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Short story from my journey

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Sami Ketolainen

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Hello NamePros

Today, in the beginning of the new year, I decided to publish a story how I have owned 10 online companies, become domain name investor and sold with profits without using any money to advertising and marketing - Only with costs of theme, hosting and domain name.

When I was about 20 years old, I was completely lost in my life. No future plans, no loving family anymore, used drugs, made crimes and didn't care about anything. Sad stories, yes. But everything depends what is inside in your head. At one morning, I decided that I don't want this, I want something from my life. I found a person to my life who bring me up to that person who I was before my life went bad. This is where my "Online Story" begins.

I started my journey in 2012, when I was 20 years old. I have been always interested about websites, domains etc. I started to read from Google how I can start my journey as an domain name investor, create websites and earn money in different ways. First thought we're when I read different blog posts, forum posts - This is really easy, everyone can do this. Well, the truth was little bit different. When you read things at Internet, some things seems to be really easy to learn. I'm sure everyone has been in this situation.

In December 2013, I bought my first domain names. I was so excited about my names and I was sure that they will sell for huge bunch of money. Well, when you start investing, you make rookie mistakes, so did I. None of those names didn't sell. I we're really frustrated, I didn't know what to do. I started to think domain name from different view. I started to think like an business owner, would I use this domain name for my business? Would a large retail company use this name? This was my turning point at domain name investing.Is this name perfect for real estate agency or is it too hard to pronounce? I thought like an business owner, but I was an domain name investor.

Then, starts my true online business story.

Then, I got an idea - Maybe I should try to develop one of my domains in to a website and try that. I'm thinking now that it was one of the best decisions what I have ever made.

June, 2015 I started to develop my first online business, which was a free advertising portal. I bought theme from ThemeForest, bought hosting from GoDaddy and uploaded theme to my hosting. One big journey has began. I remember when I first opened WordPress admin panel - My thought's were that this is going to be an big job and am I ready for this - Developing a website, creating a business model, launching business, creating social media accounts, doing marketing & advertising - All by myself. I have always been a person who doesn't give up, it doesn't matter how badly things are. First two weeks we're like nightmare, I was drowning to all of work what I needed to do. I thought maybe I need some help, I don't have time and resources to create what I want, then my wife came next to me and said: "Sami, don't give up, this is your thing, I notice it from you when I see you working on the website". That gave me so much more strength to continue. Finally after 3 months, I had a fully working website, looking just like what I have wanted it to be. My first online business was finally online, that feeling was awesome!

This is the point, when the hard work started. I started to create social media accounts, firstly I made only 3: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram because I didn't have time to manage 10 social media accounts. It went pretty well actually, I actively updated my social media accounts, created an calendar to myself how I update accounts:

  • Twitter - 6 posts per day.
  • Facebook - 1-2 posts per day.
  • Instagram - 1-2 pictures per day.
But this wasn't enough. After 2 weeks I managed to get only 10 registered users to my advertising portal. I was thinking what I'm doing wrong. So many hours behind of working with this and I haven't got any money - only lost money. Then I started to think things little bit differently. I ask'd a question to myself: "What about if I'm the customer and I see this kind of posts? Would I even thinking of registering to this website?". Then I realized, I'm doing things completely wrong. I was thinking that it would be enough just to post posts to social media accounts - No, it is not enough. I started to connect with people. I started to ask, what they need? What they want? What doesn't my rivals have? What I can offer to them?

That one small thing changed everything. I used more time to chat with my potential clients - Get known with them, help'd them and then boom. In the next month I did get over 500 registered users and the business started to roll. In the end of 2015 I did get my invested money back and I started to think, maybe I should sell this business to new owner and start a new business? I thought this for 1 week and I made my decision, I'm gonna sell. I started to sell it on popular forums, connected with investors. In 2 weeks, I did get inquiry that one investor want's to buy my online business. We closed the deal in 3 days. This is the point where my journey truly started. I used 7 months to develop this business and used 300$ money for it and now it has been sold... For 9,500$.

