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I Don't Know What I'm Doing: Time to Get Certain and Start A Business

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

Which business do you think would be best to start?

  • Social Media Marketing and/or Web Design Agency

    Votes: 9 31.0%
  • Appliance Repair Technician Business

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • Asbestos, Mold, Water/Fire Damage Removal Business

    Votes: 8 27.6%
  • Pest Control Business

    Votes: 1 3.4%
  • Real Estate 3D Photography Business

    Votes: 9 31.0%

  • Total voters
    29

Devampre

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A Little Background:
For those that don't really know me (which is pretty much everyone :rofl:) I am a painter for my mom's business and living in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. Life sucks. Not because I have it the worst, but because I didn't make conscious decisions to build the life I really wanted. I took advice from people that weren't really living the kinds of lives that I wanted for myself. And where did that bad/mediocre advice get me... here. After reading some other execution threads for inspiration I decided that the best way for me to actually make the necessary changes and take the necessary actions would be to have a thread myself. Trying to start a business alone in my current environment often lead me to action faking and doubt. So I'm doing an execution thread to help me stay on track and to hopefully help out other people who are just starting out or trying to start out.

I may get more detailed about my past or other aspects of my situations as this thread progresses. So if you have questions, advice or kind words feel free to contribute. :smile:

Current situation:
-Living in a rural area with horrible internet (I only have my phone hotspot, thank god unlimited data exists here.)
-Working for my mom's painting business, which I may one day take over. (She isn't keen on expanding/hiring more employees and getting it to a more fastlane level.)
-Helping a guy with his production studio. (I can't get into too many details, but I am working for free and hoping that this eventually gives me another source of income. However, as of late his actions make me question whether or not this will be worth my time.)

Desired situation:
-A business that really helps people and provides me with a nice income.
-Ability to move/travel anywhere, even if not at first
-More money, freedom and a sense of more control over my life

Additional hopes for this thread:
-This thread will help other's in a similar situation be inspired, motivated and take action.
-This will keep me accountable and focused.
-I will better connect and engage with this community.

Today's steps:

1. Make a List of 5 businesses
- Social Media Marketing and/or Web Design Agency
- Appliance Repair Technician Business
- Asbestos, Mold, Water/Fire Damage Restoration Business
- Pest Control Business
- Real Estate 3D Photography Business

2. Determine which business to go all in on. (I created a poll to see other users opinions, can't say for sure whether or not I'll go with what has the most votes.)

- Social Media Marketing and/or Web Design

3. Determine everything needed to get setup (the minimum viable service.)

- I will be operating the business under my legal name at first as it will minimize initial expenses. I will incorporate once I have some sales under me.
- I will follow through with the setup detailed in the @Sean Marshall thread here
 
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NursingTn

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For your painting business, tell your customers to refer others to you.

Let them know that for each person they refer to you, and actually become a customer of your business, then they and the new client will each get a 10 dollar gift card to a place of their choice.

You do this as a sign of customer appreciation. Get the business running high-speed by getting way more work than y'all can do to justify hiring multiple contractors.

Why start another business when there is a demand for your service? Yeah, it's your mom. But show her people need her business and she will probably change her tune about hiring people.
 

The Abundant Man

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For your painting business, tell your customers to refer others to you.

Let them know that for each person they refer to you, and actually become a customer of your business, then they and the new client will each get a 10 dollar gift card to a place of their choice.

You do this as a sign of customer appreciation. Get the business running high-speed by getting way more work than y'all can do to justify hiring multiple contractors.

Why start another business when there is a demand for your service? Yeah, it's your mom. But show her people need her business and she will probably change her tune about hiring people.
I joined a local business referral organization and it's full of business owners doing this type of stuff. It's called Ignite-U. They have movers, painters, contractors, lawyers, real estate etc.

It's in a speed dating format. You sit at a table and have 3 mintues to give your pitch. Afterwards everybody hands out business cards but they also give out discounts if you give referrals.
 
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Devampre

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Well, based on this thread, I would say:

1. Provide internet service to rural areas

I have thought about this before and looked a little bit into it. It's both very expensive (requiring investors or loans) and it could be quite difficult to ensure a ROI considering the small population out here and competing with the crown corporation. Most towns here already have internet (which our crown corporation will be upgrading to 5G.) And the people on acreages/farms like myself have found ways to make do via hotspotting or satellite internet. I doubt I could have a competitive service without operating with a massive debt and that's a little too much risk for the reward for me now. I appreciate the thought though. :)

For your painting business, tell your customers to refer others to you.

