Ongoings here and there
Aug6
When I started this blog in March 2005, I knew I wanted to make a living outside of Corporate America for various reasons, including the ones I blogged about here. But I had no idea what to do. Since then, through personal introspection, daily research on the web and just plain serendipity, I’ve embarked on several ventures of my own.
First is my microISV, TempestBlue Software. I wrote an editor tailored towards SEO and released it several weeks ago. Sales have been modest (read, more than 2, less than 7), but I’m far from discouraged and actually did a little jig around the room when the first order came in 
. I’ve just begun to market this and I know the marketers will say this is backwards, but I’m learning!
Second is Elegant Wedding Shoppe, an online wedding supply retail site. This started when my fiance made a flower girl basket, ring bearer pillow and bridal garter set for a close friend. Through word of mouth, she got requests for another 2 sets, and I saw an opportunity and pounced on it. I opened accounts with drop-shipping wedding suppliers and added their products into the mix. Through eBay and the online storefront, only another 2 orders came in so far, with pre-sales inquiries numbering in the teens. I’ve since learned that the wedding supplies market is pretty saturated and I may have jumped the gun on this one. But I did learn how to use Zencart and Paypal very well, so it isn’t a total loss.
Third, I succumbed to what I consider a pretty cheesy money-making tactic; I’m almost embarrassed to mention it. Following a process I found in an internet marketing forum (sorry, couldn’t find the link again), I created EnchantingWeddingFavors.com. It is nothing more than a Google Adsense flycatching site. I bombarded the site with pseudo-content using keywords “wedding favors”, signed up to exchange reciprocal links with other wedding websites and waited for unsuspecting visitors to come and click on the prominently placed Google Adsense links. Believe it or not, the Adsense revenue from EnchantingWeddingFavors.com surpasses that of FreeFrom9to5.com. This was really just an experiment though. I’ve covered my only expense here (the domain name) and then some, but I don’t intend to go into this line of business.
Finally, I added Google ads to FreeFrom9to5.com and signed up to be an affiliate for several related products. Although this affiliate income has been the easiest to earn, in terms of time spent vs. return, income from Kwedit sales has been the most gratifying.
Net profit over the last 5 months? About $70. Not an especially auspicious start, but a start nonetheless. And I’m learning, having fun, hopeful and slowly preparing for a future free from 9 to 5.
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6 Comments
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10:18 am on August 5th, 2005
As you say, its a start. And for most people just getting started is the hardest. Keep up the good work!
6:33 pm on August 5th, 2005
R O C K O N !
I am going to have to bust my ass to keep up with you Eric. Keep posting!
9:09 pm on August 5th, 2005
Very nice. I find this inspiring. Please keep working on it!
6:23 am on August 8th, 2005
It’s good that at the very least you’re learning. I’ve got you in my bloglines and have been reading your blog for the past few months. I left my job at an online marketing/advertising agency about a month ago to strike out on my own. I have since launched my own blog concerning online marketing and media and a couple of other projects. I had saved up enough money to last me for about a year and a half, so my plan is dabble my fingers in many different startup ventures until one of them becomes profitable (hopefully before my money runs out and I have to rejoin the workforce). Keep up the good work!
7:02 pm on August 8th, 2005
$70 is better than a sharp stick in the eye…OK, it’s a start and many, many companies go years before they make a dime.
Keep up the good work, remember it is all about sowing and reaping, most people are concerned about the reaping, that is, what am going to get/or make. In order to get some fruit, you have to plant some seeds and that is what you are doing right here, right now!