No More Excuses – How to Make an Extra $100,000 in the Next 6 Months 383 Comments

Written by Topics: 4-Hour Case Studies, Automation, The Book - 4HWW


The Wilburns have created a multinational from their home.(Photo: Dana Smith)

“So, do you have any ideas?”

“Well, if we’re going to do something, it should be big. It should make people sit up and say OMFG. Make people actually do something,” I responded.

The conversation continued in front of the Thai restaurant, me pacing on my cell phone in San Francisco — foregoing food in excitement — and Tobi in his offices in Ottawa, Canada.

We decided in the subsequent 10 minutes to offer $100,000 cash as a bribe to you all. The overview?

* $100,000 for the grand winner
* $120,000 total in prizes
* 6 months starting January 1 but you can (and should) get started now
* Even if you don’t win the prizes, you should end up with a viable business at the end of 6 months

The details make it even better…

Background

Randy and Nicola Wilburn in the above photo, featured in BusinessWeek’s “Mom-and-Pop Multinationals“, are just two of the thousands of people in 35 countries who have used the steps in The 4-Hour Workweek as a basis to create near- or fully-automated businesses. The principles of automation have been equally applied within both Fortune and Inc. 500 companies.

The problem?

Some things just aren’t as simple in execution as they appear on paper. If there is one place where readers fail or give up, it is on such automated “muses”, as such automated businesses are called in book to abbreviate.

It’s most often due to lack of technical skills, lack of testing abilities, or — much more often — simple intimidation and failure to attempt it at all. The truth: it’s easier to continue in the predictable and comfortable mediocrity of the 9-to-5 than to start a business. It seems too big and there is little perceived incentive to change.

Let’s change that.

Tobi Lutke is the CEO of Shopify. Several months ago, I polled more than 50,000 Twitter users about e-commerce platforms, and the near-unanimous response was that Shopify offered the easiest-to-use full-service platform in existence. I’d never heard of them.

It seems I was late to the party.

From Pixar to Tesla, Pamela Anderson to Amnesty International, I saw slick design after slick design, all of which could be set up in minutes. Even Google Website Optimizer is built-in for testing. I was so surprised and impressed that I became an advisor upon meeting Tobi at RailsConf.

I want to give you a reason to finally take the jump with full confidence. Here’s what we’re doing:

The Competition – More Than One Winner

Shopify and I are running a 6-month “Build Your Business” competition. The store with the most revenue for two consecutive months (we’ll use your best two) wins $100,000.

There are other runner-up prizes, and there will be worthwhile surprises. To support you with the tools and skills you need, there will be expert tutorials on critical subjects (like Google Adwords testing, design, etc.) on a monthly basis at minimum, posts on this blog with real-life examples, and more.

The bullets:

* $100,000 for the grand winner
* $120,000 total in prizes
* 6 months starting January 1 but you can (and should) get started now. Even two weeks of practice will give you a massive advantage. I strongly suggest playing with it now.
* The best two consecutive months of sales count
* Even if you don’t win the prizes, you should end up with a viable business at the end of 6 months
* The steps and details in the new, expanded 4-Hour Workweek will be used as ground-zero for instructions
* Contest open — unfortunately — to US residents only. Please see “Afterword” below for why you should do it regardless. The tools and guidance will be available to all entrants.

Outside the US? Perhaps you should just incorporate a US company online? But – I’m no lawyer. Speak with a professional first and read the fine print. Be sure to read the FAQ, which opens up even more opportunities.

[Update: there is a new forum on Shopify for questions and feedback about the contest]

Tens of thousands of online stores have been created with Shopify: everything from Nerdbots to CrossFit.

Will you be next? I know a Fortune 500 company employee who’s quitting in 2010 because his Shopify store makes more than $1,000,000 per year. Not bad for a side gig!

If you’ve thought of starting a muse but have put it off or given up, here are two reasons to make 2010 the year that changes everything:

$100,000 and know-how guidance from experts. Though I’m an advisor, I receive no commission or payment whatsoever for this competition. It’s to get more people to pull the trigger.

If you decide not to pull the trigger, ask yourself “why not?” If not now, then when?

This competition is intended as a benevolent and encouraging kick in the ass. This stuff isn’t rocket science, but it does require stepping outside your comfort zone for a bit to realize: this isn’t that hard. It’s just unfamiliar. If you do it now, a lot of people will be in the same boat and you’ll take the trip together.

No more excuses. Click here to learn how simple it can be.

[Update: there is a new forum on Shopify for questions and feedback about the contest]

###

Frequently Asked Questions with Tobi

[The most up-to-date FAQ is on the contest page here]

> Rachel: Can you sell a combination of affiliate products and your own products through Shopify?

Yes absolutely. In fact we highly encourage our customers to source extra products that round off the product offering. A lot of our customers started by selling just a single product and later on started cross selling related products between their stores for additional sales.

> BrianReid: Can we use a drop shipper like Doba for products?

Yes, Shopify even integrates directly with drop shippers and consignment warehouses such as Shipwire, Webgistix and Amazon fulfillment. These services are really the key to fully automate your online store because manual shipping is labor intensive. At Shopify we have something called the App Store (http://apps.shopify.com) which allows you to add extensions to your store (think a mix of wordpress plugins and facebook apps). I know there are a few developers currently working on Doba integration.

> Erica: I’m using 1ShoppingCart right now. Can I just move stuff over to Shopify and qualify, or does it have to be a new business?

The point of this competition is to encourage people to create new businesses. If you could simply move a million or multi million dollar business over to Shopify and take the pot then the entire thing would be fairly uninteresting. So in other words, moving an existing business over: no go. Creating a new, related business that you organically grow from the start without simply redirecting your old store: OK.

That being said, we would love to get your existing business on Shopify. If you want to talk more in depth about this, contact me at tobi[at]shopify.com.

> Erica: For the Shopify folks: Do you offer a 1-click post-sale upsell feature like Upsell Express from 1SC?

I’m not familiar with the 1-click post-sale product but marketing to prior clients is a big part of Shopify. We have great integration with Sendloop, Vertical Response, Campaign Monitor and all such services. Through the App Store that I mentioned earlier there are also some really exciting new apps being developed that help people find related products that go well with their current cart content. Shopify is a very flexible platform.

Afterword

Gross revenue and US residents only? A case study in technology and real-life lawyering…

First and foremost, the best prize we can offer is this: your own near-automated, cash-flow positive business at the end of six months. The $100,000 is just a catalyst, a push. The former is, as the proverb goes, teaching you to fish, whereas the latter is handing over a single fish.

No contest is perfect. Shopify can’t verify net profit (without private investigators proving margins), so revenue is used as the measuring stick, which is trackable. Does this handicap you if you sell comic books instead of race cars? Not necessarily. It just means you’ll need to sell more units. Important: the most any single transaction can be applied the contest is $5,000.

Life is a competition. The rules were the best we could put together without making it impossibly complicated.

But, what’s up with the “limited to US residents” and all that?

From a post on Etsy about their own contest challenges (the whole post is worth a read):

Etsy is an international site. We have buyers and sellers from all around the globe. And we love our community. To solely enable U.S. residents to participate in an aspect of our site did not sit well with me or with Etsy. So I called an attorney who specializes in contest law to find an alternative. Unfortunately, his response supported my disappointing findings. He explained that in order to hold an international contest, Etsy would need to consult a licensed attorney who specializes in contest law for each and every country eligible for the contest. And, in fact, for many countries a translator would have to draft the rules. “How much would this cost and how much time would it take?” I innocently asked the contest law attorney. His two-word answer was most discouraging: “a lot.”

Here is Tobi’s version, especially frustrating, considering that Shopify is based in Canada!

“When putting together the contest we really wanted to make it a contest for anyone, anywhere in the world. Throughout the planning I spent more hours on the phone with lawyers than I’d care to admit to anyone. Unfortunately, as time when on, it became clear that it would be impossible to hold the contest anywhere outside the US without fundamentally altering the original concept.

Without going into too much detail, the crux of the matter is the classification of the contest as a game of chance versus a game of skill. Apparently, being good at selling stuff online is considered chance by many agencies and therefore would be governed by Lottery laws, as silly as this sounds.

That being said, you can still participate in this contest wherever you are. The prize money is significant, but don’t forget the spirit of the contest: to give a kick in the pants to all those people who have wanted to start businesses but haven’t. The real prize is having a business of your own at the end of the six months. You’ll still have all the same resources and guides as everyone else: support from the Shopify team, help and guidance from Tim and other experts, and more control over your financial independence.”

###

Elsewhere on the web:

Get the brand-new Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, published 12/15, which includes more than 50 new case studies (including families) of luxury lifestyle design, muse creation, and world travel.

Clip to Evernote

Posted on December 8th, 2009

Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be -- cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name and do not put your website in the comment text, as both come off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration)

383 Responses to “No More Excuses – How to Make an Extra $100,000 in the Next 6 Months”

  • Brendan Wenzel
    December 8th, 2009
    10:09 am

    This is an amazing contest Tim! How could I pass an opportunity like this? How could anyone pass this up? Get my $100k check ready for me.

    Reply
  • Bridgit Kong
    December 8th, 2009
    10:11 am

    Took a look at shopify. Noticed the rules mentioned that the competition is only applicable for Americans. Amusingly, I’m in Canada. Perhaps I just found my “first excuse”. Or didn’t I?

    Reply
  • Edward Henderson
    December 8th, 2009
    10:15 am

    Awesome Idea Tim! Not only can will this give some people incentive to pursue their dreams, it’ll give the winner enough capital to expand their business. I might just enter myself :-)

    Reply
  • Brendan Wenzel
    December 8th, 2009
    10:18 am

    Setup an American corporation Bridgit. You can do that completely online and costs about $200-300. Hope that knocks that excuse out for ya.

    Reply
  • Ben Biggs
    December 8th, 2009
    10:23 am

    I’m going to put the energy I would have used for a thoughtful post into starting this up. Whether or not I win the $100k, this is the best opp. for action I have ever seen.

    Reply
  • Kelii M.
    December 8th, 2009
    10:33 am

    This is a great way to wake up this morning. A sunny day and a kick in the pants to get off my butt and do what I wanted to ever since reading you book. Thanks for the motivation!

    Reply
  • Tim Koene
    December 8th, 2009
    10:38 am

    Hi Tim,

    Shopify looks great, but can Europeans join in on the fun? If not, i’ll just keep working on my high-tech university spin-off project ;) Heard you mention that you were coming to Amsterdam a while back; did you make the trip yet and if so, how was it?

    Kind regards,
    Tim

    Reply
  • Jeff Slobotski
    December 8th, 2009
    10:41 am

    Great stuff Tim! Way to get the gears rolling heading into the end of 2009 and early 2010…

    Look forward to refining / defining my niche…that’s always been my “struggle”…

    Reply
  • David King
    December 8th, 2009
    10:43 am

    I’m game!
    Thanks for the opportunity Tim! You da man!

    David King

    Reply
  • david brundage
    December 8th, 2009
    10:45 am

    tim, you’re a genius.

    Reply
  • Abe
    December 8th, 2009
    10:50 am

    If we win do we get to meet you? :)

    Reply
  • Tim Koene
    December 8th, 2009
    10:56 am

    Sorry for this double post, but upon closer inspection it seems that I am not allowed to participate. However, is it possible to enter without being eligible for the cash prize but still be able to see/follow the expert tutorials and such? Can you shed some light on this for the poor saps who feel left out ;)

    Thanks!
    Tim

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 8th, 2009
      12:11 pm

      Hi Tim,

      Yes, this entirely possible. Unfortunately, and I’ll let Tobi explain, there are some legal issues that make it tough to set up a US and Canadian competition.

      BUT — and this is a big but — you can still get started and have expert tutorials and tools to help you along.

      Best,

      Tim

      Reply
  • Felix
    December 8th, 2009
    10:58 am

    Would be nice to be able to participate from Canada as well!

    Reply
  • Brendan Wenzel
    December 8th, 2009
    11:01 am

    Great question Abe! That would be worth as much as the 100k.

    Reply
  • Alex
    December 8th, 2009
    11:14 am

    One excuse: still in college XP

    Reply
  • Tony
    December 8th, 2009
    11:18 am

    I’m in. I’m on the brink of finishing up a store that sells good beer, but it doesn’t use Shopify. I think I’m going to start from ground up with another niche. Thanks for the opportunity Tim!

    Reply
  • Tyler
    December 8th, 2009
    11:21 am

    Hey Tim,

    Why isn’t the contest open to Canadians?

    Good thing Tobi’s office is only a few blocks from where I live. Looks like I will have to walk down there and ask him myself.

    Reply
  • Michael - TFLA
    December 8th, 2009
    11:29 am

    WHAT? No Canadians allowed?

    Come on Tim and Tobi, the office is in the capital city for Pete’s Sake (haven’t used this term in awhile;)

    Mike

    Reply
  • Lukas
    December 8th, 2009
    11:39 am

    I would love to enter too, but live in Germany!
    Please make this excuse go away… :D

    Reply
  • Chris Mower
    December 8th, 2009
    11:43 am

    Awesome contest! I’ve used a number of different online shopping solutions, but have yet to use Shopify, sounds cool.

    Reply
  • Olivier
    December 8th, 2009
    11:44 am

    Alas, it is self American centered.

    Though, It’s a little has been to remove the rest of the world at the Internet Age, isn’t it ?

    Reply
  • Annabel
    December 8th, 2009
    12:01 pm

    Great idea, Tim, but I wonder: Is this contest for only for people starting from scratch with no previous online presence? If you have people mixed in that already have businesses and/or a following wouldn’t it be very difficult if not impossible for a true newbie to compete with them?

    Reply
  • Andrew
    December 8th, 2009
    12:12 pm

    em, Tyler, only americans are allowed or what?…

    Reply
  • Anthony
    December 8th, 2009
    12:25 pm

    Tim, isn’t it possible for already successful businesses to sign up and make a quick 100k? Even startups that have more help and capital than people with absolutely nothing. This is where I think it is unfair.

    Reply
  • Jon Castillo
    December 8th, 2009
    12:27 pm

    I’m in. Tim, thanks for putting together this great opportunity.

    Reply
  • Erica Douglass
    December 8th, 2009
    12:31 pm

    Several questions:

    1) I’m using 1ShoppingCart right now. Can I just move stuff over to Shopify and qualify, or does it have to be a new business?
    2) For the Shopify folks: Do you offer a 1-click post-sale upsell feature like Upsell Express from 1SC?

    #1 is key, because if a business is doing $1M a year and just moves over to Shopify, the competition is really over at that point.

    -Erica

    Reply
  • Min
    December 8th, 2009
    12:35 pm

    Great idea! We need more people innovating and creating their own in these down economic times!

    Reply
  • Casey
    December 8th, 2009
    12:35 pm

    Wow. This is awesome. The kick in the ass I really needed.

    Reply
  • Robert
    December 8th, 2009
    12:36 pm

    Awesome challenge, I’m psyched. Although totally believe that people with more than the 1k in the bank like me will have a large completely unfair advantage over my unrelenting will power….won’t stop me from trying though.

    Reply
  • Sue
    December 8th, 2009
    12:37 pm

    Doh. Would’ve been all over this. Probably would’ve won ;) But, I’m Canadian and therefore can’t participate. Bummer, eh!

    Reply
  • Dave
    December 8th, 2009
    12:38 pm

    Existing businesses can’t enter. Only businesses that grow demand during the competition will be eligible to win.

    Reply
  • BrianReid
    December 8th, 2009
    12:41 pm

    LOVE the idea. Two things:
    1. Can we use a drop shipper like Doba for products?
    2. A bit ironic that Shopify is a Canadian company, but the contest is for Americans! :)

    Can’t wait to get started!

    Reply
  • Natasha
    December 8th, 2009
    12:42 pm

    Guys, I don’t think the point is to be “fair.” It’s a business competition! And it should stir up some great business for Shopify, too. As a college student, I’m not jumping into entrepreneurhood just yet, but I’ll have fun watching the competition unfold.

    Reply
  • Tim Koene
    December 8th, 2009
    12:43 pm

    Hi Tim,

    I will definately keep an eye on this page to see if there are any updates on this contest. Also to jumpstart everyones imagination and creativity I am going to start a list of ideas for stuff to sell. Feel free to add:
    1) Local specialties which transport well (for example: Holland has lots of liquorice specialties unavailable elsewhere)
    2) Custom designed wooden bases for commodity lamps (try to make them fit generic IKEA lamps, transforming them into something beautiful)
    3) Bags specific for popular items, example a sturdy high quality perfectly sized bag for your Vibram Five-Fingers
    4) Custom Spice mixes in quality pots for cooking enthusiasts
    5) Gardening Fertilizer Mix specifically for bonsai trees (protip: cater for the ever so popular Ikea bonsai)

    Good luck everyone!
    Tim

    Reply
  • Jason Ford
    December 8th, 2009
    12:43 pm

    Challenge accepted. See you on the other side. :)

    Reply
  • Ryan Wade
    December 8th, 2009
    12:45 pm

    Great contest Tim!

    I think this is the PERFECT kick in the ass to get many people started!

    Talk soon,

    Ryan

    Reply
  • peadarcoyle
    December 8th, 2009
    12:46 pm

    So even if I’m in the UK, I can still get started, and use the expertise of those around me, to help facilitate a useful and beneficial business.

    Reply
  • Jed Wood
    December 8th, 2009
    12:46 pm

    Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I’m wondering if straight-up revenue is the best measure. Isn’t net profit the goal of an automated muse?

    Reply
  • Jonas
    December 8th, 2009
    12:48 pm

    Great idea! Simply brilliant.

    I think you should add the “US only” to the blog post though. I got my hope up a bit too early (no biggie though, I think I’ll compete anyway :) ). Just a heads up.

