I believe that most people who are involved in the domain industry don’t do it full time. Many are involved with the Internet in one way or another, but their domain investments are made passively, and they spend time on them when they can.
That being said, I am wondering what my readers do for full time work. As you know, prior to becoming a full time domain investor and domain developer, I was a Marketing Manager at AIG, and prior to that, I was a Project Manager and New Business Associate for Wunderman (part of YR Brands).
So… what do you do?
I was in the comptuer software industry for 20 years. We published a suite of software programs for a niche vertical market. I sold the company in 2007, retired, discovered the “domain industry”, and have been dabbling part-time. Now getting ready to take what I’ve learned from the domain industry and the commercial software industry to launch an online media company focusing on a niche market. There are still amazing opportunities in the domain space!!
I was a customer service manager at a major bank and currently do accounts receivable financing to tech companies. Been in domaining since business.com sold for $300 million.
Side note: my buddy works for a major design firm that handles websites for huge clients. HUGE. They were down in LA and saw DomainFest and were wondering why the hell people would get together and talk about domains. I couldn’t believe it.
For the last year or so i’ve been a dimaond driller, (drilling holes (big holes in concrete and brick)
Before that i was a welder for 2.5 yrs (stainless steel welding) and inbetween i was on a concrete gang.Hard work , but pay was very good. (no more jobs like that left now 🙂 )
i’m only a young 24 so plenty time left.
You could not pay me to leave my job just now 🙂
I have many business interests – My Fiance owns a Coffee House which I assit in my spare time usually a Sunday
I also own a security comapny with my dad that does commerical and home property alarm systems. He also has another company where he acts a consultant to the Water Industry and Im involved in that occasionally.
My main job is Sales Consultant looking after a construction materials manufacturer helping them grow there business.
Then last but not least what keeps my alive and fills me with fun is domains – I spend about 6hrs of my day Brokering names for clients, speaking to prospect clients and then looking for names for myself to buy, sell and develop.
Im kept busy and I like it that way I wont lie I got into domains for money and its a great way to make a living I am hoping to make domaining full time in the next 3years.
Ps – Im only 23 and glad to be lucky enough to still have my job and that my businesses are doing well!
Regards,
Robbie
I’m a management consultant working for independant companies, I’ve been hooked on domaining since learning of it in 2005, I know, it’s a bit late, but better late than never. I’m just now getting the courage to develop websites, and without any doubt, this blog (Elliot’s Blog) is by far the best blog, and I tend to visit it every day hoping to learn new things, keep up the good work dude!.
Cheers
I was a Nobody in an IT company, doing stupid, redundant boring work, making someone rich.
I was working on this guy’s Mac and I saw his so called web-design work and I told myself I can do better than that.
Best thing was, I got laid off and with good unemployment benefits ,lots of time and lots of creativity, I got my 100+ sites up and running.
Now, he is asking me for work—ha ha
Oh well, all it takes is creativity!!
Hello! I’m working full time as a software developer in the telecom business in Sweden. This in combination with two kids ages 3 and 5 takes up most of my time – I get to spend 1-3 hours a day average on domain prospecting and developing. I’ve been in the domaining business for a little more that a year now. I find it to be a very exciting and interesting hobby so far. My 5 year plan from now would be to acquire and develop enough domains so that they provide me with a nice extra income every year. Still much to learn and especially achive.
Full time domainer, part time blogger, part time husband, part time developer, part time dog sitter (my own), part time domain consultant & part time comment poster 😉
controller in financial services sector – i still rely mostly on domain name sales (haven’t fully grasped seo stuff) – constantly tweaking my approach to maximize return on cash investment (comfortably in the black the past few years but still a work in progress).
…while I spend my “free time” working on a crab boat off the Alaskan coast (you may have watched my exploits in last season’s “The Deadliest Catch” on the Discovery channel).
Almost as dangerous as domains. 😉
I’ve been a Computer Professional for over 29 years and have specialized in Computer Networks, Online Services, the Internet, and Information Security. I’ve focused my business on the Domaining World over the past 2 years, but with it’s decline in this recession have had to refocus on the Internet and Information Security to make a living. Formerly was in the Wide Area/Local Area Network business and don’t miss those days at all. Have been involved in the online world since the 80s. Guess it is my ultimate calling.
Sincerely,
The “G.” Man
Nice posts… Interesting bunch’
College drop out >>> …..entrepreneur / workaholic
Enough said 😉
Best,
Mike
I am actually a teacher with an entrepreneurial spirit and close to 2,000 domains.
just a creative innovator. 🙂
Have had an entrepreneurial spirit since my young age.
(making/selling sling shots to other kids, among others early “businesses!” ). Business runs in my family for generations!
I got an Eureka moment one warm summer night during my daily brainstorming business ideas (lying on the bed just before sleep! my most creative time of the day!), and it was about generic web addresses (I didn’t know they were called domain names at that time!) , and it made me spend weeks of sleepless nights, until I decided to take action!
It just Struck me like lightning! the worldwide Potential of a domain name!
and to my big surprise I discovered the industry behind!
