Can Being Gay Hold Back Your Career?

Ran across this blog posting from ZDNet blogger Zach Whittaker and thought I'd put it up for discussion. Not an in-depth study, just some thoughts he posted to get folks thinking.

Anyway, my personal opinion is that it's always something to be concerned about, just as blacks and women and physically challenged, and, for that matter, everyone else with any kind of trait that could be discriminated against needs to be concerned about. But I also think that things are getting better ... much better ... and that soon, maybe after the election, our national tone is going to soften even more and become ever more tolerant. What do you think? Any experiences to share in your own career?

New ACLU Blog: Get Busy, Get Equal

The ACLU recently launched a new online project called Get Busy, Get Equal -- a toolkit for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists.

According to Michael Rogers of PageOneQ.com, the site contains "in-depth information on how to protect LGBT relationships, pass civil rights laws and non-discrimination policies, and make schools safe for LGBT students. This collection of how-to guides, helpful hints, step-by-step instructions and other resources can be used right now to protect LGBT people and our rights."

They also have included opportunities for connections to other activities via social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Very Web 2.0 for the GLBT activist crowd!

Financial fitness and equality are very interconnected. I recommend you support sites like this and organizations like the ACLU in general.

The Entrepreneurship Myth

Interesting article on the myth of entrepreneurship from BusinessWeek. However, I'm not sure one study proves that being an entrepreneur is generally less lucrative than working for a corporate entity. But, it's a good read if you're considering quitting your day job to try out something on your own. My advice: do both at the same time, when your business takes off, THEN you can leave your day job.

JJ's Back! and a Study on Gay Friendly Cities and Economic Prosperity

Hi, fellow bloggers and subscribers of Blogging For Gay Dollars!

As some of you have noticed, I've been gone for a while. (More info here.) Well, I'm back now and I have some great stuff for you, if you are interested in making money online and taking charge of your financial life!

Take a look at this: Study -- Gay Friendly Cities Enjoy More Economic Prosperity (be sure to watch the CNN video clip ... very interesting!)

Investing 101 Advice at Queercents

Just came across this excellent post over at Queercents and thought you guys should check it out. The first in a four part series called Investing 101, it focuses on "living below your means." Something we all need practice in.

Internet Business Allows 24-Year-Old to Earn Profits

Hey guys ... if you are a fellow blogger or webmaster who's making your living online, I thought you might need / want some holiday inspiration.

Check out this article I came across on CNNMoney's site regarding 24-year-old Justin D'Angelo ... it's a great story about a young guy who decided to make his fortune online and is already well on the way to success.

I think you'll enjoy the article.

Good luck and keep plugging away ... you'll be successful too if you keep at it!

More Affiliate Revenue For Your Gay Blog or Site

Well, guys, after this post (Ferrari for OutPersonals and FriendFinders Affiliates), I've noticed that quite a few of you have signed up for the OutPersonals affiliate program. Some of you have mentioned to me that you are doing quite well, earning several hundred extra dollars a month in revenue from your gay blog or website.

Congratulations to those of you that are using the program to make lots of extra cash!

But, for those of you who need help, did you know that OutPersonals offers a "traffic doctor?" Basically an expert on internet marketing, their traffic doctor will check out your site and offer you suggestions on how to pull more revenue from their program. All you have to do is log-in to your OutPersonals / FriendFinder affiliate account and look for the "Contact" link. Let them know you'd like a session with the traffic doctor!

If you still haven't signed up and you are publishing a gay blog, you should consider OutPersonals. It's the largest gay personals site online, and you get paid for each of your visitors that signs up for a free membership. Couldn't be better ... you make money and your guests get a free membership with lots of hook-up possibilities! Click here, then read the quick overview and sign up for either Option I or Option II -- doesn't matter which one you pick, you'll have access to all of the revenue sharing options once you join. Good luck!

Personal Finance Post at Queer Cents

Hey guys ... when you get a chance, check out my guest post at Queer Cents!

Best Gay Blogs Features Blogging For Gay Dollars

Guys and gals ... this week Blogging For Gay Dollars was featured at Best Gay Blogs ... you can check out the post here.

It was quite an honor to be given the opportunity to interview for the post.

Best Gay Blogs, if you haven't already seen it, is an excellent resource for weeding out all the choices out there in what to read ... you should definately make the site a bookmark, or, better yet, sign up for their updates. You'll discover some great blogs that you might otherwise miss. And, they feature regular eye candy as well, which is always a good thing!

Financial Planning for Gay Couples

Today's MSN Money features this article, published by the Associated Press, outlining the basics and touching on the inequality experienced by gay couples in America.

The article stresses the importance of proper paperwork and documentation to protect individuals who are in long-term gay relationships.

I'm glad MSN posted the article, I'd like to see an entire series on financial advice for gay couples, or just gay people in general.

Financial Planning for Gay Couples: Legally, you're considered strangers, so the wisest course of action is to put everything -- everything -- in writing.

