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discuss Did I give a wrong advice?

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Arpit131

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A couple of freelancers asked me if they should move into full-time domaining?
My straight-forward answer was NO!

The reason I advised against it was because while I believe domaining is a good side income and can fetch good amount of money in the long term, it is also a patience game which cannot substitute a continuous flow of income which you get in your job, business or freelancing.

While domaining is a good investment option, it is not very good in terms of substituting a regular income unless you hustle real hard for a couple of years or more!

Was my advice wrong? What do you suggest?
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
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I agree 100% with the advice you gave. I think that you can be a better domain investor when you do not depend on it as your only source of income, and that your life will be more balanced and healthy as well. I know that a few have managed to make domain investment a full time successful career but I think it is challenging.
Bob
 
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I agree 100% with the advice you gave. I think that you can be a better domain investor when you do not depend on it as your only source of income, and that your life will be more balanced and healthy as well. I know that a few have managed to make domain investment a full time successful career but I think it is challenging.
Bob
I am pretty sure those that go full time started out as a hobbyist / part timer gradually building up their knowledge (and domain investment cash balance) before taking the plunge.

If I am wrong on this and some people just dived right in and made a success of it straight off the bat then please let us know.....
 
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I know it could be possible for some people who are in domaining for the last decade. But, only a few! I believe, a person can not make their living by domaining. So, completely agree with you. (y)
 
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Nobody should go full-time before there is even a proof of concept...
 
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Was my advice wrong? What do you suggest?

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If they enjoy fishing in a lake which is not well stocked (hoping to get lucky), then part-time is good advice, otherwise stay away 100%, unless you want a cheap, easy form of gambling.
 
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It is also worth pointing out that it depends on where you live.

If someone from a second or third world country has got the basics down, some experience and especially outbound sales (for continuous or semi-continuous sales), it is very possible to live off domaining.

The majority of the world population could live comfortably off of $1k+ per month from domaining.

Of course, absolutely never quit your job until you are consistently earning money and can see your future clearly.
 
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If someone from a second or third world country has got the basics down, some experience and especially outbound sales (for continuous or semi-continuous sales), it is very possible to live off domaining....
...

Sounds great, but...
You could find many people in the USA who like the idea of getting "the basics down" and making $1k+ per month (or more), and...

How do "second or third world" people have the money to get started?​

Just a reality check. :)
 
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Sounds great, but...
You could find many people in the USA who like the idea of getting "the basics down" and making $1k+ per month (or more), and...

How do "second or third world" people have the money to get started?​

Just a reality check. :)

Yeah, but Americans can't live off of 1k per month.

And yeah, trust me, thr barrier to entry is large. When I give money for a 4L, it's much more relative to your money.

But I have it si much better if I get the basics down and sell via outbound because the sales mean a lot more to me.
 
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Unless you live in countries where you can live from several hundreds of dollars / month, do not go full time. Even then I can imagine it must be pretty stressful, as sales are not guarantied and you can get desperate if you depend on them.It is much better and profitable when you do not need sales urgently, that gives you lot of space.

Imo best is to do it as a serious hobby - keep your daily job or business or assets, and enjoy profits from domaining as well :)
 
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You gave great advice. Domaining is not easy. Their best alternative is to do it part time until they have a full understanding of it and money to invest indecent domains.
 
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I agree with your advice
 
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It’s a cutthroat business and unless you’re holding old school domains held from the past you’re most likely not going to be making a lot of money at it.

Even these new guys that came in in 2015, and thought they were smarter than everyone else after making a few splashy big flipper sales are pretty quiet these days.

Still like any other business if you’re good at it you’ll do better than others that are similarly situated. Meaning - even if you just start today if you’re good at it and lucky you’ll do better than most.
 
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I am pretty sure those that go full time started out as a hobbyist / part timer gradually building up their knowledge (and domain investment cash balance) before taking the plunge.

If I am wrong on this and some people just dived right in and made a success of it straight off the bat then please let us know.....

Hi

I would tend to agree, as one has to accumulate knowledge about the how to's

but it also depends on what one brings to the table, their own business experience, cash flow, contacts, etc.

it makes a difference in amount of capital you have to invest initially, versus trying to build capital thru sales or create income stream, while trying to sustain the portfolio and remain active in domaining.

Yeah, but Americans can't live off of 1k per month.

Hi
have to disagree on that.

there are many americans surviving off less than 1k per month

but that too, depends on a lot of other social, economical, educational and other opportunities or the lack of them, that makes the difference in household income..

still, I think OP gave best advice for anybody without prior knowledge of domaining to consider.

as even those who got in when internet first started, had to either be earning a living before that or had some form of income to invest in .com initially.

i'd say if you have a job, keep it and try domaining part-time
you need health, medical and dental, not only for you, but for family too.

that :poop: is expensive and can wipe away the roi of a domain sail, quick fast and in a hurry

so a full time domainer, gotta have all those duckies, plus unexpected one's covered
imo….
 
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You gave great advice. Domaining is not easy. Their best alternative is to do it part time until they have a full understanding of it and money to invest indecent domains.
Perfect
 
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Great Advice.

A person can become a full-time domainer by domaining part-time and building capital and leverage off selling part-time.

But as I have told SO many people, being a full-time domainer takes talent, you must be extremely strategic and have a natural certain business mentality that is very minority within the industry.