    Have a great day,
    Jonas

    Reply
  • physio
    December 8th, 2009
    12:52 pm

    So, the people who make the most money and therefore need the money the least get even more money. Interesting. I can’t wait to get started!

    Reply
  • Chris Breen
    December 8th, 2009
    12:53 pm

    Well, that was the kick in the behind I was looking for apparently. Thanks Tim, sounds awesome / exciting.

    Reply
  • Anthony
    December 8th, 2009
    12:53 pm

    I agree with Jed Wood. What if I’m selling a book for 40 bucks and someone is selling racecars for 40,000? He sells one racecar and he’s automatically beat me. But wut if his racecar took 30,000 to make? And what if i sell 2,000 copies of my book getting me 80,000 bucks and he only made 10,000 bucks?

    For some reason I feel like there are a lot of variables that make this contest unfair. I wonder if Tim took a lot of time to think this thing out or just got an idea to give away 100,000 bucks to help the rerelease of his book and his “brand” to get a ton of publicity.

    This is said with the most respect because Tim is to me, a true Renaissance man. He is what I strive to be like.

    Reply
  • John Fawkes
    December 8th, 2009
    12:58 pm

    The prize in nothing but a MacGuffin. I’m going to make a prediction right now: the winner will have made more than $100k by the end of the contest. In fact, I bet all the runners-up will have as well.

    Reply
  • Jose Castro-Frenzel
    December 8th, 2009
    1:03 pm

    A few quick questions

    1 Can the store be under a corporation?-If so does, is collaborating with partners allowed?

    2 Are there any stipulations as far as which types of products may not be sold?

    3 Could it be real estate or automobiles?

    4 Do Net Profits have to be a certain percentage?

    5 Any other details we might overlook?

    I think many readers may have similar questions from above.

    - Jose A Castro-Frenzel

    Reply
  • Jason Ford
    December 8th, 2009
    1:05 pm

    Challenge accepted! See you on the other side. :)

    Reply
  • Tim U.
    December 8th, 2009
    1:05 pm

    “If not me, who? And if not now, when?” – Gorbachev

    Great contest Tim! If your goal is to inspire believe to believe that they CAN do whatever they imagine you’re constantly hitting the mark.

    Article suggestion: Best options for incorporating your retail business.

    I feel as though I’ve read dozens of articles on the topic but that they gloss over the facts so lightly that I will have to crack some law books open myself.

    Cheers!
    -Another Tim

    Reply
  • Justin
    December 8th, 2009
    1:08 pm

    I’m in. Here goes another try at my automated company. I’m getting excited just thinking about it! Thanks Tim.

    Reply
  • Edith
    December 8th, 2009
    1:09 pm

    Another excuse (and unfortunately a problem that prevents execution of most of the book’s lessons): being on a student visa in the US. Not allowed to work, not allowed to start a business. (Not here, not elsewhere.)

    Reply
  • Corbett Barr
    December 8th, 2009
    1:10 pm

    Awesome, Tim! This is the kind of thing that should really motivate people. Hopefully some really great stories and inspiration will come out of the contest as well.

    Reply
  • Shawn Petriw
    December 8th, 2009
    1:13 pm

    @Jed Wood

    Shopify makes money on your revenue through transaction fees, not on how much profit you make.

    As this contest is clearly a promotion engineered by Tim, you can bet he’s engineered and tested it before launching it and has determined the prizes paid out in the contest will more than pay for the discounted lifetime value of the decreased customer acquisition costs, increased transaction fees and publicity.

    Reply
  • Wayne
    December 8th, 2009
    1:25 pm

    Tim, this is a great contest, but it’s also a GREAT example of exceptional marketing.

    All the readers of this blog should pay close attention to the way Tim and Tobi, promote and market this contest.

    I’m not questioning Tim’s motive (there are other ways he could use this blog to make a LOT more money and doesn’t for the sake of his readers), but a lot can be learned from this promotion.

    Here’s some info to consider:

    Tim’s blog currently has about 48,000 (US) readers each month. You can see the stats here:

    http://www.quantcast.com/fourhourworkweek.com#traffic

    If 3% of his readers participate in the contest, that would amount to about 1440 people signing up for Shopify.com. (Based on the great relationship Tim has with his readers I think he will have between 4-6% of his reader sign up for the contest).

    And obviously this post will be passed around and talked about on countless other blogs, facebook pages, and re-tweeted. So the actually number of readers will be much higher.

    But if only 3% of Tim’s readers sign up, that would be approximately 1,440 people.

    If all 1,440 only sign up for the basic service at $24.00 per month (some will definitely opt for more expensive options), that would mean an additional $34,460 in revenue for Shopify.com each month after the 30 day free trial period.

    Assuming all of the new subscribers stay with Shopify.com for the remaining 5 months of the contest, that would total $172,800.00 in additional revenue.

    $172,800.00 less the $120,000 in prizes equals $52,800.00 in extra income resulting from this contest (this doesn’t take into account the revenue from the transaction fee Shopify.com charges).

    Obviously, some people will cancel their subscription before the trial period ends, but others will continue their subscription long after the contest is over.

    I don’t mean for my comments to take away from this a contest. This contest will definitely help change a LOT of peoples’ lives. But this contest is also a GREAT example of creative (calculated) marketing, and should be carefully observed.

    No doubt about it, Tim is a master of marketing and promotion. Watch what he does, and learn.

    Reply
  • Brad
    December 8th, 2009
    1:33 pm

    Excellent opportunity to get people moving Tim, although not open to Canadians like me. What’s up with a Canadian company (Shopify) sponsoring a US only competition! I know the market is bigger in the US for Shopify, I used to run a US and Canadian ecommerce site and we had the same challenges with promos and contests, but we’d try to do something similar on both sides of the border. Kudos for getting people motivated even if it is just one country.

    Reply
  • TimDoe
    December 8th, 2009
    1:47 pm

    From looking at the rules, it looks like you’re able to enter anytime between the contest duration… is that correct? I ask because I don’t turn 18 until early February, but would love to participate.

    Reply
  • mitchell
    December 8th, 2009
    1:49 pm

    Tim,

    What prevents someone from doing something like running a zero or negative margin on a popular product with the express intent of making their profits on the prize? Seems like running the contest like this would encourage a store to be created specifically to win the prizes. Although its not a sound business choice, clearly, I would imagine that enough people would try and game the system that it would wash out the rest of the fiscally sound businesses of the running, as they would be hard pressed to be able to post up the pure numbers of someone trying to game the system.

    Mitchell

    Reply
  • Trevor
    December 8th, 2009
    1:49 pm

    @Wayne Don’t forget Tim’s book sales will also increase. People who enter the contest who don’t own the book will most likely buy it. Tim really does great marketing and promotion.

    Reply
  • Jason
    December 8th, 2009
    1:55 pm

    I am in Australia so won’t be in the competition

    Can’t wait for the tutorials. I will still participate this way and look forward to sharing in your experiences via the comments

    Reply
  • BrianReid
    December 8th, 2009
    2:06 pm

    @Wayne – Brilliant! This is exactly how all ‘sweepstake/contests’-type promos go. You’re spot on in your calculations and assumptions, and people should learn not only from TFerris, but also learn about the exceptional power of leverage in social media/viral marketing.

    Reply
  • Bruce McKean
    December 8th, 2009
    2:06 pm

    For all you Canadians – and I’m one – and for all those disenfranchised Americans too who live in states like (I’m going from memory here) Arizona, Maryland and Vermont, please understand that we agonized over this.

    I think you’ll understand this scenario: bright non-lawyer people have bright non-lawyer-approved idea. A contest for the world! And then the lawyers read the riot act: the liability consequences, the different rules that apply in each State and in each Province. And no Canadian reading this post will be surprised to learn that it’s a whole different set of rules for Québec….

    When the dust settled, you have what we have: our best effort with the least aggro.

    But two thoughts for you: focus on Tim’s bigger message about pulling the trigger…and who’s to say that this will be the last contest?

    Reply
  • Troy
    December 8th, 2009
    2:15 pm

    Anyone,

    Not looking for a freebie. Not looking for someone to give me the prize but are their any helpful articles on wholesalers or products in demand. Aside from being creative and selling my products can I get some ideas of things to sell? I assume a lot of people that use Shopfiy.com do not produce these goods themselves but rather maintain an inventory and then process orders, correct?

    Troy

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 8th, 2009
    2:23 pm

    When putting together the contest we really wanted to make it a contest for anyone, anywhere in the world. Throughout the planning I spent more hours on the phone with lawyers than I’d care to admit to anyone. Unfortunately, as time when on, it became clear that it would be impossible to hold the contest anywhere outside the US without fundamentally altering the original concept.

    Without going into too much detail, the crux of the matter is the classification of the contest as a game of chance versus a game of skill. Apparently, being good at selling stuff online is considered chance by many agencies and therefore would be governed by Lottery laws, as silly as this sounds.

    That being said, you can still participate in this contest wherever you are. The prize money is significant, but don’t forget the spirit of the contest: to give a kick in the pants to all those people who have wanted to start businesses but haven’t. The real prize is having a business of your own at the end of the six months. You’ll still have all the same resources and guides as everyone else: support from the Shopify team, help and guidance from Tim and other experts, and more control over your financial independence.

    Reply
  • Billy
    December 8th, 2009
    2:25 pm

    Tim,

    You’re killin’ me – why is this exclusive to the US?

    Hoping you’ll broaden your scope,

    B

    Reply
  • David Turnbull
    December 8th, 2009
    2:26 pm

    Hmmm. I’m sort of glad I’m not eligible for this (I’m Aussie). It’s an awesome competition but the last thing I need is to lose focus on my current project which is going so well so far.

    Definitely am excited to see the winners though.

    Reply
  • Mike Siete Cinco
    December 8th, 2009
    2:28 pm

    @Wayne, great insight. Tim has always helped people get where they want to go and in turn, he gets what he wants out of life. If that’s not a great deal, I don’t know what is.

    Reply
  • Vikash Shah
    December 8th, 2009
    2:58 pm

    the promotion of creating your own business has never been greater. angel funds are spurring up in all parts of the country, countless ebooks to help you become an entrepreneur, an assortment of online tools to help you become successful online…etc. information is too available, but motivation isn’t. this is exactly what TIm and Tobi are providing.

    Reply
  • C Hui
    December 8th, 2009
    2:58 pm

    I made the decision with my web designer last week to switch to shopify for my online store, but really, no Canadians can join??

    Reply
  • Josh Dance
    December 8th, 2009
    2:59 pm

    Great idea. It would be fun to see the results for everyone who participates. I think I just might do this.

    Reply
  • robert
    December 8th, 2009
    3:08 pm

    If you want to understand why most contests are US only read the following.

    http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/sarahsays-contest-law-965/

    Now if we could agree on a single world order then everyone could get in on the fun.

    Reply
  • interested in mastering "The 4-Hour Workweek"? let's learn together!
    December 8th, 2009
    3:10 pm

    [...] Starfly, Not sure if you saw Tim's newest blog post but he's holding a contest and showing people a system of setting up a 4HWW-type business. He's [...]

  • RJ Weiss
    December 8th, 2009
    3:11 pm

    I’m in.

    Checked out Shopify. Very impressed. Even saw that you can have a blog on there.

    I have a WP blog that I just started that I intend to turn into a store. Anyone know if I can transfer it to a Shopify?

    Reply
  • Chad Howse
    December 8th, 2009
    3:12 pm

    The contest looks amazing, I’m in the midst of creating a fitness/lifestyle product which will be ready for sale a few months into the new year.

    However, I live in Canada. So there’s no chance of joining the competition?

    Thanks,

    Chad

    Reply
  • robert
    December 8th, 2009
    3:13 pm

    Here’s the meat of it.

    ——————————————
    Etsy is an international site. We have buyers and sellers from all around the globe. And we love our community. To solely enable U.S. residents to participate in an aspect of our site did not sit well with me or with Etsy. So I called an attorney who specializes in contest law to find an alternative. Unfortunately, his response supported my disappointing findings. He explained that in order to hold an international contest, Etsy would need to consult a licensed attorney who specializes in contest law for each and every country eligible for the contest. And, in fact, for many countries a translator would have to draft the rules. “How much would this cost and how much time would it take?” I innocently asked the contest law attorney. His two-word answer was most discouraging: “a lot.”
    ——————————————

    Hope that helps

    Reply
  • Stacy
    December 8th, 2009
    3:32 pm

    This is just what I need. I’m in.

    Reply
  • ron
    December 8th, 2009
    3:44 pm

    hi tim,

    i won’t make it as i’m in europe but still… i have 2 questions:

    1. can you make the guidance material available to us not in the competition?

    2. i read the 4 hour workweek (1. edition) and i still can’t come up with a suitable muse that’s not been done already (and done well at that). can you elaborate more on how to find your muse/niche/thing?

    thank you!

    Reply
  • JohnCrest
    December 8th, 2009
    4:20 pm

    Tim, you should compete.

    I also wonder, what other businesses did you experiment with and decide not to pursue during your formative years?

    Reply
  • Jamie
    December 8th, 2009
    4:35 pm

    2 months of highest revenue? Revenue means nothing. What is the net, that is what counts.

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 8th, 2009
      6:30 pm

      Hi Jamie,

      Net is important, but it’s impossible for Shopify to track and audit this, hence revenue. It’s too hard to get someone to honestly divulge margin, etc.

      Tim

      Reply
  • A $100k carrot on a stick for you Americans « nae quandaries wi me
    December 8th, 2009
    4:36 pm

    [...] $100k carrot on a stick for you Americans Filed under: programming — quact @ 11:36 pm Tim Ferris and Shopify have a contest. If the shop you set up sells more than anyone else’s shop for two consecutive [...]

  • Mark Lusher
    December 8th, 2009
    4:44 pm

    That is a great idea. I set it out to my group to encourage those on the sidelines to take the plunge. Thanks for putting this together.

    I’m going to do this myself. Will brainstorm tonight.

    Thanks again.

    Reply
  • Sascha
    December 8th, 2009
    4:59 pm

    @Brendan Wenzel: where can you setup an american corporation for $200-$300 online? would appreciate some information about that..

    or anyone in the US interested to start a business with a German? :)

    Reply
  • Wayne
    December 8th, 2009
    5:00 pm

    @Wayne – superb marketing indeed. Looking forward to the extended book.

    I’m not an US citizen though so no contest for me :(

    Reply
  • Sean
    December 8th, 2009
    5:03 pm

    I’m in on this, since i’ve had an idea in waiting for the past few months, that miscellaneous section is mine.

    Though i have the same concerns as others, and ironic enough, they apply to me. I work for and currently run my family’s business, i see a niche for us that we’re not currently doing, but something that i could leverage my current business buying power in order to dive into (if that makes sense). Thus giving me an advantage, maybe this kind of thing would be frowned upon, but not illegal in the contest?

    I definitely want to get my very own thing going, separate from the family entity, but the fact is, i can be much more powerful if i leverage what i’m currently doing in order to launch the new site.

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 8th, 2009
      6:27 pm

      Hi Sean,

      Leveraging what you have is, based on my understanding, fine. Just be sure to check the fine print.

      All the best,

      Tim

      Reply
  • Luke
    December 8th, 2009
    5:17 pm

    Tim,

    If we live outside the US are we still able to enter, even though we won’t be eligible for the prize, to take advantage of any info/tutorials/insight that will be given to contestants?

    Cheers,

    Luke

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 8th, 2009
      6:27 pm

      Luke, of course! Please do sign up. The real prize is the muse, not the contest rewards. That’s just a push to get more people to pull the trigger.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply
  • JAMES
    December 8th, 2009
    5:32 pm

    Hey Tim i got quite excited about this contest till i read the comment about it being US only. (i live in UK). Could you perhaps include that it is US only in your post? so that loads of people don’t mistakenly sign up

    that said i think i will check out shopify anyway though :)

    Reply
  • LadyZodwa
    December 8th, 2009
    5:38 pm

    I just finished reading Tim’s book and was ready to start this competition is that extra push I needed to jump in the water and JUST DO IT.
    I love Tim!

    Reply
  • Thomas
    December 8th, 2009
    5:50 pm

    Is “gross sales” the fairest method to award the prize?

    Reply
  • Jim Barrows
    December 8th, 2009
    5:55 pm

    Why is Arizona left out? That sucks!!!!
    Would a Nevada corporation get around the problem?

    Reply
  • Ziqi Koey
    December 8th, 2009
    6:20 pm

    Tim:

    Its been some time since you talked about entrepreneurship and muses, but I think this is a wonderful Christmas gift. Thanks and keep the inspiration coming!

    best wishes,
    Ziqi

    Reply
  • Clint Lee
    December 8th, 2009
    6:30 pm

    Very smart idea. Coincidentally, I just saw Shopify about two weeks ago for the first time while exploring potential shopping cart solutions for a client. I came across it on the Paypal website and it has some very attractive features. We will most likely be implementing it.

    Good luck to everyone who’s taking part. The world can always use more innovators.

    Reply
  • Lee Weber
    December 8th, 2009
    6:48 pm

    I have never heard of this platform. Our developers have started our new design with Magneto, but I may have to get them to look at Shopify.

    Reply
  • Rachel
    December 8th, 2009
    6:56 pm

    Can you sell a combination of affiliate products and your own products through shopify?

    Reply
  • Clint Masser
    December 8th, 2009
    7:17 pm

    What a way to kick off the release of 4HWW: 2nd Edition!!!!

    This better be the kick in the butt my fiance and I need to finally pull the 180 and do as your wonderful book says to live anywhere, do anything and join the “new rich” :)

    Reply
  • Dynasty
    December 8th, 2009
    7:19 pm

    I hear ya. Very, very cool :-)

    Reply
  • Raina Gustafson
    December 8th, 2009
    7:27 pm

    I suggest a FAQ be put up for the contest itself. I don’t see anywhere to direct questions on the contest splash page or rules page. I can understand Shopify not wanting to be inundated with tedious questions, but there should be an email address or forum where legitimate questions can be asked. (I.e., my LLCs were formed in AZ but all current business and personal addresses are in CA. Is there anything special I need to do about that to qualify?)