After owning 8 online businesses and after selling them, I bought one business for 35£. I saw a huge potential in it but I think that the seller didn't see because he sold it for so cheap. I developed it little bit, but now I did get an partner to me. That person was the best partner who you could ever have. Together we decided to make something great from this business and I think we did. We owned this business for about 2 months and we did get an interesting email, one big US TV Network did want to shoot an episode from our business because it was one of the kind. We we're excited, really excited. I planned the whole future for the business. But then, my life crashed. The most important person for my got sick. At this point, the online businesses wasn't so important to me anymore. We decided to sell this business and it was an hard decision. But there was something positive too, the invested money, 35£ did turn to an massive profits since that US TV network contacted us and wanted to shoot an episode about that business.

Now, I'm back to business, had my break from everything. Now I have new energy again to write something amazing to my story.

I have learned important lessons. Maybe the most important is that DON'T GIVE UP, THE SUN WILL SHINE FOR YOU SOMEDAY. Everyone has own style how develop their businesses or how to invest in domain names, you just have to find the best way to yourself. It is the most important thing that you know who you are. I have lost almost everything in my life but sometimes you must get up from your bed and start to make things happen. Now, when I'm almost 27 years old, I have lot of scars which doesn't ever go away, when you loose your family when you are a young kid, it isn't easy to grow up. I was 14 years old when I lived at my own apartment. My wife had a cancer, we won it. Our child died, but we have gone through from it. If you loose one domain name sale, it isn't so important. There come's always new deals, but does there come new life'ss?

And to beginners, trust to yourself, learn from pro's and don't invest to names before you have made a proper research about the name.. Imagine yourself to business - to business owner's needs, what kind of name they need. Never give up, you can write your own story. It doesn't matter who you are, you can do it. Everything depends what is inside of your head.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
An interesting and introspective journey that should ring out to many in the domain arena, beginners and veterans.
 
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Thanks for sharing @Sami Ketolainen and for being very open about yourself.
Best wishes!
 
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Hi Sami ,
Thanks for sharing your interesting story,
The important lesson is "Not To Give Up" and encouraging to continue ….!!(y)
 
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Touching story .Sorry to hear about the loss of your child and I'm happy your wife bear cancer.

Waking up to read about your journey really reminds me everyday about different issues we all go through in life.
We need to always keep fighting and never give up.When I make sales,I am happy and when a buyer doesnt agree with my price ,I move on but I am not selling a name for less than it's worth. I still have a job so that backs me up big time.

Thanks @Sami Ketolainen for sharing all you have to overcome.I am sending you a hug.
 
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Thanks for sharing your inspiring story Sami .. and I really hope things go good for you in the future with both your personal and professional lives!
 
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@Sami Ketolainen, sorry to hear about all the struggles and loss in your young life.

These are indeed good words to live by, especially the last sentence.
Never give up, you can write your own story. It doesn't matter who you are, you can do it. Everything depends what is inside of your head.

You'll go far with such a tenacious spirit.
Best thoughts to you -
 
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Thanks for sharing Sami, it is one of the best thread I ever read in this forum...we all have our own reason to decide how and where to go during the journey..but the spirit of never give up is the power to guide us.....thanks again...and wish you all the best..
 
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This is fantastic @Sami Ketolainen !!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing this with us, what an inspiration!
 
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Thank you everyone for your kind words. This has been an interesting journey and different than most of the journey's.

Hopefully in this year, I can write a new chapters to my journey.
 
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excellent @Sami Ketolainen

Throughout your journey, I see you have challenged yourself many times, you found a niche aside from just buying a domain name and selling it. most importantly you put your loved one first and foremost and saw that situation through to the end.

continue to challenge yourself as you have been, stay on your beaten path and rise with your success.

Best of luck to you.
 
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Thanks @.X. @Kemal G and @kandyan

I just got a new interesting opportunity. I have always been a good friend for crowdfunding, charities and all similar things, I decided to help couple of small organizations to get a new website.

Lot of work a head to get websites done for free to their organizations, but I'm 100% sure it's worth of that work.
 
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You inspire MANY with this life-journey of yours. Best wishes and much more power to you Sami!
 
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Hello NamePros

Today, in the beginning of the new year, I decided to publish a story how I have owned 10 online companies, become domain name investor and sold with profits without using any money to advertising and marketing - Only with costs of theme, hosting and domain name.

