After much consternation, I have closed “The Hobbyist Machine Store” A.K.A “Ramblin’ Dan’s Store.”
It was my website-only business where I sold hobby machine tools. At first was the Proxxon tool line. Proxxon started competing with their dealers on price, so I left Proxxon after a few years of good sales.
Taig Tools has been my remaining primary product line for many additional years with absolutely great service from Taig with their dealer program.
However, my sales of Taig suddenly and totally stopped for over 18 months. The website function was as good as it has ever been. Lots of the usual customer registration (but no orders) and a huge amount of spam emails to “help me” run my business or offer me financial support.
Everyone with a computer suddenly became web-experts who were assuring me they could make me number one on the google search engine. Only THEY knew the magic sauce. It’s called “buy” an ADV. These days… Ha!
I no longer desire to play the constant dodge-ball with the daily 100 plus spam emails generated by my on-line business. Time for me to fully retire from the internet cesspool of perverts, scammers and frauds.
I was continuing to pay the overhead costs of the accounting system and mailing system. Those have been turned off.
My future activities will be hobby only and maybe accept donations for some of my craft work. Nothing of substantial value and usually below material cost. That is NOT a business. It’s an activity that generates no wealth. It does keep me mentally active and a great reason to look forward to the next day’s activities.