    Hmmm… Super impressed that Shopify leverages a Content Delivery Network by default. Google Base integration handled by a plugin it appears. Bulk product import seems straightforward…

    Looks like a good excuse to learn a little Ruby and an all-around enjoyable (and affordable) service. I’m currently hosting Magento on a dedicated virtual server, which costs just a fraction less than the Professional tier which is what I would need for my number of products. If I factor in that SSL and backups are included with Shopify, it really does seem like a good deal.

    Reply
  • Michael Hurd
    December 8th, 2009
    7:41 pm

    I’m always amazed at the amount of my fellow Canadians on these sites and continue to share their pain at always being excluded from the many American games. :P
    That aside regardless of being ineligible for the $100K prize I still look forward to picking up your new book next week and automating my way to wealth and muse.

    Reply
  • George
    December 8th, 2009
    7:53 pm

    Tim I’m just getting started with reading your book. I’m in Step 1. Any suggestions for those of us just getting started. I could speed read your book, skip all the work exercises and miss that benefit..I don’t even know what product to sell.

    Not trying to make excuses (even though I presented some), just looking for ideas on how to succeed in this contest and get the most out of your book.

    Reply
  • Wayne
    December 8th, 2009
    8:22 pm

    @Mike Siete Cinco – When you said: “Tim has always helped people get where they want to go and in turn, he gets what he wants out of life.” That reminds me of one of the very first Zig Ziglar quotes I heard.

    “You can have everything you want in life, IF you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.”

    A powerful principle, if followed.

    Reply
  • Stephen Wise
    December 8th, 2009
    8:55 pm

    This is perfect timing for New Years Resolutions. In this case, you can make 100k if you do it right. No reason not to take advantage, now get off your @ss’s, read 4HWW and Crush It for more steam, and start your 6 month hustle.

    Reply
  • Pete
    December 8th, 2009
    9:02 pm

    Very cool and interesting. Maybe I’m just too cynical and cheap, but I’m sitting here thinking ‘great, now I just need to come up with some sort of product to sell. And if I had something tangible or marketable or something that I could provide/do that people wanted, I’d already be doing it and wouldn’t need to shell out 25 bucks a month to do it, to boot.’

    I’m sure that if I had a hot idea the monthly fee would be negligible, and probably even pay for itself. But here I am pretty sure that I’d sign up for the free trial and it would sit there for a month empty because I have no ideas at all. I know that ideas are a dime a dozen and it’s the action on those ideas that actually makes a difference. But I would also need something that would scale and sell well, right? Paying for an online store front to sell a couple trinkets each month at best isn’t going to cut it either way.

    Man, I need to find my niche…

    Reply
  • Azstrel
    December 8th, 2009
    9:04 pm

    I consider you slightly nuts if you don’t jump on this. Thx Tim!

    Reply
  • Michael Hendrick
    December 8th, 2009
    9:04 pm

    Tim, Serendipity being what it is, I read your book three weeks ago, and a short time afterward got off my butt and began my own web store. While it doesn’t use Shopify, I still consider myself in the competitive fray, if only for the bragging rights.

    Let the game begin!

    Michael

    Reply
  • MikeF
    December 8th, 2009
    9:13 pm

    I’m also in Canada, and was disappointed to see that the contest was limited to US residents. Having read the explanations, I realize it wasn’t your intention to create this limitation. I found the fact that shopify is based in canada especially amusing! I’m still interested in participating, gotta think up some ideas!

    Reply
  • A-ron
    December 8th, 2009
    9:26 pm

    I love it! I was on the verge of launching my own site, now I have extra incentive and a community of awesome people to help me (and everyone else , of course) along. Who cares about the prize money, the info and learning experience are well worth the price of admission.

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 8th, 2009
    9:53 pm

    > Rachel: Can you sell a combination of affiliate products and your own products through shopify?

    Yes absolutely. In fact we highly encourage our customers to source extra products that round off the product offering. A lot of our customers started by selling just a single product and later on started cross selling related products between their stores for additional sales.

    > BrianReid: Can we use a drop shipper like Doba for products?

    Yes, Shopify even integrates directly with drop shippers and consignment warehouses such as Shipwire, Webgistix and Amazon fulfillment. These services are really the key to fully automate your online store because manual shipping is labor intensive. At Shopify we have something called the App Store (http://apps.shopify.com) which allows you to add extensions to your store (think a mix of wordpress plugins and facebook apps). I know there are a few developers currently working on Doba integration.

    > Erica: I’m using 1ShoppingCart right now. Can I just move stuff over to Shopify and qualify, or does it have to be a new business?

    The point of this competition is to encourage people to create new businesses. If you could simply move a million or multi million dollar business over to Shopify and take the pot then the entire thing would be fairly uninteresting. So in other words, moving an existing business over: no go. Creating a new, related business that you organically grow from the start without simply redirecting your old store: OK.

    That being said, we would love to get your existing business on Shopify. If you want to talk more in depth about this, contact me at tobi[at]shopify.com.

    > Erica: For the Shopify folks: Do you offer a 1-click post-sale upsell feature like Upsell Express from 1SC?

    I’m not familiar with the 1-click post-sale product but marketing to prior clients is a big part of Shopify. We have great integration with Sendloop, Vertical Response, Campaign Monitor and all such services. Through the App Store that I mentioned earlier there are also some really exciting new apps being developed that help people find related products that go well with their current cart content. Shopify is a very flexible platform.

    Reply
  • Clint Masser
    December 8th, 2009
    9:55 pm

    @Pete- I feel your pain, I first read 4HWW(in fact it was the very first book I ever read that wasn’t required for school) a little over a year ago and while I felt the power of his message I didn’t take action.

    Even worse is I learned of it from an entrepreneur forum that I was very active in, that also helped inspire me- still no action :(

    Finally, back in August I did the 30 Day Challenge, much like the challenge Tim presents, went through the motions, was very gung-ho and even contemplated a few methods of further application(the car blog I started didn’t yield the results I wanted so I scrapped it). Worst of all, I am still paying for all the expired free-trials and have still been spinning my wheels on how to apply this.

    Through this all though, I have kept my head up and realized that at the end of the day the energy/motivation/focus must be consistent and not cyclical to achieve the results desired- all the Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Ed Dale, etc material will only take me so far, the rest I must fill in myself :)

    And oh yea, one of Tim’s principles I really need to master is avoiding “information overload”, one of the failures of the car blog was overloading myself with car information thinking I needed to know it all to provide any value, not to mention since it was a subject I already had a ton of knowledge on, it was also difficult to feel that what I had to share wasn’t already something that was out there.

    Reply
  • Vincent Parker
    December 8th, 2009
    9:57 pm

    Hi Tim,

    This is a fantastic opportunity. Unfortunately being outside of the US I will not be able to participate (from my understanding, its the individual’s citizenship as opposed to the country the business is registered to yes?)…

    The other thing is that I am currently working on a muse or two, but these are information products and are currently my point of focus as I have a niche and the knowledge.

    I would still like to participate in the exercise and learn from the experts and the community.

    I am happy to pay the $25 per month purely for the learning experience, but obviously I would prefer not to.

    Is there going to be a way to gain access to the training without joining shopify?

    Cheers,
    Vincent

    Reply
  • YOMorales
    December 8th, 2009
    10:02 pm

    Well, I do have the technical expertise and the willingness. The only thing I lack is a good idea, a good muse.

    Reply
  • Gordie Rogers
    December 8th, 2009
    10:25 pm

    Does Shopify also have affiliate products or can we only sell our own products and distribute them ourselves?

    Reply
  • Who will win Tim Ferriss’s Business Competition? (and the need for a Z Combinator program) | The Blog Of Matt Brezina
    December 8th, 2009
    10:50 pm

    [...] (and the need for a Z Combinator program) Dec 8th, 2009 by Matt. Today Tim Ferriss and Shopify announced a $100k business competition.  They will award a $100,000 prize to a new company that has the [...]

  • Azstrel
    December 8th, 2009
    11:18 pm

    TIm,

    OK! I am a total newbi to e-commerce, in fact…never done it, in a store type of fashion.

    I really want to do this contest (mostly for the learning) and am having a challenge finding product to sell.

    I have organic cooking, raw food and health passions and I have a Cooking Video Blog Project Starting that I would like to integrate with this. I need some product, though.

    Where do I find product? at first I was under the impression that Shopify has a “Wholesale Product Directory” or the like.

    I found an article with some search terms:

    Drop shipper Directories
    Wholesaler Directories
    Importer Directories
    Exporter Directories

    I feel a bit stumped on where to start with this. Shopify wiki it say I need “something to sell” and I find in the wiki to help find this “something”.

    I want to have some Clarity on this before opening my Shopify store.

    I am totally up for Ideas, TIM? …or any one else?

    Thank you

    Reply
  • The Lone Knight
    December 8th, 2009
    11:43 pm

    I liked everything about shopify except their “Transaction Fees” when they are not actually truly handling the transaction. That takes another 1-2% from my bottom line on top of the actual payment processor percentage charges.

    “Q: What does Shopify charge its transaction fees on?
    A: Shopify charges its transaction fees on the total size of the transactions (cost of products + tax + shipping). Please note that we do not charge tax on shipping (your shipping company does).”

    Reply
  • Michael
    December 9th, 2009
    12:58 am

    To all those living outside the US,

    Set up a Nevada, Wyoming, or Montana corporation. Have an attorney vet it. Then go to work.

    Reply
  • Lux
    December 9th, 2009
    1:17 am

    Tim,

    I’ve read your book, subscribe to your feed, and think this contest is a great idea.

    We’d be happy to help support this initiative by providing free online backup to participants. That way, they ensure they won’t lose any important files related to creating their near-automated, cash-flow positive business at the end of six months. Ping me if this sounds like something you may want to provide. You have my email ID.

    Lux

    Reply
  • Jason
    December 9th, 2009
    1:27 am

    Oi Tim,

    So trigger pulled, myshopify all signed up for. Question if you have the time. Can myshopify be used for market testing? Is it possible to use myshopify to track follow through to purchase page without capturing credit card or payment information?

    Abraco,
    Jason

    Reply
  • Maxim
    December 9th, 2009
    1:40 am

    Tim, you’re amazing!

    Just at the moment when I started thinking that your blog is getting a little less than “best of the best” with recent posts, you created such an inspirational contest!

    Unfortunately, I won’t be able participate in the competition itself as I’m not from the USA, but I still will try to get as much as possible from this. Could you please provide some information about the way Shopify supports international clients? In other words, if we cannot participate in the competition itself can we still use Shopify as a platform and create a store, sell/ship stuff using it?

    Thanks a lot!

    Reply
  • Greg
    December 9th, 2009
    1:46 am

    Hi Tim,

    Great initiative! Unfortunately I am not living nor working in the US …

    However, could you please help the UK crowd with a launch date for the Expanded & Extended, “bigger, faster, stronger” edition of 4HWW?

    Borders books has pulled the plug, Amazon says “Temporarily Out of Stock” … what is the best channel you think?

    Many thanks in advance,
    Kind regards

    Greg

    Reply
  • Michelangelo Bucci
    December 9th, 2009
    2:00 am

    @Michael could you expand the concept of “have an attorney vet it”? Have you got some weblinks? Has anyone got some suggestion on which attorney to refer to?

    Besides, I’m quite willing to jump into this “game of chance”, but I have a few decisions to make, considering that I don’t care too much about the prize. Namely: start an US inc. (which would also allow me to compete for the prize) or take on the insanely more difficult task of setting up a business based in Italy (which I am afraid would not yield any real advantage, but is extremely much more challenging, thus intriguing)?

    Tim (or anyone else), could you give some advise?
    I have been thinking for months that if (or as soon as) I am able to set up my muse here where I live, I will “translate” the 4hww for the Italian market, but I can assure that it is a daunting task… Or maybe I am just not good enough at it.

    Reply
  • ALEX CC
    December 9th, 2009
    2:27 am

    Hi Tim.

    I´m from SPAIN.

    Even I don´t summit the price I´m interested in set a e-comerce web to sell in USA using all the knowledge of the contest.

    Where can I get all the information to set a INC. in USA?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  • Andrew
    December 9th, 2009
    3:39 am

    Hi, everyone!

    Sorry for English, I’m not native english-speaker, but I’ll try to make no mistakes.

    So…this idea is great and bla bla bla :)

    But, I have another problem…I have NO problems with tech skills, I have a few blogs, I can make e-shop or whatever…bit it’s not the MAIN thing. How will I find my customers? Sure, I can buy a lot of ad, but right know I just have no money, when I tried to create my business first I lost everything and started to learn :) Now I understand that money and tech skills are not priority #1. Customers rules :)

    So, for example I opened e-shop – how will I find them? Is GoodleAdWords the cheapest way? Is this enought? Should I find some stupid job again to get some extra $? Thinking about it is killing me :)

    Thanks!

    Andrew.

    Reply
  • Jade Leonard
    December 9th, 2009
    3:48 am

    Thanks so much for explaining the legal eagle contest rules. What a pain in the bum for you all not to be able to make it a global comp. I’m still pumped for it though!
    Jade.

    Reply
  • Dan Reynolds
    December 9th, 2009
    4:18 am

    Hey man sounds amazing… i’m about to pull that trigger!

    Reply
  • Len
    December 9th, 2009
    4:37 am

    I live and work on the other side of the planet from the USA! But I’ve implemented nearly everything I could from The Four-Hour Work Week, and it’s made a big difference in my life.

    Everything except Income Autopilot, and believe me, I TRIED. I started in October and have been stonewalled for a month now, though things started well. I’m not giving up, but it is a little depressing.

    But hey, I’m back. I’m in. No prize money? What the hell. Let’s DO this.

    Len

    Reply
  • Jay
    December 9th, 2009
    6:05 am

    Looks like I need to reread 4HWW. Going to get the expanded edition today. Love this contest.

    Reply
  • ksamuel
    December 9th, 2009
    7:15 am

    Step by step way to win the contest :

    - make a $100 000
    - buy all you good during this period
    - show the money you “made” and get the cash
    - refund your load with it
    - sell what you bought on ebay half the price and really make $50 000

    Good luck :-)

    Reply
  • ksamuel
    December 9th, 2009
    7:16 am

    Sorry, I sent the comment too soon, full of typo :

    Step by step way to win the contest :

    - make a $100 000 loan
    - buy all your goods during 2 months
    - show the money you “made” and get the cash
    - refund your loan with it
    - sell what you bought on ebay half the price and really make $50 000

    Good luck :-)

    Reply
  • AndrewGray
    December 9th, 2009
    7:37 am

    For those not in the US. You could try partnering with someone in the US. For example, someone from Canada with products to sell could partner with someone in the US that has no clue what to sell.

    I do not believe the rules say that you cannot work together.

    Reply
  • Peter Cooper
    December 9th, 2009
    7:41 am

    I get the worry about complying with laws in each country, but I’m surprised people actually pay any attention to it. Foreign countries can’t haul you in on contest laws if you’re not in their country. It’s a bit like if you’re a US company offering porn on the Web.. you can’t get blasted in France, Russia, or wherever since you’re complying with local laws.

    As such, I don’t see why US companies can’t really do international contests. The worst that could happen? Some foreign government might rant and whine yet be able to do absolutely nothing about it except tax the winnings.

    Reply
  • Hugh
    December 9th, 2009
    7:43 am

    Thanks, Tim! What a great idea and a great kick in the ass to end 2009 with. I have to go dig up my old copy of 4HWW to reacquaint myself with all the goods. This just what I needed for motivation.

    Reply
  • Jim | AccentHelp
    December 9th, 2009
    7:58 am

    Thanks for the kick in the pants! I think you’ve kicked them into overwhelm–I tried to ask a couple of questions via their chat option, but couldn’t get a response. I bet they’re doing some hiring right now… Of course, everyone they hire will realize they could be running their own business, and the cycle will continue.

    Reply
  • Brad Edgar
    December 9th, 2009
    8:21 am

    Imagine Shopify being a Canadian company and we as canadians cannot participate. It all makes sense legally which kind of sucks for us.

    I think just the concept in its own right should be enough to get the ball rolling. I would have to say this is the best incentive I’ve heard of to promote entrepreneurship.

    Reply
  • BillyWarhol
    December 9th, 2009
    8:26 am

    I Paid a Lousy $60 Bucks to Submit my Perfect Pitch to Richard Branson at the Perfect Business Event + even tho I easily had the BEST Idea I didn’t hear Poop from them!! Sadly it was just another Money Grab by Money Grubbers!! sigh………

    However Tim I think U can Change my Luck!! In Fact TOGETHER I Believe WE can lead EVERYBODY to the TWITTER HIGH LIFE + Promised $$$ Land!! (Please Click my Name for Full Deets!!)

    Cheers + $$$ Everybody!! Billy ;)) Peace*

    Reply
  • Mario
    December 9th, 2009
    8:32 am

    Perfect timing yet again! I was planning to launch a business in the new year- now I have another incentive.

    Please make this contest available to Canadians :)

    Reply
  • Andrew Stafford
    December 9th, 2009
    8:34 am

    Tim – Thanks for dangling the carrot and your coaching/mentoring. Tobi – Thanks for building the platform for others to succeed. As Guy Kawasaki always says (as does Tim in 4HWW) make sure your work has meaning… and the money will follow. I’m searching for the loophole and I think I found one. Cheers!

    Reply
  • BCR
    December 9th, 2009
    8:35 am

    Will you be doing something to prevent people “hacking” the contest?

    If I set up a store that sells a service or product at an insane value, and then “sell” this service to myself two months in a row… will that not net me the prize, without any of the actual work required to build a real business?

