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INTERNET RICHES
Like many of the other successful entrepreneurs profiled throughout this book, Jon identified a target market that matched his own niche interests to build his business. A cell phone “geek,” he started his blog in 2003 simply to share his own opinions and industry news with other mobile enthusiasts. He particularly wanted to share his reviews of the latest handsets being released for sale in the U.S. market. He also hoped that he might be able to convince the phone manufacturers to share some advance models with him before release. The launch of MobileTracker.net was well timed because Jon’s posting of information on the latest-model mobile phones paralleled the increase in complexity of their features such as color screens, built-in digital cameras, and e-mail capabilities—all of which are appealing yet confusing to the consumer audience interested in buying phones. MobileTracker.net has capitalized on the need for new details on the latest handsets by sharing in-depth information and wireless industry news with an audience that happens to include mostly affluent, educated consumers who are attractive to advertisers and difficult for them to reach through other media. Voila! An advertising business was born, and it is so healthy that Jon has “taken time off” from college to pursue his lucrative blogging career. (He also gets all the free phones he could ever want!) In addition to his love of mobile phones, Jon is a big fan of the business of blogging. Because blogging software is available for free and website hosting costs almost nothing these days, his overhead is extremely low. His only product is daily written commentary on an industry whose products he loves. There’s no reason that you, too, can’t build a profitable blogging business similar to Jon’s. By targeting a market of desirable consumers with timely and concise information that is hard to find elsewhere, it’s possible to build a blog publishing business with no employees and minimal overhead, using cost-effective marketing and administrative software services and the Internet to freely distribute your commentary. You just might be able to turn your hobby into a flexible, fun new career as a blogger! As Jon says, “There’s a big potential readership waiting in nearly any industry that interests you. You just need to start with one reader, then make it your goal to reach two. The Internet is a fantastic delivery mechanism for information—why not try it?”