I make $20,000 a month online. Should I Invest in Offline Ventures?

by 66 replies
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The online landscape has become so unpredictable, especially since Google's constant spam updates, and earning a substantial income online today doesn't mean it will stay that way forever. Earning from a website just doesn't seem "real" to me. What does seem real to me is an offline, physical business where it's all about real human interactions.

So, for those of you are earning over 5 figures a month, do you have any plans of investing that money into offline ventures, to make more money in the long run, or are you just enjoying the money you're making online while it lasts?

What offline ventures have you invested in?
#main internet marketing discussion forum #$20 #invest #make #month #offline #online #ventures
  • Stocks and Property
    • [1] reply
    • Are those your investments? Care to share how much you make?
  • Invest in rental property. That's my goal. I've been saving a decent chunk of what I earn from freelancing and my own blog networks for my goal of building or buying apartment complexes.
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    • This.

      This is what I'm doing, both residential and commercial property.
  • Two words: real estate.

    There's nothing you'll find that's going to be more stable, online or offline.
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    • :rolleyes:

      The recent economic downturn which cost people BILLIONS of dollars largely due to devalued real estate is proof otherwise.

      Anyways, only certain types of real estate are solid investments right now. The FED has already announced interest rates will be going back up next year, which means the market will take a hit.

      Again, particular real estate opportunities can be good investments, but to call real estate as a whole "stable" is laughable.
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    • Agreed.

      I'm in the process of moving out of my house, downgrading to a much smaller place, and renting the house out for residual income.

      I've only owned this house for a year and I realized I just don't need all this space (and the headaches involved).
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  • I have major future plans of investing in rental properties, and maybe even a vineyard. As you say the internet is unpredictable, I'm not going to let it stop me making my millions now but in 10 years who knows what the internet is going to be like? So I want to have that "real" physical investment
  • the internet is going nowhere if you have a solid property.

    I do think as stated above however, real estate is the only thing they can't make more of... limited things always retain value.

    i read before silver will eventually be highly profitable b/c our resources worldwide are lower than we actually pretend
  • I'd invest in real estate or maybe set up a brick and mortar store.
  • I would look into various investments. Personally, I love real estate. Before I opened my branding and web design company, I worked in sales but based in home improvement while in college. I had a lot of conversations with contractors and real estate owners. It is a solid investment.
  • Bricks and Mortar .... the online world is so unpredictable ..
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    • Making money from online, investing in offline ! Why?
      Make a good online market. So that no one face problems as u faced in your journey.
      Try to do something better for the people of ur arena.
      Pls just dont run behind money, let money run behind u.
  • Plain and simple: yes.

    Diversifying your portfolio is a good idea. There are great investments to be made offline. The hardest part is obtaining the start-up cash to invest since nearly everyone has shiny object syndrome. Especially in their teens and most of their 20's.
  • My biggest offline investments are in real estate... in a segment of
    the market that I know well.

    Although I do sell services to offline businesses, I don't consider
    the brick-and-mortar world any more safe and secure than the
    online world. In fact, as I drive down "mainstreet" it's difficult
    not to notice all of the going out of business signs.

    Willie
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    • Willie is absolutely right. Why on earth would anyone suggest you can just open a b&m store and succeed? The rate of failure is formidable, and the skill set required is no less precise than that required to make it in the online world.

      I'm sorry, but suggesting one invest in a physical store, without knowing the first thing about you, or the business you would go into, is ludicrous. That is not an investment. It is a major life decision. And a very risky one.

      Investing in real estate can be done at many levels. It can be risky too, but there are at least many ways to succeed at it, and if you have enough life experience and are serious about due diligence, it is a reasonable investment to suggest. Just don't go jumping into the deep end if you don't know how to swim.

      Of course, you asked what other people are doing, not necessarily what others would advise YOU to do. That can't be answered without knowing a lot more about you.

      My answer? I developed a hybrid business - I offer a unique recurring service to a specific niche. The service is delivered through an online interface, but the relationship is initiated and nurtured offline. Best of both worlds, and not dependent on search engines.
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    • Pay attention to what Willie is saying here.

      There's a world of wisdom in every sentence.

