KHALID

In my last post I explained how I managed to bag a fantastic site and it really hit home that I should stick to what I was good at – developing. Since then I’ve been working hard to ensure Kefalonia was re-built to an acceptable standard and appealed to visitors.

After sending out numerous e-mails introducing the site to prospective advertisers, I managed to sell one ad spot and may have another in the pipeline. Meanwhile, PPC ads are working well on the site and I’ll be happy to announce January’s earnings shortly.

In a few weeks I’ve taken an old project and turned it into something profitable whilst generating 125% of my investment back! I’m really happy with the progess I have made so far and have prompted my friend, Stephen, to invest in numerous generic domain names too!

Good luck with your persuits,

Khalid.

Since selling my tattoo network I’ve been in a financial position to trial a lot of new web ventures. I’ve tried running a bar jobs site, I heavily marketed a student portal, I built several mini-sites and invested in domain leasing. Now I’m back to square one.

Did I fail?

No, I learned a lot, made some money and began planning my future properly. When I say I’m back to square one I don’t mean I’m back to the beginning, I’m back to what I’m good at – developing. Several attempts to take on big competitors, rush into multiple new projects and look for “the next big thing” meant I spread myself and my resources too thinly, resulting in some failures.

It’s not all bad though, I’ve bagged a fantastic small (yet established!) site I’ve been working hard on, I’m registered one or two valuable domain names, Adsense earnings are up and two deals are in the pipeline.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, just remember that if you are venturing into new projects then do so carefully, don’t think that cash and a nice site will win the race. Stick to what you are good at and always have something to fall back on.

Good luck with your persuits,

Khalid.

Two good friends, Scott and Rob have been providing me with a lot of help recently and I’m working on a few joint ventures with them. Both have been kind enough to assist me in dipping my toes in the domain world and getting my foot in the door. I was pulling my hair out trying to find a domain name that wasn’t in the £x,xxx region, it seems like they are becoming gold dust.

Scott pointed out that perhaps I should concentrate on finding an old site and offering cash for it. After a short search I found Kefalonia.co.uk – a one word generic for a popular Greek island favoured amongst British tourists. I have peviousely visited Kefalonia and its popularity has sky rocketed since the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was shot there. It is a beautiful little island with plenty of culture and fantastic scenery.

I got in touch with the owner and after some discussions I purchased the name for less than £1,000 – a good buy according to my mentors. In my own mind know it is a great deal – it already ranks on Google’s front page, the name is 8 years old and it is a one word generic!

The owner of samos.co.uk and kos.co.uk advised in a private e-mail that they sold the latter (domain only) for £15,000 so I am confident the domain will retain its value.

I’m really lucky but the site still needs a lot of work and updating, in addition to earning me back my investment.

Good luck with your persuits,

Khalid.

It is about this time that people tell you their New Year’s resolutions and by far the most popular is to “lose weight” or “go back to the gym”. It is true that the 9-5 rat race the majority of people are trapped in allows very little room for enjoyment. Let’s face it, after a long hard day in the office all you want to do is get back to the comfort of your own home before it begins over the next day.

My New Year’s resolutions are as follows…

• Get back to the gym – I know I know, the most popular! – I need to improve my cardio fitness and strengthen my back after physio I’ve had recently.
• Invest for the future – Look further than 6 months down the line, what about in 5 years? If I knew today’s prices of domain names five years ago I would definately have invested everything I had!
• Build a portfolio – Stop buying and selling so quickly and build a portfolio of strong names/sites that I will lease or sell advertising privately to generate a recurring income.
• Start a limited company – Begin placing all transactions through a company and build a reputation as a professional outfit.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?

Good luck with your persuits,

Khalid.

December was a far more successful month, primarily from my Christmas clearout. Here’s a breakdown of my earnings…

• Website Sales: $1350
• Private Adverts: $150
• Text Link Ads: $27.50
• Media Jump: $35
• Adversal: $2.50
• Total: $1880 - Daily Average: $60.64

Good luck with your persuits,

Khalid.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday To Me!

22 today, man I feel old lol! It has been an interesting year and I’ve learned soooo much! I am hopefuly 2009 will become even more prosperous and my daily earnings will rise.

Fingers crossed, happy new year and all the best for 2009!

Good luck with your persuits,

Khalid.