About me and this blog…
This blog is going to be undergoing a change. A change for the better. It is going to be more of an insight into my life online.
Here is a little about me:
I’m married with one daughter who is almost a year old. With this new addition to my life, I know it is going to change. My wife is a wonderful woman, and I couldn’t have designed a more beautiful, understand, supportive and loving woman. She is perfect, and perfect for me.
Here is some info about my life online:
I have about 100 websites, all in very tiny niches. The goal of all of these websites is to generate revenue. With this revenue I live my life. I do have a 40hr/week job, but this is my hobby and passion. One day I would like money from my websites to equal or exceed my day job. I wouldn’t leave my 40hr/week job because I enjoy what I do. This would just be a wonderful addition to my income. The most money I’ve ever made in one month is over $3k, and the least I’ve ever made in one month was about $60.
Tools I use:
I’m a Mac convert. I never thought I would be, but I am, and I can’t go back to a PC. There are too many time saving shortcuts and programs that I use on a daily basis. I can do almost everything (except typing) without using my trackpad, that saves me hours every month.
Aside from the MacBook Pro in general I use:
Cyberduck (FTP)
Smultron (text/php editor)
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Adobe Illustrator CS2
Dreamweaver 8 (Don’t really use it much, but I have it)
Final Cut Pro (still learning)
Quicken 2006 (not recommended for a business) for my business because it came free with my MacBook Pro
Firefox 2 (whatever the latest version is)
iTunes
iPhoto
iMovie HD
iDVD
Microsoft Entourage (work email and the full Office 2004 suite)
Gmail (personal email)
x3mac (accountability software)
40/hr week job apps (I work in education so many of these are edu specific):
Apple Remote Desktop (I manage 800+ clients and 5 servers)
Onyx
PlistEdit Pro
TinkerTool
Automater
BatChmod
ffmpegX (convert video files from my HDD camcorder)
Iceberg (makes .pkg’s for deployment
NetRestore (Thanks Mike Bombich, you’re a life saver)
ActivStudio (for Promethean interactive white boards)
Retrospect
Roxio Toast 6
Stuffit 10
That is about it. I use just about all of those at least once a week. Some save me time (NetRestore, Iceberg, BatChmod) and some cost me time (Final Cut Pro) and some help me ease my mind (Photoshop).
I’ll be posting earnings from my life online and hopefully giving you a few tips that will help you earn more online. After all, there is plenty of room for all of us!
p.s. I have mastered the art of finding niches so look for about 1-2 free niche’s per month, and ways to exploit as much potential out of them as possible. In other words, put me in your RSS reader!
Easton Ellsworth said
March 8 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Nice to see you blogging here, Brandon. I wish you success - the sky’s the limit!
Brandon said
March 12 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Easton, good to hear from you. Hope everything is going well at KnowMoreMedia!
Make Money Online - Blog Refocus » Make Money Online with Brandon Hopkins said
March 26 2007 @ 10:07 am
[...] HomeAboutFree Niche Ideas [...]
Ratko said
March 31 2007 @ 6:08 am
Just a quick heads up: you seem to have a typo in your RSS feed link. I think it’s missing a colon after the ‘http’.
I didn’t see a contact page, so I’m sorry for the irrelevant comment.
Niamaat said
April 3 2007 @ 5:20 am
Wow! 100. That’s great Brandon.
I’m hoping that with my first 10 I can come up with at least one model–that I have succeeded in making work for me–that can be replicated in niches that apppeal to the same consmer “need.”
Can you describe the profile of the consumers who are buying your larger ticket items? How about the consumer who is buying product(s) that you move in the greatest number? (not necessary our cheapest product)
In your opinion is it practical to look at successful sites and model them? If so, what are some good indicators of successs (alexa ranking indicates relative traffic…so for content, SEO, presentation that’s probably a good indicator of what works in those departments).
How can I tell actually which sites are making money?
All the best to you and your growing family!
Brandon said
April 19 2007 @ 8:21 am
Nia, I don’t actually sell any items, so I have no idea who my customers are
Jamdo said
May 15 2007 @ 4:26 pm
Jeeze, Brandon, was beginning to wonder what happened to you at payperclickiq until I found this blog!
