Web Marketing

How I Escaped “The Cubicle” (and You Can, Too…)

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Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnjoh/

I’m a writer.

Before that, I was a dishwasher, warehouse monkey, busboy, waiter, financial advisor, Google analyst, tour guide, and travel agent.

Maybe you’re noticing a trend.

With each successive job, I ruthlessly pursued two goals:

  • Work in a mentally stimulating environment, and
  • Avoid offices like the plague

This lead to an all-important question:

How is it possible to never, ever work in an office again?

This post is my answer.

So… without further ado… here is the ultimate guide to escaping your job as quickly as possible.

First: Identify a Market

Sure, you may have a “million dollar idea”, but you still need a BUYING market to see those dollars realized. The quickest way to find a market is using the Google Adwords tool. Simply type in a phrase you’d like to research and Google returns hundreds of variations of that term, plus the monthly search volume of each term.

Voila! Talk about easy market research 😉

Once you see people are actually LOOKING for information in your market, it’s time to move onto the next step which is…

Determine A Monetization Model

Is your market looking for information, or looking to buy a product?

For example, someone who types in “buy Nikon digital camera” is likely to… well… BUY a Nikon digital camera, right?

On the other hand, someone typing in “digital photography tutorial” probably isn’t looking to buy anything. They are interested in learning more about digital cameras in general, and while they may eventually purchase another digital camera, they aren’t in the market right now.

In sales-speak, this is referred to as “the buying cycle”. First, a person researches products, then they decide what they want before looking for the best deal.

Every market exists somewhere in the sales cycle. Some are ready to buy, while others want information, and understanding this is KEY to your monetization model.

If you want to target buyers, create a product and SELL it to them.

Create a simple website designed to sell your product and promote it via paid advertising like Google Adwords. If possible, create a digital product (such as an eBook) and deliver the product for a whopping $5/month with e-junkie.com

Not into selling? Then target prospects earlier in the buying cycle. By providing high quality content you’ll gain exposure and links to your site. And the best part is, you don’t have to sell a thing. Simply review products in your niche – like “Nikon digital cameras” – and include affiliate links to sites that do sell products (Amazon is the most popular).

And if you don’t want to write reviews, focus on creating the best content possible. Seriously. It never ceases to amaze me how many crappy websites there are online. Just taking an extra 15 minutes with each post, you can create worthwhile content that continues to pay off for years to come.

Want proof? I’ve got a website I literally have not touched in over three years, and yet it continues to deposit a $130 per month straight to my bank account. Is that enough to retire on? Of course not; but it’s enough to prove that this works.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Because once you’ve determined your monetization model it’s time to…

Implement Your Idea: Cheaply and Effectively

Sound hard? It’s not.

In fact, you can outsource nearly everything.

Look at it this way:

  • Content writers write a 500 word article for less than $20
  • Virtual assistants for less than $800/month (this includes web design)

Want proof? Visit odesk.com to learn more.

Summary: Why This Business Model Changed My Life (and yours, too..)

Working online has created what my wife Darcie refers to as “living the dream”. We can live anywhere (e.g. Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Argentina, Ireland, India, Australia and New Zealand), work when we want, and basically live a lifestyle previous generations could only dream of.

You can too.

What’s holding you back?

Let me know in the comments section below.

This is a guest post by Adam Costa, if you want to guest post check out the guidelines .

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14 comments

Pinoy Tv May 24, 2011 - 12:41 am
With people turning to surfing the Internet when they need or are looking for something, there’s no doubt how great possibilities are for us to earn from here. Internet marketing is a great thing I’ve learned of. Thanks all the information you and others have provided, I’m now earning well without leaving my home and I’m now my own boss. Surely, there’s no better life than this. I’ll never even think of going back to working a 9-to-5 job.
ZK June 2, 2011 - 3:11 am
That's awesome :) Nothing compares to Freedom ...
rocky @ travel to india May 24, 2011 - 5:29 am
Every body want's to earn money. So online marketing it's such a good option to make money online. Because if somebody free after office hours he can do this for passion as well as side business.
Phil@yacht charter greece May 24, 2011 - 10:24 am
this is like a "business for dummies" post. beginners could pick up a thing or two
sensible adsense May 26, 2011 - 5:26 am
Implementing your business model does not even sound hard but is hard... imagining things is easy implementing is difficult... and suppose I hire a writer for $15/article who writes 30 articles/month for me and a virtual assistant for $800(as you say) the total cost would turn out to be $1250 a month. And, it generally takes you around 6 months to start earning $500 dollars a month... so I say I'd better do it myself.
adamcosta May 26, 2011 - 8:47 am
@Pinoy, Rocky and Phil Thanks. Glad to guys enjoyed it. @SA It all depends on your situation. If you've got the money, outsourcing from the start can exponentially grow your business. But if that $1250 is your rent/mortgage, then it doesn't make sense to spend it.
Ajith Edassery May 26, 2011 - 9:57 am
Wow, sounds like you have changed so many jobs and roles in your career :) Well, blogging and internet marketing can take you to new heights. As for the outsourcing part, you seem to have a good budget. In fact, you can find writers from India, Philipines etc for less than $10 per article as well. But yeah, $20 probably for a better job.
Marcus@Laser printer reviews May 27, 2011 - 2:55 pm
I had to laugh a little while nodding my head in agreement as I read this. I, too, have been lots of jobs that would keep me out of a cubicle. You've offered some excellent guidelines here, especially for beginners. You have also proved that there IS HOPE to stay out of those claustrophobic little cubicles. Thanks!
Ann Karen @ log home plans May 30, 2011 - 3:02 pm
Working comfortably at home is something I thought will remain a dream. I assumed that it's a thing only rich people can achieve. But I was wrong! As long as you're willing to learn more and do more, being successful in internet marketing is not far behind.
ZK June 2, 2011 - 3:41 am
It starts with a dream :) and becomes a reality if you are willing to work hard for it
Adam Costa May 31, 2011 - 12:40 pm
Living life "outside the cubicle" is well worth it. And believe me, it ain't just for rich people ;)
ZK June 2, 2011 - 3:09 am
Blogging has been a boon to a lot of us, bloggers have quit their jobs and started replacing their full time income from blogging in less than 2 years...Escaping the cubicle is do-able if you have self discipline and are willing to work hard.
Best Jailbreak Apps June 3, 2011 - 7:39 am
Great guide for newbies
Amy @Palm Valley Ranch October 12, 2011 - 4:49 am
awesome! It's amazing that people invest and earn income while traveling, it's like business and pleasure! I wish to have that kind of life but I don't where to start, spending the whole day in my cubicle really sucks!
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