Forum Moderators: martinibuster
So I'm trying to decide if I should get a job like everyone else or dedicate myself full time to my current website and a few other projects I have in mind that I haven't had time for. I can't see myself being happy doing programming for a big company or anything like that. In fact, I did it over the summer for 12 weeks and absolutely hated it. Creating my own websites is what I really love to do. The downside of course is the volatility of not only adsense but the industry as a whole which was ok for spending money but is a whole different story if I want to make a living.
Then again I see this as the perfect opportunity as I'll only be 22 with no family or other obligations and I can probably live with my parents for a little or move somewhere with cheap rent. If I do get a real job I may never have enough free time again to know if I could make it or not and I'll always be wondering.
Just wanted to see what others thought and what they would do in my situation. Also, I've been on here for over a year so I didn't just signup and post this. Just changed my name cause it was too closely related to my site.
Sailor you're one cold son of a ...:-p
built-for-adsense-scraper-site spammer?
:)
Another consideration is that if you ned a job in 5 years time then in a potential employers eyes you may as well have been unemployed for all that time.
This is a good point. I used to do a lot of programmer hiring for a corporation. People who had been self employed for many years were often very bad risks for hiring for permanent positions. Many had a hard time converting to life in a cube with set hours and two weeks vacation and usually ended up quitting. Plus good references of former employers can be really helpful in getting a full time position, so self employed people don't have that unless they have done consulting work.
and went full time AM/AS
Another consideration is that if you ned a job in 5 years time then in a potential employers eyes you may as well have been unemployed for all that time.
This is a good point. I used to do a lot of programmer hiring for a corporation. People who had been self employed for many years were often very bad risks for hiring for permanent positions. Many had a hard time converting to life in a cube with set hours and two weeks vacation and usually ended up quitting. Plus good references of former employers can be really helpful in getting a full time position, so self employed people don't have that unless they have done consulting work.
Great point. After three years of working for myself I am certain I am unemployable. I would have to be really backed in a corner to put up with the bellyaching and baloney and bosses, not to mention the set hours. God save me from ever having to get a job again.
You're still young so you don't have much to lose.
You don't want to be sitting at your computer all day at home like me.
You don't want to be sitting at your computer all day at home like me.
How do You make Your web sites only sitting in front of the computer?
How do You make all the photos?
How do You make all the interviews?
I was this year many times and days underway for new content.
Anyway I recommend you take atleast 5 months off, see how things go. If you seems to be increasing your profits month after month, then continue it. If you start doing worse, you can always look for a job, and put your websites and business on your resume for the empty time period.
I found that being free of college life, no more studying, partying, etc gave me a much better means to increase my income and expand the business. Remember that the onlien business is very unstable. Diversify and save your money.
Hope this helps
Goodluck
Brian
What always strucks me is that we are working in the marketing department of our advertisers and most of them do not even know it.
Brian
ccb9856, think of yourself as being a marketer, not a programmer or a web master
I think more to be a publisher.
As I was young, I liked to read
P.M. Paul Moosleitners interesting magazin
"Bild der Wissenschaft" Picture of Science
Hobby - a technical magazin
Now I can produce my self something similar.
I go back and forth on it every day, Ive been going out and interviewing and have a couple job offers, but it is really hard to imagine working for someone else, after making decent money on my own for these past few years. I am still undecided, I really want to go over to china and chill with shak for a while he seems to be having quite a time over there.
The cool thing is we don't even need an idea...
Affiliate sales just don't work for me yet, but I suppose if they do, it's a more reliable form of employ - at least there is a product at the end of the line and a customer who wanted it.
My advice is go it alone or build up your own company, even at your age it makes sense. Personally after telling my boss where he could stick his nine to five job (this was before the days of Adsense and with almost no internet marketing experience) I would rather become a road sweeper than take another job in a cube. (You'd meet a better class of person for a start)
Find a favorite job.
Find a favorite job.
Publisher and journalist living from AdSense.
Would You know a more secure job?
Building a business model based mostly on AdSense: NO. My first suggestion would be to cut AdSense to less than 1/2 of all your revenues.
I spent a lot of time building AdSense sites, just to watch the income continously erode. If you have multiple revenue streams, it's meaningless.
Working for yourself is a decision. I started working for myself in 1992 and have never regretted not working some bunk job somewhere. Good luck to you.
