Not particularly aMuse-ing...

[MiniBlueDragon]

Well I've spent the last week racking my brains for ideas on where to head for my muse/s and just the other day I read a post that I decided was a good idea so I'd like to present my own version of it for your comments if poss?

I have a few ideas I'm in the process of implementing but just in case I'm missing a glaring goldmine of cashflow I'd like some comments ;)

Thanks folks!

Oh and I'm in the UK if that's at all relevant?

* What do you do now for fun?
* What have you done for fun in the past?
* What are your skills?

-------------------------
1.
- Listen to music.
- Go to the gym.
- Read books (Entrepreneur, NLP, Psychology, software testing and occasional fiction)
- Read and research online marketing methods, ideas, products, niches etc.
- Play 8-Ball Pool.
- Play games (World of Warcraft, Command & Conquer, General PC, Wii, XBox)
- Socialise.
- Drink coffee.
- Watch TV Series' - Heroes, Smallville, Stargate, Eureka, Battlestar Galactica.
- Watch Movies.
- Teach people things I know (computer-related normally!)
- Research new tattoos.

2.
- Snakeboarding, Skateboarding, Roller-blading, Ice-Skating.
- Games Tester.
- Played under-16's football (13 years ago!)
- Played Yugioh (collectible card game) for a couple of years.
- Dismantling random things to learn how they work. lol

3.
- Web Design - I raw-code HTML and CSS using Notepad. Also venturing into Shopping Carts, CMS, PHP, MySQL, SSL etc.
- Search Engine Optimisation.
- ISEB Certified Software Tester.
- Trained "Rapid Tester"

[searstower]

It sounds to me like you may have a few ebook options in there about computers/technology/coding?

What common computer questions do you answer for people?
How did you become a rapid tester?
What do you know that most other coders/testers don't know?

Rebecca

[iceaxe]

How about the search engine optimization? Can it me automated? IO know there are a number of firms that do this...but could you automate it and/or have it outsourced? That could be a great muse even if it is not the most original...find a hook that differentiaties yours in some fashion. Perhaps for UK or EU sites as they don't often appear on the top of lists when searching...I am not enamored with the last thought as you don't want to limit it by geographic region but I was trying to think of a unique hook/positioning for you. BOL!

[MiniBlueDragon]

Thanks for the comments guys; I think I was on the right track weith the eBooks I'm writing currently but I confused myself into thinking they weren't really Muses.

I think I'm also going to look into a physical product rather than informatuion as information always has a limited lifespan and I'm thinking more along the lines of something that will allow me complete freedom rather than freedom for a few months and then a fair bit more work.

[Vacman]

MiniBlueDragon,

Where did you hear that information products have a limited life span?

It seems to me that if you write a valuable book, or write a valuable piece of software, or something similar, that you'd still have a pretty good life span. I'd think more than just a few months.

Thanks!

[MiniBlueDragon]

By "limited" I meant < 1 year

For example if I were to write a guide on contemporary web design it can only be contemporary until ways of designing and coding change. :)

[searstower]

But then the limit is the topic, not the method.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Erm... That's what I said... ;)

information always has a limited lifespan

The method of the muse could potentially be the same for many different info products but if the content within the info product becomes outdated fast then that product is no longer viable until updated.

[BrianDale]

I would build a small web design company (can be done from ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!) and write an e-book about coding...yes it would have to be updated on occasion, but a simple matter if you're staying current by having a portable business such as a web design service...and you can work when & where you want...and your age would not be an issue with web design. Even OFITs (Old Farts In Training) would pay for your expertise

[MiniBlueDragon]

Interesting... I do currently have a (kind of!) web des company at the moment with my labyrinthdesigns.biz site but I've been working on self-sustaining and automed muses more than web des... Maybe I need to have another look... :)

[onemoretry]

As a professional software developer I have to agree with MiniBlueDragon; info products related to programming seems counter-intuitive when you can go to any bookstore and they'll quite nearly pay *you* to haul away all of the out-dated (last year's) programming or technology books they have on hand.

I notice that a great deal of people on the forums are falling back to eBooks as the muse-of-choice, and I think I'm heading in the same direction but even with my skills and experience I would hesitate to churn out a coding related product. Perhaps a meta-topic with no specific technology details. But then you have to wonder, who'd want to read it? I personally feel sorry for my colleagues who write massive 700 page tomes and get a pittance (compared to real muses) from publishers.

I read the stuff, but I don't think there's money in writing it.