Let them know that for each person they refer to you, and actually become a customer of your business, then they and the new client will each get a 10 dollar gift card to a place of their choice.

You do this as a sign of customer appreciation. Get the business running high-speed by getting way more work than y'all can do to justify hiring multiple contractors.

Why start another business when there is a demand for your service? Yeah, it's your mom. But show her people need her business and she will probably change her tune about hiring people.

We already get referrals and have more work than we are able to do. It's not an issue with the amount of clients we get. The issue is simply that my mom doesn't want to grow the business. Despite me trying to sway her telling her how she could be making more and doing less. She also could charge more, but that's a whole other debate I have with her. She doesn't want to manage people and she fears that should other employees not deliver quality results, her name is on it.

I feel like I need to start something independent from this business so I have control and can make decisions.
 

Devampre

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I joined a local business referral organization and it's full of business owners doing this type of stuff. It's called Ignite-U. They have movers, painters, contractors, lawyers, real estate etc.

It's in a speed dating format. You sit at a table and have 3 mintues to give your pitch. Afterwards everybody hands out business cards but they also give out discounts if you give referrals.

Sounds like a pretty cool organization :)
 

Get Right

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I have thought about this before and looked a little bit into it. It's both very expensive (requiring investors or loans) and it could be quite difficult to ensure a ROI considering the small population out here and competing with the crown corporation. Most towns here already have internet (which our crown corporation will be upgrading to 5G.) And the people on acreages/farms like myself have found ways to make do via hotspotting or satellite internet. I doubt I could have a competitive service without operating with a massive debt and that's a little too much risk for the reward for me now. I appreciate the thought though.

We call those barriers to entry and they will make you a fortune (if you can solve it). An acquaintance of mine did exactly what I described and he now owns more buildings and yachts than I can count...
 
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Devampre

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We call those barriers to entry and they will make you a fortune (if you can solve it). An acquaintance of mine did exactly what I described and he now owns more buildings and yachts than I can count...

I suppose it's possible, it's a fairly high barrier to entry. I can talk more with some people involved in this and see if the numbers make sense in this area when compared to the current options on the market. As well as weighing in what may be projected to be on the market in the next year(s).

I almost feel safer acquiring a business that I know is working and making it better; if I were going to be using OPM. But, who knows? Maybe this is something I didn't give enough attention.

Ideally, I was thinking something more along the lines of a sole proprietorship that I could see more immediate returns and then bring in employees and scale accordingly. I will still consider this and dig deeper as part of this thread's execution process.
 

Devampre

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Day 2

Steps:

1. Explain why I chose that type of business

A) I needed to make a decision on my own even if it was wrong
B) It had the lowest initial investment
C) It can see immediate returns
D) It may be challenging/competitive

I may still pivot and do something else, but I feel like this is a good stepping stone at the very least. And as I engage different markets with this as my vehicle I may uncover new/better opportunities.

2. Get through setup ("Yeet" will be used for steps I complete, but either can't show or steps that I may want to remain private at the moment.)

