Case Study: Lifestyle blog UpliftingFamilies.com sells for $19,860

Today we sit down with Will Ellis, the web entrepreneur who acquired UpliftingFamilies.com for $19,860 in December 2015. Find out what Will had to say about his time running a brick and mortar business, and how he transitioned his focus to online income – plus a lot more!

You started as an entrepreneur focused on brick and mortar businesses, tell us about that journey

Like many other entrepreneurs, I always dreamed of owning my own business. After managing a chain of dry cleaners, this dream eventually became a reality when I bought my own dry cleaning business. It was then that I learned a cold hard fact about brick and mortar businesses: the reach is short and growth opportunities are limited. No matter how well I did my job as an owner, I was never able to achieve the kind of income I desired. I ultimately sold the dry cleaning businesses, but the lesson I learned stuck with me.

At which point did you transition your entrepreneurial efforts online?

A short-time after selling the dry cleaning business, I started to become more and more fascinated with online income. Specifically, I was interested in starting a hosting business. The appeal you ask? Aside from my experience in IT systems management the primary appeal was recurring income. In other words, I loved the idea of maintaining a business where the money would come in, even when new customers did not. Fast forward 12 years later, and I had a thriving business designing websites and hosting them with hundreds of recurring monthly clients. Of course, the best part was, I was able to work from anywhere in the world where I could get access to the internet – you simply can’t get this kind freedom with a brick and mortar business.

Tell us about your high-level website acquisition strategy

Like most of you reading this, I keep my eyes open for the right opportunities, but my strategy is perhaps a little different than the typical “website flipper.” I buy sites for cash flow, and I usually wont buy a business with the intent of flipping it. If I buy a business, I’m in it for the long-term. Of course, if it ends up that the site does not work with the overall “flow” of my existing portfolio, I’ll consider selling it, but that is never my intention off the bat. There are a multitude of reasons why someone might buy a website, and those of us who have been doing this for while know exactly what we are looking for with a new purchase. The beauty of a marketplace as large as Flippa is that what might not be right for me could be the perfect acquisition for you.

You recently acquired UpliftingFamilies.com on Flippa, what is the site about and why did you bid?

UpliftingFamilies.com is an online community and blog focused on topics such as parenting, pregnancy, marriage, and more. I purchased this site along with my wife. Before we found the site for sale on Flippa, we had originally discussed starting a family focused blog and sharing our experiences of raising four children. However, the task of building a blog from scratch seemed daunting to say the least, so we never took the plunge. When we eventually came across the listing in Flippa’s Editors’ Choice section, we knew it was a perfect match.

Any tips for other web entrepreneurs who might be thinking about buying websites on Flippa

Some would ask why buy an existing website when you can start your own? The answer is really simple: time. We all know time is worth money, and so a great website acquisition can save you a great deal of both. Of course, the wrong website acquisition can end up costing you both, which is why it is so important to do your due diligence before placing a bid.

I always ask 10 questions before I buy a website:

1. Is the traffic sustainable?
2. Does the site have a track record, or is it a startup?.
3. Is the site stable, growing, or declining?
4. Can you verify the revenue the seller is claiming is legit?
5. What is the business model?
6. Does the current owner have an advantage that will not carry over to the new owner?
7. Does the valuation make sense?
8. How much owner involvement is required?
9. Why is the seller selling?
10. What do third party sites say about the website and business?

In closing, I would like to say that no matter what you buy or where you buy it, you are taking a chance. When you are the last bidder standing at the end of a long auction, your adrenalin will definitely be pumping. The truth is that you will never land a great deal on a website if you don’t do your homework, make a bid, and take the plunge. But even that is only half the battle. You have to be prepared to put in the work to grow your business and make it succeed, as only a true entrepreneur could.

Will discovered UpliftingFamilies.com in Editors’ Choice on Flippa, will you find your next web acquisition there too? Check it out, and let us know if you would have a high-end website you would like to sell.