When I was about 20 years old, I was completely lost in my life. No future plans, no loving family anymore, used drugs, made crimes and didn't care about anything. Sad stories, yes. But everything depends what is inside in your head. At one morning, I decided that I don't want this, I want something from my life. I found a person to my life who bring me up to that person who I was before my life went bad. This is where my "Online Story" begins.

I started my journey in 2012, when I was 20 years old. I have been always interested about websites, domains etc. I started to read from Google how I can start my journey as an domain name investor, create websites and earn money in different ways. First thought we're when I read different blog posts, forum posts - This is really easy, everyone can do this. Well, the truth was little bit different. When you read things at Internet, some things seems to be really easy to learn. I'm sure everyone has been in this situation.

In December 2013, I bought my first domain names. I was so excited about my names and I was sure that they will sell for huge bunch of money. Well, when you start investing, you make rookie mistakes, so did I. None of those names didn't sell. I we're really frustrated, I didn't know what to do. I started to think domain name from different view. I started to think like an business owner, would I use this domain name for my business? Would a large retail company use this name? This was my turning point at domain name investing.Is this name perfect for real estate agency or is it too hard to pronounce? I thought like an business owner, but I was an domain name investor.

Then, starts my true online business story.

Then, I got an idea - Maybe I should try to develop one of my domains in to a website and try that. I'm thinking now that it was one of the best decisions what I have ever made.

June, 2015 I started to develop my first online business, which was a free advertising portal. I bought theme from ThemeForest, bought hosting from GoDaddy and uploaded theme to my hosting. One big journey has began. I remember when I first opened WordPress admin panel - My thought's were that this is going to be an big job and am I ready for this - Developing a website, creating a business model, launching business, creating social media accounts, doing marketing & advertising - All by myself. I have always been a person who doesn't give up, it doesn't matter how badly things are. First two weeks we're like nightmare, I was drowning to all of work what I needed to do. I thought maybe I need some help, I don't have time and resources to create what I want, then my wife came next to me and said: "Sami, don't give up, this is your thing, I notice it from you when I see you working on the website". That gave me so much more strength to continue. Finally after 3 months, I had a fully working website, looking just like what I have wanted it to be. My first online business was finally online, that feeling was awesome!

This is the point, when the hard work started. I started to create social media accounts, firstly I made only 3: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram because I didn't have time to manage 10 social media accounts. It went pretty well actually, I actively updated my social media accounts, created an calendar to myself how I update accounts:

  • Twitter - 6 posts per day.
  • Facebook - 1-2 posts per day.
  • Instagram - 1-2 pictures per day.
But this wasn't enough. After 2 weeks I managed to get only 10 registered users to my advertising portal. I was thinking what I'm doing wrong. So many hours behind of working with this and I haven't got any money - only lost money. Then I started to think things little bit differently. I ask'd a question to myself: "What about if I'm the customer and I see this kind of posts? Would I even thinking of registering to this website?". Then I realized, I'm doing things completely wrong. I was thinking that it would be enough just to post posts to social media accounts - No, it is not enough. I started to connect with people. I started to ask, what they need? What they want? What doesn't my rivals have? What I can offer to them?

That one small thing changed everything. I used more time to chat with my potential clients - Get known with them, help'd them and then boom. In the next month I did get over 500 registered users and the business started to roll. In the end of 2015 I did get my invested money back and I started to think, maybe I should sell this business to new owner and start a new business? I thought this for 1 week and I made my decision, I'm gonna sell. I started to sell it on popular forums, connected with investors. In 2 weeks, I did get inquiry that one investor want's to buy my online business. We closed the deal in 3 days. This is the point where my journey truly started. I used 7 months to develop this business and used 300$ money for it and now it has been sold... For 9,500$.

After owning 8 online businesses and after selling them, I bought one business for 35£. I saw a huge potential in it but I think that the seller didn't see because he sold it for so cheap. I developed it little bit, but now I did get an partner to me. That person was the best partner who you could ever have. Together we decided to make something great from this business and I think we did. We owned this business for about 2 months and we did get an interesting email, one big US TV Network did want to shoot an episode from our business because it was one of the kind. We we're excited, really excited. I planned the whole future for the business. But then, my life crashed. The most important person for my got sick. At this point, the online businesses wasn't so important to me anymore. We decided to sell this business and it was an hard decision. But there was something positive too, the invested money, 35£ did turn to an massive profits since that US TV network contacted us and wanted to shoot an episode about that business.