If you are in a relationship or plan to be at any point, you should not only read the article, but begin to think about what protections you need to secure your rights should a major change occur in the status of your relationship. More on this in upcoming posts. For now, check out the article. Then, remember to vote in November ... if you aren't registered to vote, NOW is the time to get registered. Right now. Today. It's important.

Buying Self Esteem

Thought you guys should read this post by Rich Taylor, a guest personal finance blogger over at QueerCents. It has some good advice about buying self-esteem and paying down debt. (Especially credit card debt, but he talks about student loans as well.)

Earn Money Writing for a Gay Web Site

The popular gay web site Just Us Boys is looking for an online editor and some freelance writers. As you read in my previous Multiple Sources of Income post, you should attempt to set up a variety of revenue sources, and, if you have an interest in gay erotica, the gay adult industry, and gay culture, and you are a good writer, this could be an excellent income stream for you.

According to the announcement posted here, Just Us Boys is "especially looking for people who are interested in the following areas: gay porn movie and site reviews, the gay porn industry, gay culture as it relates to the Internet, and male celebrities." Sounds like a dream job! Maybe you should give it a shot!

Click here for more info. Good luck!

Ferrari for OutPersonals & FriendFinders Affiliates

Guys, here at Blogging for Gay Dollars, you'll hear me talk quite a bit about multiple sources of income, including monetizing a blog.

You'll also get to read reviews of some of the most lucrative affiliate / referral / revenue sharing programs online.

But, even though they can be extremely profitable, programs like the one I'm about to share with you are still exceptional.

OutPersonals / FriendFinder is awarding a Ferrari to a lucky affiliate as an incentive for sending traffic and making sales. Very nice incentive!

This quote is from their affiliate site: “The top 10 signup increase by GID will be receiving amazing prizes, including our Grand Top Growth Prize - a Ferrari! From August 1 through October 31 only, beat your average of the past 3 months, and qualify! Your 3 month average will be calculated from the signups of Cams.com, Adult FriendFinder, ALT.com, FriendFinder, and OutPersonals. Who wouldn’t want to be driving down the highway in a Ferrari as a reward for hard work?”

Ok ... if that's not enough incentive for you to start using affiliate / referral programs to make money from your blog, I'm not sure what is!

Oh, and it doesn't just work for gay traffic. Once you sign up with OutPersonals, you have the ability to create links and promote for their entire network of sites. Straight dating, German, Filipino, Lesbian, gay, penpals, roommate service, and so many more choices. More info:

"FriendFinder is a personals network of 20 different sites that has over 8 million active members worldwide. FriendFinder has been a leader in online personals since 1996, making us one of the oldest and most established of its kind on the Internet. FriendFinder.com Affiliate Program is an easy-to-join system that enables webmasters to earn monthly paychecks by promoting one or more of the sites within our large online dating network."

I'll be giving you more tips in the coming posts on how to make a very impressive additional revenue source from your blog. In the meantime, I highly encourage you to click here now, take just a few minutes to sign up for the OutPersonals program, and get some of their banners on your blog. If you don't yet have a blog, you will soon, especially after you read my next few lessons on why you absolutely MUST have a blog!

See ya soon! Thanks for stopping by and remember to sign up for updates over on the right side of this page!

Multiple Sources of Income: Part One

So, you have a job, right? Good, that’s a start. But just having a job, even a pretty darn good job, won’t really make you financially secure.

The key to being financially secure is to spend far less than you make, and to save or invest the rest in something that will continue to provide income for you even when you no longer earn money from a job.

This post is an introduction to a financial lifestyle known as "multiple revenue sources" or "multiple income streams."

Basically, here’s the idea:

You should set up multiple sources of income for yourself, so if something to happens to one of those sources (example, you get laid off from your primary job) you will still have other sources of income on which to depend.

This could include investments, income from real estate, a second job, or earning a second income from internet marketing or blogging. All of these are valid sources of additional income. In the coming weeks, I will try to show you how to set up many of these income streams … even if they are very small amounts at first, the key is to establish and nurture them, let them grow and expand, and keep at it! Before long, one will be up and running on it’s own, and you can move on to setting up another.

Sign up for the RSS feed or enter your e-mail address over on the right to get notified when more articles post. Thanks!

Guest Personal Finace Blogger at QueerCents

Guys ... I've been asked to do a guest personal finance post on QueerCents, a site dedicated to gay and lesbian day-to-day relationships with money. I consider it quite an honor and I'll be working on the post over the weekend while traveling.

Anything you'd like to see covered?

Money Money with Surveys and Focus Groups

Ran across a good idea on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity and thought I'd share with you guys: make some extra money by signing up to participate in surveys and focus groups. Depending on where you live, you can find focus groups that will pay you cash for about 2 hours of your time. Someone commented on the post and recommended searching Craigslist.org for focus group jobs in your area. It won't make you rich, but a few extra hundred bucks surely won't hurt!

Personal Bankrupty on the Rise

Since we're just getting started on this gay personal finance blog, I thought it would be a good idea to share this article with you: "The Bankruptcy Boom is Back" by Liz Pulliam Weston, a regular columnist at MSN Money.

