Designing locally, and how to take it further?

[cilaes]

A little background on me: I'm 23 and have been designing and developing since Jasc Paint Shop Pro and Geocities. I've done freelance work for companies such as Verizon and Smirnoff, but it was extra work that I did for next to nothing for people in the "scene" that I knew back in the day. I've always looked at it as a hobby and never had the huge aspiration to get much from what I did. I had done it so long that I didn't feel like I had a unique skill because I surrounded myself with that niche.

After long thought I recently separated from the military after joining after high school, I decided to go after what I wanted in a place where I could be with my huge lovable family, and I justified this by having the mindset that what I do is still an upcoming thing where I'm from (internet, having an online presence period).

Before separation I got in touch with a couple of local entrepreneurs that were partners in a profitable business, but decided to part ways due to personal reasons and create their own partnership. They had little capital, but showed me proof that their last business was very profitable. Throughout the first 6 months of working with them I created many site revisions, custom payment gateways, product labels, PPC tests, etc. In the end, after the product was in our hands, they were still never completely satisfied.

They were used to traditional advertising, and brick and mortar, decided to restructure the business plan to include MLM, and I disagreed. I lost my spot in the partnership with having done well over $25,000 worth of design and programming work, with $0 income from the business. I got offered a very generous office job, took it, and I believe it to be a blessing, it's given me what little start up I need to keep going.

Fast forward to now, I have formed my own LLC! It was a lot easier than I thought, and in hindsight I have no idea what I was afraid of. I've invested money into advertising materials (business cards, brochures), bought a P.O. box, toll free number, and have gotten a business bank account. However, now I'm stuck. The one continuous client I have loves my work, and it's recently branched off into another start up that is already profiting! However my original idea of spreading the new idea of New Age Media to my locale has gotten me to a point that I know nothing about: approaching business' and selling an old dog new tricks.

I'm trying to sell how I advertise to people that don't use that advertising, or use it efficiently. So how I know to advertise wont reach my potential customer! What was I thinking? I'm excited to take on this new obstacle of actual interaction, and I'm not really scared, I just don't know how, I've never done anything like this. One route that has interested me in the USPS's service where you select certain routes and they drop you flyer/postcard/ad into everyone's mailbox. However, my market will mainly be businesses, and you cannot target JUST businesses through their service. Should I [learn how and then,] cold call? Should I [learn how and then,] go door to door? I'm turning to the experienced here, and I'm very grateful for your responses.

How is this fast lane?

I have many contacts in the industry and obviously with outsourcing I plan to start managing everything myself at first, designing and coding myself. Once my client base starts growing, I plan on doing one step, and outsourcing the next. Then outsourcing both steps, and just fixing the revisions myself, and then ultimately hiring someone to do the revisions themselves.

 

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