      First offline businesses are in general a lot less forgiving
      than online businesses because you have to deal with
      2 factors that can send you broke VERY fast...

      # 1: Overheads...especially rent and staff...but there are
      so many more overheads...always more than you would ever
      expect...and they'll hit you when you're least prepared.

      # 2: Staff. People are difficult and can do little or no work
      or rip you off or leave you when you need them the most.

      The list goes on but when it comes down to it brick and
      mortar busineses can lose you some serious money really
      quickly and if you've never run one before I suggest you
      invest in something you do understand (perhaps online
      businesses).


      Many people have lost their shirts in real estate too and
      that can be problematic...most real estate requires
      maintenance and you need to buy at the right price.

      I have a close friend with tens of millions of dollars worth
      of real estate and he's always fond of saying there's a
      limit to the amount of land close to the CBD.

      He will also only buy when he's getting properties way
      below their real value.

      And he's very good at maintaining properties himself and
      at keeping them rented out.

      So there are a variety of skills there.


      Generally speaking investing in what you really know and
      understand is a safe move.

      You might think of online businesses as being unstable.

      The reality is ALL businesses and investments have
      unstable elements.

      You're just aware of the instability in internet businesses
      because you have a lot of skill and experience in the field.

      That increases your chances of investing your money
      wisely.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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  • look to equities, we are in a major bull run at the moment. Do not listen to news or govt, I use to trade on the floor, and my older collegues are saying funds are still trying to get into the market with their money but the market is too strong, no dips....but this bull run started in 2013....so i would say diversify in stocks, alternative energy and use the other portion and whack that into real estate. Cannot go wrong;....

    buy some GOLD and SILVER bullion too if prices come down, we are in a major BULL market in gold right now, but this is just a dip that you can buy.

    Good luck.
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  • Hey All...

    I know that everyone keeps recommending "real estate", but I prefer long term investments with much less stress.

    But first off, although the internet CAN be unpreditable, there is plenty that you can do to lower your risks.

    I have a special fund that I call my "financial freedom fund." This is money that I am currently setting aside in safe, low-interest bearing financial instruments. My goal is to keep adding to that fund, with the goal of raising the passive income earned from the interest to be higher than my living expenses.

    If you have read "The Millionaire Fastlane" by MJ DeMarco, you know what I am referring to.

    Much Success,

    JoeMack
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
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    • The Money System, as MJ De Marco calls it. What are your returns right now? How do you find these funds or financial instruments?

      Thanks

  • [DELETED]
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    • Where did you get your kindle book cover? Looks awesome
  • After what ive been thru , Id setup 4/5 income streams
    Offline is fine but why the headache? seems your good online why not setup different things online there's a new Social platform Someone buys yearly for millions of bucks that some kid made in his basement.

    Id keep the one making money and start setting up something in a completely different area of the internet to make money with for the second stage etc
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  • Yes, the internet and companies like Amazon, Fiverr, and i-store are all closing down while brick and mortar stores Borders Books and Blockbuster are thriving. Even the libraries are doing away with computer equipment and forgoing the electronic book to bring back the heavy hardcover books!

    If this were April Fool's day I would understand this post! Diversify yes, but if you want safety in income buy a lifetime annuity and live somewhere where there is no internet..like mars..oh wait I think it is there too!
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  • Invest 20k in my forex trading skills.

    You would need loads of money for getting into properties. And getting into property rentals could be a nightmare as regards management etc.
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    • I can't think of a scarier thing to do, even if I did know you well.
  • the smartest way to invest in offline venture is through real estate property. i also have plan doing it when I reached the 5 digit income a month.
  • Hey, I am investing in stocks and property. Investing in offline business is a must because this is also source of passive income. If you'd like to spend not so much time for your stock portfolio read Rule1 by Phil Town
  • Yes, you should. It is always a good idea to create other streams of income.

    When I was reading your post the first thing that came to mind was real estate.

    But it depends. I would prefer to invest in my own offline business. Think about it. What did you always want to do but never had the cash to do it?
  • There are some very good and interesting comments. It's a difficult call, investment property would be great for long term residual income but on the other hand you have been successful online so maybe create more online income streams. I would consider some whole life insurance policies that create value and overtime will pay for themselves. I would also continue contributing to a good 401K plan and a ROTH IRA.
  • Rental property is the road I would go down also. However, if you're making $20,000 a month online already, then I wouldn't be turning my back on it.

