If you're new to Weird Niche Wednesday, you're in for a treat. I find weird niches and websites and we get to discuss whether it may be a viable niche and also have some fun.

This week's Weird Niche is Cow Decor & Collectibles.

Let's see if it's a viable niche or not.

Are There Items for Sale in This Niche?

Are people selling on eBay?

I checked eBay.com where I found tons of cow decor and, surprisingly cow collectibles, too. One line was really fun. Although I don't see many bids.

Amazon?

Next I sent my VA over to Amazon to look for cow decor over there. Sure enough. Jackpot.

Cow Parade Lady Liberty Heifer Figurine

Wall decal — Little Cow with Tissue Paper

Holstein Cow Wine Bottle Holder Calf

MooCoo Cow Cuckoo Clock

How about Etsy?

Then I headed off to Etsy where I also found some interesting items.

And, then I found this headless cow pillow at Etsy and decided to call it a day. (Click on the picture if you want to buy one for your favorite head-less cow collector.)

Are there Paid Advertisers?

One last search – Google.com. Are there paid advertisers? I looked at both “Cow Decor” and “Kitchen Cow Decor”. There are some for each. Not a lot, though.

Is this Niche Actively Searched?

I used the Google External Keyword Tool, and yes, it does appear that terms relating to cow decor and collectibles are searched, and surprisingly there is competition.

So, is this a viable niche?

As always, Weird Niche Wednesday is just a starting point. I recommend you do more research before deciding whether or not you want to enter a niche. But, I would certainly say this one was worth some laughs.

Thanks, as always, for hanging out for Weird Niche Wednesday with me. Please leave a comment below – and a picture of  your favorite cow decor item in your house if you have one.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Where Can You Learn More about Finding a Hot Niche Market?

Recommended Resource #1

My friend, Susanne creates Niche Research Packs and can help you to determine if you're entering a profitable niche or not. She’s done the research for you.

In each pack, you get…

• Detailed niche description
• Who your target market for this niche is
• List of affiliate products available
• 100 domain name ideas (plus list of modifiers for hundreds more)
• Detailed keyword report for over 1000 keywords
• 100 article and blog post ideas
• 15 different author resource boxes
• 2 different detailed marketing plans (beginner and advanced) with action steps to get you up and running right away.
• List of available PLR products for this niche
• Recommended tools and resources

Here’s the link: Niche Research Packs

Recommended Resource #2: Free Webinar by Kevin Riley

Click on the arrow to go to the page where you can listen.

(You'll find this hour long webinar free to listen to on that page.)

If you're new to Weird Niche Wednesday, you're in for a treat. I find weird niches and websites and share them. We'll discuss whether it's a viable niche and also have some fun.

Today's niche is just cute.

Halloween Costumes for Dogs

Here. Let me show you. This is my puppy Einstein in the costume my daughter picked out for him. It's not a very good picture of him, but you'll get the idea.

Yes, that's a Gladiator on his back.

So, obviously my family spent money on a Dog Halloween Costume. But does that mean we're just weird, or could this actually be a decent niche?

I started to look around…

Are dog costumes available in Stores?

I noticed dog halloween costumes at PetSmart and Target while shopping.  So, yes, they are available offline.

Are they being sold online?

Yes. They've got tons of Dog Halloween Costumes at Amazon.com.

Here are a few… (Click on the pic to see more.)

At DrsFosterSmith.com they have a nice selection. This one is my favorite:

Are Other People Making Money in this Niche?

I checked eBay.com where I found tons of Halloween Costumes for pets. The listings weren't getting many bids, but it is only a few days away from Halloween, so I'm not sure if that's a true indication of shopping habits.

This one is my favorite on eBay…

One last search – Google.com. Are there paid advertisers?  Oh yeah…

Is this Niche Actively Searched?

I used the Google External Keyword Tool, and yes, it does appear that the terms “dog costume” and “dog halloween costume” both get a decent number of searches. I didn't even look into “Pet costumes” but that's another possibility for more traffic.

Is this Market one that Spends Money?

Oh yeah. Pet people are CRAZY when it comes to dropping cash.

Is there a Way to Monetize this Niche?

There are tons of ways to try to monetize this niche. Here are two quick ideas…

1. Apply for the eBay.com & Amazon.com affiliate programs and find products on there to promote.
2. Adsense Ads – since there are advertisers on Google, this could be another stream of income.
3. Make patterns for dog costumes and sell them to sewers.
4. Design your own costumes and sell them in boutiques.

So, is this a viable niche?

As always, Weird Niche Wednesday is just a starting point. I recommend you do more research before deciding whether or not you want to enter a niche.  But, I would certainly say this one is worth looking into — especially if you're already established in the pet market.

