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altonu
Forums Member
Joined: 10 Sep 2011
Posts: 1
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#1 · Posted: 10 Sep 2011 16:57
Hello,
I found these forums while researching paid surveys and reached the conclusion that those might be a good way for me to make a little more money (which is still a very good thing) doing something I find enjoyable, but that they would not be able to replace my former income.
Since I've been unemployed for ~5 months now, I'd really like to find something that I can make enough income to live off of. I've read a few threads on the forum here to try to get an idea of what people have had good luck with, and it sounds like MLM and affiliate marketing are the ones most people have been successful at. When I think of sales and marketing, I assocciate those fields witn outgoing extroverts, and I am a very reserved introvert that does not like doing things that make me feel aggressive. I do have a background in customer service (tech support) that I've considered trying to covert into retail sales (if people are coming to me and I'm giving them advice and I can feel like I'm helping them find a product thats right for them, that doesnt bother me, but the thought of trying to convince someone to buy something they would not have otherwise wanted does bother me.)
I think affiliate marketing may be worth a try, but when I look at my hobbies and interests (the things I feel I can provide good advice about), they are all relativly low priced items where a 2-4% commission would require more volume that I think is realistically feasable for a living income (I would need 6000 referal credits per month at 2% on a $15 item to aproximate my former icome).
My main interests are games (board games and computer games), books and music which all fall in the $5 to 60 per item price range with most being $15-20.
Based on my initial evaluation of the options available, I conclude that I might be able to supliment my income through work at home options, but it seems unlikely that I could make a living from it.
I'm hoping I'm wrong here, but now I have a few more specific questions regarding both the type of products/services and personality types of those that have made a living working at home?
Are there any introverts that have been able to make a living working at home?
If so, have you been able to do it while staying in your comfort zone, or have you had to do things you do not enjoy as a trade off for the convenienves of a work at home income - what level of stress do you associate with making a living working at home?
For everyone else...
Has anyone with a primary interest/hobby in social sciences and/or history found any good work at home opportunities thay are willing to share?
Is there a good "starting point" thread or link that I may have overlooked? somethign that gives a good overview of the types of work at home opportunities from a conceptual level and eases the user into them (there is a lot of information here, but I feel like I stumbled into a lake of information without finding the shore fisrt).
Thanks in advance for any commens and suggestions,
Alton
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Just2EZ
Joined: 14 Nov 2010
Posts: 678
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#2 · Posted: 12 Sep 2011 01:22
altonu: have you been able to do it while staying in your comfort zone
A lot of good questions Alton but that one says it all. Get out of your comfort zone.
I am very much an introvert (believe it or not) and despise "salesmen".
That has not stopped me from making a living on the internet.
The best starting point is the "SEARCH" box on this forum!
Plug in your key word(s) and learn from experiences.
Expand your comfort zone by doing something new.
Growth does not happen without discomfort.
But above all else, do what you love to do.
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A8ch
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 906
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#3 · Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:58 · Edited by: A8ch
Hi Alton!
Welcome to the forum.
altonu: When I think of sales and marketing, I assocciate those fields with outgoing extroverts...
That's a common perspective most of us have of people involved with sales and marketing in general. But things aren't always what they seem, and it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out that the majority of the "Type A" personalities in sales are simply introverts trying to step out of their comfort zone.
altonu: ...and I am a very reserved introvert that does not like doing things that make me feel aggressive.
Selling really isn't about being aggressive, it's more about being helpful and persuasive. If you can accept that point of view, you may feel less angst regarding sales and marketing overall.
You could take your experience and skill in customer service/tech support, and the satisfaction you enjoyed from helping people find the right product, and apply it at the front end instead, by recommending (not selling) the right product in the first place.
altonu: My main interests are games (board games and computer games), books and music which all fall in the $5 to 60 per item price range with most being $15-20.
Games, books and music are billion dollar industries. If this is where your interest and passion lie, you could find a way to carve out a slice of the pie for yourself.
For starters, you could consider writing reviews about games, books and music you know and like (or dislike) and refer readers to your affiliate links to check out the products.
Perhaps you could publish a newsletter and/or create a blog that focuses on tips, tricks and strategies related to board games and computer games. You could invite other gamers to share their game tips and publish them on your blog.
Who knows where this could lead!
Just2EZ: Expand your comfort zone by doing something new. Growth does not happen without discomfort. But above all else, do what you love to do.
Jimmy said it best!
Hermas
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options247
Forums Member
Joined: 13 Sep 2011
Posts: 6
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#4 · Posted: 13 Sep 2011 19:33
There are many opportunities out there to make good affiliate commissions. Personally, I pay 55% which is about average on ClickBanks web site.
Another field you should look into is options trading, or any type of trading for that matter. I just found that options are best for me.
Good luck with your endeavors.
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TradeTheNiche.com <--- Personal Trading Strategy and Affiliate Program that Pays 55%, Over $40 per sale.
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aniket
Forums Member
Joined: 25 Aug 2011
Posts: 31
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#5 · Posted: 14 Sep 2011 06:34
Hi Altonu....
Wlcome to the forum...
I dont find any reason especially in IM that u should be extrovert and aggressive in order to be successful...
all that matters is you can provide solutions to people's problem....
after all in IM its ur website speaks not u...
u dont have knock at people's door to get things going in affiliate marketing....
though there can be exchange of mails and few phone calls but i think thats it....
also Hermas said it...
