Name of your website?myPolska.com
Your name?
Tim Rymarczyk
Your Location (city, etc)
Cedar Rapids
What inspired you to launch your own website?
We moved to Iowa in 1993. When Easter approached, I found it was extremely difficult to locate the fresh keilbasa that was a part of our traditional family celebration. While I could find any number of individual sites selling or promoting Polish products and culture, there really wasn't a single place to make the kinds of connections I sought. I decided to try and build one.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My first website was built for my kids' school. We belonged to a parent support group providing resources for music education. My wife and I helped the group incorporate as a non-profit and built a site to bring the community together.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
A little creative thinking combined with a search for available, intuitive options.
Please give us a short summary of your website?
myPolska.com is the early stages of becoming a portal for those interested in exploring their Polish heritage. It provides info and links to info about Polish history, art and culture, merchants and Polish heritage events in the United States.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
The site allows people to post information about local events in a national database that is easy to use, prompting for the kinds of information that will help the events attract participants and visitors. It also allows visitors to submit family recipes to share.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
My goal for the site is for it to grow and become self-sustaining. Ideally, I'd like it to generate enough income to justify the time I spend. In the process, I'd like those of Polish heritage to find information about their ancestors that instills pride.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
There is no balance, at this point. But that's not the main point.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I'd expand the e-commerce activity to include products that I would design as well as direct imports, skipping the affiliate route.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
My research indicates that is unlikely. I'm trying to balance the culture and commerce, however, to provide financing to support limited growth.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
I've understood the costs. The SEO challenges have been a bit more daunting than I'd hoped.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Growing traffic.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Direct email to Polish Heritage groups and related websites asking for links and promotion.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Not at all.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
If I no longer enjoy the effort, I will quit. That is, unless it becomes profitable, in which case I'll attempt to sell it.
Can you make your website your job?
There are many, many ways to make money online. Finding one that you believe in, finding a way to make it pay and to consistently rise above the clutter is a growing challenge. Combined with growing doubts about unfettered accessibility, it's not for the fainthearted.
What is your website address?
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