    Unless you have all your eggs in one basket, I'd start reinvesting in to new online projects. With that sort fo monthly income you can get a foothold in some of the large evergreen niches which will always keep on paying.
  • Spread it out. Make some low-risk low-return investments and mid-risk mid-return investments. There are so many factors that would determine the market and how you invest based on age, risk etc.
  • My financial advisor would agree with James, as you build your portfolio, you need a blend of low, medium and high risk investments or ventures. Property is great for long term investment usually, but it has been known to crash. Banks are usually a good bet too, but consider Greece. Everything is a gamble. Your instincts look to have been good so far, go with them again...
  • Setup Businesses in India
    You'll never run out of customers
  • Buy property, gold, silver, platinum, oil

    My aim is buying a block of flats (apartment complex) somewhere in Europe, the good thing about living in Europe is you can buy property in most other members of the EU with no problems and some of the other countries are dirt cheap for property.

    Physical offline business is a good idea if you can still keep working at IM and dont let the physical business take over your time.

    Remember 1 thing, money in a bank loses its value (buying power) over time.
  • I will suggest real estate also - buy and rent apartments. My boss doing this beside his regular online businesses and I see how good it can be. But as each business this also reguire a lot of online promotion.
  • Flip the properties fast, don't hold long term, as others have said real estate is the best as long as you don't get too emotionally attached to the properties you get.. Fast flip them...if interested i designed a software program to help you automate 90% of the manual labor, not only that, but i have built a list of cash buyers who are ready to buy... PM me if you'd like to know more...
  • As with all money-making ventures, there isn't a "golden bullet"... regardless of what sales letters convince you.

    I'm betting you had to work hard for your money-- both to get to the point of 20k/mo and actually working to make the money now. Don't squander it.

    Also, I prefer stocks. If you know what you are doing, you can keep bumping up your money and reinvesting it. The trick is not to invest emotionally... and to pick what your goal is: long term investments? quick increase in money? etc?
  • No thanks to adding more properties (commercial or residential)! I want to stay liquid and nimble in the years ahead so ramp up your online presence! Where else can you build up a website for $2,000 investment and pull $20,000 to $40,000 a year in profits? You can't do that type of "dynamic returns" with traditional business investments. I feel the IncomeStore.com business model is the perfect example why ramping up your online presence is where the magic is at! Heck, I don't have to send in a property tax payment every 6 months for any online property (website) I own. ;-)

    I do think buying physical silver is another very smart play at this time with any spot market pricing below the $20 level. I have been trading "paper" positions in Silver as it trades below the $22's but I will be back to BUYING the physical Silver as soon as we can get some spot market pricing back below the $20.00 level (crossing my fingers...LOL).
  • ^Silver is a safe investment, but, for me, the return is too low... what, maybe $20 to $40? $50? Like you said, the best investments are HIGH return!
  • Obviously you would never put ALL your funds into Silver but a portion is very smart. Why? I can convert almost any amount of Silver to cash in under 24 hours. I want some portions of my investments as a HEDGE against any US Dollar rapid devaluation and I am willing to take lower returns for the LIQUIDITY Silver offers me. Once the US Dollar loses reserve currency status in the years ahead those holding Silver will see parabolic returns.
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  • revenu properties are the way to go, ive turned my funnels into over 4M + worth of real estate. Not only that but I get cash flow out of it
  • Invest in a few properties and then rent it out. That would grow your income every month depends on how much your mortgage is.
  • If you want property, drop me a DM I source HMO's get a fair few deals so can get you some solid cash flow!
  • Properties may be okay depending on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a properties that are below market value so that you can gain equity AND looking for cash flow, you could potentially do that but you're gonna have to search. We are, as we speak, entering another housing bubble, so I'm not sure if buying properties is the best thing at the moment because values have risen so much so quickly. You want to avoid buying near a market top.

    Same thing goes for stocks....stocks have entered bubble territory and seem to be correcting big time. Things are uncertain all around at the moment. Your best play would most likely be to accumulate as much cash as you can and invest when a market that you prefer is moving in a clear trend.

