Could a website be part of your retirement plan?
Before you say ‘no’ and move on to another article about how tough farming is, read this.
Yes, I know you are probably not computer literate. Yes, I know you are on dial-up internet connection, and it sucks. But think about this: the internet is the greatest business opportunity that has ever existed for individuals such as you and me. Here’s why.
In ancient times, the market was the hub of the city.
Artisans, merchants and farmers of all kinds brought their wares and sold them, and the people who bought their stuff knew them and could talk to them about it.
Read Also
Agriculture needs to prepare for government spending cuts
As government makes necessary cuts to spending, what can be reduced or restructured in the budgets for agriculture?
Caravans brought exotic goods from far away and along with the goods they brought stories of their adventures.
People visited each other, exchanged ideas, listened to music and talked about politics, art and literature.
Over time, with industrialization, science and efficiency, producers of the goods, which means you, have been separated from your customers.
Enter the internet. Once again, people are talking to each other, making things, selling them directly to each other and exchanging stories about their adventures with each other. It is the old city marketplace multiplied a million-fold.
Now, here is how you – yes you on your farm – can have fun and make a nice retirement income on the internet.
What is your hobby, skill or secret passion? Do you love to cook and have great recipes? Are you good at making neat inventions in your farm shop?
Do you have special knowledge about something? Are you a woodworker or a welder? Do you know the secret to inoculating legume seeds that gives great success?
People go to the internet looking for information.
It doesn’t matter who you are, you have an interest, knowledge or skill that others in the world want to talk to you about and are willing to pay you for.
If you want to see examples of more than 200 successful websites created by everyday people, visit the site examples.explore-sbi.com.
But, you say, you don’t know the first thing about building a website.
Most people don’t. But with the right tools, it doesn’t matter.
I am no computer geek, but my website now gets more than 2,000 visitors a month and I recently started selling my first e-book.
To build it, I used what I believe is the best small business internet package on the net: a Canadian product called Site BuildIt. This small business package is all you need to start building an income, and having fun on the internet, even with dial-up service.
The reason you need a whole business package rather than just a space on the net to upload your site to is that building a website in itself is only part of the process of making money on the net.
The rest is knowing how to design a site so search engines find it, learning how to “monetize” the site so you can make money with it and staying in touch with your customers.
Again, the reason I use Site BuildIt is that it provides everything you need, tells you step-by-step how to build a website that sells and gives you the tools and help to build a successful site, even if you know nothing about computers.
Can you really make money with a website?
Yes, but like any business, it takes time and effort. The advantage is you can do it from home and the financial investment is small if you do it right.
For example, you don’t need to hire a web master and your kids can show you how to do the stuff you don’t know how to do. All you need to provide is BAM: brains and motivation.
Barbara Jennings, a 59-year-old grandmother, got tired of the financial uncertainty of her job as a consultant and decided to do what she really loves doing, which is giving home decorating tips.
Her website business, located at www.decorate-redecorate.com/about.html now makes her a steady income of between $5,000 and $8,500 a month.
Marney Makridakis is an artist, singer and writer who is making
lots of money with her website
www.artellawordsandart.com.
She has more than 2,000 subscribers paying $3 a month to be members and thousands more subscribers to her magazine at $29 per year and sells hundreds of e-courses, teleclasses and ebooks. And they are not all hers. She sells other people’s courses too, and gets a commission for them.
A couple of years ago I read about a guy who makes $30,000 per month with a website about truck canopies.
People could find out everything they wanted to know about the right canopy for their truck and then order the one they wanted through his site.
The manufacturer received the order, delivered the canopy and paid the website guy a commission, usually more than $300 per canopy.
To get an idea of the possibilities, check out nutshell.explore-sbi.com and then start thinking about what you love or know or are good at, that you would be willing to share with others, for a price of course. Then start planning an interesting retirement.
Edmonton-based Noel McNaughton speaks at conventions and for corporations on Farming/Ranching at Midlife – Strategies for a Successful Second Age. He can be reached at 780-432-5492, e-mail noel@midlife-men.com or visit www.midlife-men.com.
