Comments on: Would I Consider Selling ProBlogger?

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:20:49 +0000

I have to admit that if I had a blog as prolific as this one and the offer was high enough, I would definitely have to consider selling it as well. I agree with the anon poster that made an offer that there is more value than just the author, the value is the content. And hey, who wants to write forever if you can get a considerable chunk of cash from selling it?

By: Mr.Gadget Australia

Mr.Gadget Australia — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:46:31 +0000

Darren, don’t sell. This site has huge potential.

Trust me :)

Blessings,
Arnold

By: TeamTutorials

TeamTutorials — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:53:53 +0000

Well, there goes my idea.

By: Bucky from Cash Money Blogging

Bucky from Cash Money Blogging — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 09:52:09 +0000

I would hate to see Darren no longer be a part of Problogger. It just wouldn’t be the same.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:53:45 +0000

I have to agree with what you said about harming your other interests. You have to take all of that into account before the site is passed to another owner – if your other earning sources reduce because of the sale of this blog then it’s something you need to weigh up when a sale comes in.

By: Aaron Brazell

Aaron Brazell — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:07:25 +0000

As someone who went close to the brink of selling and backed off – and not regretted it since since my blogging has really taken off since then – I have to say that everyone has a number even if that number isn’t known to themself or anyone else. For Darren, I’d agree that the number would probably be well over “half of six figures”. Mine is nowhere near that high but certainly bloggers have to ask themselves what their “walkaway number” is. That number would have to cover your life after. Enough money to invest with a return that would keep you and your family secure for a long long time. Even if the walkaway number is completely nonsensical for a particular blog, it’s not about the blog, it’s about YOUR number to totally walk away from what you are doing. YOUR buyoff number.

I hope everyone has thought about it because maybe that day will come. Then again, maybe not. :)

By: Jordan Johnson

Jordan Johnson — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 16:00:50 +0000

To people saying that they wouldn’t read this blog if Darren wasn’t the head writer: Do you still read this blog when Darren has guest writers for a week or so at a time? It’s likely that such a sale would be kept quiet (at least initially) in order to ease the readers into the new owners’/bloggers’ writing styles.

To people saying that they’d follow Darren to his new “pro-blogging” blog: Obviously if someone were to buy problogger.net for a significant amount ($100K+) they’re going to have Darren sign a non-compete clause for X amount of years after the sale. Otherwise Darren could just sell his “pro-blogging” site every six months or so and start another one.

By: Cindy Sue Causey

Cindy Sue Causey — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 14:34:06 +0000

Can certainly identify.. Someone approached me out of the blue about buying one of the few website domains I own, one that has aspirations as a locals’ dating site or something similar.. My polite, sincere response was that the proceeds would have to support a reasonable Lifestyle for a significant length of time before the cyber keys to that one’s front door change hands.. ;)

By: Sreejith

Sreejith — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:56:21 +0000

Actually Darren, if you sell this blog to some other fool, take my word for it, I would NEVER EVER COME BACK here.

I come here for reading your stuff. I come hear for your opinions and articles. Apparently, this is also the reason I hate those “Guest Mode”s.

By: Alvin

Alvin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 12:32:30 +0000

It’s all depend on Darren yourself.
Given the money is more than what you want It would be worth to sell.

You can start another one really easily !
I believe that every readers here will still admire and follow you.

By: Ravi

Ravi — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 10:23:48 +0000

It would be hard to dissociate Darren from ProBlogger tag. But given the money in stack, it would be worth considering !!!

By: Phil Voice

Phil Voice — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:52:58 +0000

Hi Darren,

A difficult one for sure!

Does a blog have a shelf life? If it does and the subject of ‘making money online’ becomes obsolete you might be wise to cash in.

However, with all this ‘juice’ you created there is such an opportunity to use it as a conduit to other sites you might own or start up or different opportunities it could bring.

You could even franchise out a junior ‘Pro Blogger’ section embedded into Pro Blogger.

The real positive is from all of what you have achieved is ‘choice’. By becoming so successful you have opened up many many avenues and epitomise what all other bloggers aspire to.

Good luck anyway

Phil

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 07:48:34 +0000

That was a smart move. I would hold out for more money.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 07:25:26 +0000

You could sell the blog and start another one easily. I think your profile is well known enough that people would follow you to your new blog and you would be a lot richer :-)

By: 16 Laws of Women in Photographs

16 Laws of Women in Photographs — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 06:16:12 +0000

Ultimately I stay subscribed to a blog because of good content. I don’t agree with the premise that without Darren blogging daily, that Problogger could not still remain extremely successful.

In fact, I think it could even make Problogger stronger if Darren were able to spend less time posting but still remain at the helm, focusing his efforts wherever he judges them to be more beneficial.

Not that I want to see Darren go, I just don’t subscribe to many of these borderline negative comments.

Also, we may be getting a little too worked up. As Darren says right off the bat “At this point I’m not looking for a sale and am not even close to doing so…”

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 06:13:40 +0000

If it was sold I think the reader base would decline rapidly, we love to read what YOU write, not what some body else writes. Your one of the best in your niche and it wouldnt be the same without you.

I for one hope you never sell it

By: probloggermom

probloggermom — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 03:11:28 +0000

I agree with many of the others. You yourself are THE Problogger! You are the inspiration for many, and the site would never be the same without you participating on it.

However, if I was ever in your shoes, and the right offer came along, I’d probably say to hell with it and sell it, only if it meant I’d never have to work another day unless I chose too!

By: Bill McRea

Bill McRea — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 02:46:35 +0000

One thing for sure. Anything worth a buck today and is any good will grow in value dramatically in the next few years. The trick is the quality!

By: Indra W

Indra W — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:27:24 +0000

I witnessed at least one in my country a reputable company sold while in its premium value. The company name itself is also part of the name of the owner. Nothing bad went wrong after that. So, while we (most) all agree that without Darren Problogger may not be like it is now, the future of it without Darren may not always be bad, either.

If Darren has to sell it, he should sell it to the right entity who still gives him right to write at least as guest writer to Problogger.net. That way, all will be benefited.

By: William Ryall

William Ryall — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 00:58:59 +0000

Sounds to me like Darren is fishing for a buyer.

In regards to some people saying that they wouldn’t read the blog without Darren as the main author, I don’t think that’s necessarily true. If the content was still good I don’t care who the author is.

Also they wouldn’t be buying the d6omain so much as the contents and SE ranking. I think anything under 5-10million would be a under evalution.

Don’t beleive me? He posted a photo of his chitikia (or however you spell it) earnings over the last 18 months and it was a little under $250,000 in earnings, he said that it also represented about 40% of his total earnings. That means his total earnings in the last eighteen month would have been around $612,500. His costs are small (there is another post about this somewhere, can’t remember what they were) so most of that is pure profit (minus time). If he got anything under 10x revenue then he would be getting short changed big time.

The only thing is that the screen shot posted might have included earnings from his other sites, in which case problogger would be worth a lot less.