    But that's just my $.02.
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    • I agree, I too have looked into real estate....

      just be careful and make sure you get a good handle on it or have someone who does because it's easy to get on the wrong side of that if you don't know what you're doing...but that's probably the same with everything
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  • "The online landscape has become so unpredictable"...not unlike every other sort of offline investment strategy.
    I've always been a fierce proponent of creating multiple streams of income; income streams that I can control, income streams which I'm knowledgeable about, and most importantly...doing what you love to do.
    Always invest in companies that produce the items that you use.
    Energy (gas, oil, electric) companies will always be steady and fruitful investments.

    Clearly, you've made inroads with online income, why not expand your reach with another investment to create another stream online.

    Google really seems to intimidate a lot of marketers. As a former rater, it's not that difficult to appease Google and receive your justified ranking.

    Just follow their guidelines, pay attention to updates, disavow anything blackhat, and you'll be fine.

    Much luck to you!
  • Surprised many mentioned Real estate. It's a major bubble buoyed by quantitative easing keeping interest rates artificially low. Good luck selling your property when the next credit crunch hits and people must put 30, 40,50% down and have stellar credit.

    Rents you'd think will go up long term, but they won't. There will be rental demand of course but the job market is terrible and getting worse, unless you naively believe the manipulated official BS..oops i mean BLS numbers. How can you square the BS employment numbers w/ the record number on foodstamps, and now more and more getting on fraudulent long term disability benefits.

    How does a renter pay higher rents or even pay a steady rent w/ terrible job prospects? How do RE prices rise w/ the rapid tightening of credit market? The GDP just got a downward revision. Things are not recovering. The current policy is a failure but we haven't hit the recognition point yet.

    Current policy has been pumping unprecedented money in the system, like raising the credit limits and cash advances, courtesy of the taxpayer to pay it back, but the taxpayer is not getting the money!!! The money is flowing to the crony banks and Federal govt DC elitists. Not flowing to entrepreneurs to grow economy. Go try getting a business loan or a credit line for your business. If you are lucky, you'll have to pledge everything you own.

    We are in a house of cards, and will be in large deflation except taxes, fees, food, energy and other necessities.

    Be careful, we are treading on treacherous ground.

    Look at Japanese RE prices how they've cratered for years and years despite pumping all kinds of money.

    Our only saving grace short term is that we are the reserve currency and relative to the rest of the worlds largest economies in a little bit better shape. Least worst. That can benefit us as foreign money comes rushing in short term as an escape. But historically, foreign money is the dumbest out there and signals the last gasp breath of any market. If you have RE, use this to sell out, because that could be your last chance.

    The best investment you can make is NOT to lose money, keep your powder dry for opportunities and invest in what you know. Online opportunities come and go, but new ones pop up as it is now embedded and a structural part of our lives. You just have to look for new opportunities and continually adapt.
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    • If I could thank you a million times I would. Well said!
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    • I actually alluded to the Fed's QE program in my post but didn't wanna get that deep, but I'm glad someone did. There's no way I'd considered buying properties right now unless (as I previously mentioned) they were just that much below market value that the bursting of the housing bubble wouldn't have an effect on me.
  • Myself and my husband have invested much into our brick and mortar businesses. We own 2 offline, and I run several online and we just started a merge of one off/online.

    Honestly our brick and mortar's have been around 13+ years, but times are TOUGH. No lie.
    Currently we have our hand in the cookie jar multiple times, because nothing feels concrete anymore.

    No investment is a SAFE investment. In business, they say the best planning you can have is to have an exit strategy. A.K.A Plan B, C, D, and possibly even E.
  • So, I make very little online and still growing, but do make some money in other "offline" investments. I have an easy answer for you.... YES! Why wouldn't you? Mainly, diversification will allow you to make money in some segments when others are slumping. It is a nice hedge against inflation and interest rates are good right now. Not to mention, why not get cash from a number of sources?
  • I actually take the money I earn and build bigger internet properties. Especially ones that don't rely on SEO.

    None of that niche site jazz, but creating desktop software or SaaS that industries will actually use.