  • Start thinking about your business brand including your business name. Think about what kind “feel” you want your business to have. Write out at least 10 possible names.
I will be using my legal name at the beginning. Also got 10 other names should I decide to brand it as such. And one that I really think I will use when I get there. :cool:
  • Look up “online marketing company” and check out the first few sites – the goal is to get a feel for what they do and what you’ll be doing.
Yeet
  • Consider taking a class or two on Udemy.com or Lynda.com to get an overview of the online marketing world. Strongly consider also going to QuickSprout.com/University
Feel pretty confident about this, but the quicksprout is a good refresher. I also have a fair amount of courses pertaining to online marketing and web design as well.
  • Think about an industry you might like to serve (i.e. – chiropractors) and then look up “online marketing for chiropractors” or similar terms and study what comes up.
Yeet
  • Write out (or type out) your motivation. Why are you interested in starting this business? Answer this with something more specific than “to have more money”. Get as specific as you can. Don’t skip the mental work!
I feel the experience of building a business, giving people jobs and helping a community prosper is something that really resonates with me. There's a few material things/luxuries I enjoy too, but the journey of truly helping people thrive, achieve their goals, and ensuring future generations grow up in a better world is a big motivation for me. I've seen the death of many small towns out here, I've seen communities go downhill with less community events and less local support for artists/businesses. The children often grow up and move to nearby cities (often for college/universities) only to find themselves in a new trap brought on by THE SCRIPT along with a terrible job market and an overpriced housing market (at least at this time and in this area.) But, I digress. I wish to have more freedom, not have to work location dependent (at least not for too long), help more people, and have more control over the course of my life.
  • List out the amount of money you would like to make in your first month, second month, following months. Include your first year’s goal.
Month 1: $100-$500
Month 2: $1000-$1500
Month 3: $2000-$2500
Month 4: $3000-$4000
Month 5: $5000-$6000
Month 6: $7000-$8000
Month 7: $9000-$10,000
Month 8: $10,000-$12,000
Month 9: $15,000-$20,000
Month 10: $25,000-$30,000
Month 11: $35,000 - $40,000
Month 12: $50,000+
  • Go online and look up other online marketing companies (again) – jot down everything that you like and that you would like to emulate.
Yeet
  • Start thinking about what sets you apart. Ideally it can be summed up in one sentence. i.e. – “We provide SEO services for dental professionals”. This is your USP (unique selling proposition)
Yeet
  • Come up with your 3 packages. List out the services that each package entails. Yours may be just offering social media or just website design or whatever. Be sure to be detailed - list out everything.
Starting out I'll probably do something like:
Package A) Just Social Media, Optimization, Organic Growth, Management, Ads.
Package B) Just Web Design, Setup Assistance, Maintenance, Optimization, CTAs, might do Google Ads and some SEO if there's a need.
Package C) Package A + Package B

NOTE: This will change based on market feedback. Also, pricing regarding paid ads will be dependent on how much a client would be willing to spend on a campaign.
  • Come up with your package pricing. Decide what you think is valuable for all parties involved and use this as a starting point (you’ll most likely adjust this as you get more experience). Use this pattern: $499/$599/$999 OR $999/$1199/$1699 and so on.
I will try $499/$599/$999 although this will be open to negotiation to ensure I can get some early sales and testimonials (social proof.) Maybe I should do $497/$597/$997 ;)
  • Identify and write out your USP.
Yeet
  • Write what your ideal client looks like – the more details the better.
Yeet
  • Decide right now you will stay true to your niche and not take on anyone and everyone who needs help “online”. It’s better to focus on a core audience to avoid wasting time and money. Don’t be afraid to say no.
Will do when I'm beyond the personal network stage. I'll also go where there is demand/underserved market with money to spend. So while I have a selected niche in mind now, I am not married to it.
  • Come up with your business name. Come up with your business tagline (if you need one).
Yeet
  • Pick your colors. These can literally be your favorite colors. Don’t stress on this one.
Yeet
  • Get a logo done (use 99designs.com, Upwork.com, or Fiverr.com) – don’t do it yourself unless you’re a graphic designer.
Yeet
  • Write up your business plan. Print it out. Change as necessary. Just answer the following questions:
    o What is your company name?
    o What is your company tagline?
    o What services do you provide? What problem do you solve?
    o Who is your target audience or what does your ideal client look like?
    o What is your USP?
    o How much do you charge?
    o What is your monthly revenue goal?
    o How many new or repeat clients do you need to achieve this goal?
    o How do you get new clients?
    o How will you fulfill your services? Who makes up your production team?
    o Who are the other key players of your team? List their names and titles.
Yeet
  • Set up your corporation (use LegalZoom – for now, just get a DBA and then incorporate once you’ve brought on a few clients and know this is going to work for you)
Operating under legal name at the beginning, but will register and pay required tax should anyone buy a service from me which requires it. (Got an email that clarifies which services do and don't require to be taxed.) Plan to incorporate when I know this is going to work for me.
  • Set up your business checking & savings account. Set up your PayPal (or Stripe) business account.
Will setup this once I have sales. Will use personal for now.
  • Buy your domain name (use a registrar like GoDaddy.com). Buy your hosting (use a reliable & affordable host like SiteGround.com. Set up your website (use Wordpress – it’s super easy & all you need). Your host should have a 1-click Wordpress install.
Got my domain, need to update my website though. Will add to daily steps. But, maybe could get done tonight if I go all out. :clench:

I have a custom website and could either build something from scratch or use a web building platform and get it done much quicker.
  • Create a home page, about page, services page, & contact page to start. This is the minimum. Set up your social media platforms (Facebook business page, Twitter, Google+/YouTube, LinkedIn all a must. Pinterest, Instagram, etc are bonus).
Will be adding these to new website and revamping my social media accounts along with the new website. Will see if I can get this done tonight or tomorrow.
  • Buy your business cards (and nothing else) Use VistaPrint.com because they’re super cheap. Only order 250 for your first cards. You may change some info later.
Might not do this just yet, feeling like diving into sales first before I get fancy. If this is a flawed approach let me know. :)

3. Reach out to people involved in the rural internet of my province. And research deeper to figure out the costs + local population + other solutions on the market.

Well the major ISP for satellite now has an unlimited without additional charges beyond 100GB. It slows down to 3G speeds, but is much better than when it used to have overage charges per mb after 25GB. This is news to me. And also quite difficult to beat... Satellites aren't exactly pocket change. (40 million - 500 million unless there's some way to use an existing satellite and make a deal with it's owner.)

I also would have some concerns with next year's options as our crown corporation ISP says "2020 will be a big year for 5G." As well as the fact that Starlink is projected to be up in 2027. This would raise concern for informed investors and it concerns me considering my current level of experience/knowledge.

I still contacted all the "small time" ISPs in my province that I could find. Hopefully, will hear back and be even more informed.

Though I must admit, the population out here makes me feel this won't work. The nearest town has 60 people (that already have crown corp high speed.) The acreages/farms would be my ideal clients with this, but that population is also quite small (maybe 100 people depending how big of an area I hope to cover.) And the larger the coverage, the more expensive it becomes. I just don't know if the demand is really here. I know I want better internet, but it's not like I'm living without it or without options. I mean I can watch videos, play online games and do just about everything. It's just that the speeds are not as quick as they are in cities. If that could be done, perhaps there could be money to be made... Will see where this all leads. :)

Oh, and my sister, mentioned that some guy in her area set up their internet. I texted her and will see if I can get more information about what he's affiliated with.

4. Negotiate/consult with my mother to improve the painting business

Still no interest. Will follow up and maybe find some smaller victories. Just gotta be creative and keep moving forwards.
 
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Boo

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Prove to yourself and any potential partners or investors that you know what you're doing by improving your mothers' business. Whether she's keen on the idea or not, if you explain the benefits and offer to take full-responsibility for it, she may be open to giving you more influence. You have an excellent opportunity to build an existing business right now, to accumulate more skills and to help your family all at the same time.
 
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Devampre

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Prove to yourself and any potential partners or investors that you know what you're doing by improving your mothers' business. Whether she's keen on the idea or not, if you explain the benefits and offer to take full-responsibility for it, she may be open to giving you more influence. You have an excellent opportunity to build an existing business right now, to accumulate more skills and to help your family all at the same time.

I don't know how to change my mother's opinion on scale. She doesn't want to make more money and doesn't want to hire anyone else, all efforts to change her mind and sell her on the benefits of making more and doing less have been futile. And I need more pull in the business to implement necessary systems that would allow it to scale. I will keep trying though, but I feel I can't hold out waiting any longer for her to change her mind on this. I do appreciate the thought though, it is something I do think about and perhaps she will one day change her mind before she retires. (I'll talk to her tonight, added to day 2) :)

I also feel like a new side hustle that I can grow on it's own is what I desire more, it's a new experience, there's new challenges, and I think it'll be more inspiring for other people just starting out.
 
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broswoodwork

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A Little Background:
For those that don't really know me (which is pretty much everyone :rofl:) I am a painter for my mom's business and living in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. Life sucks. Not because I have it the worst, but because I didn't make conscious decisions to build the life I really wanted. I took advice from people that weren't really living the kinds of lives that I wanted for myself. And where did that bad/mediocre advice get me... here. After reading some other execution threads for inspiration I decided that the best way for me to actually make the necessary changes and take the necessary actions would be to have a thread myself. Trying to start a business alone in my current environment often lead me to action faking and doubt. So I'm doing an execution thread to help me stay on track and to hopefully help out other people who are just starting out or trying to start out.

