Building a Business or Running a Method?

loclhero · Dec 31, 2012

Getwhatchuwant said:
No reason why your business cant be based on a "method".. For instance Amazon affiliate sites seem to be a popular method around here.

True. But not exactly what I would consider a "method". You can build an amazon aff site which in itself could be a solid business model and be successful.
But if you were for example, driving your customers to your site using bh methods or say you were cookie stuffing, that (to me anyway) is what used to be known around here as a "method" or "tactic"

TehEpidemick · Dec 31, 2012

BHopkins said:
About 5 years later in 2009 I was sick of running various methods that would earn $0-1000 a month and then die off. I had hundreds of twitter accounts with millions of followers but it was all quick money that never lasted.

I decided to focus on what I was good at, sales, and find a way to best use that skill. I started a link building business and had planned to do a 3 tier approach for price points at $77/$177/$377. It took a month before I got my first $77 client.

In my experience, building a business is much better than running a method.

What about you? Are you building a business or running a method? How does it work for you?

Its all about your needs. You said it yourself. If you need immediate income to support yourself you find a method, which is a job. If you have enough saved up to support yourself you create a business.

BHopkins · Dec 31, 2012

TehEpidemick said:
Its all about your needs. You said it yourself. If you need immediate income to support yourself you find a method, which is a job. If you have enough saved up to support yourself you create a business.

That's a good point that I hadn't thought about. A method is very similar to a job. If you stop, you don't get paid.

With a business, you can go on vacation and still get paid. You come back and you still can make money.

sirgold · Dec 31, 2012

IamNRE said:
You don't need to put a face out there to be a brand. Who is the face of youtube or adscendmedia.com ?

Yes you do, you always do in a way or in another. Michael Thompson or Google (to stick with your example) would beg to differ when it comes to a large lawsuit like FB or some national court case.

As I wrote a business (with assets this and that) is great if your personality or you are willing to be up there even when the shit hits the fan. I've made xxx,xxx for the last several years without ever having ANY product, ANY brand, ANY business and you'll probably never know who I am. My affiliate programs get shut down? I change shop. Chances in any given niche there's nobody with a competitor's aff program are NEGLIGIBLE. This is a bit like when the average self-proclaimed gurus write about "creating your own product" if you want to go big blah blah blah. This always implies you'll have that EXTRAORDINARY idea (and ehm connections for the launch) that will make ppl buy your product (that's a very "best-case scenario", arbitrary assumption). As a simple affiliate I can always promote gazillion proven, best sellers. And as I wrote these things are not mutually exclusive (I can do that while I try to create my best next hit..), ditto for this business / method distinction but it just depends what your personality / you are up to more than anything else.

NulledCode · Dec 31, 2012

You can make money selling other people's products, or promote yor own. I'd rather promote my own.

BHopkins · Dec 31, 2012

sirgold said:
Yes you do, you always do in a way or in another. Michael Thompson or Google (to stick with your example) would beg to differ when it comes to a large lawsuit like FB or some national court case. As I wrote a business (with assets this and that) is great if your personality or you are willing to be up there even when the shit hits the fan. I've made xxx,xxx for the last several years without ever having ANY product, ANY brand, ANY business and you'll probably never know who I am. My affiliate programs get shut down? I change shop. Chances in any given niche there's nobody with a competitor's aff program are NEGLIGIBLE. This is a bit like when the average self-proclaimed gurus write about "creating your own product" if you want to go big blah blah blah. This always implies you'll have that EXTRAORDINARY idea (and ehm connections for the launch) that will make ppl buy your product (that's a very "best-case scenario", arbitrary assumption). As a simple affiliate I can always promote gazillion proven, best sellers. And as I wrote these things are not mutually exclusive (I can do that while I try to create my best next hit..), ditto for this business / method distinction but it just depends what your personality / you are up to more than anything else.

I completely understand what you're saying. You have a successful method-business. The difference in your case is that you're not just doing a bunch of methods like click-jacking and CPA locking stuff. You're building affiliate sites that could be sold which could be termed a business.

A single Amazon site isn't as much of a business as what you're talking about. You're diversified well enough that if one company goes down, you still have revenue.

There are a lot of ways to make money online that's for sure.

sirgold · Dec 31, 2012

BHopkins said:
I completely understand what you're saying. You have a successful method-business. The difference in your case is that you're not just doing a bunch of methods like click-jacking and CPA locking stuff. You're building affiliate sites that could be sold which could be termed a business.A single Amazon site isn't as much of a business as what you're talking about. You're diversified well enough that if one company goes down, you still have revenue.There are a lot of ways to make money online that's for sure.

Yes, that's totally correct. I generally think diversifying is the most fool-proof way to lead ANY successful entrepreneurial venture long-term, a parameter much more important than what niche or area or even peculiar strategies you'll stick to. An idea that seems to be reinforced by many of the diverse examples above, as well.

thetraveller · Dec 31, 2012

There are some who like to build (business), and some who like to run (method).

However, a business must also run, like a method. Indeed there is a client base but you must be there to take care of/adjust the business in some way or another, if not, it may collapse.

I actually run various methods.

But what about building something that will eventually start running by itself? Without any further management. I believe this is a true gem.

BHopkins · Dec 31, 2012

thetraveller said:
But what about building something that will eventually start running by itself? Without any further management. I believe this is a true gem.

In my experience nobody cares about your business like you do. I have a couple people that have worked with me for 4 years now and they handle a lot of the manual work in my business. I fully trust them with everything.

Even with these people, I still need to be around to get clients, do the high level thinking and link building tests.

A business that runs itself with minimal time/money invested is a rare gem.

Building a Business or Running a Method?

loclhero

Supreme Member

TehEpidemick

BANNED

BHopkins

Elite Member

sirgold

BANNED

NulledCode

Elite Member

BHopkins

Elite Member

sirgold

BANNED

thetraveller

BANNED

BHopkins

Elite Member

Main Menu

Marketplace

Making Money

BlackHat World