[Linda Buquet]

Hi Ana,

Travel and finance are 2 of the biggest money makers but also the MOST competitive. So you really need to go niche, at least for starters and focus on a certain locale, demographic or something.

I just scanned something about a growing trend where parents want to take a trip before baby is born while they still have their freedom and also parents that take a trip right after baby is born to get away from family and just get to know a baby. I think it was called a "BabyMoon"? Not saying that's a great niche, just trying to tickle your imagination.

Well CJ is a mixed bag. They are the biggest and I think have the best reporting and interface of all the big 3 networks and the best tools for searching and finding the right merchants. They also have some of the best merchants.

They have in the past come under fire and rightly so for allowing "parasites" and adware type players in the network. I think they've worked a lot to clean up the network, but they still have some bad players. BUT all the big 3 networks do, to some extent. So if you want big name merchants you'll need to go to one of the big 3 and CJ I think is easiest and best (aside from the P issue).

Shareasale and ShareResults and a couple other smaller networks pride themselves on being parasite-free which is tough to do and not guaranteed, but VERY commendable and affiliate-centered. However the smaller networks just don't have the variety and big names the top 3 do.

All that said, many big companies have an in-house option as well as a network program and sometimes you may do better with the in-house program, but it isn't as convenient and you wont get consolidated checks like you do with the big networks.