Thanks, as always, for hanging out for Weird Niche Wednesday with me. Please leave a comment below – and a picture of your dog in his costume if you have one.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

This week, I have Kevin “Mr. eBay” Johnson with me. I met Kevin at Willie Crawford's 50th Birthday Celebration and then we also had the chance to hang out at NAMS2 in August.

Kevin has created a cool system that he teaches for using eBay. He found a product that is in high demand and has found a way to get a supply that he can turn around and sell for a profit. That's as much as I can tell you, though, since it's his proprietary system for customers only.

The audio recording of our interview is at the end of this blog post. Just look for the “play” button and listen. It’s free!

Here's more about Kevin so you can see why I think he's cool:

I am an Ebay Powerseller and have been using Ebay since August 2001. I have bought and sold thousands of dollars worth of products, ranging from my first product, a Sanyo beta recorder to ebooks and everything in between. I am also a Ebay Certified Trading Assistant, which means I can sell your items for you for a fee.

I personally love sharing the tips and techniques I have learned to others. Please free to check out my eBay Wonder Widget program for more information.

“Must Have” Tools Recommended by Kevin:

• Aweber – Autoresponder & List-Manager. I use this, too.
• Instant Teleseminar – Makes hosting teleseminars easy.
• Selling Manager Pro – To manage all of his eBay auctions and list items quickly and easily.

Kevin's Mentors

• Matthew Glanfield
• Jim Cockrum
• Willie Crawford
• Dave Preston
• Jimmy D. Brown

Takeaway Points

• Get a mentor. Put blinders on. Stay focused.
• Leverage the power of others with outsourcing & JV partnerships.

One lucky listener will win…
eBay Sales Fast Money Quick Start Training! $77
PLUS 1 Year Silver Level Access to the Members Area

As always, one lucky listener will be chosen to win a prize. All you have to do is listen to the show and leave a comment about what you learned from the show — and you'll be entered to win.

What can you win? Well… this! Here's a blurb from the sales page. You can read more and sign up for free info here: Mr. eBay's Wonder Widget Course.

The eBay Sales 1-2-3 Quick Start Profit Guide

What you get with your purchase is the following details in my Quick Start Profit Guide.

In a nutshell, I give you the A-to-Z of buying locally and selling on eBay. Easily find folks locally that have this wonder product, meet people and buy product from them for $5, and sell that same thing a few minutes or a few days later for $5 or $25 profit.

Do it again. A *lot*!

Here are the Quick Start Profit Guide details I give you:

1. Specifics on this product to get and resell for profit:
2. How to look up the current eBay auctions and price for the product;
3. Interpreting what you see – There is SOLID demand for this product!
4. Detailed, *easy* method for getting product stock in hand:
5. This has worked for various students across the US; even worked in Canada.
6. The specifics of what to say in your eBay listing to auction off your stock, and how and where to place your ad inside of eBay. This isn't general advice – I give you My Exact Auction wording!
7. How to make sure your completed auctions turn into positive eBay seller feedback for you.
8. Additional eBay basics to get you started without the trial-and-error.
9. Any questions? Jump into the member discussion forum. You'll have an answer quick!

After listening to the show, comment below about something you learned from the show — and you'll be entered to win. If you're already a member at Mr. eBay's Silver Membership, then we'll work out an alternate prize.

PS. This audio was recorded with this tool: Easy Telephone Recording.

Hi again! I hope you're having a productive and enjoyable week.

My 7 year old daughter LOVES that Weird Al song about eBay. “I FOUND IT ON EBAY!”

Have you heard it yet? And, here I was worried she wouldn't know about Alf or William Shatner. Thank goodness for YouTube.

On that note — a brand new eBay PLR ARTICLE PACK was just added to EasyPLR.com this morning.

If you're looking for articles about eBay, grab them here:

10 eBay Articles (#2) –
http://www.easyplr.com/selling-ebay-plr-articles.htm

Thank you, again, for your business and your time. Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean
http://twitter.com/NicoleDean

I sent the mailing and crawled into bed. I've had a migraine this week and have spent most of the last two days curled up in bed with my big black dog, Captain Eddy.

So, I got up a few hours later and NO sales. Hmm… I wondered if the purchase link was working, so I quickly checked my support email and there was nothing there saying “I tried to order, but it didn't work.”

Then, I clicked refresh a few times on my “orders” email to see if that wasn't working.

Then, I logged into paypal to see if maybe I just didn't get the order confirmations.

After all that running in circles, I finally had no option but to shrug my shoulders, sit back in my swivel chair and think.

Normally, I send my PLR mailings and I get a flurry of orders right out of the gate. The last time I put together an eBay pack a few years ago, it sold out rather quickly. The Twitter articles FLY off the virtual shelves.

