Start up Costs...
 

If one was to start an affiliate business, what kind of start up costs are there? more or less than 2-3k?

I would really appreciate some insight from those 2+2er's currently running an affiliate as to the costs, pros/cons, and tips they could offer.

Thank you!
MR

Re: Start up Costs...
 

I run a rakeback and incentives directory, so i do not know how much i can help you but here are my thoughts on this.

I think your startup cost vary based on how slowly you wish to expand. If you are happy to start off small you might not need as much money as if you want to try to build a large client base early on.

I would assume that you would need a reasonable budget for the following:

1) Website Design. A good website is a must

2) Advertising on 2+2 or similar places to reach potential clients

3) Advertising on a rakeback directory(s). This can range from relatively cheap to alot depending on the site and the impact you wish to make.

I hope that helps you.

Re: Start up Costs...
 

you can start it up for free, just your time. i built mine from nothing, as i started making profits, i put them back into the business.

there are many different styles of affiliate businesses, you can plaster the web with banners which is the traditional method. advertising space is expensive.

you can run a rakeback business, which is the advice you will mostly receive from this forum. the model is great, no money out until there is money in. the best way to start this is with some friends, then friends of friends, and hopefully build a reputation for yourself. a major obstacle for new affilaites, is relationships with sites and access to higher percentages. i run affiliateEV.com which eliminates that process for potential affiliates, offers them high percentages(which is crucial in obtaining players), and takes a lot of the learning curve out of the way.

so, i really didnt have any costs when starting, but back then there werent any websites. my site raketracker.com was the first comprehensive statistic customer service oriented site, but even that, i teamed up with a coder and we just invested our time no real capital investment. as that business blossomed, i now have a staff of 4 customer service reps, web designers, coders, lawyers, accountants, marketing....the list goes on.

hard to give you an answer unless you provide some input on what you foresee goes into this you can spend as much or as little as you see fit. if you can think out of the box, you can get it up and running very cheaply.