I just couldn't imagine having to work for somebody else. I do what I want to do not what somebody else tells me to do. I know the harder I work the more money I make. I was/am quite happy to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week because it was building my future rather than making somebody else money for all my hard work.
Now I'm making tens of thousands of dollars a month. I get up when I want to - I work when I want to - I do what I want to. I spend 6 months of every year traveling around the world just hanging out in different places. All I need is my laptop and an internet connection and I can work from anywhere.
At least take a year out and give it a go. If it does work out for you it will be the best decision you'll ever make. I hope it does and the best of luck for the future.
100 Adsense sites might bring in a pretty penny, but one authority site can opens hundreds of doors of opportunity on and off the web.
For example, one such path:
Step 1. Authority Site About Vegan Cooking.
Step 2. Articles about Cooking on Cooking.com.
Step 3. Articles about Cooking in Martha Magazine.
Step 4. Books about Vegan Cooking.
The basic point I am trying to make is that one should think of 100 adsense sites as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
Great post and everyone great contributions.
ccb I am 24 and after 4 yrs of work exp(in hotels, online marketing,affilate networking and now SEO for an online gaming company) have decided to go on my own and establish my own company in due course.
Though after 4 yrs of work exp I will tell you, every day , every moment was worth it.
I know i would have made more money if I had gone on my own before but this experience as taught me immensely in terms of things I should and shouldnt do in my own business. I learnt the operational aspects, marketing, customer service, risk management etc and most important it teaches you life which in my own experience and I am sure others would agree, is not taught in school.
These things are very valuable and help you to evalute your reasoning and understand what you want form life.
the point is, do a job (part/full time) dosent matter but try to get a hang of it ...while working on your websites. Once you start this and couple of years down the line few things can happen...
1) your own business is grown enough that you start employing others.
2) You have grown up the ladder in your job and are enjoying it but still can mange your websites side by side.
3) If both 1 and 2 are not working out, go and do your MBA or phd.
How would these points help:
Point 1 : Working for someone else, you would have alredy gone thru the trials and errors of a business and you wont make mistakes in your business.
Point 2: You would understand what is corporate world all about and it will help you to decide better what you want ot do in future.
Just like others say 10 yrs down the line you dont want to regret not getting in your business , I would say if you get into your own business now you might and things dont work out sometime don the line, you dont want to regret not having some work exp and getting a job.
Point 3: Once oyu pass out of MBA, its like a passport to corporate world ...it will help you grow up the ladder , get you a good job to and keep you options open for future.
I would suggest take atleast two yrs of work exp ...and in your case since you have other source of income (in the form of your websites), join a start up, you will learn more there.
Last but not the least whichever decision you take..remember that you are 22 ONLY, you can afford to take risky decisions ..afford to make mistakes but still can pull yourself back in fast and be on track. You have the most important thing in your control and that is "TIME" make the most of it.
All the best ccb9856.
Sorry everyone if I have made this too long..but I just wanted to make ccb9856 see both the sides of the coin.
regards,
Nick
I'm in your shoes. I will graduate in two weeks with an engineering degree from a well-respected school.
I have been running sites for the past seven years (I'm 21), and I currently make an entry-level engineering salary with only 10-12 hours of work per week.
Based on much of the advice here, you'd think going into business myself would be a no-brainer. However, I have decided to accept a job with a small consulting company (non-internet related) and keep the sites as a side project. As my income grows, I will hire out the majority of my new development so that I can continue to grow my internet business.
Why? For the opportunity to learn from business-people and professionals with many more years of experience than myself, and for the continued personal and professional interaction. The idea of working "alone" was one that didn't excite me -- I enjoy the constant contact and the enthusiasm that stems from working with a talented team.
I'll tell you how it affected my job search -- I only considered opportunities I was truly excited about, and that made all the difference.
Hope this helps you make your decision!
100 Adsense sites might bring in a pretty penny, but one authority site can opens hundreds of doors of opportunity on and off the web.
And when that one authority site gets nuked in one of the algo changes? I think some of those doors might close pretty quick. :)
There are posts here after each major update of people living off free search engine traffic for one site, losing their rankings and then being in a total panic over what to do for income. Or worse yet they have to lay off their staff because of their own lack of contingency planning and a risky business model.
One site is not so risky only if you have other ways of getting traffic besides free search engines listings.
And when that one authority site gets nuked in one of the algo changes?
I don't think authority sites have to worry about nuking, I don't see Brett launching 100 adsense sites just in case WebmasterWorld gets nuked.