    Reply
  • Melissa Mitchell
    December 9th, 2009
    8:35 am

    love it… thanks, tim, for a great incentive! hope to talk soon again.
    melissa

    Reply
  • Taskcity
    December 9th, 2009
    8:36 am

    Tim?It’s really amazing?????

    Reply
  • Vance Lucas
    December 9th, 2009
    8:40 am

    If this really is a contest that Shopify is sponsoring and is interested in, then why aren’t they letting people have Shopify sites for FREE for the entire contest period? A 30-day free trial? Really? Makes me think all they want is more paying customers.

    Reply
  • Jen Y
    December 9th, 2009
    8:45 am

    Yay! I am excited. I have been trying to figure out my “muse” on my own. This seems like support I could really use.

    Reply
  • John Paul
    December 9th, 2009
    8:51 am

    This is awesome. Thanks for offering great opp.

    Reply
  • MotivatedProcrastinator
    December 9th, 2009
    8:53 am

    @Wayne… When I came across this, I was thinking the same thing. How insightful of you.

    @TFerris…Again parroting Annabel, is this contest for NEW businesses or those who are already established? (I looked and couldn’t get a definitive answer) It will difficult to compete if ESTABLISHED businesses are eligible.

    Thanks for such an interesting competition offer.

    Reply
  • MsJ777
    December 9th, 2009
    9:01 am

    Yes, please do post full and official rules somewhere–my LLC is in AZ and I need to find a way to get around this before I open my store.

    Reply
  • Azstrel
    December 9th, 2009
    9:08 am

    Yes just like @MsJ77 i live in AZ….I am in this for the 6 month training and will do it just for that…if I can do Biz in AZ afterwords. the AZ restriction are just for the contest, Right?

    Reply
  • Rome Saranto
    December 9th, 2009
    9:11 am

    I am in, thanks for the heads up on the web store platform, very interesting.

    Also, I totally agree with having to force yourself out of the 9-5 mentality. It does take work to develop the mental toughness required.

    Thanks for the post and look forward to the competition.

    Reply
  • marc
    December 9th, 2009
    9:11 am

    Am I missing something it looks like it’s going to cost $600 per person to run for the 6 month contest period?

    contest or sales pitch? both?

    Reply
  • Brian Mac
    December 9th, 2009
    9:23 am

    Let’s open it up outside US come on! I thought that was one of the perks of a 4 hour work week, work from anywhere :P

    Reply
  • Shawna Coronado
    December 9th, 2009
    9:27 am

    Awesome! I was planning on launching a new biz in the spring – this gives me a bit of motivation.

    Thanks!

    Shawna

    Reply
  • Vincent Sparreboom
    December 9th, 2009
    9:49 am

    Great contest, unfortunately I can not enter. 99% of my business comes from the US but I’m from the Netherlands….

    Reply
  • Dana Gundlach
    December 9th, 2009
    9:50 am

    Tim,

    Very interesting!!! I was laid off in June and have spent the last 6 months building a Satellite TV business from scratch based off the 4HWW. Now I get to do it all over again, can’t wait! If you throw in a personal lunch, then I am sure more people will sign up ;). Take care and I will see you in 6 months for my check…

    Reply
  • Trevor
    December 9th, 2009
    9:56 am

    Hi Tim, why can’t you waive the Shopify sign-up fee longer than a month for the people doing this contest? I understand it’s not that much, but it’s better on principle to show that someone can really create a business with no capital.

    -t

    Reply
  • Dan Johnston
    December 9th, 2009
    10:01 am

    For a blog based on no excuses there are sure a lot of whiners!

    You guys realize if you won the content the amount of revenue and personal accomplishment you’d have would far exceed the price money?

    Great contest. I’ve already emailed my lawyer in New York to figure out how to enter as I have a new product based business I’ve been eager to launch (I’m in Vancouver).

    Tim, if I already have an active (although fairly new) business but it is not currently monetized/selling products (online or offline) does this violate the rules at all?

    Reply
  • Chris Hormann
    December 9th, 2009
    10:06 am

    I’m in the US, but was thinking that as an added incentive for people outside the US who want to participate, maybe you can at least publish their numbers? I.e., there may be a Belgian company who has the highest revenue, and while they can’t legally win the grand prize, at least they have the satisfaction of having the highest revenue — going for the fame, if not the fortune… : )

    Reply
  • Amy Kalinchuk
    December 9th, 2009
    10:10 am

    Thanks for the kick in the pants, but I already kicked myself. I am drafting my big call for submissions right now (click my link in my name), after soft-launching the call via Twitter and Facebook. I am interested in your contest, to see how it pans out. However, my website and such is already set up, so Shopify won’t work for my project.

    It’s a great idea, though, Tim. Your life is an object lesson in good marketing practice. I look forward to follow-up posts.

    Reply
  • Jacqui
    December 9th, 2009
    10:41 am

    What a great challenge! I am starting today. I want to create something for interior design which is my passion! Not sure what the product will be and I am open for suggestions!! I am so excited!!

    Reply
  • Steve Zussino
    December 9th, 2009
    10:45 am

    Tim,

    You are an excellent motivator and I can’t wait to get moving on this!

    Thanks.

    Reply
  • Hailey Erickson
    December 9th, 2009
    11:58 am

    My husband and I are convinced! We are the biggest dreamers in ehow-land and are now ready to take the next step… Count us in!

    Reply
  • Ian Anderson
    December 9th, 2009
    12:07 pm

    Hey guys!

    Stop wining about not being able to ‘participate’ and just get started and take advantage of the support.

    Your life is not under any obligation from anyone else, just lil ole you I am afraid, get on with it!

    Whats the worst that could happen? Yes, you could fail and end up back right where you are right now. So, basically, there is nothing to lose, only a little ‘face’.

    Worth the risk?…….only you can decide.
    Just make the trying fun and you will be cool.
    Stay well

    Reply
  • David H
    December 9th, 2009
    12:26 pm

    Tim,
    Great incentive! Love to see people put there money where their mouth is (even if it is brilliant marketing). Why are us Zonies excluded though?

    This will be fun!

    Reply
  • Callie Parham
    December 9th, 2009
    12:50 pm

    This is just what I needed to motivated to move my business to the next level. I set up a shopify account about 2 years ago but have not implemented it the way I should have. I will win the $100,000!

    Reply
  • Mark Anthony
    December 9th, 2009
    1:07 pm

    Hey Tim & Co.
    Awesome contest! I’ve already signed up for an account on Shopify, but is there anything else I need to do to actually enter the contest? Entry form or something along those lines? I’m sure more info will be coming in the next few weeks, just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss something.
    Thanks!
    -m.a.

    Reply
  • Callie Parham
    December 9th, 2009
    1:08 pm

    wait…one problem. You have to create a shopify account after Dec. 1, 2009. I have had my shop for 2 years but have never used it to sell anything. If I create a new name, will I then be eligible?

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 9th, 2009
      1:13 pm

      Hi Callie,

      I’m assuming so, but I’d check with Shopify customer service to confirm.

      Tim

      Reply
  • Jeff E
    December 9th, 2009
    1:20 pm

    Tim,

    Can you give a few more details about the tutorial bits? Is that going to be geared toward getting people to their Shopify site, setting Shopify up, or broader e-business topics, etc.? I guess I’m mostly curious about whether that info is going to be useful for someone who is using or has used other e-commerce sites.

    Thanks,
    Jeff

    Reply
  • Tim Koene
    December 9th, 2009
    1:25 pm

    Just spoke to Liana, one of the internet reps of Shopify, she was very helpful.

    For all you people who are doubting if it is applicable to your idea; you can also sell downloadable goods via shopify; but you need the plug-in “Fetch” for it; but it has built in support for version management and the like. I am going to use it for my store. Other protips are welcome!

    Also, is anyone here a (technology) student who can write well?

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 9th, 2009
    1:35 pm

    > @Mark Anthony: Awesome contest! I’ve already signed up for an account on Shopify, but is there anything else I need to do to actually enter the contest?

    Please head to storecontest.com and click “Join the Competition” after you get your store. This will “install” the contest tracker app into your store that enables you to participate.

    > @Callie Parham: I have had my shop for 2 years but have never used it to sell anything

    When you click “Join the Competition” at shopcontest.com you get a freeform text field where you can leave us some notes. Please just mention that you are starting a new business and that you haven’t used your Shopify accounts before. As long as we know this ( and we can verify it in our database ) this should be totally fine. You can also just sign up for a new account if you wish.

    Reply
  • Jenn
    December 9th, 2009
    1:36 pm

    Tim, this is exceptional… contests motivate me and drive me to succeed like CRAZY and I’ve been searching for something for 2010 to keep me focused and growing! Starting a new product idea now to have ready in the new year. Totally stoked. Thanks a million, Tim and Shopify!!

    Jenn

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 9th, 2009
    1:38 pm

    @ksamuel: We will go through the records to make sure that the accounts who have a chance at winning are legit. Also we really hope that the winners will have sold a lot more then 100k in the 6 months. We have seen people build million dollar businesses in a year before so it’s definitely possible to beat that.

    Reply
  • Matt
    December 9th, 2009
    1:41 pm

    Tim, I recently listened to your audio book and since have been subscribing to your blog. I love it all so far! This particular post is great inspiration to take the plunge. I want to start a store, but I feel like most of my ideas are weak. Can you (or any other readers) recommend some methods for coming up with more/better ideas and/or eliminating crap/weak ideas? Thanks!

    Reply
  • Russ
    December 9th, 2009
    2:09 pm

    Hey Tim..

    Cool contest.

    Unfortunately I am Canadian but I will be playing along anyway.

    Question – Is it only sales done through the front end store front or can we build a list and incorporate a back end?

    Cheers,

    Russ

    Reply
  • Jeff E
    December 9th, 2009
    2:16 pm

    Tobi and Tim,

    Don’t know if you guys already have material together for tutorials and whatnot, but it would be awesome to see a case study on a 1M biz that you’ve seen built on Shopify.

    Thanks,
    Jeff

    Reply
  • Dynasty
    December 9th, 2009
    2:17 pm

    Let me tell ya, Shopify customer service (Live Chat) is very helpful to answer all your questions.

    Lilian, their customer service rep. was very kind to help me out. She rocks!

    Reply
  • Jeffrey
    December 9th, 2009
    2:26 pm

    Hi Tim,
    Thanks for this “contest”. I’d like to participate. I need help like @Azstrel. I personally don’t have anything to sell. I have 2 things I’d like to sell, but they’re very big and bulky, there’s no way I can inventory them w/o getting a warehouse. Can you comment on drop shipping, how to locate companies that do, or how to negotiate with a company?
    Or maybe I’m totally wrong with “muse”. Is muse something i come up with? Or is re-selling ok? Thanks.
    Jeffrey

    Reply
  • Dynasty
    December 9th, 2009
    2:30 pm

    FYI-

    Regarding service-oriented biz. startups for this competition:

    I was informed by Shopify that “You upload the service as a product, sell it as the service it is, but the entire sale will have to go through your site.”

    Reply
  • Cynthia
    December 9th, 2009
    2:42 pm

    My question is, what incentive is there for those who gave up ” the predictable and comfortable mediocrity of the 9-to-5″ years ago to pursue a dream (in my case, of writing), and who love they lives they have created — but would like more income though without giving up the dream of writing. (Because books just don’t make you wealthy.) I don’t want to spend my days selling. I want to write. Does this work for people who love their lives and want to continue doing what they’re doing, but just want to do a little better than just getting by? To me, starting a sales business would be like going back to the life I abandoned when I pursued my dream. Is there no way to be happy and make money?

    Reply
  • Big V
    December 9th, 2009
    2:56 pm

    Great incentive. Exactly what I needed to get me going.

    One question…Are you going to consider the newbies only for your prize(s) ? Or is the contest open to all who run the shops already?

    If the latter is true it seems that it is unlikely that the newbie will win.

    Reply
  • Raina Gustafson
    December 9th, 2009
    3:11 pm

    That’s helpful info Dynasty. Thanks. :)

    When do we get to start asking questions on strategy and execution? I’m in the process of ‘confirming sufficient market size’ via targeted magazines of circulation 15,000+ with full page ad rates < $5000. Inevitably, questions are coming up… Do 2 color and/or black and white ads meet this qualification, or should said ad be full color? I'm guessing the answer is to work the full color ad for the b&w price into the negotiations with the magazine (which in some ways is a non-answer), but would still like confirmation of such things.

    Knowing that you'll inevitably need to ignore most questions, I propose that some sort of point system is set up. People who score points along the way by taking appropriate, pre-defined actions can 'spend' those points on help–likely in the form of asking a question, but perhaps there could be other items, too.

    Reply
  • Jeremiah Smith
    December 9th, 2009
    3:36 pm

    I’m doing this. There isn’t a better time and I regardless of the prize I couldn’t have used a better signal for me to start than this. My products are along the lines of something I’ve wanted to do for a while and will definitely appeal to this group too. I’ve completed the following:

    1. Got my LLC
    2. Got my Shopify account
    3. Bought the domain name
    4. Sourced my suppliers and a couple of affiliates
    5. Obtained some copy and articles for the site

    Now to finish drafting up the list of things to do. Thank you Tim and Tobi, I’m really looking forward to it!

    Jeremiah

    Reply
  • Tim Koene
    December 9th, 2009
    3:54 pm

    Okay, so I took the plunge and created my webshop. I am now technically an entrepreneur… I don’t feel any different yet….;) Any other new storeowners willing to join me in a celebratory glass of good red wine?

    @ Tim: Will you host a periodical review of interesting contestants? Like this months fastest growing contestant or best application of the techniques you promote? In what way will the contest be linked to this blog?

    Reply
  • scottie duncan
    December 9th, 2009
    3:56 pm

    i am in the UK (Scotland), so according to the rules on the sign up bit you have to be in the us, if i can take part without the 100,000 prize elegibiilty then i am up for it big time.

    the 4hww is a passion of mines that is about to start very soon.

    scottie…

    how do i get involved without having to be in the us? the answer iis probably staring me in the face but anywhoooo.

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    December 9th, 2009
    4:40 pm

    Tim,

    The one thing people often miss when they dive into your material is just how remarkably giving you are. Frequent visitors to this blog see this side of you, I just wish others did as well.

    What a great way to “pull back the curtain” for folks and help other entrepreneurs fuel their steam engines!

    I look forward to seeing how this pans out for all involved. Good luck everyone!

    Cheers,
    Doc

    Reply
  • curtis
    December 9th, 2009
    6:32 pm

    Tim,
    Now you are talking. I love it. I quick my job last month because I was sick of the corporate hole and 4-hour work week has inspired me.

    2010 is my year to make it and I look forward to working with you.

    Thank you for lending your knowledge to help other succeed.

    Curtis

    Reply
  • Patrick
    December 9th, 2009
    6:51 pm

    Tim,

    Ironically, I’m just a week or so out from launching my new ecommerce business that I’ve been mapping out for the past 2 months. I’ve had multiple issues with the product uploads and was up till 1 am last night in frustrations. I’ve spent the entire day on Shopify and to all your readers, IT ROCKS!! … I’m in on the running and will should actually be full fledged running with it in just a few days. I appreciate the opportune timing on this one and I’ll be hitting it heavy on the tutorials.

    Thanks again!

    Patrick

    Reply
  • Ben
    December 9th, 2009
    7:17 pm

    I’m in the US and started up a shopify account to participate.

    If you’re in the UK (especially Scotland/Ireland – I’ve a few ideas around ancestry merchandise) or Canada and want to be part of the competition, I’m open to suggestions on partnering to totally crush this competition.
    email at bnlv dot com

    Reply
  • Joey B
    December 9th, 2009
    9:13 pm

    I would love to have done this. Too bad I am in college and have absolutely no money to invest into anything at the time. Hopefully there will be something like this in the future, when I have the time and money to invest into a business.

    I wish the best for all who will be participating. I can’t wait to see who wins =).

    Reply
  • Mike Gilliland
    December 9th, 2009
    9:50 pm

    Tim,
    This isn’t related to your blog post, but I wanted to say something. I subscribe to several people who post daily and weekly vlogs about their lives, whether it be personal or professional, and I think you would be a very interesting and entertaining person to watch. You might have to give a bit of your personal life away (as in putting yourself a little further into the spotlight) but you might reach and inspire another kind of audience and show people by example how to design their ideal lifestyle.

    I’ll give some examples of current youtube daily and weekly vloggers who often show up on youtube’s featured and most viewed results. Granted, there is a lot of fluff content sometimes when people vlog on a daily basis, but it’s entertaining nonetheless, and these people often get in the hundreds of thousands of views per post. I’m sure with your accomplishments and lifestyle you could easily find enough daily content that people would subscribe to.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/SHAYTARDS
    http://www.youtube.com/user/FLuffeeTalks
    http://www.youtube.com/user/sxephil
    http://www.youtube.com/user/CTFxC

    Have you ever considered doing a daily vlog for your current fans and followers to get more out of the FHWW?

    ~Mike

    Reply
  • Chadd
    December 9th, 2009
    9:58 pm

    Fantastic! This is another great opportunity and idea from Tim (and now Tobi)…so now it is a matter of getting the muses riled up and ready. As a serial idea-guy, it’s going to be tough to decide which idea to run with.

    From the forums it looks like Shopify can only support one store/inventory per account: http://forums.shopify.com/categories/1/posts/1570
    So you can’t separate the bacon flavored chewing gum from the couture yarmulkes and hijabs unless you pay $24 per month twice….any chance for multiple store fronts to test our muse-juice?

    Reply
  • Daniel Ayers
    December 9th, 2009
    10:08 pm

    TIM!!!!

    GRR… After mulling aroudn for 4 months deciding to do this

    I just signed up with 3dcart.com litterally 3 days ago – And paid. Now I see this.

