Public Domain materials can be used to solve problems for your subscribers and customers. Which public domain products could you use?
One way to determine this is to simply list your daily-life problems – tax trouble, computer maintenance in your office, a fear of public speaking, depression or any other personal, professional and family troubles you may be experiencing. Once you have such a list, turn them around into potential business ideas by finding out what people suffering from the same problems are searching for online, and then provide them with solutions.
You can do this by doing some very simple keyword research. You can use a tool such as the free trial from WordTracker to do the research. Nothing complicated or expensive is required at this point.
The public domain is an ideal resource for finding self-improvement advice, how-to
instruction manuals and learning courses. Whether you want to learn a new language or improve your self-image, there are chances other people have the same fears and desires, and are willing to pay for them as well.
Once you have a solid, profitable business plan for a common problem, turn it around by using public domain resources to directly create a solution or use the information to make a derivative work (expand the delivery mechanism or add some material yourself).
Almost all possibilities with public domain works require that you use the information as a ‘resource’. This is a critical concept to understand. Don’t look at the public domain as a business opportunity. It’s a crucial resource for content and information, and if you can find the right business idea, you can use public domain works to make money. But the public domain by itself will rarely make you any money – you have to have a solid idea to start the process.
