How should I start my own business?

I was involved in the inception and running of a big editorial gaming website. We had a a lot of industry contacts and experts before starting. Running the site required a big editorial team with support staff. This is not something i would recommend as a one-woman project. The upside is (maybe) bigger, but the chance of failure also.

I would niche down and be as specific as possible. That doesn't mean you can't grow big. We also had some small niche sites before we combined them into one big brand.

You can always leverage #2 to get to #1, but the other way around is difficult.

You solved your own problem. You said you only have limited resources, so do you go for the mega project which will need more than what you have, or start out with a smaller project that you can handle?

Emma, Personally I would opt for niche. If it takes off you can then have the funds and the community base to expand. It will be easier to connect and create content. You may get a surprise where the niche is enough and that will allow you to explore other ideas. You have no guarantee that the first will be a big brand and a niche may not be big but it can be profitable.

I'd say #2. Stick a niche and focus

Niche away option 2. But dont niche your domain name so that in the future if you expand out of your niche you are not stuck. Without domain name the content you generate should be able to get you high on google.

Why do you want to commit to an affiliate business model?

I would not dismiss digital information products right away. If you can invest some time to create a timeless portfolio, it should be a lot easier to market (and then automate) than getting an affiliate based business up and running.

I'd second others - easier to manage something smaller and niche and eventually casting a wider net. It's likely to be very difficult to cover multiple subjects and deliver QUALITY content to attract users. Low quality will make users - even if they find you - leave quickly and not to return.

Another risk is that affiliate based model is perceived these days as not fully objective and biased. It's very difficult to recommend provider A who pays $10 for signup over rubbish provider B who pays $30. Content-based sites start with quality, then monetise when they are recognised.

Good luck

Go niche. Be profitable. Add a complementary niche. etc.

Is your target really the general tech industry or just an example?

Who is your customer and what do they want or need? What problem are you trying to solve for other people?

Hi Emma,

Are you planning on doing all this alone?

Do you know some potential customers for both ideas?
If you first figure out if there are likely customers, then you might find it easier to choose the idea with the potential to sell best.
For example, you want sell laptops, recent data shows that the number of people buying laptops keeps on reducing every year with the advent of smartphones. Of course I am not discouraging you from selling laptops. What I'm trying to say is: find out if the ideas will really sell and if yes , choose one of them or so. It will not look nice if you choose one of two ideas with none of ideas having the potential to sell in the first place

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