SL Business Success Stories

There's been a lot of speculation lately about how much business really goes on in SL. There are far too many reasons for a business to fail to pinpoint blame. I'd really like to hear from a few SL business success stories!

Do you have a business in SL that makes a regular profit - above and beyond your SL expenses? If so reply and let us know:

- what kind of business is it?
- how long have you been doing it?
- do you have helpers? if so how many?
- do you feel it is possible to make a living entirely in SL with this business?

Well for me my business is a sucess, both on a personaly level and in regards to profits. My business makes more than it costs me to have. And if i chose to I could probably take small amounts out of SL every month, but for ms SL money is play money. I dont put money in nor do i take it out. I have never had a month in the red beyond my first (mostly because of uplodsing around 50 textures for the shop).


I have a small accessories store (see my signature).

I have had my store around ummmm 5?? months now... maybe a little longer.

I have an informal helper in the form of my partner (who is often my model and helps out with a load of stuff around) but I dont pay her

Could i make enough to live on in RL from my little store?? Well i think probably. My store does ok with minimal effort put into advertising and promoting it. I only make one new thing every 2 weeks or so and my inventory is still small. If i had the inclination to work on making serious RL money out of it i think i could make it a sucess, my stuff is unique enough to find people saying wow i have never seen anything like that before.

Culd i be bothered putting in the work and time involved in trying to get it to make me a RL living... hell no!!! I have better things to do in SL and RL

Most people making comfortable amounts generally keep their mouth shut about it, for a number of reasons.

I suspect some don't report the income, and others simply don't care for a whole bunch of competitors jumping into their particular endeavour once they find out there is money to be made in it. On another level, it can just be kinda tacky

For most people, a business on the grid makes no sense. To make an analogy - If you can make more money elsewhere, why sell balloons on the boardwalk?

And yet, some people do very well selling balloons. Even while most people simply go to the boardwalk to relax, hear the ocean, watch the seabirds and maybe, just maybe... buy a balloon.

* * * * *

I remember a time when people were complaining that the economy was tanked, land wasn't doing well, interest was fading and that old 'fun times' spirit on the grid had died somehow... and that the people who were going to make money on the grid had a lock on their markets: land, clothing, houses, you name it. The future looked bleak and things were trending toward flatness.

When was this time? 2004. Had anyone walked up and described the true growth of the grid from 2006-2007 back then, *all* of us would have laughed and called you crazy. Had anyone mentioned that 2008 would be largely stable at sustained high volumes with user concurrency regularly over 60000, that would have spurred even more laughter.

Those of us that did well, didn't do well because we were economically predictive geniuses. Nobody, and I repeat: *nobody* knew the future - anyone saying they knew is just kidding themselves. If you doubt that, ask them to put some big money down now on what they think will be the next growth area.

We did well because we loved what we were doing, were doing it anyway, and just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Do I have a business that makes regular profit? well, it did. In the beginning it made (for me) a substantial amount, enough to where i not longer needed to put real $'s into SL. I am still 'living' in SL off that money.

I consider it a success.

It is a furniture based business and I have had my store for around 3 months. I do not have any helpers, unless you include most residents on these forums, who provide advice, help and tips, and residents inworld who create textures, sculpt maps, scripts, animations etc for me to purchase.

Do I feel it is possible to live off my inworld earnings? No and to be honest I don't want it to just yet, though it would be nice. For me, even though I have a business, it doesn't feel like work, once it starts feeling like work (which it did at one point) it won't be as much fun for me. SL is not about the money for me, but making enough lindens to keep my home is suffice.

I'd be happy to just break even.

...and I still refuse to plug Tortuga Mall in a forum thread.

- what kind of business is it?
Furniture

- how long have you been doing it?
Just under a year

- do you have helpers? if so how many?
None

- do you feel it is possible to make a living entirely in SL with this business?
Definitely. It took only a few months to reach that level, and I've been doing it ever since.


My question to you:-

Why do you ask?

LOL Annabelle, I visited Tortuga Mall. It's very nice. I picked up a really well made desk compass for my office at one of the shops. I wish you well.

Phil - I'm asking because I'm embarking on a business venture which has required a significant investment and although I seem to be doing well so far, I have been getting a bit discouraged with the reports of gloom and doom for SL in business and in general. I know there are success stories out there and thought it would everyone some good to hear a few of them. A confirmation that yes, it is possible.

Shouldn't you count your bot army as helpers?



Thanks.

No.

I was really only concerned about whether or not businesses had helpers they had to pay out of their profits. Let's leave bots out of it.

You can read plenty of posts in this forum to the effect that making a living from SL is no longer possible, and that those days are gone, but they are mistaken. Given a reasonable brain, AND THE WILL TO SUCCEED, it can be done - even in markets where there are already very popular stores. Of course, there are markets where it won't be possible for some time, imo but, with the will to succeed, new livelihoods can be made from SL.

I've just had a look at your website, Imagin. Imo, you are not in the best market for making a living. Desmond earns a livelihood in that market (I don't think he actually needs it though), but I remember him writing that the best you can make from an island is $200 a month, and that assumes that it's all rented out all the time. It would take a fair number of islands to make a decent living, and a lot of work too.

