Start Over Challenge

[geb9696]

I am not sure if this is the right section for this post but I am going to put it here because I think it has the most to do with Traffic Monetization. Here is what I am going to do. We constantly have new domainers come to Namepros and ask if it is to late to enter into the domaining game. I am going to try my start over challenge.

Here is the challenge

See how much money I can make using nothing but Namepros and Sedo over the next 7 days.

The Rules

1. Start with this challenge with zero start up capital. I will be starting with nothing in order to see if it is possible.

2. Capital Expenditures will be deducted from and cash earned. If I make $10 writing an article and then spend it on a domain the total profit will be 0. One week from today(Next Sunday 7:30 Eastern Time) I will be totaling net income and adding in total assets and coming up with my total net gain. Assets will be valued at purchase cost.

3. I will not do anything illegal or against a company's TOS.

4. I will only be able to use Namepros and Sedo in order to make money. I was originally going to limit myself to Namepros but I need a parking company. Being how this is supposed to simulate someone starting completely new I am using Sedo because anyone can join and park names there.

I will be updating this thread as I go along. I am hoping making it a public thread will keep me motivated. I am very interested to see how this all turns out. We shall see what I am able to do in a week(ends 7:30 Eastern Time next Sunday). Wish me Luck!

 

[Fka200]

So will you be using a fresh-reg domain?

 

[Devil_Dog]

So will you be using a fresh-reg domain?

If so, Good Luck.

 

[Rebies]

Interesting idea. I would start with $100 if I were you - that is a very fair, reasonable startup cost for anyone. (heck, it only hurts your net profit from the start)

 

[johname]

Your going to write an article, get paid $10 bucks for it. Then spend the money on a freshly reg domain name. Then park it at sedo, and get at least 1 click by the end of the week?

 

[Rebies]

Also - are you going to use any other "tools" you might have access to? Drop lists, tasting, overture suggestion type tools? Some of these things could give an unfair advantage over someone very new to the domain industry.

 

[evilopinions]

Also If u are looking at only doing a domainer startup then bear in mind that income generated via development does not count...Like article writing is developing ...U must earn something only through the domains or domaining and not developing...Not evry newbie knows what is PHP and trneds of search engine optimization or marketing...

Like rebies pointed out you can start from a certain start up money...Every newbie has to start with a certain amount no matter how small...And 100 $ is not very big for anyone...That wont hurt and in order to compensate it you can increase the time frame of the challenge...maybe say a month or 45 days...The parking cost earned can deduct the amount initially spent..

 

[johname]

I think part of the point of this is use only $$ you make on the internet, which is why he is starting with the $10 buck article money

 

[geb9696]

Lots of good comments. I will verify more. I am not going to develope anything being how I can't host anything through Namepros. I am going to use drop lists and tools that I find while looking around Namepros and they have to be free. While development is out of the question I am using all of the resources at Namepros so writing for NP$ I feel is fair.

 

[NPKJB]

Just curious......how long you have been in the domain business? How would you rate your knowledge of the domain industry (i.e. SEO, Development, domain tools previously used. etc)?

 

[geb9696]

I have been interested in domaining since mid 2006 even though I signed up at Namepros in Jan of 06. I was mainly interested in developing the names that I bought when I began. It was not until Jan 2007 that I really became interested in the domaining aspect of making money online. I am not sure were to rate my domaining skill. I guess this week will really be a good indicator for that.

 

[NPKJB]

How many hours per day do you plan on devoting to this is project? Are you currently employed full time?

I'm not trying to pry into your personal info. I just want to understand all of the variables that are involved.

 

[geb9696]

I am currently a full time student. I will be spending as much free time as I can at this but I a D1 athlete so I have 15 hours of practice time along with my schoolwork. So I am going to really have to utilize the time I spend working on this.

 

[netmeg]

Is it sposed to be too late to get into the domain game? Good thing nobody told me; I just started in August.

 

[rexvnus]

very interested. I am looking for good news from you

 

[VisionQuest]

I'm a newbie, so I would find this exercise most interesting. Great idea.

 

[Varon]

This is definitely interesting. Good luck geb.

 

[geb9696]

Thanks for the replies. I will be updating this thread tonight around 7 and go through what I have done throughout my first day. So far I was able to make around $20 and now comes the hard decision. Do I try to get more money before buying domains or do I try to hand reg a few names? I will give a more detailed response tonight.

 

[moby]

Hi geb9696

Well done so far today ! $20 very impressed, was that writing etc. Would be interesting to hear more detail on how easy that is, for earning also NP$ what is that all about ...etc. ok

Best of Luck !

 

[geb9696]

The Rundown From Day 1

Now that day 1 has come and gone it is time to give an update about what has ahppened so far.

Starting with 0 dollars was alot more challenging then I had originally anticipated. I was able to go to the $NP section of Namepros and do forum posting and social bookingmarking tasks in order to get money. Along with posting on forums I was able to get an agreement to write 3 articles for a member here at Namepros. From all of this I was able to make $25.

I will be continuing to look around the forum opportunities to make NP$ but since I now have some actually money I have also started to look into what type of domains that I could get. Being how I am looking at this more from a perspective of traffic monetization I headed over to the newbie section to see what I could read there. I stumbled upon this thread about typos http://www.namepros.com/domain-newbies/194337-typo-advice-to-typo-newbies.html and I had my target. After reading through the thread I decided that I might try my hand at a typo domain. Before registering the domain I first did a trademark check on the name and then also looked at where the website that the name is a typo was from. The name is not trademarked and not based in the US. I was able to find a coupon to acquire the name so the cost of purchase was $6 dollars for the name. This leaves me with a balance of $19 dollars left to work with.

I have been looking around drop lists and have been thinking about trying to flip a domain or two over the course of the week yet I have decided that unless I can find a L-L-L.com or LLLL.com that slips through the drop catchers hands I will not be able to hand reg and flip anything for a profit. Given this fact I am going to wait to see if the typo domain is profitable before spending any more of the $19 on more domains.

Day-1 Ending Cash Balance-$19
Number of domains-1

That is todays update. Thanks for reading.

 

[Ross]

I think what you are doing is awesome, but it is kind of flawed as in the aspect of the newbie coming in to the game. The newbie coming in to the game isnt going to know of most of the tools that you are using or how to use them. Personally i have not been in the game for that long. I am very smart and have done alot of research in to what i want to invest my money into and know of and how to use some of the tools that you are using but i do not fully understand them as well as you do. So there for i think it is more appropriate to think of this thread as more of a motivational thread rather than a newbies perspective. "Learn to walk before you run." is what i like to say.

Anyways, i think what you are doing is great and proves a point that nothing CAN turn into something with some elbow grease.

:imho:

 

[moby]

Thanks again geb9696

Very interesting, and for sharing info and giving alot of your time, etc

Take it easy, on yourself ok ( do you want a day off tomorrow

 

[mindless]

This is better than any reality TV show!!!!

Reality entertainment for domainers, its great!!!!

 

[Morph]

Tivo
I think it's more proof of concept that a newbie, who has done their homework and is determined can definitely make money over time, can some one a little more seasoned do it in a week?
Great thread - Will be watching this.

 

[evilopinions]

he will hardly use tools that u have to pay for..so it is still valid...he is most likely using oveture and stuff and all tools dat r free