Find a need and fill it

Too many bloggers seem to wonder why they aren’t making money online. I think the solution is pretty simple. Give your readers something they value enough to pay you for. Simple, but not that easy, right?

Some people seem to luck into a niche that needs filling.

Over at Yaro’s blog, entrepreneur’s journey, there’s a super-inspiring interview with Pat Flynn, who turned a bad situation (getting downsized out of his job as an architect) into a golden opportunity.

The beautiful thing is that Pat succeeded almost by accident. His story proves that we entrepreneurial types really benefit when we keep our eyes open! In a nutshell, here’s what happened:

Pat was keeping his study notes about passing the LEED architecture exam on a blog. Google picked it up. His readers requested that he write an ebook that would help them pass the LEED exam. He did, and the generous income from his ebook immediately took the panic out of being downsized.

Now Pat works for himself as an internet entrepreneur. Plus, he’s helped to empower other young smart architects in the process of green building. Brilliant!

I love this story, because it illustrates beautifully how creating a successful business online calls for awareness, flexibility of mind, and the ability to respond to other peoples’ needs.

I doubt that if Pat had known he was going to lose his job, he’d have thought of himself as lucky. However, when luck did grace him, he was able to grab the opportunity by the horns and create his own good fortune.