Post: #1

This post has sparked an idea that I think is worth millions to the person who properly implements it.

In many places like Brazil, the internet world is years behind places like the US. Trends that have caught on in the US haven't become popular in Brazil. Ideas that are no longer viable in the online US market are still viable in Brazil. E-products that have saturated the US market have yet to be seen by the Brazilian market.

Basically all you have to do is take something that was successful in the US, translate it into Portuguese (or Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Hindu etc), follow the same plan that was executed in the US and you could be very successful.

I've began to implement this plan with a well known blog in the US. I went to Translator's Cafe and posted an ad looking for a native Brazilian to translate. Most people quoted 5 or 6 cents per word with one Brazilian quoting me 2 cents per word. I've set him up on a trial run to see if he produces quality work. This needs to be looked at as a business investment. 100 articles at 3000 words each is going to run $6,000. Once everything is set up I think this site could bring in at least $10,000 a month by the end of the first year.

Translating blogs is just one angle that could be exploited. Translating IM products into Portuguese and marketing them to Brazilians might have a higher rate of return than the same product marketed in the US because there is a lot less competition in the Brazilian market.

I've pissed off a lot of my friends by talking about this idea since they don't understand it, but hopefully someone here GETS IT and will use it to profit.

Post: #2

Sardino,
I've been eying to do that too for a while but I've been busy and with a lot of things on my plate already. But I'm open to reconsider this and give it a serious go very soon. Hit me on skype and we can chat further about this.

Post: #3

Is there a high chance of getting sued by the original-language content copyright owners? Especially if you’re making a lot of dough?

Post: #4

I don't think copying blogs word for word is a good idea because of copyright etc.

Think bigger. Are there big, profitable websites that don't exist for that language/location yet?
Think groupon, twitter, facebook, amazon, ebay etc etc

In fact, if someone can provide content in a langiag and has a viable idea, I might be open for a joint venture (I'm a coder). But I got a lot of projects pipelined already, so it has to be good to be put in front...

Post: #5

(11-22-2011 11:49 PM)bface Wrote:  I don't think copying blogs word for word is a good idea because of copyright etc.

In the example I talked about the author released his copyrights. But there are a billion blogs out there that have been successful, it wouldn't be too hard to send out a few emails and get permission from one of them.

(11-22-2011 11:49 PM)bface Wrote:  Think bigger. Are there big, profitable websites that don't exist for that language/location yet?
Think groupon, twitter, facebook, amazon, ebay etc etc

In fact, if someone can provide content in a langiag and has a viable idea, I might be open for a joint venture (I'm a coder). But I got a lot of projects pipelined already, so it has to be good to be put in front...

I've been wanting to make a Brazilian version of Yelp for a while now, god knows this country could use it. What would it take to code a site that works like Yelp?

Post: #6

(11-23-2011 06:56 AM)Sardino Wrote:  I've been wanting to make a Brazilian version of Yelp for a while now, god knows this country could use it. What would it take to code a site that works like Yelp?

Should be easy. The core of it is just a simple database. You might need a database with districts and cities though (not necessary but would help). I know they exists for the USA, Australia etc but never looked into Brazil.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a CMS for that (although you would most likely have to rewrite it to Portuguese).

I found a wordpress plugin who would do that. But considering how much of a resource hog WP is I would strongly advise against it.

Post: #7

I wonder how this went. I know making at least 10k a month by the end of the year wasnt a realistic number but im just wondering how did this go. Are you at least making 500 dollars per month from any of your sites (thats if you went ahead with it)?

Post: #8

This idea needs a lot more thought.

I say this as an internet guy from outside the US, targeting to my home country.
Other markets can be done, but they are different, and that is the reason that IM hasn't taken off in other countries like it has the US.

Being an affiliate of stuff isn't new to the Internet, but differen't markets need middle men for different things.
Being a product pusher isn't new to the internet, but different markets need different products.
Information exchange isn't new to the net, but different markets want different info.

I don't mean to be patronising, but you need to fill in one of those gaps, and you'll be good for bigger wages than simple info products can provide. Internet means low overheads, massive expansion potential, short time frame.

I'd think about starting a Portuguese (Brazilian) language ecommerce stores with some product that can only be dropshipped from the US, thereby ensuring you've got a headstart on a physical product. Then move into imports and exports once you're profitable.

(Bear in mind, I don't know the laws of the land, so you'd have to check this out before starting. Do your due diligence.)

Post: #9

(11-23-2011 06:56 AM)Sardino Wrote:  

(11-22-2011 11:49 PM)bface Wrote:  I don't think copying blogs word for word is a good idea because of copyright etc.

In the example I talked about the author released his copyrights. But there are a billion blogs out there that have been successful, it wouldn't be too hard to send out a few emails and get permission from one of them.

(11-22-2011 11:49 PM)bface Wrote:  Think bigger. Are there big, profitable websites that don't exist for that language/location yet?
Think groupon, twitter, facebook, amazon, ebay etc etc

In fact, if someone can provide content in a langiag and has a viable idea, I might be open for a joint venture (I'm a coder). But I got a lot of projects pipelined already, so it has to be good to be put in front...

I've been wanting to make a Brazilian version of Yelp for a while now, god knows this country could use it. What would it take to code a site that works like Yelp?

put an add up on Odesk for a quote. Im willing to bet design will be cheaper than your blog idea.

Post: #10

Ripping off other people's ideas and content is a definite no no

What about contacting a maufacturer of a sucessful product in the US and get foreign market distribution deals going instead

Post: #11

There is definitely some truth to the idea that there will opportunities to replicate some of the successful IM models from the US and Europe to developing internet economies like Brazil and others.

Though Kitsue said, there are reasons - cultural, social, economic - that many of these models haven't be done there in the way they have in the US, UK etc

Many countries, for example, never will do wide-scale ecom. Many only buy in person and not even mail order etc.

And so on...

I have heard that the US and UK are by far the most competitive for SEO and the likes from many, many friends in the industry who work in multi national markets.

Post: #12

Not a good idea to drop $6,000 right off the bat on an internet business with no clue if you can make it back. The beauty of internet businesses is that you can start them for pretty much nothing.

3,000 word articles... not sure the attention span of Brazilians, but you'd get a lot of drop off in readership on articles over 750 words from Americans. Can pop in some longer 1,500 word articles now and then, but most articles should be in the 500-750 word range.