Desmond can come in on this if he wants to, but judging by what he wrote, it would need buidling up a lot, and a substantial financial monthly commitment.

I would agree, Phil. There are definitely better ways to earn money than developing and selling land. My particular plan requires a substantial initial investment and a lot of work and the return I'm getting is less per sim than you mentioned. However, I am hoping the payoff will come in the long run. One more sim and I break even and start becoming profitable - right now Theron (full-prim park sim of attractions for residents of my other sims) is a liability but it does help draw new residents.

Your market isn't the easiest in terms of how much work is involved, that's for sure, but if there's a will to succeed, it can be done, and I wish you every success with it.

Some people dearly love to predict doom and gloom. The SL economy isn't what it used to be and when I was a kid we walked ten miles to school and it was uphill in both directions. Just ignore 'em and get on with your dream.

I'm determined, my problem is marketing. I wish there was a marketing company in SL I could go to and pay them to do my advertising I honestly think that what I'm offering is a class above most that I've seen but land has to be the hardest thing to advertise!

One good way to advertise is to post fake threads pretending to ask for advice on how to succeed in SL and encourage people to look at your products and give you their opinions.

Threads like that can go on for dozens of pages and... oh wait, nvm.

I have two businesses that I consider to be a "Success" in SL:

====================================
Business effort #1:
- what kind of business is it?
Freelance Texture artist, selling my textures at Textures-R-Us

- how long have you been doing it?
2+ years

- do you have helpers? if so how many?
No. Just me.

- do you feel it is possible to make a living entirely in SL with this business?
Depends on what you feel comfortable with as a salary to live off of. I could not replace my current day job's income with what I earn in this area, so I personally would have to say no. For the same number of hours of effort each month, I earn far more in other areas. But this one business pays all my SL in-world expenses, for a dozen well-tricked out accounts and a quarter sim on a private island, and still allows me to cash out a little extra spending money each month to take my family out once in a while to an extra dinner out, or to a movie. So I consider this area a success, because it pays all my SL expenses, with some profit every month. If I did nothing but this job full time, 40 to 60 hours a week, I *might* make enough that a single person could live off it. But not a family of three.

====================================
Business effort #2:
- what kind of business is it?
Fox and Ground Construction Company
Full service SL solutions provider. Sim Architect / Builder / Landscaper

- how long have you been doing it?
About 2 years

- do you have helpers? if so how many?
Most of the work is just me, but I do have 5 to 6 assistants that I can call in for various specialized tasks.

- do you feel it is possible to make a living entirely in SL with this business?
Debatable. Again, my RL job pays pretty well, so I could not replace my current day job's income with what I earn in this area either, and as above, I personally would have to say no. But the money I earn here is almost pure profit, and has been enough to get a new computer, and some other nice things for myself and my family.

If I really pushed it, and if I increased what I charge for each project, and if I went into Partnership with several other really good builders, then maybe I could make a reasonable living as a Sim Architect. I have more potential clients than I can provide hours to acept work from, and I don'r even advertise. People come to me and ask for bids. I'm booked solid. But unless I added more staff, I simply can't work fast enough, while still putting out quality work, to earn as much per hour as my day job pays. There just are not enough hours in a day for me to do that, unless I greatly increase the rates I charge for my work.

====================================

So, for me, I think it is successful as a secondary job, and a way to pay for what do in SL and still provide some extra pocket change each month for luxuries in RL. But not so successful that I could make it a full-time job, by any streach of the imagination.

And yes, I do report and pay taxes on the income that I cash out from SL.

I agree with Des..... many have no want to answer and I would add the answers, in no way, can be verified. There's no way a business in SL can compete with my RL job, I find the trick is be happy at your RL job and play in SL.

I create and sell mainly womens clothing, a majorly flooded market
I have been at it for 2 years

do I make a profit? no
I am lucky if I cover my SL costs with sales from the store and a lot of times, it is money out of pocket.

I can not afford to advertise, and the 50L classifieds are a joke.
I promote via groups and hopefully word of mouth.

I say do not expect to earn a RL living and you will not be disappointed.

Having looked more inside your website, I completely agree with you and, in time, I can see you being in the same boat as Desmond - with a waiting list of people wanting to move in.

I'm not a marketer (I only use the search system), but others know about where else there is to advertise. e.g. I don't know if SLX deals with accommodation or not. But I'd really get into understanding search if I were you, and making the most of it.

You're lucky, Sylvia, at least you got to WALK to school. When I was a kid, we couldnt afford legs, I had to crawl to school.

At least you had a school........

Low prim furniture and prefabs.


In total around 18 months, although a little more seriously for the last 6 months.


No, just an alt for occasionally testing stuff.


RL living, no way. SL living, yes. It pays for itself now plus a little extra, but any extra goes straight back in to bettering the business.

It's been a very slow process, but the only money I have ever put in to SL was for the plot of land where my main store is now. So I'm quite pleased with the small success that I'm having Then again, my main drive is about creating. If I make a few L$ along the way, then that's a bonus.