I may get more detailed about my past or other aspects of my situations as this thread progresses. So if you have questions, advice or kind words feel free to contribute. :smile:

Current situation:
-Living in a rural area with horrible internet (I only have my phone hotspot, thank god unlimited data exists here.)
-Working for my mom's painting business, which I may one day take over. (She isn't keen on expanding/hiring more employees and getting it to a more fastlane level.)
-Helping a guy with his production studio. (I can't get into too many details, but I am working for free and hoping that this eventually gives me another source of income. However, as of late his actions make me question whether or not this will be worth my time.)

Desired situation:
-A business that really helps people and provides me with a nice income.
-Ability to move/travel anywhere, even if not at first
-More money, freedom and a sense of more control over my life

Additional hopes for this thread:
-This thread will help other's in a similar situation be inspired, motivated and take action.
-This will keep me accountable and focused.
-I will better connect and engage with this community.

Today's steps:

1. Make a List of 5 businesses
- Social Media Marketing and/or Web Design Agency
- Appliance Repair Technician Business
- Asbestos, Mold, Water/Fire Damage Restoration Business
- Pest Control Business
- Real Estate 3D Photography Business

2. Determine which business to go all in on. (I created a poll to see other users opinions, can't say for sure whether or not I'll go with what has the most votes.)

- Social Media Marketing and/or Web Design

3. Determine everything needed to get setup (the minimum viable service.)

- I will be operating the business under my legal name at first as it will minimize initial expenses. I will incorporate once I have some sales under me.
- I will follow through with the setup detailed in the @Sean Marshall thread here
I'm going to side step 90% of this thread and say, you're already doing something that sells (painting), so that's your jumping off point.

Yes, you're selling your services to your mom, who in turn resells it for more, but you are a mile (kilometer in Canada, right?) ahead of the "I want a business" crowd, because you've got something that's proven saleable for you to repeat infinitely and improve the process. Additionally, you have a close relative mentor that can help keep you from reinventing the wheel and falling into newbie traps.
 

Devampre

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I'm going to side step 90% of this thread and say, you're already doing something that sells (painting), so that's your jumping off point.

Yes, you're selling your services to your mom, who in turn resells it for more, but you are a mile (kilometer in Canada, right?) ahead of the "I want a business" crowd, because you've got something that's proven saleable for you to repeat infinitely and improve the process. Additionally, you have a close relative mentor that can help keep you from reinventing the wheel and falling into newbie traps.

Yes, I've added it to day 2 step 4. Will post back results later tonight. Or do you mean start my own painting business? There's potential for that too, but that would take more investment (supplies, etc) than doing social media management/web design.

But, who knows. I could pivot and do just that. :)
 
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Tourmaline

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Do you have experience in any of these industries?
 

Devampre

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Do you have experience in any of these industries?

I'd say yes to practically all that I've listed (at least on some level.):

- Social Media Marketing and/or Web Design Agency

Grew an instagram page to over 11k, sold hoodies via facebook ads, built websites from scratch as well as from web building platforms.

- Appliance Repair Technician Business

Probably the one I know the least about aside from doing some very basic repairs. I'm not overly mechanical, but the local guy retired around here not too long ago. I don't know how much he made though because he might have also been making money helping his brother farm.

- Asbestos, Mold, Water/Fire Damage Restoration Business

I don't know all the ins and outs, but I feel that gaining this experience wouldn't be too alien for me. I have experience with construction and finishing work.

- Pest Control Business

Growing up on a farm I've dealt with a fair amount of pests and vermin. Ants to Coyotes. I feel like this would be a fun job, but the margins don't seem great and the demand just really isn't here. I interviewed at Orkin a while back when they weren't really hiring. They followed up later on and said there was a new little sales gig. But, sadly they called back months after I had moved away.

- Real Estate 3D Photography Business

This one I haven't done, but the learning curve isn't too high. And I've taken photos and edited them before. So I am quite confident in my abilities to do this. The only drawback is the equipment's price and I have not yet been able to find someone to rent it from that's local.

The one industry/niche I know extremely little on is the idea of setting up rural internet. I seriously believe that the internet just runs and works on magic :rofl:
 

Tourmaline

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Follow the need.

I'm hesitant about digital marketing agencies unless you really know copywriting and marketing extremely well, the competition is massive and the barrier to entry is low.
 
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Devampre

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Follow the need.

I'm hesitant about digital marketing agencies unless you really know copywriting and marketing extremely well, the competition is massive and the barrier to entry is low.

