Niche Online Businesses Allow
Entrepreneurs to Match Passions with Profits
Writing Skills, Not Technical Know-How, Is Key to
Creating these Money-Making Websites
By Katie Yeakle

With the technology available today, anyone can start a profitable online business from their own home.

Stay at home moms, retirees, laid-off workers, students … anybody can start one of these money-making websites, joining the more than 500,000 people who start businesses each month in the U.S., according to the Kauffman Foundation.

The most successful are small-scale and focus on one niche, which allows entrepreneurs to base their business on one of their passions, a hobby, their expertise, or their life or work experience.

There is no special equipment required (other than a computer with an Internet connection). And thanks to template-driven software, there is no need to learn any complicated programming skills to create professional-looking and effective websites.

The most important part of these businesses is the writing. And that’s what makes it possible for everyday people with skills in copywriting to start successful money-making websites.

They bring knowledge and expertise of their niche, as well as the ability to tap into the buying instinct through words, to the table. The simple website building software helps bring their vision to life online.

American Writers & Artists Inc. recently spoke to several of its members who have created such sites to get their take on this business.

American Writers & Artists Inc. member Nancy Hearn is passionate about the health benefits of water, specifically in ways to combat dehydration, as well as reducing water pollution. Her website, which she maintains in her spare time by adding new articles and other content, brings in $1,000 to $3,000 per month through sales of water filtration products and ads. Because she loves educating people about water Hearn doesn’t view the five hours a week she spends on the site as “work.”

“It’s been a source of semi-passive income with minimal ongoing effort,” said Hearn.

Fellow American Writers & Artists Inc. member John Sullivan uses his website to promote his career playing Santa Claus. The site has brought him lots of publicity, including appearances in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. And he’s booked solid through the holidays.

“A lot of people probably think about how they can make a lot of money. Instead, the first thing you should say to yourself is 'Where are my interests? What really grabs me?'” said John.

Karen McCamy, another AWAI member, uses her site to indulge in her love of archaeology, specifically human evolution, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica. She sells educational materials, mostly to students. It’s a perfect part-time business that allows her to care for her elderly father.

It’s never too late to start a business. Laid off workers in their 50s have found it difficult to find full-time work in this economic climate. Increasingly they’re starting their own businesses, often online, to create a steady income. According to the Kaufman Foundation, 22.9% of new entrepreneurs are aged 55 to 64.

Among those are folks who still work full-time but need extra income for their impending retirement.

AWAI member Kerrin Kuntzman is one of them. She pulls in $1,500 to $2,000 a month from her website, which helps chiropractors market their businesses, as well as by offering web design services. Kuntzman is pleased with the money she’s adding to her retirement fund with only a part-time commitment.

“The orders keep rolling in for the two products I wrote that I sell on the site. The amazing part is they only took me a few hours to create, and I’ve made thousands of dollars from them.”