Advice For Young Entrepreneur With a Premium Domain Name!

14 replies
Hello,

After reading the available threads on Warrior Forum for many weeks and being very impressed at the vast amount of information available I decided to buy a membership.

This being my very first post I made sure to read all the rules and guidelines that apply to the form. However still being so new to the community I am sure mistakes are going to be made, that being said if I am posting this in the wrong section or include anything not allowed my apologies.

A little bit about myself, I am 19 years old and finished High School last year. Having grown up with a father who worked as a Computer Technician for 25 Years well he built websites on the side I took quite an interest in his work and learnt a lot as a kid. Since then I have started my own Web-Design company often freelancing out the larger projects which I have succeeded with quite well compared to other jobs people my age and skill set could get.

Now the good part... back in 1998 my Father Registered the Domain Name http://www.printerservice.com his original idea was to turn it into a printer service directory for people who needed printer parts or wanted to get their printers fixed. This was back when even a simple home printer costed a pretty sum of money. My father never did fully develop the website and while he did have a directory with some minor content it basically sat for 14 years doing nothing but renewing the domain name.

My father has given me the domain name and I know its a premium one that I could sell for a large amount alone. However I would be much more interested in developing the website and personally building it into a successful business. I know this is a premium domain name with a long history so I want to build printerservice to its greatest potential. I need help deciding which direction to take the business. Prior to joining warrior forum I quickly installed a Wordpress Directory Theme but have had plenty of second thoughts on weather a directory directed to Printing Services should be the focus of the website.

I am open to any and all suggestions/help/advice on which direction I should take this. I want to maximize its potential to succeed.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thread and offering your help, and thank you warrior forum for the help already provided.
#advice #domain #entrepreneur #founding #premium #young
  • Profile picture of the author barbling
    Gene Pimentel is the chap to ask about anything regarding domains.

    He responded to this thread:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...trategies.html

    Advice can also be found at

    http://namepros.com
    DNForum - The Place to Buy, Sell and Talk Domains!

    Hope that helps!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285286].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Joe Crosbie
    Hey @miccodan11,

    Welcome to Warrior Forum!

    You rock for being detailed in your thread, you would be amazed by the amount of newcomers to ask an incredibly vague question and expect very detailed replies / solutions.

    I suppose the biggest question you need to answer at the moment is whether or not there's a market for Printer Directory Service? I've never personally needed one, but that's not to say other people feel the same way.

    Have you done any research to try and find out whether a Printer Directory website is something people would use?

    All the best,

    - Joe
    Signature
    I chose entrepreneurship over further education despite being laughed at by my friends and family..

    I recently hit the "RESTART" button on my life, read my personal blog to find out how I did it :)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285318].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author miccodan11
      Originally Posted by Joe Crosbie View Post

      Hey @miccodan11,

      Welcome to Warrior Forum!

      You rock for being detailed in your thread, you would be amazed by the amount of newcomers to ask an incredibly vague question and expect very detailed replies / solutions.

      I suppose the biggest question you need to answer at the moment is whether or not there's a market for Printer Directory Service? I've never personally needed one, but that's not to say other people feel the same way.

      Have you done any research to try and find out whether a Printer Directory website is something people would use?

      All the best,

      - Joe
      Sorry, the text editor here automatically automatically changed the link into a description. The domain name in question is printerservice.com so it is actually quite general and does not need to be made into a directory. I was just thinking that this would be a good option. After doing some research into directories and what makes a successful one I am thinking that a directory may not be the best option but wanted some experienced advice or help.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285361].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Joe Crosbie
        Originally Posted by miccodan11 View Post

        Sorry, the text editor here automatically automatically changed the link into a description. The domain name in question is printerservice.com so it is actually quite general and does not need to be made into a directory. I was just thinking that this would be a good option. After doing some research into directories and what makes a successful one I am thinking that a directory may not be the best option but wanted some experienced advice or help.
        Hey @miccodan11,

        No worries, I did notice that the domain was "printerservice.com". I was just providing a little guidance on if a directory would be the right way to go.

        I just did a quick UK Google search for the term "printer service" and the majority of the results were either directory listings or company websites for printer engineers / printer servicing.

        Maybe going down the road of creating a directory where printer engineers could list themselves. Users could visit the site and find a local one near them. You could have some cool features like a rating / review system where users could see what other people's experiences have been with a specific engineer.

        The only potential concern I see at the moment is whether or not there's a demand for this. Or are sites like Yell adequate. I have no clue as to how big the demand for printer engineers are nowadays.

        Here's a great article on validating a potential business idea: How I Made $4000 Selling A Product I Didn't Have

        Hope this helps

        - Joe,
        Signature
        I chose entrepreneurship over further education despite being laughed at by my friends and family..

        I recently hit the "RESTART" button on my life, read my personal blog to find out how I did it :)
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285397].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Taniwha
    Get in on the 3d-printing hype train!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285420].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JensSteyaert
      Originally Posted by Taniwha View Post

      Get in on the 3d-printing hype train!
      Yes that as exactly what i was thinking, 3d printing services are hot these days.

