Building a Niche Store and setting my goals.

I told you I was going to need to write out some goals to get this niche store / niche blog going. Here is a quick list of my goals and steps to take to get the site up and running. I’m not going to break them down or explain them much - but here they are.

1. Figure out what software options are available and decide which to use

   - WordPress? - BANS? - StoreStacker? - phpBay?

2. Start writing articles, or posts, to have content ready to publish.

   - have 10 posts ready to go by launch

3. Work on quick theme for the site

   - I want it to be unique but I don’t plan on spending too much time on it

   - I have experience in web design and creating WordPress themes so I can do this myself

4. Setup affiliate network accounts

   - I have an eBay affiliate account

   - Might just start with ebay don’t want to create too much competition on the site by using multiple affiliate programs

5. Setup niche store software

   - Whether its BANS, StoreStacker, or phpBay there will be some intial setup involved

6. Publish site

   - Might do this earlier with a few articles posted to get it indexed in the search engines quicker

7. Advertise the site - gotta have traffic

   - I don’t plan on spending too much money starting out.

   - Post in forums (free)

   - Post comments (free)

   - Directory submissions (free/cost)

   I could do it myself or pay someone to submit the site

   - Submitting articles to article sites (maybe - that’s more writing) (free)

   - CPC (cost per click) campaign - adwords, msn adcenter, yahoo ad network (cost)

   I have some free adwords and msn adcenter coupons

8. Hopefully repeat with another domain and niche site / niche store

Just a quick look into what I have in mind for the setup of my niche site or store - I keep going back and forth with that. I’m sure other things will creep up that I’ve forgotten. If anyone has any suggestions please leave a comment.

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I am completely new to affiliate marketing - in that I have never done more than put an affiliates banner on a site. I’ve done a descent amount of reading on affiliate marketing and I have been researching the creation of niche stores.

Getting Motivated
So, I am finally getting motivated. It might be a little late to get in on the initial holiday shopping season, but after the new year people will be looking to buy again. Whether it be to help them with their new years resolution or to purchase a game or two to play on the new video game console they got for christmas. It’s time to stop reading and start doing.

Follow Along
I plan on documenting my process here at hargism.com - whether it is a success or a huge failure. Like I said, I’m new to the whole building a niche store thing. I’ll be doing some research and weighing my options on what software to use and how to gain traffic. There are a plentiful amount of resources out there that should be able to help me with my niche site.

Initial Planning
My idea is to take at least one domain I have that is just sitting there doing nothing and turn it into, not just a niche store, but more a niche site with the store built in. I’ll be going with more of a blogging setup for the site with integrated niche store elements like the eBay - seems to be the most popular option. I think setting it up like a blog will really help with the natural (free) search engine traffic, and will be more Google friendly (hopefully). This will allow me to create unique keyword friendly content to not only help drive traffic but also to hopefully provide the readers with something [of value] worth visiting the site for - and hopefully get them to come back another time.

I know the creation of content will be the hardest part for me. I can be a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to writting. But I am going to try my best to stay motivated. I know I’m going to have to create a list of daily goals in order to keep on task. It would be great to have a little be of extra income coming in each day/month.

Stay tuned for future post and feel free to give me any advice you have as I journey through building a niche blog store thing…

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First off, I really enjoy following Zac Johnson on his blog Inside the Secret Life of a Super Affiliate. It’s definitely worth the read if you are looking for information about affiliate marketing - from where to start to what techniques and affiliate programs you should use. Zac has done a great job sharing his knowledge with his readers.

So, yesterday Zac Johnson wrote a post called Your Job Sucks? Six Reasons to Be Your Own Boss Now! Wouldn’t that be great - I know there a lot of people who are doing it. But is it the right time for you to make the jump? Here are a few reasons why you should hold off on being your own boss.

1. Current Economy - Jobs are being cut right and left - businesses are going under and the economy is hurting. If you quit your job now and your work at home ventures fail - you may never get your old job back. This, of course, depends on your profession. It’s just something to think about - you need a back up plan in case being your own boss doesn’t work out.
2. Your Current Income - I’m not talking about what you are currently making at your job - I’m talking about your current money stream outside of your job. The income you are making now from your online ventures, or whatever you plan on doing once you quit your job. If you are thinking you can just quit your job and start making enough money to support yourself, and maybe a family, right away - you are probably wrong. You should have at least a couple months of income saved up to support you while you get your own business ventures running. Or better yet, they should be running while you are working and making enough money to allow you to quit.
3. It’s all on YOU - So, maybe you don’t have to mess with a jerk boss or annoying coworkers, but if you screw things up when working for yourself it’s all your fault. You can’t say, ‘I was just doing what my boss told me.’ There is no one to blame but yourself. Are you ready for everything to fall on your shoulders? Maybe that’s exactly what you want or need to get you motivated.
4. Benefits - one of the nicer parts of having a full-time job. At most companies, health care, dental, vision, 401K, stock options are taken care of for you. Things like these are great benefits of having a job in a company. This might be one of the hardest things to let go when quitting your job. It can be worked out though - your spouse might be able to put you on their insurance, you can get your own health insurance (can get pretty expensive), you will need to take the time to manage your own money and get in touch with accountants and setup your own retirement fund. It can be done - it’s just another thing to think hard about before you go on your own.
5. Taxes - Don’t forget about taxes. When you’re on your own it’s up to you, or your accountant that you hire, to take care of these things - they can get confusing.

This isn’t a give up and stay in the workforce post - it’s a be realistic about your future post. If your goal is to work from home and be your own boss then staying focused, motivated, and working hard can get you there. Just be realistic about it - or it could turn out to be a very negative turn of events in your life.

I know my goal is to work for myself and a lot of the reasons I want to work for myself are mentioned in Zac’s post - he makes some great points. I also know that I will need to be absolutely sure I can financially support myself when I make the jump from the 9 to 5 to working my own hours for myself. If you read Zac’s post Your Job Sucks? Six Reasons to Be Your Own Boss Now!, which I suggest you do, make sure to read the last paragraph of text. And don’t give up if being your own boss is your goal - stay motivated and work hard and it will happen.

Michael Hargis

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