    Actually I am really looking forward to seeing this project through and reading your new book.

    Reply
  • Sarah
    December 9th, 2009
    10:50 pm

    Hmmmm. I wonder if Shopify has an auction function, so we can sell some things through auction.

    Also, is it possible to sell items tied to multiple accounts? For instance, I need items being sold to have the money go directly to the charity for which I am selling them. If I upload the items separately as tied to that particular charity, can the money go directly into their account and not mine?

    Plus, would that business model even count as a business? I am selling something of value locally, but all the money is going to charity. It’s not even going through me at all. But it is definitely a valuable product.

    Reply
  • Rebecca Geiger
    December 9th, 2009
    11:13 pm

    Hi Tim.

    I have been searching for an online store (yup, a Canadian signed up with a kick in the wooly boots.) I jump onto your site somewhat often and am very glad you have taken the time to write your book, create your blog and share what you know.

    I am interested in the tutorials but am not sure where these videos will be located.

    Kudos. Rebecca

    Reply
  • Michael
    December 9th, 2009
    11:21 pm

    @ Michelangelo Bucci

    Michael could you expand the concept of “have an attorney vet it”? Have you got some weblinks? Has anyone got some suggestion on which attorney to refer to?

    Vetting is just another way of saying have a lawyer check it out. You will find a number of websites dealing with corporations in the states I mentioned. Wyoming is very popular among non-US citizens as it is not as expensive as Nevada and more favorable in many ways.

    You can pay for a US representative but of course the profits are yours and your identity need not be known. All perfectly legal and the US Government has complained about it but it is totally on the up and up.

    Since I’m not a lawyer I will let you do the research but here is a place you can start: http://www.wyomingcompany.com/

    Reply
  • Sam McCall
    December 9th, 2009
    11:41 pm

    What do we do if we don’t have products? Will you cover how to use dropshippers and affiliate products with Shopify?

    Reply
  • Clinton
    December 9th, 2009
    11:43 pm

    Honestly, we speak English in CANADA too.. you gotta share the bone with your brothers!!

    Reply
  • Jose Castro-Frenzel
    December 9th, 2009
    11:44 pm

    Observation:

    I spoke with a rep from Shopify and they told me there was no way to do a multiple image upload. This presents a major, especially for stores with thousands of products.

    Example: 2300 Products X 4 Images per Product = 9200 separare uploads.

    I am definitely not complaining but would assist them a lot to enable vendors to upload many jpegs at once.

    Jose

    Reply
  • Duane
    December 10th, 2009
    12:33 am

    So just so I am clear. If we as a Canadian Citizen set up a U.S corporation, are we elgible to compete for the 100k?

    and yes…I understand that the muse is the real prize…but 100k U.S is a sweet cherry on the cake isn’t it! Please let us know.

    Reply
  • Daniel Rosenthal
    December 10th, 2009
    3:05 am

    Well, I need to seriously redesign my site – and get the ball rolling to win that check. What a great way to go out of 2009.

    Reply
  • Robert
    December 10th, 2009
    5:42 am

    Will this also work if we use chargify instead of shopify?

    Reply
  • Shawn McCarthy
    December 10th, 2009
    7:38 am

    Perhaps this has been answered but in the spirit of not reading every single FAQ:

    Do we HAVE to signup for Shopify to qualify for the contest? I have a site I’m developing with a content management system. It’s still in the preplanning phase so it’s not an existing business. It’s going to have a branding presence so I don’t want my online storefront to be hosted on my own domain.

    Thoughts? Suggestions?

    Thanks everyone and GREAT contest, Tim!

    Reply
  • Oleg Mokhov
    December 10th, 2009
    8:13 am

    Hey Tim,

    I am SO on this.

    I’ve been casually planning the next stage for my new site Lifebeat, offering paid products (no-compromise, no-hype style of course) in addition to my continuing free articles.

    However, I wanted to speed up the process for 2010, and this competition couldn’t have come at a better time. The exact kick in the butt I need to turn my new site into a full-fledged micro business.

    I also think it’s great that a competition like this is truly win-win. If you win the competition, you get $100k. But even if you don’t, you got the motivation to quickly build up your business (that you might have procrastinated on or simply not done otherwise). I’ll be gunning for the grand prize, but even if I don’t get it, the next 6 months will see me build up a new business for the long-term that I’m passionate about.

    Thanks Tim and Tobi for the great competition and pushing me to start building my new business,
    Oleg

    Reply
  • Brian
    December 10th, 2009
    8:23 am

    Great idea Tim.

    I bought your first edition book but can’t see what specifically has been added to the new one. I’d be most interested in it if you had specific ideas that are good candidates (products/services) for automated businesses.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  • George
    December 10th, 2009
    9:06 am

    Question for Tobi. If you sign up today for Shopify & the contest, do you have to re-register for the contest on 1/1/2010? The rules for the contest on Shopify indicate that this is what “early enrollers” will have to do. Is this true?

    Thanks. This is great motivation for us “late bloomers”

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 10th, 2009
    10:11 am

    @Jose Castro-Frenzel: You can actually do a bulk import of products. If you have your product images hosted somewhere you can simply add the URLs of the products to the CSV and Shopify will download all the images in the background. This is the best option for big imports such as yours.

    @George: You can sign up now for a store and then go to storecontest.com and enlist. Anyone who signs up after dec 1st is eligible. We only start counting revenue on Jan 1st however.

    Reply
  • How to Be More Interesting (When You Blog) | A Tangle of Shiny Stuff
    December 10th, 2009
    10:37 am

    [...] contest for entrepreneurs in the United States that starts January 1, 2010, using Shopify. See post here (and related information on contest [...]

  • Michelangelo Bucci
    December 10th, 2009
    10:50 am

    @Michael Thanks a lot :)

    Reply
  • Sam McCall
    December 10th, 2009
    10:50 am

    “Yes, Shopify even integrates directly with drop shippers and consignment warehouses such as Shipwire, Webgistix and Amazon fulfillment.”

    I believe there are fulfillment services NOT dropshippers.

    So, still not clear, can we add products given a feed or other method from dropshippers using services such as Worldwide brands or Doba?

    Alot of us don’t have products so it would be great to have this part clear.

    Reply
  • carla
    December 10th, 2009
    10:59 am

    Sounds like a great idea! Too bad I already have an eCommerce site. I’m not sure if I have the time, energy and resources to start a completely new site. At least now I have a little experience…

    Reply
  • Charisa
    December 10th, 2009
    11:45 am

    Thanks! I woke up at 3 am today, shaking and sweating- feeling pretty manic. I have the shingles. I’m 24. My business- a denver based Organic Maid Service is ruining my life. Running me into the ground. Driving me nuts. I turn down about 10 new clients every week for the past 2 months. Atlast SUCCESS, and I’m turning it away- because if this is what success is… it’s not for me. I saw a guy selling hats on the beach, and realized that he prob has a better life than me.

    This post has atleast given me inspiration for new beginnings immidiately. I was about to drop out and become a transient this morning.

    aaaah so refreshing.

    Reply
  • JJ
    December 10th, 2009
    12:52 pm

    Timothy,

    Can you please come clean and tell us what is your cut on the volume of all the new business that you are bringing to Shopify?

    Seems only fair, doesn’t it?

    JJ

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 10th, 2009
      1:15 pm

      JJ,

      My cut is 0%. I am not getting compensated for this competition. I’d be upfront if it were the case.

      Tim

      Reply
  • Shawn McCarthy
    December 10th, 2009
    1:58 pm

    Who needs to be compensated when the contest supports the content of the book? I bought the old version a while back and read it 3 times in 3 weeks. I also plan to buy and read the updated version. The promotion techniques in this blog and via the contest are brilliant and shameless.

    How much do you make, JJ? Only fair you should make that information publicly available as well.

    Reply
  • Steve B
    December 10th, 2009
    2:09 pm

    I am in. Be seeing you.

    Reply
  • Farrell
    December 10th, 2009
    2:09 pm

    Tim,

    I’ve created a clothing line that will donate 100% profit to Invisible Children. Will I still be eligible to win if all of my sales are being donated to a non profit?

    Cheers,

    Farrell Hudgins

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 10th, 2009
    2:33 pm

    @Farrell: You can participate & you are my new hero.

    We posted a more extensive FAQ at http://www.storecontest.com/#faq

    Reply
  • Farrell
    December 10th, 2009
    2:46 pm

    :) Thanks Tobi!!

    Reply
  • Scott
    December 10th, 2009
    4:16 pm

    Where will participants find the “expert tutorials on critical subjects (like Google Adwords testing, design, etc.) “? In this blog, elsewhere?

    Reply
  • Michelle
    December 10th, 2009
    4:18 pm

    Very creative with the contest idea for Shopify. Looking forward to watching you teach internet marketing to complete newbies. Product + Traffic + Conversion = Successful Online Business.

    Most folks can find a product to promote. The more challenging part is traffic and conversion. SEO and PPC have serious learning curves, and if you’re working with a new domain (less than 6 months old – the length of the contest), it’s going to be even more challenging. Adwords quality scores, poor CTR, poor conversion…newbies will struggle with all of this. SEO is even trickier – esp. if you’re working with a newly registered domain.

    People can create an online store – that’s the easy part. The more difficult part is driving (targeted) traffic, and then converting that traffic.

    Reply
  • Angel
    December 10th, 2009
    4:27 pm

    I have a few questions to anybody who can answer them.

    1 – How much start up capital should we have for this project?

    2 – What should I do if I don’t have any of my own products to sell?

    3 – What shopify package should I get for this project?

    Any help would be appreciated. Thank You

    Reply
  • Vincent Parker
    December 10th, 2009
    4:46 pm

    I just received this feedback from an enquiry about starting a corporation in the US. Seems reasonable…

    —

    The cost of a Wyoming company is $495, plus $125 FedEx shipping to you.

    We just need the following to establish the company:

    1. The name you want to call the company.

    2. The number of shares you want the company to be authorized to issue.

    3. The name of the person you want listed as the director of the company, on
    the state’s records.

    4. Your contact information.

    5. A credit card or some form of payment.

    Please let me know if you have any other questions.

    Best Regards,
    Gerald Pitts
    1-800-990-0433
    1-307-632-3333 ext 201
    http://www.wyomingcompany.com

    —-

    Now if we could just confirm this structure will be workable for international citizens, I think we will have lots of happy campers :)

    Reply
  • Helen
    December 10th, 2009
    6:36 pm

    Tim,

    Jus’ so you know, I quit my job today, and it’s all your book’s fault :D Well, I’m blaming the book….. I hope you’re happy……cause I certainly am :-). I finally ‘pulled the trigger’ and I’m extatic. Then to make the day even sweeter THIS competition shows up! I’m in the UK so not in it for the prize but I will give it my all, I have just the idea. I’ve also booked my first ‘mini-retirement’ to New York in Feb – it’s not actually hit home yet. Man, this has been a life changing coupla months!

    I really hope it works out, but even if it doesn’t it’ll be one hell of an adventure! Good luck to all those who enter who are up for the big prize.

    I’m not sure how many of your comments you get to read on here Tim, but just in case you see this one – I wanted to say – Thank you.

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 11th, 2009
      12:14 am

      Congratulations, Helen! It will be an adventure, that’s for sure :)

      Tim

      Reply
  • Bart Hook
    December 10th, 2009
    7:07 pm

    What a great idea Tim. I have been toying around with the idea of a tee-shirt company. This is just the kind of incentive I needed.

    Here’s a thought…
    Maybe you could convince the government to do something similar with some of that extra TARP money to help stimulate the Economy. ;)

    Bart

    Reply
  • Rod Pitman
    December 10th, 2009
    9:27 pm

    I have been looking for an e commerce solution for our new global hemp business. Out of the blue I got a call from Lance Barton @ takingoverhollywood and he suggested we check the out the contest. If anyone has any additional thoughts that would help us Plant The Seed about the value of hemp, feel free to contact us @hempsters.

    Maybe this will be another component that will help make hemp the solution.

    Best,

    Rod Pitman
    Executive Producer
    Hempsters – Plant The Seed

    Reply
  • Matt Coughlin
    December 10th, 2009
    9:57 pm

    It’s oooonnnnnn!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  • Nathan
    December 10th, 2009
    9:59 pm

    In your own words, “I know a Fortune 500 company employee who’s quitting in 2010 because his Shopify store makes more than $1,000,000 per year.”

    I haven’t really run across too many inexperienced entrepreneurs that could generate approx. $83K per month, $1M annualized revenues, in less six than months.

    So doesn’t the Fortune 500 guy (or somebody similar) have the contest in the bag? Or did I misunderstand the way the contest works?

    I still think people should get motivated and start their businesses.

    Reply
  • Naomi
    December 10th, 2009
    10:10 pm

    Quick question Tim – how comprehensive are the tutorials?

    I’d be interested in entering just for the tutorials, but I’d like to know if the change of focus is worth it – ie. are the tutorials related to marketing and research as you practise it, or more focused on the technical aspects of setting up an online store?

    cheers
    Naomi

    Reply
  • Rahul Malik
    December 11th, 2009
    12:58 am

    Looks like I’m back to reading the book again. Do I really need the new edition for the challenge or can I get by on the original?

    Reply
  • Ralph
    December 11th, 2009
    9:29 am

    Ah shiggity! I’m in!! I’ll see you all at the finish line :)

    Reply
  • Ryan Nile
    December 11th, 2009
    9:40 am

    We will be doing this just for the mere fact that we were going to do it anyway, this fits in so perfectly. We’re in the UK, so will be using the guide material as we go along – not sure where that will be though, on this blog or on shopify… I’ll sign up nearer the end of the month so I get my 1st month free :)

    Reply
  • Tobias Lütke
    December 11th, 2009
    11:21 am

    @Naomi: We are still finalizing the details. We hope that the tutorials will help people with specific aspects of building the business such as product sourcing and automating order fulfillment and such things. Also Tim’s book is full of great advice but I assume you have read this :-)

    Reply
  • Jenn
    December 11th, 2009
    11:55 am

    @nathan- The way I read the rules was that it had to be a new product, so while the fortune 500 person might indeed have the experience, they still need a new product, with the goal of automation (which some might not already have done anyways).

    Tim etc- Am I reading the rules right? Would I be able to do this while still keeping it a part of my current business(using my current business name/tax numbers)? I run a related product based business now but want to do digital goods for the contest. Products etc would not be on the shopify site, I just want to be able to continue using my same business info.

    Reply
  • Eva
    December 11th, 2009
    12:07 pm

    Tim, your competition just might kick-start the U.S. economy back into life for 2010!

    @ Helen.
    Helen, you are a trigger-puller ‘par excellence’. We do accommodation in New York, so when you get closer to planning your mini-retirement in the Big Apple, get in contact. We’ll see if we can sort you out with A Room in New York.

    (Now if only we could find a way to drop-ship B & Bs for businesspeople! I reckon shopify would have a winner on its hands, Tim)

    Reply
  • Alex Karasyov
    December 11th, 2009
    12:26 pm

    awesome move from Shopify.

    Too bad I live in Canada. I’ll look into making my business US “based”.

    Reply
  • Scott
    December 11th, 2009
    1:15 pm

    @Nathan – Regarding your question about someone having the contest in the bag, note that contestants have to start a brand new business. A continuation of a current one or putting an existing online or brick-and-mortar store on Shopify does not qualify. The idea is to get people who have no business started to start one.

    From the FAQs:
    “Can I move my existing online store over?
    Obviously we would love to have your business on Shopify. However, the spirit of this contest is to encourage new businesses to be created. ”

    What about a brick and mortar store?
    It’s a fantastic time to move your business online. However, much like with existing online stores – see previous point – the spirit of the contest is to encourage new businesses. Moving an existing brick and mortar store online is not going to be a valid new business unless you can clearly demonstrate that you are not taking advantage of the existing offline business.”

    Reply
  • Craig Burrow
    December 11th, 2009
    1:24 pm

    Wow. This is great, and Shopify looks solid! The gauntlet has been thrown…

    Reply
  • How to Make $100,000 in 6 Months Tim Ferriss Shopify Competition | Path Insight
    December 11th, 2009
    3:36 pm

    [...] For those that haven’t yet heard of this contest, see Tim’s blog post here. [...]

  • Patrick
    December 11th, 2009
    4:08 pm

    I’m in.
    This contest is great in so many ways – for me and others I work with.

    Also, per above comments on eligibility, when you go to sign up, there’s a check box,
    “I guarantee that xxx is a new business that starts operating December 2009 or later.”

    (I thought I may be able to enhance a current business by opening a whole-new ‘automated component’ with an online store, but I couldn’t guarantee it was a new business, so didn’t enter that one.)

    Tim, as always thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  • Lacey Sharp
    December 11th, 2009
    4:38 pm

    Thank you Tim! Because of you and you’re book I’ve been simplifying my life this last year in preparation to quitting my job, living out my dream line, and feeding my Muse. I owned my own company (in the service industry…oh hell I admit it- I was a slave!) I just couldn’t get away from it to start on my Muse. I packed everything up two weeks ago and moved to a little town in CO where I’ll have no distractions (except when the ski runs call my name)! Now I can finally feed and love my Muse! This competition you’ve sprung on us couldn’t have come at a better time! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

    Reply
  • Suze
    December 12th, 2009
    12:32 am

    Hey Tim,

    Thanks so much for this kick in the butt.

    It’s refreshing to see a successful entrepreneur who is so concerned with helping others!

    You’re the real deal.

    Suze

    Reply
  • Caro Morgan
    December 12th, 2009
    1:38 am

    Ok, Tim, I’m in! :)
    Thanks for the kick in the pants.

    As a non-US entrant, I’m more interested in your guidance than in the prize money.

