How do you take a website and make it a business?

[damen]

I'm hoping some of the more business-savvy folks on here can lend me their brains for a bit.

I'm an IT guy - I do Systems Administration work for a fairly large company. That is my day job, my source of revenue/income.

For fun, I run several websites. They dont make any money worth mentioning (all of my sites combined bring in less than $10/month - 99.99% of that all coming from one of the sites). I really like doing this. My primary site is a lot of fun, and I want to be able to work on that full time.

What does a guy need to do to make that a reality? Obviously I need my sites to bring in enough revenue to match what I make now in my day job, and I suspect that I could achieve that through advertising and affiliates, but I would need to be able to support myself in the meantime (since revenue doesnt appear overnight).

How did you guys make the switch? Business loans?

I appreciate the assistance.

 

[-Adam-]

Most people offer a service or a niche they are proficient in and have a strong background. This doesn't mean you cant learn something new but it does take time and patience for it pay off in the long run. Having a product that is viable to a consumer I found is very efficient.

I think there are many people who would love to be self employed and run their business from the comforts of their own home but for many it's a long process and many end up giving up the hope or go broke trying to achieve the dream.

You could also consider putting together a business plan and sitting down with a consultant (usually a small fee involved) and have them analyze the pros and cons. If they do not see a good strategy they will let you know and may often help you find ways that will allow you to succeed.

As for funding you can always look into either business loans or micro loans if you need $10,000 or less. They carry less penalties and are pretty good for start ups: http://www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/sbaloantopics/microloans/index.html


What is your main website is it one of the sites listed in your signature? Just glanced at the Martial Arts one as I am a student of Jiu Jitsu as well. :wave:

 

[damen]

the martial arts site is the one that I would like to do full time. It is getting another redesign right now which will hopefully make it look a bit less crappy lol
Thankfully, it is a topic I know a LOT about (been studying martial arts for ~20 years now).

I'm working on writing up a business plan... its just taking me a while. I'm considering re-starting with some of the software I keep seeing.

 

[-Adam-]

Ah nice, You have quite a few more years on me. I have only been actively doing it for about 6 years now. It will always be a life long journey for me and I always look forward to walking it's path. I just get energized when I walk into a Dojo be it my style or a totally different one but there is always something about the atmosphere of it.

I would like to a get a martial arts site going as I feel I have a pretty good domain name for it but I keep running into writers block on how to properly develop it. I imagine if you could get your site to the levels of blackbelt.com you could be sitting comfortably at home without having to worry about income.

 

[damen]

shoot me a PM, I'd be happy to help out with ideas for development.

 

[shockie]

i'd suggest you keep your day job (especially given this economy) and continue to build upon what you have in the evenings and over the weekend. i don't think that making a switch without a foreseeable path is the right way to go for starting a business / getting a loan, etc.

if time (spent at work) isn't the real issue that is holding you back from a business, then don't quit your job just yet.

 

[damen]

ah, but time spent at work is (largely) time I'm not spending adding content to the site, which slows growth, etc, etc...

plus, you know, I HATE my job

 

[Finnerup]

ah, but time spent at work is (largely) time I'm not spending adding content to the site, which slows growth, etc, etc...

plus, you know, I HATE my job

If any sudden changes occur in the/your economical platform ect. ect... It would be nice to have a day job as a failsafe. Plus that often happens in these times; but best of luck from me.

 

[czardomains]

ah, but time spent at work is (largely) time I'm not spending adding content to the site, which slows growth, etc, etc...

plus, you know, I HATE my job

anything can happen, you can be out of job sooner than later.

You should be glad your job is not outsourced yet

 

[damen]

its hard to outsource jobs that require a security clearance

 

[localexperts]

I live in Northern Virginia and I was a software engineer for a beltway bandit. I was able to transition into running an internet business that makes way more than my salary as a software engineer. I suggest finding a business partner who is excellent at sales.

Do not take a business loan, go find an angel investor.

 

[cankit]

great ideas here from such lots of experience once ..
guys who are quiting there job and doing good in online business and earning more as they dnt get in regular jobs its great to hear.. it inspires me...
thanks for sharing it....

 

[enlytend]

plus, you know, I HATE my job

Every sys admin hates their job eventually :D (Once upon a time, I was one of those too!)

I made the switch to self-employed and online income after I was mergered out of a corporate day job during the last major economic slowdown (around 9/11).

Tempting as it may be, unless you've saved a lot of your salary over the years, get at least a decent part time income with an upwards growth trend going from your sites before you ditch your day job. That way you can always fill in with freelance or p/t work if you need to.

Things you won't have any more: paid vacation, paid health insurance (very expensive to buy for yourself, even more costly if you get sick and don't have it!!!), sick days, not to mention a reliable paycheck. And the longer you're away from the corporate job world, the harder it is to break back in if you change your mind, especially with tech jobs and especially in a poor economy.

As far as ways to monetize a site:

PPC and advertising on a popular, high-traffic site
Affiliate - you can do very well with affiliate marketing once you "get" how it's done!
Lead sales - build an active site on a subject, collect and sell qualified leads to local businesses.
Leads for your OWN freelance business
Direct sales/ drop shipping

Best of luck to you!

 

[ben_at_run]

If anyone wants to make money with a website, but don't have a product of your own to sell? Then no problem! You can become an affiliate where you recommend products on your site and earn commissions.