Every time I see those things lurking in the dark corners of a margin, basking in the un-occupied space of a footer, or placed precariously close to a functional feature ready to distract and collect stray clicks from un-assuming visitors, I lose any and all interest I had in that website. Usually resulting in a drop of 3-4 notches in my book, and an immediate  refusal to click an ad or even continue surfing that site.

However the reason these little blemishes on your favorite website are seen in such enormous numbers is that these advertisements are so incredibly easy to use. Any Joe-schmoe can set up a page with a number of strategically selected keywords to attract some high margin ads and start making a little money in no time. They also provide a great transition for budding young websites to gain a small amount of revenue, allowing them to bridge the gap until that website has enough traffic to start a direct advertising campaign of its own.

Although the other day after installing Adsense on KirkHatesWork.com I was clicking around making sure things were working properly and in doing so had an ad served for me that was actually something I was interested in. “Eureka!” Seeing as though I am the target audience of KirkHatesWork.com, that is: Someone who is not satisfied working a 9-5 job for the man, and lining the pockets of someone else. I though  ”How perfect: After only two posts and a few keywords Adsense is already serving targeted ads catered directly to my intended audience, and BONUS! They are actually appearing to be useful!

The website that I ended up visiting is an entrepreneurial Think Tank, or Idea Incubator, www.Davison.com. I did a bit of perusing on their site, and decided to request an informational packet, but the basic idea is that you provide the big idea, and they provide the rest.  Seeing as though a bunch of ideas is about the extent of my assets at this point, I figured it couldn’t hurt.  What’s the worst that could happen?  I submit an idea and it gets rejected.  Best case scenario: They like one of my ideas, it becomes a product, and they take an incredibly large percentage of the profits.  Either way, I am no worse off then where I am today.  It is only greed that would stop me from moving forward.  Its as the old saying goes.

100% of zero is zero. But even 10% of something is better than zero.

Update: This evening I saw another company, Lucky Napkin with a very similar idea on The Big Idea that I requested some material from as well. Again it can’t hurt!  I will do another post on these companies and my experiences moving forward in the near future.

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I’m a big fan of  Donny Deutsch and his show, The Big Idea. Last night at 1:20 AM I had my very own ahHA! moment.  Sure, I was supposed to be up in 5 hours to make the morning commute, but I was restless. I couldn’t sleep. I was fresh off a week’s vacation, and I was not looking forward to a full week of catch-up at work.  But when it hit me, I knew this was it: My Big Idea…

I have known without a doubt, for as long as I can remember, that I will make it on my own. I want to become self-suffcient. Start a business. Create a brand. Build a product. Come up with that Big Idea.

I have been making a list of Big Ideas for the past few years, but have yet to act on any of them.  It’s not that my ideas are poor (Note To Self: Reverse Microwave, not a Big Idea). Some of them I think are quite solid. It’s just… I didn’t know where to start. I can’t pile all my eggs into one basket, turn my back on others, and focus 100% on a single idea. So invariably, by not doing so, I have chosen NONE.

I am a self proclaimed “Information Whore.” (For you PG readers out there – sorry – “Information Sponge.”) I love learning about new things and every day doing something different. I am definitely not a 9-5 guy, I do not dream of a plush corner office in Corporate America. I do not get excited about climbing the corporate ladder and I don’t want to have another case of the MONdays!

So here’s my idea. I am giving myself until 2009 to quit work and become self sufficient. I will be blogging along the way about my experiences and chronicling my journey to financial and personal freedom right here at KirkHatesWork.com. Instead of “Picking a Pony” per-say and turning down every other idea I’ve had, I will be able to openly explore every opportunity all at once. KirkHatesWork.com becomes not only a means to the end, but a part of the final product.

It is my goal to build a profitable business, as entrepreneurship is in my blood, but more importantly I want to create an invaluable resource for those many millions of you out there just like me: sludging through the daily 9-5, dreading the daily commute, loathing the moments you miss with your family, and waiting, hoping, dreaming for the day, you can become financially, and personally free to hate work just like me.

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