    How will you implement that? Do you plan to run a forum? blog? some way of helping the poor struggling saps that you have enticed into take this challenge :)

    Caro (in South Africa)

    ps. any other SA folk planning to do this? contact me please on carom@iafrica.com – it would be good to have some company on the ride.

    Reply
  • Nathan
    December 12th, 2009
    2:00 pm

    @Scott Thanks! That makes much more sense. :)

    Reply
  • Miles Syswerda
    December 12th, 2009
    3:37 pm

    Exactly what I needed. I’ve stalled after the initial excitement of reading the 4hww a few months ago. Motivation is priceless.

    Reply
  • Mark McLemore
    December 12th, 2009
    6:11 pm

    Butt kick… Thank you, Sir, may I please have another?

    Tim, I take heart because I remember that you have had several failed attempts–like “How I Beat the Ivy League.” I wanted to wait for the new 4HWW to regroup and plan my next attempt, then start in January. Perfect timing.

    I’m not in it for the $100k. I’ll take the automated business any day, thank you.

    Mark

    Reply
  • kim
    December 12th, 2009
    7:11 pm

    hi tim,
    i agree. we are are from nz. we read your book, quit our jobs and started our business.
    i think there should be a prize that if someone wins from overseas they get to meet you. you fly and see us or something.
    what do you think?
    kim and jase

    Reply
  • Adam Davis
    December 12th, 2009
    7:31 pm

    A good old fashioned throwdown! I’m game.

    Automation is about constant tweaking and tinkering, continuous improvement is what leads to the breakthroughs..and this contest is sure to generate some serious breakthroughs.

    Thanks, Tim

    Reply
  • PDQ
    December 12th, 2009
    9:23 pm

    Thank you Tim and Tobi for the awesome kick in pants! I’ve had an idea for a business nagging at the edge of mind for a couple of months; this is EXACTLY the push I needed.

    I do have a couple questions about the contest rules (sorry to be a rules-dweeb, but as anybody who’s read 4HWW knows, it is critical to understand the rules of the game! ;-)

    1) You mentioned that businesses in some U.S. states cannot participate for legal reasons. Is a list of these states available somewhere? I couldn’t find that info in the FAQ. I need to incorporate and don’t want to disqualify myself out of the gate.

    2) What about subscription businesses? The FAQ says:

    “However, only the first $5,000 of each order counts towards the contest. No you can’t get 100 orders placed by the same person for $5,000 each either. We check for this”

    My business idea is for a product sold on a subscription basis (either monthly or biweekly, I haven’t decided yet.) Will monthly subscription orders from the same customer count for scorekeeping purposes?

    Thanks again for the opportunity!

    Reply
  • Caro Morgan
    December 13th, 2009
    1:29 am

    Ok, Tim, I’m in! :)
    Thanks for the kick in the pants.

    As a non-US entrant, I’m more interested in your guidance than in the prize money.

    How will you implement that? Do you plan to run a forum? blog? some way of helping the poor struggling saps that you have enticed into take this challenge :)

    Caro (in South Africa)

    ps. any other SA folk planning to do this? contact me please – it would be good to have some company on the ride.

    Reply
  • Caro Morgan
    December 13th, 2009
    1:31 am

    Ok, Tim, I’m in! :)
    Thanks for the kick in the pants.

    As a non-US entrant, I’m more interested in your guidance than in the prize money.

    How will you implement that? Do you plan to run a forum? blog? some way of helping the poor struggling saps that you have enticed into take this challenge :)

    Caro (in South Africa)

    ps. any other SA folk planning to do this? contact me please – it would be good to have some company on the ride

    Reply
  • Steve
    December 13th, 2009
    8:52 am

    Thanks Tim. This is a great idea.

    I have been reviewing a specific niche that I’m passionate about and would like to begin marketing as an affiliate. In my research, I have found a product publisher in Colorado that has exactly the product I want to sell. Payouts to affiliates are approximately $33 per product and he has a suite of complimentary products that I’d be proud to be selling. It’s a digital product that is only offered on ClickBank (dot) com.

    I am excited about this contest and see this as a perfect tie in to begin my muse. I’ve been reading the contest rules and understand that affiliate sales qualify. How does this work if it is a ClickBank product though?

    Thanks again for the great idea and if you’re interested, I did a cool blog post about you and Matt Cutt’s presentation at WordCamp this summer. (on my blog at the above address)

    Ciao,
    Steve

    Reply
  • Steve
    December 13th, 2009
    9:07 am

    Have you (or anyone else) seen any success with affiliate based sites? Is it possible to make a modest steady cash flow simply by advertising other sites. For example, using only amazon.com products and making referral money from the affiliate program?

    Reply
  • Jay
    December 13th, 2009
    11:47 am

    Sounds cool, i need a kick in the butt to get serious about creating a passive income so i’ll give this a try! Alas, i’ll be travelling in january, so i’ll give the rest of you a little head start (hoping the fable of the turtle and the hare applies here as well :-) ) .

    Reply
  • Chris
    December 13th, 2009
    3:04 pm

    Tim, brilliant idea, I am in. Set up my store in an hour, pulili.myshopify.com. Starting off selling our home stuff; clothes, books, shoes, equipment, just for practice. Doing this while I re-read 4 Hour to implement a real product strategy by Jan 1.

    My six month goal is to pay off credit card debt. After that its student loans, after that we are debt free. Looking forward to eventually having the time to spend time with my daughter, be financially independent and having the time to pursue competing in the Crossfit Games. Thanks for getting me off my duff.

    Reply
  • Chris
    December 13th, 2009
    3:13 pm

    Hi Tim,

    Thanks for this swift kick in the drawers. Got my site up in an hour. Starting off selling household things for practice(old books, clothes, equipment), while I re-read 4 Hour and implement a real product strategy in Jan.
    My six month goal is to pay off all credit card debt. After that its student loans, then after that saving for a house. I look forward to spending more time with my family, being financially independent and finally having the time to train for the Crossfit Games.

    Keep the content coming!

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 13th, 2009
      4:45 pm

      Hi Chris,

      Congrats on taking the first step! Selling a few things for practice is a very, very smart idea.

      Good idea and may you crush it at Crossfit!

      Tim

      Reply
  • Yadgyu
    December 13th, 2009
    3:56 pm

    I see a lot of people making excuses.

    It is rather sad that most you are wasting time criticizing and asking nonsense questions instead of taking action. Just get to work and stop with the “reasons” things will not work. You are only hurting yourselves with your petty gripes, cynicism, and confusion.

    Reply
  • Mario
    December 13th, 2009
    4:47 pm

    Tim- Will there still be a 2hr. Q&A for ppl who preorder the book?

    Reply
  • N N
    December 13th, 2009
    6:36 pm

    It costs money to open an account with shopify….

    Reply
  • Tim Ferriss
    December 14th, 2009
    2:09 am

    Hi All!

    Thanks so much for the great comments and discussion. Just an important FYI:

    The live QA for y’all who get the new edition will not be on the 17th — it will be on the 12/22, as I’ve realized some people won’t receive books by 12/17.

    Here is the new and expanded edition — much, much improved with more than 50 tips and case studies from readers: http://bit.ly/jEAUT

    More call details to come soon.

    If you want to join the call with the older edition, that’s also totally cool, but we’ll be focusing on content in the new book and things that have happened since 2007.

    Looking forward to it!

    Thanks so much and all the best,

    Tim

    Reply
  • Chris
    December 14th, 2009
    8:37 am

    Hey Tim,

    QQ’s, can you shed light on how I would create my own ROI equation? I am concerned that if I build the business based on what I spend for marketing, that I might run into a problem when I decide to take a profit. So basically, if I spend X(adwords, outsourcing, etc..) to make Y(revenue), where do I draw the line to make a profit after COGS? Do I factor it in the beginning? My first inclination would be to put all the revenue back into marketing in the beginning to get traffic. But once I have traffic, I think that the business model(ROI) will naturally result from how much I spend on marketing, and when I decide to take profit(income) from revenue, that it could throw off the model and I could see a decrease in revenue(based on the decreased marketing spend). Do I spend more on marketing in the beginning to establish my business, and later pull back on ad spend to take profit? I realize I will see a lot more organic traffic once I establish through marketing, but I cant bank on that, or can I?

    If the answer is simply “its in the book”, just reply with that :)
    I am re-reading the book, and looking forward to the new edition.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  • John
    December 14th, 2009
    10:49 am

    I’m grateful that Tim started the Shopify contest, but…
    Here’s a few observations I’ve made about Shopify.
    1. There is NO telephone support!
    2. If you don’t know how to mess with HTML and CSS, then you will most likely need to consult with a designer. Designer=money. This is especially true if you’re working with many products.
    3. I followed their online solution for inserting my logo on my Shopify store and it did not work. You actually have to go into CODE to incorporate your logo on the Shopify store! A store where you can’t insert your logo without messing around with CODE! Never heard of such a thing.

    Reply
  • Ryan
    December 14th, 2009
    2:01 pm

    Tim,

    First off THANK YOU! I have always been into maximizing efficiency and output while minimizing time of production. However, you have taken it to another level and helped many lives in the process!

    With that said, what’s the word? CAN THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST MEET YOU?! (or even the top 5, I’m sure they’d be willing to fork out the money for travel. I know I would.)

    Ryan

    Reply
  • Raza
    December 14th, 2009
    3:29 pm

    Ok, gonna give it a go… I have a few web businesses that I’m starting with an investment of less than $100. Can’t afford AdWords right now, but I’ll be using all the SEO tricks I know to get this off the ground.

    Reply
  • Raza
    December 14th, 2009
    3:30 pm

    my bad, added keywords rather than my real name in my last comment.

    Reply
  • Maxim
    December 15th, 2009
    3:42 am

    Judjing from the comments, I assume that the most wanted and dreamed about tutorial would be
    “How non US citizen can create the US company: what are the cheapest options, what are the risks involved, what are the requirements, limitations and timings, what are the difference in conditions between countries (how Russia is different from South Africa for example), what are the difference between different schemes (e.g. buying stuff remotely in the USA and selling it in the USA as well or importing/exporting schemes), what are the preferable payments and taxation schemes and what are the next actions to be taken right now.
    Or put short “comprehensive, but short tutorial on how to open and manage US company for non-US citizen”.

    That would be INCREDIBLE.

    PS I’m from Russia BTW :)

    Reply
  • Maxim
    December 15th, 2009
    3:54 am

    I’m sorry to bo so wordy today, but I think there a couple more extremely important issues that prevent many others from joining:

    1. It would be really great to understand the product sources (in case if you’re not producing smth by yourself).

    2. It would be really great to understand the shipping schemes (how can I ship something within the USA or internationally remotely, what are the prices, companies, etc)?

    3. How can be drop-shipping schemes integrated here?

    FOR EXAMPLE
    How can I ship something from China from alibaba.com to the USA for example and sell it through shopfy while staying in Russia for example and get pay. :)

    I do believe that the project will be a huge success if you could address these issues in a simple and understandable manner.

    Thank you very much for all that you do!

    Reply
  • Soleone
    December 15th, 2009
    5:55 am

    @John

    1.) Yes, there is no phone support, but there is an extensive email help system that works well in my opinion and usually you have your answers in 0 – 6 hours.

    2.) You can select from different basic themes to choose your main look. Then each theme has some settings (e.g. colors, logo, background image) that you don’t need any code for. Anything more custom you have to dig into HTML/CSS yes, but if you want something professionally looking it doesn’t work with WYSIWYG tools.

    3.) Allmost all themes support setting a logo (and position) without any code. If it didn’t work out for you, just ask the customer support, they will help you incorporate it.

    Reply
  • Scott
    December 15th, 2009
    9:26 am

    What is the difference between the FAQs and the Rules? For example, the FAQs make mention of the $5,000 per sale limit, but the rules do not. I mention this because I predict you should make it more clear up front what the rules are.

    I understand the spirit of the contest, but also recall that 4HWW opens with advice to read “the rules” and look for “loopholes”. For the good of the contest overall, I offer the outsider perspective that you might make it more clear if the FAQs are a part of “the rules”?

    Reply
  • Functioning e-Store in 60 minutes! « love/is/work
    December 15th, 2009
    11:55 am

    [...] a comment » Tim Ferriss just issued this challenge to make an extra $100k in the next 6 months.  The premise is simple: starting selling your product [...]

  • zecheng yu
    December 15th, 2009
    5:29 pm

    Can’t you just buy something from the winner’s store for $100,000?
    Or buy $100,000 stuff from the winner and then give the products away to a charity?

    I’m from Germany :’(
    And I want to be in the contest.

    …ah well, maybe i’ll start a shop anyway. Just to see if I can beat the US winner….

    Reply
  • Stephen Rousso
    December 15th, 2009
    6:15 pm

    Looks like this was setup before BigCommerce came on the scene. Shopify is OK but compared to BigCommerce it’s quite basic and BigCommerce feels easier to use after trying both.

    Reply
  • John
    December 15th, 2009
    6:29 pm

    @soleone

    1. With all due respect, I’ve not had a six hour turn-around with geting emails back from support. It’s been longer. When you’re dealing with crucial issues like uploading multiple products, it’s VERY helpful to have phone support. You can even follow all the directions in an email or forum and still not have things work right. That’s why phone support is crucial, in my opinion.

    2. I selected a theme, and found out that I could insert a logo, only to change that theme to find out that the new theme didn’t accept a logo image. On one theme my descriptions display HTML just fine, on another they don’t. Same HTML, different results. Shopify turned out to be a major hassel for me.

    3. I asked the customer support (via email) about adding a logo, and they simply gave me their standard “We don’t assist with design; go get a designer” mentality.

    I think this idea is great, but I don’t feel that the right company was chosen for the stores. In frustration, I went to another company (not to be named here) and setup a store, with logo, with 300+ products, with phone support, with flawless uploading capability, and no need for CODE (editing .CSS files) in a matter of hours.

    Reply
  • Davion Meade
    December 16th, 2009
    8:27 am

    This Is Some Really Great Info To Wake up To!!! This Is Great I’m So Stoked right Now!!! Woohooo!

    Reply
  • Stephen
    December 16th, 2009
    9:11 am

    Hey Tim,
    I wish I had the resources and money to join this contest. I would love to start my own Business and not have to answer to a boss. I think when things get better for me I will try.
    Tanks, Stephen

    Reply
  • Ryan
    December 16th, 2009
    1:58 pm

    Tim, or anyone for that matter,

    You say in your book that weebly is great for non-technical newbies and for working SEO techniques. Does weebly integrate with shopify or are they similar?

    Ryan

    Reply
  • Brian Schoenbaechler
    December 16th, 2009
    3:21 pm

    My company is a fulfillment outsourcing company that would love to help out any of you entrepreneurs with the pick, packing, and shipping of your products. I have read 4HWW and it is my passion to support entrepreneurship. Best of luck and let me know if I our my company can be of help in any way.

    Reply
  • Russ
    December 16th, 2009
    10:06 pm

    Tim,

    The contest is a great idea to help people get going on their muse. Kudos. Looking forward to the updated version of 4HWW too.

    I went through the process of setting up my own online store a few months back. I made a case study of it, that includes all the particular problems from shopping carts to getting listed in Google base and setting up an email program.

    Here is the case study.

    http://www.aspkin.com/forums/webmaster-jungle/9929-case-study-free-e-commerce-site-w-cart-step-step.html

    A couple of points from the case study.

    1. Amazon’s new Checkout by Amazon service radically increases conversions.

    2. At checkout, always offer a simple 1 or 2 click option ( ala Paypal, checkout by Amazon etc..).
    Requiring people to fill out a long registration page is death to your conversion %.

    3. Email lists can be lifesavers if used properly. The traffic I get from my weekly emails converts 3 to 4 times better than organic traffic.

    4. Google base is mandatory. Gives beautiful highly targeted free traffic.

    Cheers! Good luck to all

    All the best

    Russ

    Reply
  • Michael
    December 17th, 2009
    8:44 am

    The 4-Hour work week changed my life for the better. It was what inspired me to finally get with it and create my new business.

    Reply
  • greg
    December 17th, 2009
    5:34 pm

    Great contest. Count me in

    Reply
  • James Robey
    December 18th, 2009
    1:23 am

    Are any non-americans working on incorporating an american company to participate in this contest?

    I am strongly considering a wyoming LLC.

    My research seems to indicate that LLCs are best for foreigners, due to pass-through of income.

    Wyoming seems to be better than the more common nevada & delaware incorporation states.

    I’m a Canadian currently living in the Philippines, enjoying a bit of 4hww geo-arbitrage.

    Reply
  • Antonio
    December 18th, 2009
    3:28 am

    I just bought the revised 4HWW and I have been excited to try this out, especially if there’s a free 30-day trial. But I have been skeptical about how practical this idea of starting an online business is for complete newbies.

    A huge thanks goes out to Russ and the few others who have offered some practical advice for the newbies like myself!

    Reply
  • Cameron Benz
    December 18th, 2009
    1:01 pm

    Tim,

    You are distracting me from my muses……..lol

    And with as little capital as I presently have, hard to get a product based business going.

    Seriously though, in about two months I may need to get in touch with you and Kevin in regards to my other (read main) muse.

    Reply
  • An Escapologist’s Diary. Part 9. « New Escapologist
    December 20th, 2009
    2:21 pm

    [...] Workweek (Duh) but this post summarises the concept neatly. Tim Ferris is also currently running a $100,000 competition geared toward encouraging people to build their muses. Alas, the competition is only open to [...]

  • Chris De La Rosa
    December 20th, 2009
    5:38 pm

    Super contest. Nice to see fellow Canadians so interested.

    Reply
  • Jenn
    December 21st, 2009
    11:58 am

    I’m looking for info on the Dec 22nd call I’ve heard about. Bought the new book..yayy! Can someone let me know how to get on the call soon? Its tomorrow! :)

    Thanks!!