    That won't go away. Ever.

    Just like an offline business, you need to find a need to fulfill. Otherwise, you're out.

    Best part of an online business is that the capital to start one is not significant, even for bigger projects, if you start out the right way
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  • $20,000 per month and it does not feel real to you?

    You could consider taking your online skills offline and helping local businesses market through the internet. That way you are using what you are already successful at in a new market. Definitely keep your online efforts going though.
  • Real estate would be a good idea, if the prices are not inflated when you invest. Rental property would be good, since people will always need a roof over their head. The trick is buying at the right time.

    The first real estate, house, apartment, etc. you should buy, should be the property you will live in yourself. One of the first things I did after moving abroad, was to buy a small piece of land with my fiancee (now wife) and start construction. We now have a nice apartment to live in, rent-free, mortgage free, and 2 more apartments to rent out on the first and second floors.

    With the money saved on rent, I buy and sell antiques, electronics, clothing, jewelry, etc. that I buy low and sell high. Sometimes I find the deals on items locally, other times by importing on a small scale from Hong Kong and other countries.

    Items that you can actually touch and feel, such as tools, clothing, etc. will always have value, even if the dollar collapses, economic collapse, etc. Invest in those. Silver will always ave value and is liquid. Silver also has industrial uses, which gold does not have.

    Farmland that is capable of growing food would also be a good investment. People will always need to eat....
  • Banned
    Hi, investing in rental properties is a good idea. Because if you still want to work online, you obviously won't have much time to take care of an offline business.
    Good luck to you!
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  • LOL...I noticed the OP "DISAPPEARED ?"

    Rental properties are a PAIN-N-THE-ARSE ! Don't do it....UNLESS YOU LIKE doing that kinda work. (handyman, plumber, elect, roofer, etc).

    If you are going to buy RE...make sure you time the market Right. Otherwise, you will get killed.

    Internet biz....or a biz related to Internet is where the growth is. Not RE.

    RE values are based on income of residents. They MAY go Down (again). Its a market that can change with the next wave of foreclosures.
  • If your making $20,000 a month on line look to increase it, stay one step ahead, yes its hard but just stick to the rules and play the game.
  • The real question that you should be asking yourself is whether you should diversify your income or not? Sure, when I put it that way the answer becomes obvious. Don't put all your eggs in one basket and offline ventures are definitely the way to go. Along with that, try to diversify your income online.

    As for real estate, I wouldn't go there if I were you. Those you say that real estate is a stable market couldn't be more wrong and if you couple that with the fact that real estate is a huge drain on your funds, you will realize that it is a huge risk that is just not worth taking. Also, it beats the whole purpose o trying to diversify your income.

    Personally, I plan to save up and open a restaurant. Statistically, it is the most sustainable form of business. For me, savings are an illusion if they are not re-invested.
  • if i earned 20k a month online i wouldnt be asking advise from people who dont
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    • Really? Why would you say something like that? :rolleyes:




  • The real estate you purchase should only be used to create a family legacy that you intend to pass down generation to generation, meaning purchase homes outright. Bread butter homes (starter homes or families) and then fix them up and rent them out. There is no need to sell, you will always be able to find people to rent nice homes in nice areas.

    Online opportunities will never go away. Continue to roll your money over into other online ventures. I am not sure if someone mentioned maybe making your own software or not but that should be doable for you.

    Also, apps are excellent as far as diversification as long as you do your due diligence and make sure the market for your product is there, you may have a winner, especially in the game market.

    You can become a venture capitalist. I know a few people who use portions of their money to fund startups, etc and it works out very, very well for them.

    I would tell you to focus on doing more of what you know in terms of IM. Anyone who can make $20,000 a month can make $100,000+ a month. You have it in you. Scale, outsource, diversify and continue.

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  • 82

    The online landscape has become so unpredictable, especially since Google's constant spam updates, and earning a substantial income online today doesn't mean it will stay that way forever. Earning from a website just doesn't seem "real" to me. What does seem real to me is an offline, physical business where it's all about real human interactions. So, for those of you are earning over 5 figures a month, do you have any plans of investing that money into offline ventures, to make more money in the long run, or are you just enjoying the money you're making online while it lasts?