Was watching a Glen Beck's TV program just now, and he had a handful of small business owners. The interesting thing is that most of these business within this year have seen anywhere from 20%-60% loss in earnings this year alone. While the group of businesses covered a lot of markets there was only a couple that are online businesses. So I thought I would post a thread hear seeing how others have done this year with their online business. Ill start. One of our life-style businesses more than doubled within this year and last, while another data company I'm a partner in has seen a 45% drop in earnings, and a community site that I'm also a partner in has been flat for the last 6 months. So what are you seeing within your online business?
well apart from Glen Beck being a shmuck wacko, SEM/SEO is not really the small business he was discussing. We do not (1) have staff for the most part and most importantly, we do not (2) require small business loans to stay in business (to make payroll, compete, buy inventory, expand, etc.). It is harder for many small businesses to get these loans, coupled with decrease in business, puts many small businesses at risk.
Glen Beck's TV program???? I wouldn't take anything that comes out of this program seriously. Most big businesses have suffered from the recession. However, little website publishers haven't seen their income affected that much. As far as I am concerned, I haven't seen a huge drop in my revenues.
Its not bad. In face my online business did increase in sales coz nowsday many people go to online job site to look for job.
My growth curve has actually gotten steeper this year! Part of it is improved search engine position, I'm sure. We've always relied heavily on adwords and word of mouth for our sign ups and this year we're putting a real push into SEO, but another part of it may very well be the recession itself. I design and sell websites to CPA and accounting firms, and the larger companies are laying off accountants in droves. When a CPA can't get a job he just hangs a shingle in his window, and, of course, gets himself an accounting website!
Brick and mortar companies are really hurting right now because they have such high overhead expenses. Online businesses can stay afloat even in the tough times generally. I think those companies that have been sensible with their marketing budgets and spending have still been able to do quite well. It seems like all the big dogs in affiliate marketing are still doing very well.
You know, when someone backs up things with facts, economists, professors, all types of experts, and backs has hard facts, a certain type of mentalist dismiss it. I know you can't handle the truth. It's hard huh? I guess you are about talking points, no?
I have seen a rise of more then 70% to 80% in my revenues after the recession. Maybe I just got over excited and worked a lot harder to just stay where I am But it is giving good returns
LOL that's funny Dollar... It is interesting to hear what everyone has to say on the topic, thus why I posted it. While it sounds like most of you all have seen gains, it is interesting to see that the size of the business could play a roll in this thread. Maybe I'm wrong but it sounds to me like many of the post here have plenty of room to the top of the market umbrella, so this market down turn has in some ways opened up room for the smaller "one-man show" to build new customers, while the others that live off of search traffic have not seen a reduction in traffic simply because it is search traffic and has more to do with ranking than anything. CPA Site Solutions; Attorneys and Accounts are recession proof. People always have someone they have to take to court, and the IRS always wants their money. lol As I really do not run the businesses that I own anymore as I'm a founding partner, or invested partner, I think the main problem I have seen with the many people I have talked with is that the businesses that are having a hard time (Outside of housing) is related to lack of advertising reach, or poor product development that is losing group to competition in this market (or any market).
I also think that .com's have already learned the lessons that the financial services and real estate industries are dealing with now. The corporate culture that created this mess is the mindset that this quarter is all that matters, and looking like you're growing is just as good as actually growing. We've been there, done that as an industry. And not too long ago. We blew a nice big bubble and paid the price for it, so we're a lot less likely to play fast and loose with the numbers.
I do managed webhosting. We lost some clients to cheaper hosts but 1) got most of them back since they didn't offer the same level of support we do and 2) anyone who got laid off, we offered to float them up to a year of webhosting until they got back onto their feet. The accountants didn't think much of it, not for the temporary loss of income but it made for a mess accounting wise.
Recessions are the best time to increase your business, market share and overall profit... We've been investing heavily into new markets and seeing great returns on market share (not so much on profits but those will kick in when the economy picks up)
Not really, in the 1980's the banking industry faced deregulated, and because of this they rushed headlong into real estate lending, speculative lending, and other ventures just as the economy soured. By mid-1982, the number of bank failures was rising steadily. In the end, bank for-closers where easily beating the Great Depression record of 43 failures set in 1940. (Ref Wikipedia: Early 1980's recession). The dot com bubble did not teach anyone anything, these things never do. The only people that learn anything normally are not left standing for round two. Capitalism always looks for the quickest route to capital growth and returns, just like water down hill or a bolt of lightning. The dot come bubble was without a question big, but we are posed to do something like that again, just in a slight off beat nature. Social Networks have seen huge growth that has gotten the interest of many VC firms, however they are nerves at this point but inquiring. If it continues they will be ready to dump large amount of capital into that sector of dot com. As with anything; when you see everyone else making large amounts of money and your not in the game your penny's start to burn a hole in your pocket. We will do this again, maybe not next year but in a couple years as we have been in a 5-10 year cycle since the 80's. The question is can you catch the vertical curve, and play the down turn without getting burned.
Overall my earnings are up on my websites but not because of increased sales but I learned how to increase my traffic and also how to use the most highest earning products for the best sales. My advice is if you live off websites is to figure out which stuff converts the best and really promote the hell out of it.
Wow, I have actually increased in sales. I have been attracting larger Companys to my company because they all want to promote more.
beck's a wacko b cause he was an ex comedian. From what I see on his shows anymore, he presents charts and truth, if you research it, so what do people not like about the truth, I'm not getting it, you just don't like him or don't like truth or research? I used to not trust beck, but now I believe he is really not just in it for himself, he's here to educate folks