So… clue me in. Is eBay sinking in popularity? It seems to me that Adsense and Affiliate programs for eBay would be better paying/converting than those for Twitter. But, people that are posting the Twitter articles are using them to build their Twitter followers.

Now, I did get some sales since Tuesday, but nowhere NEAR the sales that I get on other topics.

I would LOVE your feedback. Please share your thoughts so I can better serve my PLR customers.

Thanks for reading!

Nicole

PS. Be sure to watch the youtube video above. It cracks me up!

You know, the funny thing (well, not so funny thing) is that my husband quit his job a little over a year ago to stay home with me. It was a very CRAZY and stressful year! But, I know how that stress
can block you from seeing the things right in front of you.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Look at what is CURRENTLY making you the most money. That is where you need to focus your energy — even if it isn't something you truly love. Do you happen to have people lined up to pay you to
do something already or asking you advice about something? Do that. Focus on the website or business that is working for you now. Throw your energy at that which pays you. If you're in Direct Sales that may mean making calls every day, following up on leads and scheduling events. Do that, and do more of it.
Follow the money to its source and do more of that!

2. Find a timely affiliate program and plaster it all over the web. For instance, my book about Starting a Santa Letter Business is selling like gangbusters. If you know anyone interested in starting a Santa Letter Business, you can sign up for the affiliate program and earn a commission on each one you sell. Or find another affiliate program that you're really excited about!

3. List everything you don't currently need on eBay. Not only will you clean out your house a bit and make some room, but you'll also add increased income. People are looking to shop right now. If you have new items or in demand items, they'll buy from you.

4. Get help from someone who can see your situation more clearly. I'm offering e-coaching. I specialize in helping you to write and publish an ebook, how to find content, how to monetize it, viral marketing or boosting your affiliate program. You can find out more here.
ShowMomTheMoney.com
Whether it's me or someone else, find a mentor who is actually making money. Don't take advice from people around you who may not know a thing about what you're doing. Find someone who is doing
what you want to do and is successful at it. Follow that person.

5. Offer a service. Errand services, Mommy's Helper Services, VA Services… they are all in high demand. Choose one.

6. Use your mailing list. I just recently told you about Kelly McCausey's Report about using your mailing list during the Holidays. This is a great idea no matter what type of business you're in. Mailing List Profits

7. Once you decide what you're going to focus on, then market, market, market it and market it some more! Market online and offline, if appropriate. If you need some online web traffic ideas — I have a free course here that you can sign up for:
http://www.webtrafficbasics.com/

Those are just some ideas off the top of my head. There are a million more. Just focus on ONE thing and work your butt off to make it work. Then, you can always tackle more once you have the steady stream of income coming in.

Have a great day!
Nicole

This can be a huge opportunity for YOU.

Jenni Hunt has put together a complete guide to show you how to take advantage of this hot market. Click here to Read more about it.

Nicole

* How will we afford gifts?
* Will I start the new year even further in debt?

Saving money is the same as making money, in my opinion. Either way, you'll have more money in your bank account. Here are a few ideas to help you save money this holiday season as well as earn a little extra cash. I hope these help give you some hope heading into the holidays.

Save on Advertising Expenses
Reduce your Advertising Budget. I hear so often from moms who are using paid advertising as their sole method of promoting their online businesses. Advertising is great, but it is just one of the many ways to promote your business. Enhance your exposure with some of the free ways to promote your business, from press releases and articles to more effective networking. Make an effort to stretch beyond your comfort zone to try new ways to draw more traffic to your website.

eBay – List it Now
People are spending money like crazy this time of year. List all your extras on eBay to earn a little extra cash for the holidays. Outgrown clothing, toys that your kids don't play with, movies, books — all the items currently taking up space in your home could put cash in the bank. Plus, by cleaning out the house, you'll have more room for the new goodies that Santa brings.

Bartering
Have you tried bartering? You can trade products or services with other work at home moms that you meet. If you have a talent with writing or website design, trade with a mom in Direct Sales for products. It benefits both of you. The mom receives much needed help with aspects of her business that she may not enjoy or care to learn – and gets rid of extra inventory. She may also receive an ongoing customer from the barter, once you fall in love with her products. And, you receive products that you can give to loved ones for the holidays.

You do not need to start the new year further in debt. Plan your business promotions, barter for gifts, and sell your excess stuff. The holidays will be much more enjoyable, knowing that you took efforts to make them affordable.

Nicole Dean invites you to visit www.easyarticlemarketing.com to learn how writing articles like this one can be the most cost-effective way to bring traffic and sales to your website.

(This article is free for reprint. Affiliates of www.easyarticlemarketing.com may replace that link with their affiliate link when publishing this article online.)