    Reply
  • Gene
    December 22nd, 2009
    6:55 am

    Hi Tim,

    I am also looking for the info for the call today. I have both editions, read and ready to go…

    Thanks!

    Reply
  • Michael Medlock
    December 24th, 2009
    4:57 am

    Hi Tim,

    Great that you are encouraging people to go out there and take some kind of control of their income. While it’s not always easy it certainly isn’t as hard as most people will tell you.

    I have a question that I am sure will be of interest to many of your readers. I want to start an affiliate program for one of my language teaching businesses. Do you have any experience / recommendations? Is an off-the-peg solution best or an tailor-made solution (using an Elancer or Guru developer for example)?

    Thanks

    Michael

    Reply
  • Evert de Ruiter
    December 24th, 2009
    6:14 pm

    Hi Tim,

    this is a great contest, and I like the idea behind it very much. Again you managed to be such an inspiration for a lot of people, and with the added incentive there is no reason not to give it a shot. And even for non-US residents it is a great idea to start an online shop like this; start small, think big.

    I do have a question though; I’m an international student from the Netherlands currently living and studying in California, am I allowed to enter the contest? Or is that too difficult for you to answer?

    Greetings,

    Evert

    Reply
  • Start Your Own Business And Win $100,000 | TechLifeMashup | Entrepreneurs, Social Media, and Technology
    December 25th, 2009
    3:58 pm

    [...] FULL DETAILS: No More Excuses – How to Make an Extra $100,000 in the Next 6 Months [...]

  • Doc Kane
    December 26th, 2009
    11:15 pm

    Tim et. al.,

    I’ve been spending a lot of time working on the Shopify store I’m currently implementing, and am just about at my wits end. I’m curious how other folks are making out. . .as someone pretty familiar with HTML, as well as wordpress platforms, I’m surprised at exactly how dang difficult it is to really get something going OTHER than the most simple of sites. Templates are great, but not being able to manipulate the code in a simple fashion is proving to be a big P.I.T.A.

    Also, not being able to capture visitors to the site…even those that don’t want to buy immediately…is a huge disadvantage, in my eyes.

    Anyone else having problems with the code, and limitations of the marketing?

    I’d love to stick with this model, but am currently considering other store platforms that are easier to work with. I can’t imagine how hard this is for people with zero knowledge of code. :-(

    Bummed.

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 27th, 2009
      11:41 am

      Hi Doc,

      Let me shoot your comment to Tobi. Let’s see what we can figure out.

      Thank you for the comment. I suspect there should be a work-around here.

      Tim

      Reply
  • John
    December 27th, 2009
    11:58 am

    @Doc

    I totally relate to what you’re saying. My earlier posts describe my frustration. In my opinion Shopify is TERRIBLE.

    I went to another store (ProStores) and setup everything I needed in a matter of hours. The greatest part was the telephone support I received, which is absolutely NIL at Shopify. That’s there downfall.

    As I said earlier… Great idea Tim, but bad choice of vehicles.

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    December 27th, 2009
    12:39 pm

    Tim and John,

    Nice to hear from each of you. Re: marketing, Shopify doesn’t support user accounts, which was, and is still part of my concern, as my site will be tailored to folks coming back regularly. I’m afraid the constant need to fill out their information will stifle repeat buying. Maybe I’m wrong, but this is one main reason why I’m considering other platforms.

    Shopify does, however, integrate with MailChimp and a few other contact programs, and after a lot of .php editing and junk that didn’t seem to work, I found Chimpified . It’s the simplest way to integrate email capturing for list building once a purchase has been made.

    Tim, if it helps Tobi in sorting out his ideas, below are a few things I’m looking to do at the moment. I realize I can post these questions in their forum, and know they don’t help folks with design, so a nod in the right direction the best I might ask for, I suppose.

    1. Substitute standard “add to cart” images with something cooler, like “gotta’ have it!’
    2. Sidebar manipulation/Columns…where in the heck are they?! ;-)
    3. Is there a way to see the code behind pages/product pages?
    4. How can I place newsletter signup boxes simply? I saw something about newsletter.signup at one point in the wiki, but lost it…getting it in the right place through trial-and-error without any WYSIWYG it’s really tough. I still haven’t figured it out, actually!
    5. I’m using the Moderno theme, which is nice because I want a single product on the home page at a time, but can’t seem to place a “add to cart” type button on that page that automatically will add that product to the cart.
    6. Also, on the frontpage of my site, the theme automatically places a banner description right over top the image, I can edit the code out, but part of the color remains. In actuality, I’d like to have the banner, but above the item, not over it.
    7. Also, is there any hope of implementing a membership option? There are other rev streams I could and want to create in a single domain, one being a membership area and/or VIP kinda’ discount area. Any hope this will be available at some point?

    There are a lot of great aspects to Shopify, it seems, particularly once things get moving. The back end seems GREAT, but the front end is…jeez…really not intuitive, OR, I’m looking in all the wrong places for the right help! I’ve been through the wiki and forums, but one thing I’m finding difficult is that while, often comprehensive, some of the coding explanations just seem to end right when they’re getting informative, or they assume too much current knowledge as when mentioning objects/filters/expressions.

    These two sites, listed on the Shopify Wiki, are worth a look-see for others working on their sites. They’re a bit more “tutorial” in nature:

    http://guide.markdunkley.com/
    http://cheat.markdunkley.com/

    Thanks, and I look forward to still giving it a roll!

    @John, I too have a list of other stores I’m considering, including ones that have different pricing models. I won’t list them here, but there are numerous opportunities, each with their own advantages/difficulties, I think. The coding, though, as you’ve mentioned is, indeed, making this one a challenge! ;-)

    Cheers,
    Doc

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    December 27th, 2009
    3:45 pm

    For those working on Shopify sites, I had a great conversation with Tobi, who is really looking forward to learning about how things are going in creating our sites. He’s particularly interested in any particular challenges we’re finding. And, since this is – at least for now – a good forum for each of us, we can post ‘em here unless Tim or Tobi suggest otherwise. They’re working on a number of things and I’m still positive about what the site can do. There’s always a learning curve and the more we can share with the Shopify folks about how to make it better, the easier it will continue to be!

    Tobi is already taking advice he’s rec’d recently and begun working on certain improvements on the wiki, etc.

    Thanks Tim for calling my concerns to Tobi’s attention, and thanks Tobi for your time and interest.

    Cheers,
    Doc

    Reply
  • Chelsea
    December 27th, 2009
    10:38 pm

    DO NOT USE Doba!

    A rip off! They will scam you!

    http://www.salehoo.com/blog/doba-review-indepth-look-at-what-doba-dropshippers-offers/

    Read the comments to see what others have said. You have been warned.

    Reply
  • Sophie
    December 28th, 2009
    7:10 am

    I have an idea for a business but I have no idea where and how to find manufacturers (PS: I’m in Europe).
    Any ideas?

    Reply
  • Mark
    December 28th, 2009
    8:03 am

    Wow this is an amazing challenge and already gathering huge momentum. Good luck to all participants.

    Reply
  • David Fiddler
    December 28th, 2009
    9:14 am

    Hi Tim -

    First off, thank you for getting this contest going. It has certainly inspired me to get something of my own off the ground. Anyway, my shop is something that I could market to others that are joining the contest or even people who are new to Shopify (we are creating logos and other basic design packages for small biz start-ups). Any idea on how I could market to people through either the contest or Shopify? Thanks in advance for your answer.

    -David Fiddler

    Reply
  • Michael
    December 28th, 2009
    10:10 am

    OK, I admit it… I’m a little slow. I’ve been going through the website and all of it looks really neat. BUT, what drives traffic to my “new” website? What makes people want to buy the products that I choose to sale? What makes this more than just another on-line site that makes money for shopify vs. myself also?

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    December 29th, 2009
    9:24 am

    Hi David,

    I’m sure you’re services will be in demand! You might wish to try advertising yourself, so-to-speak, on Shopify’s job board:

    http://forums.shopify.com/categories/11

    Cheers, D

    Reply
  • Stewart Christensen
    December 29th, 2009
    4:53 pm

    Hi Tim,

    I have been working with my family over the past year to build a website. We just launched our beta this month. obviously we are not using shopify, does this disqualify us or are we still eligible for the prize?

    thanks,
    Stewart

    Reply
  • Jason
    December 29th, 2009
    11:50 pm

    Math is fun.

    Shopify gets X number of new customers for minimum of 6 months at the recommended business rate of $99/mo (that’s minimum $600 per person), and they are generously going to award those customers (who are paying a 1% transaction fee to Shopify) for the best two consecutive months of sales.

    If X is > 200, not counting transaction percentage and whatever cut Tim is getting from this promotion (don’t think for a second he did this for just the publicity of it — THAT is how you automate your income, btw), Shopify is clearing a profit.

    Maybe I should hold one of these contests. It’s little more than a business performance lottery.

    ###

    TIM RESPONSE:

    As I already noted, I’m not getting a cut of anything. Feel free to hold your own contest, though. The more the merrier.

    Tim

    Reply
  • George
    December 30th, 2009
    7:57 am

    Hi Tim,

    I just found your book and website. I think you’re a genuine person and really have found a way to fight back against the dreaded 40 hour work week.

    I’ll give this a try. I tried it once before but my marketing skills are not my best trait. I’ll hopefully be signing up soon. Do you have to sign up for this before jan 1 2009?

    Thanks, George

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      December 30th, 2009
      6:58 pm

      Hi George,

      Nope. You can sign up at any time before it ends around June.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply
  • Jenn
    December 30th, 2009
    8:02 am

    @Stewart Christensen The contest is hosted by Shopify and only stores run through their shopping cart can win…that’s how you enter on their site. Hope that helps! :)

    Reply
  • How A Smart Bear Built A Company So He Could Sell It – with Jason Cohen | Mixergy - Online Business Tips from Successful Entrepreneurs
    December 30th, 2009
    9:27 am

    [...] of stores are built using Shopify because it's easy to setup and manage. Tim Ferriss recently announced a contest that offers $100,000 prize for the highest grossing store. Go start your store before Jan [...]

  • Scott
    December 30th, 2009
    10:11 am

    @Stewart Christensen, Also note that the rules state that contest participants’ businesses must be new, not simply extending a pre-existing business to a Shopify site.

    Reply
  • Scott
    December 30th, 2009
    10:14 am

    @Jason Tim is an advisor to Shopify, as he clearly states up front. Of course he is not going to advise Shopify to do something that will make them lose money. I believe Tim when he says he’s not getting a cut. By promoting and supporting this contest, he’s simply doing his job as advisor which is to help Shopify grow and profit.

    Reply
  • Andrew
    December 30th, 2009
    11:33 am

    @michael — Search Marketing is going to be a key component. Google AdWords (Pay-Per-Click) will be one of the quickest ways to drive traffic. Over the 6 month period you can also work on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to build up your website’s authority with the search engines and start to deliver ‘organic’ traffic from search. The SEO benefit won’t be immediate, but you should see results in the first 3-6 months if you’re consistent in your efforts and it will pay huge dividends as you cultivate your ‘muse’ long term.

    @tim — That makes me think… perhaps I could provide some LotusJump accounts (extended free trials?) to contest participants to help them with SEO. Hit me on email or twitter if you want to talk.

    Reply
  • Krista
    December 30th, 2009
    2:35 pm

    Does anyone know if shopify is SE friendly? I am used to wordpress and have several sites, but I want to try shopify for the competition.

    Reply
  • Ryan Nile
    December 31st, 2009
    2:50 pm

    @Sophie Doesn’t matter where you are ;)

    “I have an idea for a business but I have no idea where and how to find manufacturers (PS: I’m in Europe).
    Any ideas?”

    alibaba.com

    Reply
  • Charles Whyte
    December 31st, 2009
    3:21 pm

    Tim -

    Thanks for this contest!!! I’ve just opened up a “Shopify” account and so far am amazed at how easy and basic the interface is. Next step, design, upload, and crazy marketing.

    Again, great idea, and I look forward to seeing how this thing unfolds.

    -Charles

    Reply
  • Gloria
    December 31st, 2009
    3:23 pm

    I am having difficulty with shopify as well. I also have extensive html knowledge with different platforms and this one is kicking my butt. I am looking at the specs and I don’t see the advantage. It doesn’t have or at least I haven’t found the following

    Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
    ROI Tracker
    Affiliate program
    MyRewards system
    customer reviews
    Manage Returns / RMAs
    Point of Sale
    Abandoned / Live Carts
    Process Phone Orders

    I have found all of the above and more in another competitor but am not sure how efficiently they deliver on those promises yet. I am also still waiting to hear from Shopify’s customer service for over a week and a half now for a problem I am having with some of the settings. I am thinking that it is because of the holidays that they are taking so long but it doesn’t look good at all .

    On the plus side the idea of the competition did help me to get out there and I am actively taking steps towards getting my shop launched.

    Reply
  • Gloria
    December 31st, 2009
    4:01 pm

    never mind found some of those specs in the http://apps.shopify.com but you have to dish out additional monthly fees ranging up to 24.99 a month! which doubles your basic store fees.

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    December 31st, 2009
    5:39 pm

    @Gloria,

    Which app did you find that helps with returns, abandoned carts and live service?

    Thanks!
    Doc

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    December 31st, 2009
    5:41 pm

    Sorry for the second short post…

    @Andrew

    I’d love to see what’s up with LotusJump. Hadn’t ever heard of your tool till today!

    Reply
  • Gloria
    December 31st, 2009
    6:33 pm

    @ Doc.
    Which app did you find that helps with returns, abandoned carts and live service?

    None. Just two apps for customer reviews and you have to pay $24.99 a month for it. It is also a third party vendor so am not too keen on them. The cheapest was $19.95.

    Reply
  • crystal gomez
    January 1st, 2010
    3:12 pm

    Hello,
    I just bought the 4hww and im on ch 7 so I guess you can say Im a newbie. Im a real estate investor in CA looking to cut my work load and need to figure out a way how. I decided to check out this site after hearing about it from the book. Im so excited to start implementing everything Im learning and love this 100k contest. I plan to win and exceed all my expectation by doing so. I hope to meet you and remember my name.

    Crystal Gomez, CA

    Reply
  • Tim Ferriss
    January 1st, 2010
    6:41 pm

    Hi All,

    There is a new forum on Shopify for questions/feedback about the contest:
    http://forums.shopify.com/categories/12

    Happy new year! Go get ‘em!

    Tim

    Reply
  • The $12 Startup That Was Sold On Twitter For About $100,000 – with Sean Percival | Mixergy - Online Business Tips from Successful Entrepreneurs
    January 4th, 2010
    3:19 pm

    [...] of stores are built using Shopify because it's easy to setup and manage. Tim Ferriss recently announced a contest that offers $100,000 prize for the highest grossing store. Go start your store before Jan [...]

  • How Wufoo Turned A Profit In 9 Months By Selling Slick, Simple Forms – with Kevin Hale | Mixergy - Online Business Tips from Successful Entrepreneurs
    January 5th, 2010
    11:39 am

    [...] of stores are built using Shopify because it's easy to setup and manage. Tim Ferriss recently announced a contest that offers $100,000 prize for the highest grossing store. Go start your store before Jan [...]

  • Chris
    January 5th, 2010
    2:40 pm

    Hey All,

    I want to create a site to review a very specific category of iPhone app. The site will be mostly rich content until I come up with a product.

    What type of site should I start with? Maybe just a straight vertical blog style(think Hypebeast)?

    I want to get it live this week.

    Thanks.

    Reply
  • How A Professor Learned To Also Be An Entrepreneur – with Stephen Hsu | Mixergy - Online Business Tips from Successful Entrepreneurs
    January 6th, 2010
    3:35 pm

    [...] of stores are built using Shopify because it's easy to setup and manage. Tim Ferriss recently announced a contest that offers $100,000 prize for the highest grossing store. Go start your store before Jan [...]

  • Mike
    January 8th, 2010
    3:09 pm

    Hi Tim,

    Great idea, I’m in the UK so can’t win the prize, but think this one’s more about the experience….I like the balance between supporting…and competing with each other!

    4hww is a real inspiration to a lot of people Tim, going to buy the updated version as audio, would be great to listen to while driving!

    Mike

    Reply
  • Scott
    January 9th, 2010
    5:32 pm

    Just curious when should we should expect to start seeing the expert tutorials on critical subjects (like Google Adwords testing, design, etc.) and real-life examples and where will be notified of them? Will it be in this blog?

    Reply
  • Terry Pratt
    January 9th, 2010
    8:15 pm

    p.s. Also I do not have home internet access, now is entering this contest feasible for me?

    Reply
  • Randy Wilburn
    January 9th, 2010
    9:46 pm

    Mr. Ferriss,

    It was great to see you post about our Business Week article again. I still cannot believe that after more than 18 months the article still has a tremendous amount of traction. Nicola and I have received calls and emails from people all over the world due to that article and our experiences. I can only imagine what it must be like for you given the difference your book and ideas have made on the lives of folks around the world. Nicola and I plan to participate in your contest and we look forward to what the next 6 months have in store.

    Keep doing what you do and hopefully our paths will cross and we’ll get to meet in real life soon.

    God Bless,

    Randy Wilburn

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      January 10th, 2010
      11:30 pm

      Thanks so much, Randy! You and Nicola have inspired a great many people worldwide, and you should be proud. Hope to meet you in 2010.

      All the best to you and yours,

      Tim

      Reply
  • Chris H.
    January 10th, 2010
    1:13 pm

    Hello All,

    I’m really excited to start up my own shopify store, but i have some questions.

    I grow an Asian citrus known as Calamansi have received some interest about shipping fresh quantities. It only grows in certain climates stateside (California, and Florida) so I know many states can’t get them. I plan to market to Philippinos (2nd largest Asian American group in the US)

    I’m kind of stuck on how to price them. They are very small and potent so only a few are needed for any type of cooking. They are usually sold and used when they are still green so they stay fresh for a long time, but I don’t see anyone needing large quantities for home use.

