3 Ways to Create a Better Life with Your Own Money-Making Website
By Nick Usborne

One of the things 2020 taught me was the need to be more self-reliant, in many different ways.

It has been a tough time for hundreds of millions of people around the world.

And while I have been fortunate in staying healthy and keeping my work, I’ve still had to stop and think hard about how I’m going to thrive in the year ahead.

I think we all need to do that.

We need to be more self-reliant when it comes to the income we earn to support our families.

We need to find new ways to stay engaged with friends and communities, even while we try to stay safe.

And we need to get creative in ways that lift our spirits and keep us sane.

There’s no easy answer.

But for me, part of the answer lies in a website I started writing over 15 years ago.

It’s a website about a minor obsession of mine … gourmet coffee.

The site is called CoffeeDetective.com.

It may sound strange for me to suggest that creating a website can help you during difficult times … but if you give me a few minutes, I think you’ll soon understand what I’m saying.

Let’s get started with the three ways having your own Money-Making Website can help you …

#1. Build a new source of income for your family

This is reason enough for most of us.

In a world where our money seems to buy less and less, it’s good to have a side-hustle, or a supplementary source of income.

For me, my website about coffee has been an incredibly reliable source of income.

Every month for years, it has put money in my bank account.

No two years or months are the same, but there is always something.

And when I look back, that site has generated an average of over $28,000 a year.

That’s a nice income from for what is essentially a hobby!

Best of all, I’ve earned that money on my own terms, doing something I enjoy. No boss required or invited!

I really like writing about coffee. It’s fun work for me, and something I do for an hour or so in the evenings and at the weekend.

In addition to the money the site makes me, there are some side benefits too.

Just this morning, a company emailed me and offered to send me their top-line coffee grinder. I get to try it out and then review it for my readers.

And yes, I keep the coffee grinder too. I guess that makes me an “influencer” in the world of coffee!

But building a site like this isn’t just about the money.

#2. Create new communities of online friends

Being in lockdown, or something close to lockdown, has a terrible impact on our ability to meet up with friends and get out into the community.

It has been months since my wife and I have even gone to a restaurant.

Facebook and video calls to the rescue!

It’s true … sharing photos, video, and stories on Facebook has helped millions of people stay in touch. And video phone services help us see who we’re talking too.

On top of that, I get to enjoy an extra layer of social interaction through my coffee website.

First of all, I invite people to ask me questions about making coffee. Over the years, I’ve answered literally hundreds of questions, getting into conversation with people several times a week.

They’re not close friends or neighbors. But in a time of social distancing, I like feeling engaged with people who share my passion.

Then there’s the Facebook page I have for my site, and the Twitter stream, and the YouTube channel. These are all places where I interact with other coffee lovers.

Not to mention the coffee roasters who send coffees to review. And the product managers at equipment manufacturers who email me, asking if I’ll review their coffee machines.

So many new people in my life!

It feels good to be part of a larger community.

#3. Lift your spirits by being creative

For me, this is a big deal.

When times are hard, like they are right now, it’s easy to start feeling depressed about pretty much everything.

My go-to cure for feeling depressed is to create something new!

This last year, I’ve started on a number of new projects. All of them have fired up my creative juices. And they’ve all distracted me from the nonstop bad news from the media.

In a sense, I don’t give my mind enough time or space to dwell on the bad stuff … because I fill it to overflowing with exciting new ideas and possibilities.

And while on the subject of creativity …

All that writing about coffee has made me a much better writer.

And … taking dozens of photos of coffee and coffee equipment has also made me a better photographer.

Getting more involved in photography has opened up a whole new creative direction for me!

This is the PERFECT time to start writing your own Money-Making Website.

I’m not the only person who makes a solid second income with their own Money-Making Website.

I’ve been teaching other people how to follow in my footsteps for many years now.

And I’ve felt humbled by the fact that many of my students have gone on to create websites that are just as successful as my coffee website.

All of them on topics that interest them in the way I’m interested in coffee.

Some people have far exceeded what I’ve achieved.

Their sites are making way more money than mine.

And whatever all the fringe benefits, I think it’s the extra income that makes the biggest difference for most people.

Now, sometimes people say, as politely as possible … “Hey Nick, this is all well and good … but you started your site 15 years ago. What about now? Can you still make a go of it in 2021?”

Challenge accepted!

At the beginning of this year, I launched a new site called IncredibleMushrooms. It’s early days, and it hasn’t made me much money yet.

But, as I work on the site, all the signs tell me this will do as well as my coffee website.

I have lots of work still to do. But writing about a topic I love doesn’t feel like work anyway.

So the short answer is, “Yes, this method works as well now as it did 15 years ago!”

Which is why there has never been a better time to protect your income and your family with a Money-Making Website of your own.

Do you have any questions about getting started with a Money-Making Website? Leave a comment so we can help you out.