Flipping Classhelpers.com Part 1
Recently, I have been reading various articles on “flipping” websites and domain names for a profit. I became inspired after reading an article called “Looking for a summer job? Don’t.” by Ben Bleikamp over at College Startup.
Now to be honest, I am quite new to this programming and designing game. A few months ago I got myself a few books on CSS, XHTML, and PHP and I have been dabbling in each little by little. I’m probably the strongest with CSS and XHTML right now…but the PHP is definitely a challenge.
Now I’m not trying to become an expert or anything like that with these various technologies, but I’m definitely trying to become a person who can at least fundamentally understand each technology and possibly customize/create basic to intermediate level sites. If I do, by chance, become awesome with them, then right on!
I think that all internet-based entrepreneurs should at least have a firm grasp on HTML and CSS (most probably do) just because those two languages will invariably be a part of any web application in any company. And for the PHP, well since my blog system is built using this language, I felt that I should at least be able to understand the code and possibly be able to customize it one day.
But like I said, I’m no expert and at the end of the day I’d rather have someone more experience and who really loves programming and designing to handle those things for me. But I just can’t be that person who simply stands back and doesn’t know squat about the own technology that’s running my business.
Ok, so back to the main subject of this post. Now, I am in the process of building a new company and I thought that I’d try selling some of the many domain names that I have purchased over the years in an effort to raise a bit of capital. About a year ago I purchased this domain name: Classhelpers.com.
Well, I figured since I have some new knowledge of building sites and some designing know-how, I figured I’d try to build a small site using the Class Helpers domain name and then try to sell the whole thing for someone to turn into a real business.
I have absolutely no experience doing this and as stated before, my web development skills are novice/intermediate at best. But who cares, right? I’m going to give it a shot anyway. Maybe I’ll make nothing, maybe I’ll make a few hundred bucks – who knows.
But I do know that I’ll gain some experience and learn some new things in the process. I actually think that the name alone must be worth something, it’s a pretty solid name that can be used for a wide variety of business models, i.e., tutoring, research, editing, etc…
So I invite you all to help me out and share your knowledge with me as I try to create this site – Class Helpers – and eventually sell it to someone who really wants to build a business focused on tutoring, research papers, or whatever they end up using the name for.
Here’s a shot of the homepage – that’s just about all I have so far. I’m thinking about adding a blog section to the site and writing about ten solid articles on students in college and high school on ideas about making class a better experience… how does that sound?
I’m also thinking about making request pages that would allow students to request research papers, tutor lessons, resumes, speeches, things like that. I guess I can just use XHTML/CSS to build the forms and then some PHP to handle the data (I’ll have to look through my PHP book to learn more about that).
Oh, and about the design… I am also in the process of learning Photoshop, so currently the design will have to stay the way it is until I learn more techniques with that program.
Any help is much appreciated!
Here’s part 2
While building websites and selling them is a good idea, and valuable service and product, I have my reservations about domain “flipping” which basically is a nicer word for domain squatting. To me, and to a lot of web development folks and businesses, domain squatting can be the bain of our existence. I know, I know, its a “business” and we live in a capitalistic society and blah blah. But after about, hmm, say, 10 very bad experiences with domain squatters, you start to question some things. Tim Berners Lee created the web with the thought that anyone could put information on it with as little barriers as possible, and domain squatting is in direct contrast to this philosophy. Yes, I am a business man, and I intend to use the internet to create businesses and provide value for my customers, but I cant do that if all the domains are being squatted on, and I have to pay some fat wisconsin lowlife $50,000 for his crappy domain. (This actually happened to me, this guy actually tried to tell me that the domain floridafsbo.com was worth $50,000. Oh, but he made me a deal. He told me that he could LEASE it to me, for a PERCENTAGE OF MY REVENUE!) Ok, I may be bitter, just a little, lol. David, just promise me you’ll never ask someone for a percentage of their revenue (not that I think you would), because I can’t remember the last time I was so infuriated.