Now, I'm back to business, had my break from everything. Now I have new energy again to write something amazing to my story.

I have learned important lessons. Maybe the most important is that DON'T GIVE UP, THE SUN WILL SHINE FOR YOU SOMEDAY. Everyone has own style how develop their businesses or how to invest in domain names, you just have to find the best way to yourself. It is the most important thing that you know who you are. I have lost almost everything in my life but sometimes you must get up from your bed and start to make things happen. Now, when I'm almost 27 years old, I have lot of scars which doesn't ever go away, when you loose your family when you are a young kid, it isn't easy to grow up. I was 14 years old when I lived at my own apartment. My wife had a cancer, we won it. Our child died, but we have gone through from it. If you loose one domain name sale, it isn't so important. There come's always new deals, but does there come new life'ss?

And to beginners, trust to yourself, learn from pro's and don't invest to names before you have made a proper research about the name.. Imagine yourself to business - to business owner's needs, what kind of name they need. Never give up, you can write your own story. It doesn't matter who you are, you can do it. Everything depends what is inside of your head.


Hi,Sami
Thanks for share your story, i want to know which domain you develop can you tell you alone develop domain or someone help you and how can you sell and what is the time between buy domain, develop and sale (time), i don't know development can i do it......
 
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Just to echo past sentiments and add..

Wow! What an incredible story. I mean, this has got to be one of the most inspiring experiences I have ever read here on NP. A must read for all beginners, old timers alike.

Thanks so much for sharing your journey. I am going to re-read it, because one time was not enough. The insights you managed to acquire in such a short time span, if only so many of us made those breakthroughs early on.

I particularly loved the spot when you realized after all your hard work, is when the real hard work was to begin. This in of itself is wiser beyond your years. Also all your stepping stones. We cannot stress enough as domain investors of wearing different lens when buying names. Seeing through the eyes of a business, or an enduser, determines the success of your names.

You've given a lot of food for thought here, and a valuable contribution. Thanks again, and best wishes moving forward. Congratulations on beating the odds with the big bad C.
 
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Thanks to everyone for your really kind words.

I hope that all of you can write a great story of your journey to an investor.
 
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Hello NamePros people.

Many of you have read my journey how I became online investor and entrepreneur. I was able to make all my money via online and from home but at this week I got some bad news. I went to a doctor since I have had lot of pains at my chest and in different places in my body. Doctors said that your body has suffered a lot from all of your stress, from your experiences and from your physical pain inside of you.

Next step was going to film my body, heart, lung, liver etc. So process was pretty long and I wait around 2 hours in hospital and started to look that why doctors are running from room to room with my photos. Then, one doctor ask'd my name and I went to doctors room and there we're 3 doctors standing and they said that you must sit down now.

Doctors said that we have watched your photo films and we have found something from your lung. They showed my the picture of my lung and there it was, cancer. I didn't know what to say. I'm 27 years old only but I have had so many losses in my life and my relatives have had cancers.

I decided now to start to sell my few remain domain names here at auctions to get some money to medical bills and for the future, since now I have quit from this business again.

I want to thank all of the members of this forum for your great advices, guides and kind words. It has been really interesting journey to be a part of this great community and I hope you guy's keep it like this! After I have ended my auctions here, I will ask NamePros support to freeze my account.

Ps. I will come back when I have fought my battle.

Best wishes,
Sami Ketolainen.
 
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You're a fighter. Keep it up.

May you beat this.
 
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Get well fast and get back soon!!
 
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Hello NamePros community again!

I have spoken with many investors and members via LinkedIn. Some of you guys and girls knows about my cancer, someone doesn't.

I'm back again to business, my treatment with cytostatic drugs started about 1 month ago. I decided to not to invest any domain names anymore or build any businesses - I decided to offer my help to anyone who needs it, without any costs.

Everyone has their own fights and everyone must have their own "mentor" how to do things properly.

If you are struggling with your journey, don't hesitate to contact, I'm ready to help.
 
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Everyone has their own fights

This is so true, Sami, and I wish you the best in yours. Please keep us updated on your progress. It's very kind of you to offer assistance to others.
 
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