What is Coming in 2014? My Take.

Morning Folks!!

I can see 2014 from here and oh what a year it is gonna be!

As 2013 barrels along we will hit the ground in 2014 running. Business is expanding and no longer contracting. 5 YEARS of contraction came to an end late this summer. It was like tropical rains came to cure a drought. There will still be some dry periods, but that big drought is over and now it is time to get your share of whatever is coming our way.

If you have strong portfolios you are going to be rewarded well. So don't sell yourself short. Getting a great domain is only half the equation. Unique assets have great value. Meaningful unique assets have more value. Income producing unique assets have even more value. And brandable unique assets that are short, sweet and memorable have even more value.

Look, it is frustrating as hell to be patient. But that is the game we are in. We had to wait for the masses to catch up. They have!  How can I tell? One way is the responses I get to prices on my domain names. When you compare the responses I get now with the ones I got 10 years ago, you can see the mood has changed. There are no longer expletives coming back. That is a huge difference that some may not notice or not put a lot of weight on. I do!

2014 may be a mirror of 2004 accept with much better understanding. I truly believe that 2014 will be THE year we look back to as when things really hit pay dirt. It started this past summer. But it won't be running on all cylinders until this time in 2014. When you look back at this period from Labor Day 2013 to Labor Day 2014 and beyond, you will know the world changed.

I was right here with you in September 2008 when the collapse occurred. I was right here with you a year ago when things looked dark and folks were struggling and the future did not look that good to many.  I could see past that period to what was to come and not focus too much on day-to-day misery. I focused for the period we are in now. The true Golden Era of Domaining. Now I know folks are still struggling and that is the main reason I write. To let those folks know there is a better era coming. What I can't do is select your portfolio. You either have a keen eye for domains that others would want or you don't.

Long gone are the portfolio owners with millions of domain names. The rifle has replaced the shotgun when domain hunting. The best way to insure your future is to buy great domains now even if you overpay a little bit. Overpaying for Gold is better than getting a sale price on pigeon shit.

Rick Schwartz

 

Branding and Re-Branding. What are the Benefits and Challenges.

Morning Folks!!

Branding is one of the hardest things to do in the world and also one of the most rewarding. Re-branding is even harder but can be even more rewarding. It's a very delicate balancing act.

So as many now know ElliotsBlog.com is now re-branding itself to DomainInvesting.com

That cuts two ways and takes some time to successfully manage.

"ElliotsBlog" is a very personal, folksy, one on one, just me and you and here is what I am up to and what I have learned type blog. It's comfortable. Not intimidating and Elliot has had great success with it.

DomainInvesting.com I am sure is geared to get to a wider and broader audience and become the go to place for domain investing. So of course the balancing act here is successfully merging the two.

So I want to wish Elliot good luck and best wishes in that merger. It will take time and effort. However his base should be in place and he has set himself up well for what is coming in 2014 that I will be writing about later today.

Rick Schwartz

 

TRAFFIC Countdown and Ritz-Carlton Upgrade

Morning Folks!!

We are in full TRAFFIC Countdown Mode this week as we prepare for arrivals beginning this Friday.

If you would like to stay at the Ritz-Carlton and have booked a room somewhere else, we have TWO staff rooms we won't be using for 3-5 nights each for a discounted $175/night. First come, first served!

The schedule is all but done. It is wall to wall and we will tackle the toughest subjects facing us as individuals and as an industry. The recession is over and it is time to grab your fair share of the pie!

Rick Schwartz