Make Money Online with Brandon Hopkins » Mac Webmaster Tools said
July 26 2007 @ 11:22 am
[...] about it. For a more complete list of the programs I have installed check out this post. Have a program to recommend? I’d love to hear [...]
Tuan Hoang said
September 10 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Hi Brandon,
Your blog and tips were so helpful… i am going to apply them asap. thank you so much, hope we can keep in touch. i just started my new website, and looking on how to increase my PR… right now its at ZERO lol… but i feel that i have started on the right track with your advice,, thank you so much,,,, can you email me. would have more questions to ask….
Thank you
Tuan Hoang
Sky Printing And Graphic Design
Obsession said
October 11 2007 @ 2:04 am
Brandon, you should try iOpus Macros. With this add-on to your browser, you can automatize all the browsing manual tasks such as log-in to a ceratin page, form submitting etc. For instance, if I want to log-in to my Blogspot blog to edit HTML of layout, I simply click one button “BLOG - Layout - HTML” and it automaticaly logs me in, and goes to the layout HTML edit page. All within one click of a button! I think it helped me to save like 20% of my time on-line, thus strongly recommended in your online business.
youlki22 said
October 14 2007 @ 8:31 pm
EXCELLENT blog!
Please accept your blog review in exchange for nothing because I have found so many valuable posts at your blog that it is enough for me. Your tips and ideas are practical and guidance to the bloggers like me, who are still learning about blogging.
Brandon Hopkins-with aim to earn living from his blogging
Happy blogging Brandon!
Blake said
October 22 2007 @ 9:21 pm
Who would you sell your sites to and how much do you think you could get for them.
Thanks
AFI said
October 24 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Brandon, you are doing what I am hoping to do.I can’t quit the j.o.b. yet either, and am hoping the internet can help. Let’s joint venture if possible. Peace. AFI
Brandon said
October 25 2007 @ 1:04 pm
Blake, I would definitely sell my sites for the right price. As soon as that price comes along, I’ll let you know.
AFI, send me an email with what you have in mind.
Dave Nofmeister said
November 27 2007 @ 12:50 pm
Hi Brandon,
With so many web sites, don’t you think that all of your SEO efforts are splintered into too many directions? I would think 10 websites with a pr 5 would be better than 100 sites with pr’s ranking from 1-3.
Also, I recall you having a recent article about you averaging $400 or so a month, by using Google adwords, text link ads, as well as consulting. I’ve looked all over your site, but cannot find it. Can you point me to the link?
Thanks,
Dave
Tuan Hoang said
January 10 2008 @ 1:22 pm
Hi Brandon,
its been awhile since i talked to you. but just to let you know that i have used all your great tips, and within the next google dance, i have jumped to PR 2… wow. i am so happy,,, thank you again.. your tips are great….
Tuan
Sky Printing And Graphic Design Services
Tuan Hoang said
January 23 2008 @ 6:16 pm
hi brandon,
again, thank you for all your great tips,, my website is now PR 3… thank your all your great advice..
Tuan
Sky Printing and Graphic Design Services
http://www.skytemplates.com
carol adler said
January 26 2008 @ 10:26 pm
i have a new everio 3ccd i cannot get my mac with intel to recognize it
imovie shows that a camera is connected but nothing shows on the desktop
i spent so much on the camera went to india cannot upload any video I
am so sad
PS3 said
March 14 2008 @ 2:53 pm
I was convinced that you were doing this full-time Brandon. How on Earth can you fit everything in.
Money is great, but watching children grow up is better. Before you know it they are teenagers and everything gets harder!
Brandon said
March 15 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Hey PS3, you’re absolutely right, she is 10 months old and it has flown by. Trust me, I’ve been spending nearly every available moment with her. It’s definitely more fun than making money.
Excell said
April 30 2008 @ 12:52 pm
Brandon - you are great. Keep up this great work, I’ve learned many things from your blog.
Meme said
May 22 2008 @ 5:36 pm
Your daughter is beautiful! Do the looks run in the family?