I’m lucky, I hold a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Warwick, and know coding well. Domaining and Coding, The 2 complement each other! I’m seeing myself fast turning into a web developer!
Some domainers I know want to make it big and move to a tropical island to spend the rest of their life, while I’m lucky enough to come from a tropical island, called Mauritius. (currently living in the UK, but resigned from an
analyst programmer position last month, and moving back to delicious Mauritius in 10 weeks! 😀 )
bestS
Ritz
Well, before I appearing on the hit tv show Dancing With The Stars I won a few hundred thousand on Jeopardy and was the first person to win the million dollars on Deal Or No Deal.
Since then I’ve really been taking it easy, figured I’d try my hand in this domaining stuff 🙂
Sr. Security Engineer for a large managed hosting company
Full time for the last 12 years I have been a custom home builder. Business has been good…. fortunately, my clientele base has not evaporated and of all places… I live in Michigan. Everyday, I come home to check on my domains and the progress they have made.
Some day I hope to be involved in this business full time, but I know I will never be able to give up building homes.
Product Manager at a social networking company
Oil & Gas Exploration Projects
Venture Capital
Great post and interesting responses.
Licencee of Real Estate Agencies including my own it dawned on me in 1999 how I could own property on the Internet. Being in Australia, trends take a fews years to get here and the Internet at the time starting making noises around 98/99. Many good .coms were snapped up from domainers abroad before the Internet arrived in Australia. I decided to invest in Australian location.com’s or whats better known now as GEO-Domains. It just made sense being a real estate agent and all.
10 years young in the game and still learning from people like yourselves. Thanks for the stage.
I am currently serving our country overseas, which makes it hard to do a lot online and makes it hard to develop them. Out of the 250+ domains I own, only about 3-5 of them are developed. Now I am trying to focus more on generic names.
@ Cedrick… thanks for your service on our behalf! Where are you based?
Cedrick,
Thank you for your service.
A salute goes out to you!
Kevin
Great thread! Thanks E!
I develop GeoDomains. Before that I was in college. My other full time job is girlfriend, daughter, sister, aunt and friend! 🙂
Full time Mortgage Broker. Broker since 1993. I wish I can devote more time to domaining but most of my day is overlooking 6 loan officers, 4 mortgage processors and of course homeowners. Business is good has been better, its not lack of clients that the industry faces its lack of lending. Well enough said, once again I wish I could this full time.
See u soon
I worked in finance/accounting in various multi-national organizations and didn’t get into domaining until late 2005. Domaining was just a side venture until recently. However, an inventory of parked domains don’t pay the bills so I have been marketing to end users (not much response yet). Development of hundreds of domains is not possible but I plan to develop a few while I continue to market to end users.
Hubby & I own a manufacturing co. and yes we do have the generic terms for the line of products we manufacture and sell.
Domains as a business were introduced to us by our son, some good supplimental retirement income for the future.
I currently work for a CRM SaaS company as a professional services consultant. Previously, I worked at a large domain registrar for 8+ years. When I resigned from my position at that registrar, I started purchasing expired domains and have several hundred at this time. Knowing the ins and outs of the registrar industry in particular the expired name auctions, it was an easy thing to start.
I have just started to dabble in affiliate marketing and PPC which compliments the domains. There honestly seems to be a hell of a lot more easy/fast money in affiliate marketing than in domaining. It is hard work and you need a large budget (or credit) to even test the waters. So, i’m not quitting my day job anytime soon but I am on track to make a nice side income stream this year through affiliate marketing.
I’m not sure if I’d call myself a “developer” as I’m more of an “info-publisher” as I have no intention of selling my developed websites. Regardless, I’ve been doing it fulltime for about five years now.
Prior to that I was a graphic designer in the music industry.
I am currently medical student and now part time for domainer.
I can’t say where I work due to the sensitivity of my job. Lets just say I carry a M-16 and a 9mm Beretta whenever I am at work.
I write ASP, VBS and other scripts, web apps and related for an organisation’s IT department. Proud owner of two Microsoft Script Center bobblehead dolls after completing the last 2 years Winter scripting games. Been in domaining 6 months although very part time and not in profit yet! Husband, father, grand-father, archer, drinker, IT support, web designer, fund-raiser etc in any order.
Hollywood editor. I cut promos for a major tv network. Domaining is something I do for fun, as a side hobby, but I think this year I’m going to get serious about my portfolio.
I have always seen domain development as the ultimate way to make income off my domains.
Thanks to your more recent post urging people to attend a domain conference, I’ve signed up to go to the Silicon Valley Traffic conference. Sorry to have missed you in Hollywood! Maybe next year…
@Bernard – Are your offices in Burbank, Universal City or Hollywood?
Enjoy the show!
I am an “internet service provider” teleoperator.
Technical assistant to clients whose internet connection fails.
I am from Spain and began “registering domains” on year 2001.
Now i mainly buy and backorder, not register.
I want to develop my best names instead of parking them, because i have very good spanish names and get very little income.
I wont ever sell my best domain names because i want them to be my future employment.