      And since your domain name is very general, you can easily add new products if new hypes are coming (which is certain).
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285550].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author digitalsapien
        Originally Posted by JensSteyaert View Post

        Yes that as exactly what i was thinking, 3d printing services are hot these days.

        And since your domain name is very general, you can easily add new products if new hypes are coming (which is certain).
        I totally agree. Go for 3D Printing Services, these are the latest and most in demand nowadays! Your domain name can cater almost everything about printing so give it a good shot.
        Signature

        Discover what every Internet marketer needs to know about building a profitable online business only at Entrepreneurs Wealth League.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285794].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author guitarizma
    Banned
    Originally Posted by miccodan11 View Post

    Hello,

    After reading the available threads on Warrior Forum for many weeks and being very impressed at the vast amount of information available I decided to buy a membership.

    This being my very first post I made sure to read all the rules and guidelines that apply to the form. However still being so new to the community I am sure mistakes are going to be made, that being said if I am posting this in the wrong section or include anything not allowed my apologies.

    A little bit about myself, I am 19 years old and finished High School last year. Having grown up with a father who worked as a Computer Technician for 25 Years well he built websites on the side I took quite an interest in his work and learnt a lot as a kid. Since then I have started my own Web-Design company often freelancing out the larger projects which I have succeeded with quite well compared to other jobs people my age and skill set could get.

    Now the good part... back in 1998 my Father Registered the Domain Name Printer Service Directory his original idea was to turn it into a printer service directory for people who needed printer parts or wanted to get their printers fixed. This was back when even a simple home printer costed a pretty sum of money. My father never did fully develop the website and while he did have a directory with some minor content it basically sat for 14 years doing nothing but renewing the domain name.

    My father has given me the domain name and I know its a premium one that I could sell for a large amount alone. However I would be much more interested in developing the website and personally building it into a successful business. I know this is a premium domain name with a long history so I want to build printerservice to its greatest potential. I need help deciding which direction to take the business. Prior to joining warrior forum I quickly installed a Wordpress Directory Theme but have had plenty of second thoughts on weather a directory directed to Printing Services should be the focus of the website.

    I am open to any and all suggestions/help/advice on which direction I should take this. I want to maximize its potential to succeed.

    Thanks for taking the time to read my thread and offering your help, and thank you warrior forum for the help already provided.
    You've owned the domain for a considerable amount of time and IMHO you should develop it into everything related to printers - a broad niche I mean. If I were you, this is what I'd do:

    Have a directory and rating system -> Offer the latest info on printing tech and also sell hardware (affiliate) - > have a dedicated forum with people discussing printer/printing issues.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285772].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ecoverartist
    Be the *go to source* for printer parts and services, but also 3D and future printing news and technology. That's an excellent domain name and your dad was smart to register it back then!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285854].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Great domain. I wouldn't waste it on a printer directory. I'd be pretty tempted to check around and see how much this domain would sell for to the right person, but that's just me.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285949].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      I tend to agree with Suzanne - unless you have a real desire to run a site in the printing services market, I would simply do a Google search on "printing service" and note the top 100 results.

      Then I would contact each site owner that comes up in the search, explain that your domain could be theirs, and ask for an offer.

      I don't think your site name is really going to appeal to general consumers. Printers are pretty cheap and available these days if you're talking about the desktop printers we all own. People don't buy parts, they just get a new printer.

      If you decide to develop the name, I would think you should be looking at professional printers, the big boys that service large companies that most consumers would never approach.

      Good luck to you,

      Steve
      Signature

      Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
      SteveBrowneDirect

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9285998].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        I agree with Suzanne and Steve, but maybe that's just me.

        What a domain's worth to you is what you can sell it for. That's not about "Where you sell it": it's largely determined by your own skills at identifying, approaching and negotiating with people to whom the domain might be a particularly valuable asset.

        I suspect the key words in Steve's post above may be "Ask for an offer". Let them make offers first, rather than making one yourself.

        Don't rush it. You may be sitting on an asset, and that's not a bad thing at all.

        If you want to learn about "how to sell domains", get yourself on this mailing-list: http://domainprofitsacademy.com/subscribe.html


        .
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9286067].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Steve B
          Lexy's right, when you're negotiating a sale, the first one that names a price loses. See what they're willing to offer - you might be surprised and you can always negotiate from that point.

          Steve
          Signature

          Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
          SteveBrowneDirect

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9286102].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I usually find the prospects in Google, particularly the first 5-10 pages of Google's results for the keywords, along with all of the adwords advertisers on those pages. I then send them all an email saying that I am accepting offers for the domain name. Then I give a paragraph on why this domain name would benefit their company and then close the email by asking them submit a bid for the domain name if they are interested in it.

    That way, when they ask what I'm asking for it, I just tell them that the highest bid will get it and let the competition begin.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9286122].message }}

Trending Topics