How was your 2007?

**Chris** · 01-23-2008, 04:18 PM

Advertising/affiliate income: up slightly (4% or so). Google was up a couple percent, TF was down around 10%. But lots of new payers/programs made up the difference. I don't know what to expect for 08. Google has been dropping more lately with their "optimization" changes, TF hasn't been doing great at all. And economic problems could cause companies to reign in their ad budgets (on the other hand, Internet advertising should still grow, and if the WGA strike continues traffic could see an increase). I think, all things considered, with my new sites, and those potential problems, it'll be a wash.

Ecommerce income: down 10%, and that is including new business from new one product ecommerce site. Without revenue from that site it is down around 25%.

This was expected though. Still left over fallout from the bankruptcy of my biggest supplier, less popular products to sell, make less sales.

Going forward I expect ecommerce revenue to grow, possibly even double or triple, this year. Popular products are coming back in stock, bankruptcy is over (company got bought out). My own product line will launch this year, which will be huge. My compost tumbler site, did very well in just 8 months of 2007, will have a full 12 months and better rankings and positioning for those 12 months. It should do great. I also revamped my knife site late last year and that is paying off, and my new chainmail site still has a ton of potential to take off (gotta work on it if my ISP ever lets me connect for a day).

**allout** · 01-23-2008, 06:24 PM

I had a good year in 2007. I needed to quit my day job to help out with a family illness but it gave me a chance to work a bit more online. I sold a couple of good sites for profit and I got deeper into my writing. I have yet to replace my income completly but I have done quite well.

**Cutter** · 01-26-2008, 09:01 AM

Very good 2007. I hit up my first trade show in February and did three others throughout the year. The difference this made over 2006, from making new friends and contacts, was like night and day.

I also hired my first employee back in February. It was a wild gamble considering he scored a perfect zero for work ethic/motivation on the assessment test, but things have worked out well.

I had two projects that were flops in 2007. At least half of my work time was spent on these. Pretty big mistake on my part. Between opportunity cost and money invested this was probably a six figure loss... but thats not to say this was a bad year in the least (2006's income < 2007's tax payments.)

Right now I am trying to balance doing what I do best with expanding into new areas and learning new things, which is really the best part of this business.

**Chris** · 01-26-2008, 09:28 AM

(2006's income < 2007's tax payments.)

I've had growth like that before sucks doesn't it (in a way)? Your income triples and then boom, you're paying more in taxes than what you used to make.

**Westech** · 01-29-2008, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Chris

I've had growth like that before sucks doesn't it (in a way)? Your income triples and then boom, you're paying more in taxes than what you used to make.

The upside is that you can base your quarterly tax payments on last years income. This lets you earn interest on the extra taxes you owe until they are due at the end of the year.