Need website ideas.

[father of fires]

Last year I registered a domain name with the intention of starting a website selling bass gear (pedals, strings, etc.) I got a traders licence and became a vendor for several products and even some boutique gear.

The one problem with all of this was that, it was being financed by my home equity line. By the time I got the website up and was ready to purchase my inventory, my bank cancelled my line of credit because the economy took a dump.

Unable to start my store and having already registered the domain for a year, I had hoped to think of something to use it for. Well, I haven't come up with anything great, yet.

Now, the domain registering company is calling me everyday about re-upping. I would love to keep the website but, I don't see me coming up with the money anytime soon to start my web store.

So, I'm turning to you guys and gals for help.

Any ideas of something bass related you'd like to see on the web?

The two (not very original) ideas I've come up with are:

Bass related t-shirts and hats. I have some cool idea's but I can't draw and would need to pay someone to design them. I would also need an buy a small inventory (though cheaper than pedals, I can't really afford it right now). I would want something that is high quality so, the shirts would be expensive to make and I'd have to charge more. Not, to mention people don't have the money for $25 t-shirts anyways.

Or, I could start a blog. I have some interesting ideas for articles but, I can't see me coming up with enough articles to make regular updates.

So if anyone likes either of these ideas or has something they'd like to see on the web then, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks.

Jeff

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

Go with a cheaper website host and registry. Start a CD or two at your bank and keep rolling them over for a year to build finances. Start looking into ad revenue to help fund the site, as well as a referral program that reimburses you towards site hosting fees. It's easy to have a domain name transferred to a new hosting company.

Start with cheaper inventory like fender clones that you can afford. Buy up cheap used basses and flip them through the site. Have a few things made (stickers, pens, coffee mugs), and sell those.

Keep rolling the cd's over at the bank for about 2 years total time, when they mature, inject them into your business account.

[bongomania]

If you haven't got a business plan, then you haven't got a business. If you haven't got a business, then you have nothing to advertise. If you have nothing to advertise, then you should have some worthwhile original content, or else there is no point to paying for a website.

You should be able to register the name for around $9 a year, which hardly requires any thought about lines of credit or anything like that. So if you really like the URL and want to save it for sometime down the road when the economy picks up and you have a business plan, then just pay the $9 a year and don't worry about putting anything on the site.

[father of fires]

I had a business plan but I only used it for myself (to make sure I could make money) because, I didn't need to get any extra money from the bank (at the time). I guess I could try to go through the SBA and get a bank loan but, I doubt they would give me any money.

It's worth a shot though.

I had also considered flipping basses but, I have been doing that on ebay and craiglist for quite a few years and I have pretty much broke even so, I don't see me turning much of a profit.

How do I transfer my name to a different registering firm? They wan't me to pay $46.00 to renew.

It may sound silly but, my finances are in the toilet (bigtime paycut at work) and this is alot of money for me right now.

So if I do it, I want a clear idea of what I'm gonna do.

Alas, I think I answered my own question. I want to keep the website because, I don't want to lose my dream of opening a business. But, times are tough now and I can't afford it. When the time is right I just have to think of a new domain name. It's not so bad.

Thanks for all you help guys.