A8ch: Selling really isn't about being aggressive, it's more about being helpful and persuasive
u need to be helpful and provide solutions...
for being persuasive u can try to build list of people by capturing their email addresses and build relationship with them...
again u dont need any aggression for this...
just simple follow up mail telling them about new developments in ur niche and providing useful tips....
at then promoting them related product frequently...
u say ur interest is in games board and computer games....
i just now did a search on Amazon.com
Deus Ex: Human Revolution -$59.50
FIFA Soccer 12 -$59.95
God of War: Origins Collection-$39.99
The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection-$39.99
NHL 12--$50.99
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition-$99.99
above products are best selling games all about $60..
if are into games ..y not games accessories
PlayStation 3 160GB System -$249.99
Wireless Stereo Headset-$98.99
PlayStation 3 320GB System/PlayStation Move Bundle -$349.99
Logitech PlayStation 3 Driving Force GT Racing Wheel-$120.43
Ear Force PX5 Programmable Wireless 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Headset with Bluetooth -$212.99
now Amazon's commission is 4% initially which rises gradually if u make certain sales...
but there are many products in ur niche that are above $100-$200..u can make good money...
and again u ll have to face a learning curve..it will not happen overnight....
u ll have to come out of ur comfort zone...
hope it helps
Regards
Aniket
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3063
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#6 · Posted: 14 Sep 2011 12:24
altonu: Is there a good "starting point" thread or link that I may have overlooked? somethign that gives a good overview of the types of work at home opportunities from a conceptual level and eases the user into them (there is a lot of information here, but I feel like I stumbled into a lake of information without finding the shore fisrt).
I know the feeling, but then sometimes that is when you learn to swim really fast. 
I have been helping my dau-in-law get started with blogging as she wants to make money with adsense. ( I always recommend getting started with SBI, as that is like a gold-lined shore to the lake!) but even at $29 a month, she isn't ready for that investment and blogger is free... plus she needs to simply learn how to blog first!
The best way to make money with adsense , in my opinion anyways, is to either find a subject that people don't want to talk to their friends about.. or simply a topic that gets a lot of research online for mere information... and set up a blog where you can write articles and do research on stuff... people will then click on adsense ads and you can make better money with that than Amazon if you do it right.
As far as being introvert, don't matter online. All you are doing is throw research and information out there for folks that are looking for it.
Anyways here is a great thread on getting started with affiliated marketing... What IS Affiliate Marketing??
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shuvo
Forums Member
Joined: 4 Nov 2010
Posts: 34
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#7 · Posted: 17 Sep 2011 00:39 · Edited by: shuvo
Well I myself is also more than introvert and I did not find any difficulty in sales and marketing.Its all about whether you have a good command over English language and if you have that then your introvert characteristics doesn't matter.In fact it does not have any impact when you are going to write a product description.right..
You can start by setting up a website from where you can make money in number of ways after your site is established and since your site has reasonable amount of visitors.
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CJConsulting
Forums Member
Joined: 5 Nov 2010
Posts: 31
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#8 · Posted: 18 Sep 2011 00:01
shuvo
I purposely started internet marketing because I was sooo uncomfortable doing things face to face the traditional way. I figured that there had to be others like me. It's been a great journey learning how to market online.
I tried my hand at IM and what I found ultimately was that I wanted to use my skills in IM for home based business instead. So far, it's been the best decision I ever made professionally. I find that I used to be a bit of a scatterbrain and jumped from place to place in IM, but once I realized what people are actually looking for, I chose one direction and kept doing the same thing every day. That was probably the most difficult lesson to learn...that slow and steady wins the race.
Take some time to understand your own personality - which it seems like you do understand quite well - and that is half of the battle. The other half is probably reconciling with what works and what doesn't. Good luck in the journey...
Blessings,
CJ
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happywife
Joined: 14 Aug 2007
Posts: 1531
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#9 · Posted: 19 Sep 2011 03:06
Hi Alton,
I can certainly relate to the introvert feelings, particularly when it comes to "sales." There are certain aspects of my life where I have to be an extrovert, but it isn't my natural state, and something I have had to develop on purpose.
When I started looking into earning an online income, I most certainly did NOT want to have to carry that extrovert discomfort over to that field as well.
You most certainly can be an introvert and earn a living online - just don't expect it to happen quickly. 
I do both affiliate marketing and MLM, but I prefer affiliate marketing to be perfectly honest. The only reason I also do MLM is because we happen to like and use the products anyway, so I don't mind the monthly purchase requirements.
But, as Viola alluded to earlier, I actually earn the most money from my Adsense ads than the actual affiliate/MLM commissions. There are other forms of advertising income you can earn also.
For example, I get requests from people who would like to advertise on my health site. I haven't even gotten around to preparing an "advertising rates" page yet, but it's something I need to get around to adding in the coming weeks as the requests are becoming more frequent and the traffic numbers are high enough to make it worthwhile to the advertisers.
You are correct in assuming that higher ticket items will generally yield higher income results, but that doesn't always hold true. There are enough variables to consider that you can't necessarily come up with a cut and dried formula necessary to achieve a certain income level.
Affiliate commission percentages vary from program to program and product to product. Amazon has just about the lowest around.
I stick with the idea of doing what you enjoy or are interested in most because this is really a long term commitment that you would be tackling and you may as well really enjoy it as much as possible. I also believe you are likely to be "better at" something that you know and love.
I really wouldn't say that I have had to go outside of my comfort zone in the sense that I think you mean. Of course, I was overwhelmed at the beginning learning a new skill (site building), but I absolutely loved the learning process, so I can't even call that outside of my comfort zone.
Perhaps I could be earning a lot more than I am now if I hadn't stayed in my comfort zone, but, what can I say? I'm comfortable here!
Blessings,
Angie
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