Are You Flogging a Dead Horse?
Am I working on the correct Niche?
When I first started at WA over two years ago I jumped at the opportunity to develop a niche on gardening.
After all it is my favorite subject.
I grew up on a dirt farm and my father had a love for gardening and garden design.
The farm never did make him much money. We were a big family and he needed a better income.
With this in mind he started a side hustle, only in those days no one knew what a side hustle was.
He started a landscaping/gardening business. This business was very successful for him, because he was very good at it.
To get back to the point.
Occasionally I got to go with him on his jobs and it wasn't long before I realized why he loved it do much.
Off course, I inherited part of his DNA.
But Gardening was placed on the back burner for me for a number of years.
Why?
I was considered the academic in the family. I performed highly at school, particularly in maths, economics, accounting and law.
My parents decided that I should go into accounting or banking.
I continued my accounting studies at University (along with several other disciplines over the years.)
So Where's this leading to
For some unknown reason I decided to work for a bank, a decision I came to regret later in life.
Unfortunately I spent most of my time dreaming of the great outdoors. I hated the banking industry.
After six long years that seemed like a lifetime, I left my job. By this time I was married with a young child.
We moved north and went into farming, gardening and a plant nursery.
But I made the same mistake again.
We went through a bad time with our nursery thanks to another local person that imported a rust disease.
But that's another story.
What did I do?
I was offered a job as a Sales and Marketing boss with a building company.
This went well for a number of years, however, one day I found out my boss was involved with some very crooked people and I left on principal.
But that's yet another story.
What did the foolish me do? I took up a management position with a Bank.
What an idiot?
Another six years wasted.
Eventually the stress of the banking world took its toll and I left the industry for good .
Let's skip the next story where I was searching for an online business possibility and got scammed.
Eventually I ended up WA and started my favorite niche.
Gardening for Beginners.
It hasn't made me much money but I have loved every step I've taken.
I need to add here that I do have other websites but yes, you are correct, that's another story.
Isn't enjoying what you do just as important as making money?
So, tell me..
Am I flogging a dead horse?
What are your thoughts on this?
Are you finding success at Wealthy Affiliate?
All the Best. Jim
Recent Comments
65
Nice recount Jim. I'm yet to make any money in my first niche one year down the road... I have another test niche website going thanks to siterubix. But I'm sure many more have made money in the same niche(s) within a shorter period of time. Can I blame it on the 9-5...?
That would be just another excuse.
Time to slug on and invest more time in my niche(s).
We are Blessed.
Mark
I really believe that if we could give this business enough time we would all become successful. The reality is that many of us work second jobs , or run an offline business.
This not an excuse, it's truth.
All the best my friend.
Thanks Jim. Succeeding on both fronts is not an impossibility.
All the best too!
We are Blessed.
Hi Jim, my thoughts are if gardening is your passion then writing content for will come easily and if you do reviews then it is products that you are most likely using yourself, so no harm in letting it run.
If you want to try another niche then that's fine, but again you should choose something that really interests you otherwise it will become a chore writing for it.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
Best wishes and stay safe.
Gaz
Had an uncle, he sold a dead horse and just about got strung up for it.
The horse was dead in a snow-covered paddock with a set of footprints walking in and around the horse and then exiting the gate to the paddock.
He went to town and sold the horse, the thing that saved his bacon was all he asked do you want to buy a horse?
He didn't mention the state of the horse.
Do you want to buy a horse he, asked?
Somebody did want a horse when they went to pick up the horse it was dead.
If you want to get yourself into trouble start selling dead horses?
Dead horses don't run very fast, I guess that is where the saying came from.
Everyone has a few legends in their family trees.
To succeed at anything we need to know what we are selling or what our selling proposition and then our point of differences are.
If we do not know that then it is a slow burn or people will not really know what we are about.
If we look at WA if we are promoting WA we know what we are selling; memberships to WA there is a structured process and payment system in place.
The rate of return is in relation to the ability to sell premium memberships.
When it comes to niche sites, from observation folks start but don't really know what they are selling. The line that it is not a get quick rich scheme and you just have to keep on creating content, keeps the enthusiasm flowing. That will run out at some point.
Once we make the connection that we are selling something and we connect with the products and services, that is a breakthrough.
It is desirable to make money, most folks sell their time for money, money buys food.
Hobbies are done for fun. There can be a huge amount of passion directed towards hobbies and so rewarding.
I used to have an interest in a plant nursery growing plants was a passion for a time. It is a hard industry to make money in. Not growing plants but trading plants is another story there is something to be said about clipping the ticket.
Just like affiliate marketing in effect we are clipping the ticket.
Gardening is a growth niche given the state of the world at the moment.
Like all niches, we need to work out what we are selling. If we don't do that then we can end up flogging a dead horse.
Folks do buy dead horses, I am told that live horses sell a lot better and you don't get into trouble.
Now Alex , reading your reply I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Plants have been my passion since childhood. In reality I wouldn't stop writing about them even if I didn't earn a cent. Sure I'd like to earn money from this niche but I can survive without doing so.
I think we all have sites that are done for passion rather than making any money. It is knowing and embracing the difference that can be key. I say that because it was a breakthrough for me.
No you aren't flogging a dead horse Jim.
So many people are now starting to realise the benefits of gardening physically and mentally. Many others are realising the benefits of growing their own food too, preferring food not drenched in chemicals.
You are doing a service and enjoying it, win win situation.
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Jim. There is no way you are flogging a dead horse because you mentioned passion and love of what you are doing in your post and then went on to say that you don't actually even have to make money from that particular website. It sounds to me like you are onto a winner and it also sounds to me like you will make money if you persevere. Like you I made a couple of career changes that were not fulfilling but I did it anyway. In fact I've spent the last thirty years in a strange situation by working for a company who's ethics, morality and people I adored but the industry we were in not so much. As I mentioned in my bio, deep down inside I've always known I was a musician but I kept going into denial because of the uncertainty of the industry. I'm not going to bore people by dropping names but I ran front of house sound for a very young band in Australia when they rented out my system because they were so broke they didn't have anyone to do it for them. Months later their now manager approached me and said that EMI had funded them to move to London and would I go with them as FOH and tour manager. Long story short, I didn't have the nerve to sell up and do it. Three years later they played Wembley football stadium to 75,000 people. I had the passion but not the courage. I think you have the whole package now. Go for it.