer is that if we all knew the quick easy way to make money from knowing nothing that no one would be quick to share that secret.

The advice people give is good though - if you find something you are interested in - pursue something along those lines. If you aren't interested in anything then maybe that's part of the problem.

[torka]

Everybody has interests. Really.

Let's say you did find a way to make tons of money. What would you do with the money, once you made it? If you had enough money to do or buy anything you wanted, what would you do? Where would you go? What would you buy? That's a good starting point to determine your interests.

Then brainstorm. What do people who are interested in those things do? What do they need? If you were in the position to indulge your passion, what kind of web site would you want to find? What sorts of products would you be looking to buy? What kinds of services would you want to have available?

Those are the kinds of things that you'll want to incorporate into your business plan. Because you're not just creating a web site -- if you want to make money at it, you're starting a business. And if you're starting a business, you need a plan. Doesn't have to be fancy, but -- as the old saying goes -- if you don't know where you're going, how can you tell when you get there? (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Don't be afraid of choosing. It's tough, I know. But until you make choices and start taking action, nothing will happen.

Back when I was young, while waiting for the Earth's crust to finish cooling, I used to fret about making decisions. I was laboring under the delusion that the choices I made then would inevitably lock me in to a path, and I was afraid of choosing the wrong path.

Turns out, while the choices I made back then definitely influenced the direction of my life, very few of them were irrevocable. The job I do now didn't even exist when I graduated from college. (Heck, personal computers didn't exist when I graduated from college. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ) So far, I've run through a whole bunch of "careers" in a whole bunch of industries, and I'm not through yet. Maybe one of these days I'll find something to settle down with. Then again, maybe not. Maybe I'll just spend the rest of my life reinventing myself every few years. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/magic.gif)

So, you put in a lot of hard work on something and it turns out you're not as interested in the topic as you thought you were, or it turns out to be less lucrative than you'd hoped. Well, then, you've learned something and you've had some practice at starting a business and you've honed your marketing skills, so at least the time wasn't wasted. Maybe the next thing you try will be "the one."

Maybe you'll get lucky and hit a bullseye on the first try.

Maybe you'll have to try several more times. Maybe nothing will ever be the one end-all-be-all "business of your dreams," and you'll spend your whole life starting businesses, building them up and then selling them and starting all over.

Maybe it will turn out you have tons of interests. Well, there's nothing stopping you from pursuing all of them (just don't try to start them all at once, or you'll lose focus). Pick one to start, and once you've got it ticking along, pick another. And another. And another. Even if none of them individually make you a ton of money, in the aggregate they could be quite lucrative. And since you're interested in them all, it will never be a chore to work on any of them.

However it turns out to be -- acknowledge and move on. As long as you're moving, you're still in the game. You don't lose until you give up.

Unfortunately, life doesn't come with a money-back guarantee. You just have to take your best shot with whatever you've got. Don't sell yourself short -- we almost all have more going for us than what we think we do. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/penny.gif)

--Torka (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

This post has been edited by torka: Jun 5 2006, 11:54 AM

[jehochman]

There are a lot of people looking to make money on the Internet and they have the same problem you do, they don't know where to start. So if you do hard work to answer your own question, you can probably build a business explaining to other people how to make money and lead the good life from anywhere that has an Internet connection.

You'll figure out whether you want to sell a book, consulting, seminars, advertising on your website or some other form of packaged expertise. You'll have to try a lot of different things to find out what works for you.

We can't give you the answer because we're not you. What works for somebody else, won't necessarily work for you, because we all have different objectives, skills and experience.

(IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/wizard.gif) (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif) (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/witch.gif)

[Randy]

Sounds like a book you should write Torka. Or at least sounds like one of the books I've been trying to find the time to write! (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Ever thought about being a ghost writer? I don't think I'd have changed a thing in what you just said. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/lol.gif)

[MaryKrysia]

Maybe nothing will ever be the one end-all-be-all "business of your dreams," and you'll spend your whole life starting businesses, building them up and then selling them and starting all over.

If starting and running businesses is your passion then this would be a fulfilling and fun trip for you.

Wehter your passion lies here or elsewhere, perhaps this quote from Ralph Marsten will help:

"Take your deepest desires, values and purposes, and translate
them into thoughts. Then take those thoughts, and put them
into words.

Next, put the words into action. And then, grow the actions
into commitments.

Translate those commitments so that they resonate in the
world and in the lives around you. And you will end up with
valuable, meaningful achievements that flow from your
deepest values.

Start with knowing and understanding the authentic person
you are. Then work to express yourself within the context of
the world in which you live. Translate your inner values
outward into all of life. And life will grow more beautiful.

Translate the unique person you are into terms that the
world can understand, value, appreciate, benefit from, and
enjoy. And you will experience rich, meaningful success."

Ralph Marston

(IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/appl.gif)

[arlen]

Find your bliss, your passion, find where your genius lies, find what "runs your motor" and you will find success in life and work.

For some, like myself, it is important to find something we love do to and find a way to make a living at it. For others, like abt123, the important factor is to make money. People who fall into his category don't need to find a passion, only a niche that will bring in the desired income.

While I'd love to agree w/ Mary, the truth is I agree with Cosita more. You do need to determine what drives you, but everyone has different motivations. For some, having a deep and passionate drive to do a particular thing logically translates into a business. Other's interests are less specific. My personal motivations are life-style based -- money is not a real motivator, but having the means, and as importantly, the freedom to live the life I wish to live IS. I have many passions, few of which I would want to turn into a business. There is another school of thought that counters the "Do what you love" school, that says something like "The quickest way to ruin a hobby is to do it for money."

While it has to be infinitely easier to stay on task if you truly love what you do and would do it regardless, I think for many if not most folks, just enjoying what you do, being productive, and ultimately living your life as you wish is probably as close to a passionate vocation as they will ever discover, and that's probably OK. Successful Corporations who make breakfast cereal aren't necessarily operated by people who are passionate about puffed rice after all, though the founder probably was. For many people for instance, spending time with family is the most motivating factor in their lives, and for them, a 40 hour (or less) job that you leave at the office or plant is a good fit for their priorities.

It is important to have a strong interest in what you do however. If you can't stand getting your fingernails dirty, you probably aren't suited to run a business catering to backyard mechanics, or street rod fanatics. If you have strong moral convictions against gambling, you should probably avoid running gaming websites as a means of income, whether you could make a great living at it or not. Just remember that if you are successful, you could be doing this for a very long time, you may as well enjoy yourself.

~~~ edit ~~~
(IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/clapping.gif) Bravo Torka. Amazing how I can't even remember most of the "critical decisions" I've faced in the past, though they seemed ominous at the time.

This post has been edited by arlen: Jun 5 2006, 12:25 PM