After almost 19 years the owner of RetreatFinder.com is seeking to hand off the site to a new visionary steward. If you are looking for a new home for your passion for retreats, this may be what you have been looking for.
The Creation of Retreat Finder
“It was 2001 when internet search engines and websites were still in their infancy,” says the founder Ali, about the birth of the website. “I was burned out from my job and needed to go on a retreat. It took me several months of internet searches to find the right retreat to meet my needs and budget. Once I was on retreat and was able to relax and begin recovering I realized that if I had such a difficult time finding a retreat to meet my needs then others were likely having the same difficulty. So in 2002 I paired up with my best friend who happened to be a website developer and together we created Retreat Finder to assist individuals to find spiritual and healing retreats that meet their unique needs.”
What is RetreatFinder.com
Retreat Finder is a directory of retreats that spans the spectrum of spiritual and healing traditions. It’s intention can be summarized by the site’s slogan:
“When you find inner peace, you move the world towards peace”.
The focus of the site has always been inclusion of all people and paths, including religions, genders, sexuality and race. It was the first directory site to list gay and lesbian retreats, and to ask retreats of all religious traditions to indicate if they are gay friendly.
Along the way the site has received great publicity with mentions in Oprah’s O Magazine, The Guardian, Travel Revue, AARP Magazine, and books like: Unstuck Your Guide to the Seven Stage Journey Out of Depression, and The Complete Idiots Guide to the Psychology of Happiness. And the site has received wonderful testimonials from retreat centers and site users .
The Possibility in Retreat Finder
While the current business model is an online directory with income from upgraded listings, display ads, and newsletter articles that utilizes minimal expenses, what the brand and site can become are only limited only by your imagination.
Retreat Finder has 18+ years of brand recognition, respect, and trust, as well as SEO, media mentions, and testimonials. It has an active advertiser list and a large consumer list (newsletter subscribers). As such, the brand and site are poised for quick growth in the Covid rebound.
The site and brand are also steeped in potential yet to be realized. For instance there are projects that have already been initiated such as sister sites for Australia and New Zealand, and the beginning of a site called RetreatShop that would function as another way to support the income stream of retreat centers.
At the heart of this potential is the possibility for the new visionary steward to take the site to the next level in its current function, or completely overhaul it and take the brand in a whole new direction with a lightning fast launch sprung forth from the strength of the brand’s recognition and SEO.
Why a New Steward
“After 18+ years I am again finding myself in a moment of transition and reinvention,” says Ali. “I am anxious to ‘get out from behind the keyboard’, and return to my roots of love for spiritual and personal development. I am transitioning from supporting retreat centers and retreat leaders who foster personal growth for their participants, to offering personal development work directly to individuals via coaching. The decision to pass Retreat Finder on to a new steward has been a hard one, but it is time to once again follow my passion. “
Are You Retreat Finder’s New Heart-felt Home?
If you are a visionary looking to make a difference while making a buck and maintaining a flexible work schedule, then this may be what you have been looking for.
While Retreat Finder has been run by one person, it can be expanded to team management. Some skills and experience that will make an excellent match for this site are: a passion for retreats; familiarity with website design and user interface; comfort working with data and information structures; enjoyment of sales, communications and customer service; basic bookkeeping and record keeping; and the ability to self-motivate and remain heart centered. Also of benefit, but could be hired out: basic graphic design, website development and coding skills.
With a business like Retreat Finder you can decide your level of commitment. The site can be maintained with just quarter time engagement, or it can be a more than full time passion. The site can be a fairly passive income stream, or it can be a full on platform for your vision as an industry leader and change maker that generates significant income. What Retreat Finder becomes is limited only by your vision.
Contact Ali with Questions
If this possibility is igniting at your heart, contact Ali at RetreatFinder to talk about how Retreat Finder may become your new passion. Retreatfinder@gmail.com
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