    I’m thinking about charging $10.00 for roughly 10-12 fruits, this is including shipping. I can only ship within the US due to USDA regs.

    I’m just wondering what your guys opinion is on how to go about this, I want to be fair, but I also need it to be worth my while.

    Any input would be great guys.

    Thanks you,

    Chris H.

    Reply
  • bashir Ahmad
    January 12th, 2010
    12:48 am

    Ok I have some questions.

    I am a U.S citizen but right now I am living in Pakistan. I might be in Thailand in April. Do I still qualify to take part in the contest even if I am not currently in the USA?

    Also I JUST started an online store for my brand of Muay Thai gear. In fact I am sorting out the payment issues right NOW, when I stumbled onto this contest. The site was up like 2 weeks ago so its not an established business by any means.

    If I move it over to shopify am I good to go? I have not made a single sale yet, the site doesn’t have all the content online yet and the shopping cart hasnt even been set up.

    I want to take part in this contest but I wanna be sure I qualify. I have so many things going on, it would be rash of me to abandon all other thigns I devoted to right now and try to come up with something new out of thin air.

    Tim please check it out and let me know!

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      January 12th, 2010
      10:18 am

      Hi Bashir,

      I would check on the Shopify forums to be sure (see new link in the post), but I think you should be OK to go.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply
  • Dimitri from Shopify
    January 12th, 2010
    1:02 pm

    Hi everyone,

    @scott and everyone else asking about the professional tutorials, this will be happening very soon – we’re looking to put the first video up at the end of the month. If you’re registered for the contest, you will be getting it delivered right to your inbox, and it will also get posted on http://www.storecontest.com

    Regards,

    Dimitri

    Reply
  • Clint Masser
    January 16th, 2010
    7:04 pm

    Joined on Mon and have a market picked out for our store, now it’s time to sort through dropshippers to find high demand/low supply and profitable products for our store.

    Besides what’s recommended in the book, are there other quality dropshipping sites that you’d recommend?

    From the entrepreneur forums I frequent it appears that most are scams, especially if one does a Google search for “dropshippers” or related terms such as “dropshipping company”, “dropshipping source”, etc.

    And oh yea, as part of the contest as this is probably going to be the most popular of the 3 options from Income Autopilot I, will steps to finding the right source for products be part of the expert tutorials?

    At the end of the day though, we won’t know until we try and like the Diff’rent Strokes theme states “what might be right for you, might not be right for some” :)

    Reply
  • Doc Kane
    January 26th, 2010
    11:49 pm

    @ChrisH

    I might be interested in featuring the Calamansi limes on the site I’m working on at the moment. I’m familiar with the limes for sure. We’re launching Feb 1st, and your limes will appeal to our audience of home and professional bakers/pastry makers. You can feel free to reach out to me at doc @ roscommon.com and we can set up a time to chat. Cheers, Doc

    Reply
  • Jacob B
    February 1st, 2010
    1:08 am

    does anyone know what is going on with this contest?

    “there will be expert tutorials on critical subjects (like Google Adwords testing, design, etc.) on a monthly basis at minimum, posts on this blog with real-life examples, and more.”

    I was expecting some guidence on picking a muse, to get the ball rolling..havent seen any activity.

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      February 14th, 2010
      8:27 pm

      Hi Jacob,

      The first one will come out this upcoming week. It’s on the way! Thanks for your patience.

      Best,

      Tim

      Reply
  • CJ Tatts
    February 2nd, 2010
    11:55 am

    Thank you Tim – what a great website – got you bookmarked and heading over to Shopify in a mo.

    Reply
  • Patrick Hitches
    February 3rd, 2010
    2:37 pm

    It has been a rough year and a half having the Four Hour Work Week pressing in the back of my mind. I have tossed idea after idea around as I struggled to come up with what I felt was THE answer. After months of prep, I have officially launched as of today. This contest was extremely timely as I had the wheels in motion just as this post was blasted across the internet.

    I want to thank you Tim, for everything. Your words have been an inspiration and a driving force behind everything I have accomplished to date. I look forward to running into you in some far off land as we both grasp the lifestyle of the NEW RICH!

    With many thanks,

    Patrick Hitches

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      February 14th, 2010
      8:13 pm

      Thanks for the kind words, but it’s all you, man. 2010 is your year. Get ‘er done!

      All the best,

      Tim

      Reply
  • Pinoy Big Blogger
    February 9th, 2010
    5:33 pm

    Is this open to everyone..??

    Reply
  • Dimitri from Shopify
    February 15th, 2010
    1:45 pm

    Hi everyone,

    the first Pro Tips video has been posted, and you can watch it here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E5Gyg96v3Y

    Keep your eyes open for the second video coming in the next two weeks!

    Reply
  • Rob
    February 15th, 2010
    7:55 pm

    Where is there more literature on how Shopify integrates with dropship houses like Doba? I’m spinning my wheels. I’ve been through the forums on Shopify and looked through the App store several times over. Anybody out there that can point me in the right direction? I really want to take the next step.

    Reply
  • Dimitri from Shopify
    February 18th, 2010
    8:54 am

    Pinoy Big Blogger: the contest is open to everyone, however the cash prizes are only available to citizens of some US states due to legal limitations that are simply not possible to overcome at this point.

    Rob: For now we don’t integrate directly with Doba, however we know that there is a Doba integration in the works for our App Store. We don’t have a timeline for you, though, since it’s a third party working on the development.

    Hope that helps!

    Reply
  • Jay
    February 27th, 2010
    8:28 pm

    I don’t see why one would pick a $25 month option (Shopify) over a great free option (WordPress). Both are customizable with templates available. Both can easily add Paypal capabilities. I like free. Free is good. $25 a month is not good.

    Reply
  • Peter Nguyen
    February 28th, 2010
    10:26 pm

    @jay: I love free too, but I also love the chance to win $100,000.00.

    In all seriousness (and the above comment was serious as well), shopify not only makes things easier for store owners, but also web designers. I onced tried to work with my web designer to get a store up using wordpress, but there are so many different e-commerce plug-ins, choosing one was difficult. Plus, many of them have limits unless you pay, which I don’t mind, but not knowing which is the best made me scrap this.

    I have been enjoying my shopify account because it’s streamlined and dedicated to e-commerce. While we can argue that one could easily google to find what was the best plug in for wordpress (try googling it, you’re gonna have to sift through a lot of bad links) Tesla, Pixar, Evisu Jeans and Nest Living endorsements sold me pretty fast.

    Reply
  • Sean
    March 1st, 2010
    5:07 pm

    I think it’s a great idea, but as far as shopify I don’t know. They charge a month, and transaction fee on top of what you pay for merchant discounts fees or paypal fees. We use a stand a lone shopping cart that pretty much dos the same with out a month or transaction fee. Just saying pay attention to bottom line cost involved. Just my thoughts

    Reply
  • Steve Almonte
    March 4th, 2010
    2:47 pm

    Peoples,

    I was wondering because i just made a similiar test site to tim’s pxmethod. I gonna sell a product for autism but was wondering if tim had to get some kind of licensing for the px speed reading techniques because he didn’t invent it? Thanx I could really use some intel because i don’t want to get sued…

    -Steve-

    Reply
  • Doug
    March 6th, 2010
    1:15 pm

    WordPress is definitely the way to go. It’s free, and you can easily find great looking templates that are ready to go. Tons of free plugins for ecommerce. Even if you need to tweak, that’s easy too. Did I mention it’s free?

    Reply
  • e74
    March 8th, 2010
    3:35 am

    Thanks Tim – great website – heading over to Shopify to check them out.

    Reply
  • Valentin Hussong
    March 10th, 2010
    5:45 am

    The app Tobi mentioned (to show related products in your online shop) is now available at the Shopify App Store: http://bit.ly/aci1k0

    Contest participants, feel free to shoot us a mail with your new store’s URL and we’ll sort you out with a free trial!

    Reply
  • H2fro
    March 17th, 2010
    5:37 am

    I’m always game for a contest. I find that I do better in business if I’m working to win instead of to make money. I think that the real winners here will be the people that stay true to the laws of business and focus on profitability as much as gross revenue. While you probably won’t win the prize, you’ll be better off in the long run.

    I dropped anchor here on Maui about 9 years ago. It’s not exactly the best place to run a online business from, but I think that I can make it work. I’ll definitely be looking for some suggestions on how I can capitalize on my location. Hopefully we’ll see some great sportsmanship during and at the end when the winners are announced.

    I just hope to walk away with a business that runs by itself, makes a profit, has great potential for growth, and allows me to spend more time in the ocean surfing.

    Good luck everyone.

    Reply
  • jenn
    March 18th, 2010
    10:27 pm

    How’s everybody doing with contest so far?? Sales going well? Hope yall are having fun and making lots!

    Reply
  • Angie
    March 22nd, 2010
    1:19 am

    Hi Tim,

    I tried out Shopify as you suggested – and left it alone after a day because it just wasn’t a scratch on the technology I already use. I was surprised then, months later, to get an invoice for US$100 for the ‘free’ trial? Was this part of the plan?

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      March 22nd, 2010
      12:03 pm

      Hmmmm…. that seems odd to me, of course. I’ll ask Tobi and have someone get back to you ASAP.

      Tim

      Reply
  • Dimitri from Shopify
    March 22nd, 2010
    12:09 pm

    Hi Angie,

    this seems to be a mistake so drop us a line in our support system at http://support.myshopify.com/ and we’ll do our best to resolve that for you!

    Dimitri

    Reply
  • Dimitri from Shopify
    March 22nd, 2010
    1:25 pm

    Angie, Tim,

    the invoice has been taken care of. Angie, thanks for giving us a try :-)

    D

    Reply
  • Anon
    March 24th, 2010
    9:06 am

    I’m in. Tim, thanks for putting together this great opportunity.

    Reply
  • dav3
    March 29th, 2010
    6:43 am

    This competition is incredible! I love your book Tim and love the way shopify works..

    the only thing is: I really suck in finding a muse ^^ and that’s why I think the pot isn’t finding the way to my bank..

    anyway thank you for the opportunity!

    Reply
  • Peter
    April 7th, 2010
    4:53 pm

    Very inspirational stuff as usual Tim!

    By the way, not sure if it is a mistake or not however when I click the name of a Blog commenter it takes me away from your site to their site, rather than opening up a new window – is this supposed to happen?

    cheers
    Peter

    Reply
  • Patrick Hitches
    April 15th, 2010
    8:00 pm

    To all you fellow New store owners! Here’s an update you all need to know about!!!

    Olark, a live chat application, has just sent out their beta testing on giving intel to when your shopify “shoppers” have items in their cart over “x” price point. Basically, you’ll get notified via chat (I use gchat) when your shopper tosses something in their cart. You know exactly what is in their cart, how they came to your store and what page they are actually shopping on! This could be a ground breaking application. They are looking for “testers” right now who will get this app for free and be grandfathered into that.

    To me, this has basically taken my store from “virtual” and turned it into an interactive experience to where I can personally close the sale and ultimately cross sell in the process. Full reign “personal touch” on your store!

    Not to mention, they are really nice guys over there at Olark… I chatted for over an hour with them today. Here’s a link to their site if you’re not already synced up: https://www.olark.com

    Feel free to check out my store to get a preview of how it looks on the store front. Very sleek and appealing to the eye if you ask me.

    Anywho, continued success to you all and Cheers to the ultimate Victor!!!

    Patrick Hitches

    Reply
  • Scott Jones
    May 4th, 2010
    6:31 am

    Tim, you probably won’t read this but I wanted to post my news just in case you happen to catch this comment. Yesterday I did something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time. I put in my 2 weeks notice to my day job! It was one of the hardest things I have ever done but I am so excited. It was simply getting in the way of my “muse” side business and really holding me back. Now I can focus on my business and I can have more time for family, travel and fun! It is pretty scary though since we just finished building a home but the muse has been quite successful and it will only get better. Thank you for your inspiration!

    Reply
    • Tim Ferriss
      May 4th, 2010
      7:45 pm

      Congratulations, Scott! Who said I don’t read my comments :)

      Tim

      Reply
      • Michael Sebero
        November 28th, 2010
        12:14 am

        Hi Tim,

        Was wondering even though this contest has ended if it is possible to still get access to the interesting tutorials that you supplied to the contestants. Even though there it’s over I’d still like to run my own 6 month contest :).

        -M

      • Tim Ferriss
        November 30th, 2010
        2:17 am

        Hi Michael,

        I just sent an email to Tobi, the CEO. I’ll do what I can!

        Tim

  • Setema
    June 2nd, 2010
    1:35 pm

    Is it too late to join the party?

    Reply
  • Jenni
    June 4th, 2010
    9:42 am

    Great blog post about Shopify and the competition….you’ll be blown away to see what some of the leading stores in the contest have made!! I was!!

    http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2378-profitable-proud-shopify

    Reply
  • Aaron Torres
    July 13th, 2010
    4:45 pm

    I’d like to join the contest even though I’m outside the US. It is too late for this,Tim? Thanks

    Reply
  • Trond Eirik Håvarstein
    July 15th, 2010
    11:26 am

    Hi Tim, thanks for your Books, I have them both, great inspiration. My opt-in list are growing every day and so are the monthly visitors. Product launch this fall. Cross the fingers.

    Reply
  • Derik Mansfield
    July 31st, 2010
    4:57 pm

    So I wonder if any of the people who won were inspired from this post, or were readers of the 4HWW?

    At any rate, I didn’t participate in the contest but this post and all the other great ideas in 4HWW really helped motivate my lifestyle change. So for that thank you very much!

    Reply
  • larisa
    August 8th, 2010
    10:10 pm

    Hey Tim,

    Thank you for your amazing blog and the book, which I have just ordered.
    I have a question, though.
    You talk about doing what you love. Well, I love languages and books, and would like to be a college professor or just have my work connected to books and different languages and cultures. The thing is that Literature professors don’t really make any money. I want to do what I love but I want stability in income, and a chance to live in style, travel and so on. Humanities seem to be among those dying careers, according to many people.
    What do you think I should do–go for Literature anyway, or go into a financial field (which is not my strongest side)? I know it’s not that bad, but sometimes it gets so depressing, I feel like I am trapped in this world.

    Thank you so much in advance!
    Larisa

    Reply
  • Caro Morgan
    August 10th, 2010
    2:44 am

    Larisa
    I think I can guess what Tim will say! :)
    Set up a muse, for money.
    And then do what you love.
    Caro

    Reply
  • LARISA
    August 10th, 2010
    10:44 am

    Thanks Caro,
    I was a little overwhelmed at that moment and felt depressed. But I feel better now and ready to fight to for what I want to do! Thanks for the advice.

    Reply
  • Sarah
    September 9th, 2010
    11:57 am

    considering running my store using shopify.. but still need comparison between bigcommerce, shopify and volusion.

    Reply
  • steve
    September 11th, 2010
    11:46 am

    Sarah,

    I would try amazon and Ebay first. Then you can test the market and see what’s selling. I also recommend making your own Ecommerce site and driving traffic to it, there are plenty of E commerce sites that can do well especially certain times of the year. I hope that helps;)

    -Steve-

    Reply
  • Mike Sweeney
    January 21st, 2011
    2:15 pm

    Hi,

    Any chance of getting access to the videos/tutorials even though the competition is over?

    Regards,

    Mike

    Reply
  • Laura
    January 22nd, 2011
    5:56 pm

    Missed the contest but a wonderful way to engage all such new riches like us. Thanks.

    Reply
  • Matthew Harmon
    March 16th, 2011
    4:31 pm

    Tim

    8 months ago I felt compelled to pickup your book. It was a breath of fresh air; I purchased 4 copies for my friends and partners and made 4 others buy it them-selves.

    I have been in real estate for some time and needed a change, not to mention the falling commercial market. An exit strategy was in order and your book provided a great framework for reinvention.

    I will be releasing a new video web series next week in Sacramento. It looks promising and it has been a blast.

    Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insight.

    Best Regards,

    Matthew Harmon

    Reply
  • Chris Odell
    April 11th, 2011
    7:08 pm

    Hello all. I would love to talk to someone that did move their online biz to shopify. I know this isn’t recommended as it’s better for starting one but I really like the look of their system. I do wonder though if $100 a month to get the basic features any biz would need is really worth what they provide. So once again if anyone moved to them or even has a successful store there and a minute to chat please let me know.

    Thank you.

    Reply
  • Patrick Hitches
    April 12th, 2011
    11:23 am

    Hey Chris! I ran a Shopify store for a year and had a blast doing it… I’ve had some changes in regards to my online platform, so I currently have it down, but I definitely could give you lots of insight as to pros and cons if you’re interested… Hit me up if you’d like to chat! patrick (at) myfoundationfitness.com

    Reply
  • Will
    April 19th, 2011
    5:33 pm

    Anyone know whether Tim Ferriss is going to be involved in this year’s Shopify Build a Business competition?

    And a more important question – will non-US businesses be eligible to win prizes this time round??

    Reply
  • Patrick Hitches
    April 19th, 2011
    6:12 pm

    Hey Will!

    I was involved in the first contest and while I love Tim to death, he wasn’t actually around much during the first contest. Shopify does a good job on the support forums and that was pretty much the “tutorial” side of things. There were a few videos posted (I think 4 throughout the 6 months) that had tips and such on marketing… But nothing you can’t find just paroosing solid marketing books and here on Tim’s site.

    I didn’t even know they were doing another contest! Might have to check for a second round of competition!! :)

    Reply
  • Jon
    January 22nd, 2012
    7:06 pm

    Hey, I see that this contest is over, and I am not familiar with this community, but I am still interested in getting in on this business model. I tried to go to the youtube video link for the tips but the video is private. Is there any way I can get access to those?

    Thanks,

    Jon

    Reply

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