The few I know that are full-time domainers today started part-time and gradually worked their way to a full time status.
 
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I agree 100% with the advice you gave. I think that you can be a better domain investor when you do not depend on it as your only source of income, and that your life will be more balanced and healthy as well. I know that a few have managed to make domain investment a full time successful career but I think it is challenging.
Bob

Absolutely Bob. I agree with your thought process 100%.

I am pretty sure those that go full time started out as a hobbyist / part timer gradually building up their knowledge (and domain investment cash balance) before taking the plunge.

If I am wrong on this and some people just dived right in and made a success of it straight off the bat then please let us know.....

That is correct, my friend. But abandoning your source of income to come into domaining which takes years to master and has irregular revenue is what I think makes it a fantastic side business but a not so good full time business.
 
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It’s a cutthroat business and unless you’re holding old school domains held from the past you’re most likely not going to be making a lot of money at it.

Even these new guys that came in in 2015, and thought they were smarter than everyone else after making a few splashy big flipper sales are pretty quiet these days.

Still like any other business if you’re good at it you’ll do better than others that are similarly situated. Meaning - even if you just start today if you’re good at it and lucky you’ll do better than most.

Yeah. People like Ali Zandi and Erwan Kina are rare!

it makes a difference in amount of capital you have to invest initially, versus trying to build capital thru sales or create income stream, while trying to sustain the portfolio and remain active in domaining.
That's a very valid point too, Biggie! Someone with capital would go for nice names. Someone who is starting from scratch will have to build it ground up!!
 
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Yeah. People like Ali Zandi are rare!

I’ll get this started with a review of the domains mentioned in the June 28, 2015, show, “$58,000 Profit Flipping 8 Domains in Under 60 Days – With Ali Zandi.” In this episode, Ali mentioned the following sales of his:

slowdown.com bought March 28, 2015, $4250. sold May 6, 2015 (namebio reports May 10th), $15K

bovine.com bought May 2, 2015 $4500. sold May 16, 2015, $11K

cultivation.com bought $8500. sold for $14K within less than a month

aus.com bought April 21, 2015 sold May 29, 2015, gross profit $24,098.

Ali talks about having an “instinct” for getting great domain names, how he feels a fire in his bowels when he views a great name.

Well, what happened to these “fire in the bowels” domain names that he sold in 2015?

slowdown.com – nothing. It’s a dead site. Has not been re-sold.

bovine.com – nothing. It’s a dead site. Has not been re-sold.

cultivation.com – redirects to a website that tries to sell other marijuana related domains.

aus.com Oh boy. This one resold for $345K on 8/14/16, and is now a company website.

(In the show, Ali claims his “fire in the bowels” told him that aus.com was worth $35K. Apparently not – it was worth ten times that.)

What my research shows, actually, is that 2015, was a banner year for domaining. I don’t think it had so much to do with any super sharp instinct that Ali possessed that year (I mean come on, bovine.com ? ) but that any domain in a rising market, is a good one. And then as far as aus.com, in the show he mentions that his instinct told him that it was worth $35K (but he sold it for less than that anyway), when it was in fact worth ten times that.

Now of course, hindsight always 50-50, but I think that at least 2017, has been quite slow compared to 2015. Now, I personally have been domaining as in direct involvement of sales and marketing, since only very beginning of 2017, and done very well this year (but not with oddball names like bovine.com !) However, I have been financing domainers, including my own domaining company which someone else was running for me, since 2002. So I have observed the ups and downs of this industry for some time now.

From William S. Burroughs:

A lot of people made quick easy money during the War and for several years after. Any business was good, just as any stock is good on a rising market. People thought they were sharp operators, when actually they were just riding a lucky streak. Now the Valley is in a losing streak and only the big operators can ride it out.

This could apply to domaining, today – where only the best and most quality domain names will be selling for top dollar – at least until the cycle shifts, the small fry and impatient newbies are weeded out, and domaining inevitably enters another boom cycle.

Haven't heard much from Zandi lately have we? The "fire in his bowels" that told him what to do in 2015, must be out....

https://www.thedomains.com/2017/04/19/ali-zandi-regged-4600-domains-com-promotion/

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Haven't heard much from Zandi lately have we? The "fire in his bowels" that told him what to do in 2015, must be out....

https://www.thedomains.com/2017/04/19/ali-zandi-regged-4600-domains-com-promotion/

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9kzhvHZl.png

Back then, he was very inspiring. I haven't heard about him recently. But he learnt and generated results more quickly and better than many. He was real good. Most of his advice were practical and I learnt a lot through some of his posts. I believe, he was successful in that way whether he is still domaining or not!
 
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Whether Domaning, biz or office job. it is not advisable to face a hustle full time. Multiply source of income should be preached and practiced.
 
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Haven't heard much from Zandi lately have we? The "fire in his bowels" that told him what to do in 2015, must be out....

https://www.thedomains.com/2017/04/19/ali-zandi-regged-4600-domains-com-promotion/

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9kzhvHZl.png
he's doing pretty well as a broker though, isn't he?

btw
"Haha! Actually spent ~200 hours obtaining/sorting data, creating permutations and scouring deleted names lists and created a list of ~5M domains that are were available (had bulk availability checker developed)"

then in the comments
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95 million were taken?
there are about 130 million .coms registered.. and he generated 95 million of them? aren't most .coms kind of..random crap..very unique to each registrant..
 
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