According to the article: "A tough 2005 law initially slashed the number of filings, but the numbers are rising again because the root causes of unpaid debt were never addressed."

The key point to take away from this article is that, despite the government's intention to bring down the bankruptcy rate, it did nothing in the way of personal financial education ... no media blitz on how to avoid and pay down debt without having to file bankruptcy.

Many of you may be in serious debt trouble now ... this law makes it harder for you to get out of trouble, without really providing any options for you.

I'm hoping that the articles to be posted here will help those of you who may be in serious debt, as well as those of you who are trying to build your own personal wealth and hope to avoid any debt in the process.

I do recommend following Liz Pulliam Weston's postings at MSN as well. She's usually got great advice!

Thanks for stopping in ... be sure to sign up for the RSS feed or enter your e-mail address over on the right to get notified of updates!

Business 2.0: Blogging For Big Bucks

On this and many other personal finance blogs, you'll hear the term "multiple income stream" or multipe sources of income. If one of your income streams includes blogging, you'll want to read this article posted on Business 2.0's web site.

"Blogging for Big Bucks (It's not just a hobby -- some small sites are making big money. Here's how to turn your passion into an online empire)" covers some very interesting business models for earning an income online. This may be one to print and keep so that you can review it several times.

I'm not sure there are very many bloggers earning the kind of income mentioned in the article ... most of us are probably just earning (or hoping for) a significant additional income stream. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to dream big ... and this article will help fuel those kind of dreams!

Best Blogs for the Young and Broke

Guys ... if you are interested in checking out some other excellent personal finance blogs, I recommend you read this article recently posted by BusinessWeekOnline.

"Best Blogs for the Young and Broke" is a great overview of the personal finance (PF) blogging phenomenon, with some reviews and some background on a few of the notable bloggers in the field. Good bookmarks for your journey to wealth!

Financial Fitness for Gay Guys

After years of working online, both with my blogs and marketing for various companies, and years of working to get my personal finances in order, I have decided to focus this blog more on personal financial tips than on reviews of affiliate / referral programs. I'll still have plenty of reviews for you webmasters and bloggers, but I'm also going to help you get out of debt, earn more money, and build your own personal wealth.

You can subscribe via RSS or enter your e-mail address over on the right.

I'm working on building a good selection of links to useful personal finance blogs ... check out the one's listed so far, I think they'll be a good resource for you.

OutPersonals Affiliate / Referral Program

When it comes to gay dating sites, OutPersonals is one of the biggest and the best. I've been using their affiliate / referral program as a sponsor for my sites for a couple of years, and I've been highly pleased with their conversion rates, the payouts, and the on-time checks.

Your visitors will be pleased, too, because the standard membership is free. All your visitor has to do to browse profiles of hot guys in their area is sign up for the free membership. Lots of choice, a great selection of guys, and a good website layout will help your traffic convert. Check out the interface here, do a free sign-up for yourself to see what it's like.

For every free sign-up, you make a dollar. Doesn't sound like much? Well, if you have just 1,000 visitors per day, and only 10% choose to sign up for free, you'll make about a hundred bucks per day. Couldn't you use an extra $3000 a month from your blog or website?

Click here for more info and to sign up for the OutPersonals affiliate program. I highly recommend it.

Blogging for Gay Dollars

Hi guys ... my name is JJ Jordan, and many of you know me from my semi-famous UrbanBoys blog. I've been blogging for a long time, and before that, I ran a collection of very popular gay web sites. I have been earning a very good living from my sites for several years, and have been asked many many times to share my tips on making money online.

I've worked with hundreds of webmasters and bloggers, via e-mail, in the past to get them set up and earning money with websites and blogs. Now, I've decided to set up a blog dedicated to helping you earn money.

Believe me, it can be done ... it is being done by hundreds of bloggers just like you. You can earn a living blogging. I promise ... lots and lots of people are doing it. With a little guidance and some motivation, you can learn all about affiliate / referral / advertising programs and how to make them work for you. You can choose to do it to earn a little extra money on the side, you can blog to replace your current income and quit your job, or you can decide to become very very rich. It's all up to you ... and I would like the opportunity to help show you the way.

Why should you take any advice from me? Well, I've been "practicing what I preach" for several years. In the coming months, I'll show you were I've messed up and what I've done right ... you can learn about being an adult webmaster from my mistakes ... and learn how to make tons of money from what I've done right.

Or, you can just read my reviews of affiliate and revenue sharing programs, marketing and traffic building ideas, and traps to watch out for.

Either way, I'd love to have you join me ... Take just a second right now to bookmark this blog. Keep visiting ... I'm going to show you how to make a lot of money and have the freedom to work your own hours!

JJ

Affiliate Program: Boyride.com

Hot Fleshjack Ad!

Getting Started

Hey! Thanks for stopping by "Blogging For Gay Dollars: Earn Profit With Your Gay Blog." I'm just getting things set up and started, so check back soon for some more content ... I will be giving you some tips on how to earn money with your blog or gay-themed web site. Affiliate program reviews, revenue sharing programs, links to the best sites for marketing and traffic building techniques, and more!