True, I understand that it is competitive/saturated. But, there's still people making sales and delivering subpar/horrible results. Like this. So I believe that there's still a need/people to help. And while the margins may not be great it could be worth experiencing myself. Even if I pivot and do something completely different. Sure it sort of violates Entry from CENTS, but as @Sean Marshall points out, most people don't follow through despite the fact that practically anyone can do this.

I see it like this:
Worst case scenerio: I waste some time, embarrass myself here and gain some experience
Best case scenerio: I make a profitable business

Full disclosure: I thought this market was too saturated years ago and decided not to pursue it fully. Then I saw @Sean Marshall 's thread and then I saw @Fox 's thread and then I saw @Kyle T 's execution thread. These made me second guess myself. Perhaps, I had some preconceived belief that didn't serve me well. I assumed that no one would want this because I figured everyone was doing it and the only way to make money would be selling guides/courses on how to do this. But, the fact of the matter remains that I do not know enough to have a strong opinion.
 

Devampre

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Not sure if these replies are testing my certainty or just sincere advice jk :rofl:. However, I hope you all know that I do appreciate your input and I'm putting parts of it into action for my daily steps. (More than I would have if I was doing this alone.)

I hope that what I type out/reply with doesn't come across snarky, unappreciative or anything negative. I type similarly to how I think and feel. And there is an array of reasons as to why I respond the way I do that is not meant to be disrespectful or sound like I'm firing down new ideas.

This feedback is more significant than the feedback that I get from my current social circles (which I also need to work on/build.)

Still got two and a half steps to go tonight. Wishing you all an awesome Monday! :beer:
 

Tourmaline

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If you think you can be among the best digital marketers, then go for it!
 
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Devampre

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If you think you can be among the best digital marketers, then go for it!

I don't know about being the best, but I believe I can get people the results they want. Thank you! :)
 

Devampre

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Day 3

1. Finish website and social media accounts under legal name.

Mostly finished. Got a deal on a second domain so now will make branded site as opposed to just legal name site. Legal name site domain (which I owned previously) will redirect to branded site.

2. Contact guy from "small time" ISP

Contacted him while waiting on website to render. Now waiting for a response and hopefully will get the information I seek. Also, might be able to build them a new website if that interests them. Hope to hear back tonight.

Didn't get things done as I'd have liked, so I'm doing it extra early this morning. No food until the job is done
 
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Devampre

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Day 4

1. Complete Day 3 tasks fully!

So the website is pretty much done, there are some small things I still want to add in and revisit. But, I have a new functional website. I went ahead and got a domain for my business name as well, as I got a decent deal on it. Otherwise, I would have just used my legal name.

I'm fairly happy with the overall look. So I am going to make sure that my business aesthetic is consistent among the social media pages I am creating.

2. Get a list of some local businesses/list personal business owner network (Friends or friend of friends.)

Got a list started

3. Make sure all necessary social media pages are built and optimized

Yeet
 
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canone

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Don't start what people have voted most on, take it as a rule of thumb and see if there is a need in your area +50km for that (if it's an offline business)
 

Devampre

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Don't start what people have voted most on, take it as a rule of thumb and see if there is a need in your area +50km for that (if it's an offline business)

Of course, I begun this thread with a poll to only see some opinions. All listed businesses have potential to work, but I will only find out by engaging the market. I made a choice to do social media/web design as it would have the lowest investment to begin. Should I adjust/pivot to a different service in the future that is okay with me. However, I can't think my way into discovering market demand, I have to get out there and help people.
 

Devampre

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Day 5

1. Get organized and contact people from list at appropriate times (I'll be calling, texting/dming, and doing walkins.)

Unfortunately, today didn't go as planned :(. I do at least have two "semi-closed deals", but still have to meet with them over the weekend to fully close and finalize. I really hope these deals both go through as two websites would give me some small victory and allow me to build that initial bit of social proof if all goes accordingly.

2. Maybe switch up the images for different packages on website (Sure, I might remove the packages and do custom pricing eventually, but I don't want to deviate too much from the steps that have been laid out.)

Revised, but might be looking too hard into it (ruminating on unimportant details.) Decided, it's best to simply get some feedback from some of the more "design" type of people in my network and iterate based on any significant feedback.

Also, this weekend I'll be attending a wedding and I'll also be in contact with two people that will hopefully give me the go ahead to build them websites. Fingers crossed, but I still gotta keep prospecting and moving forward.
 
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Devampre

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Day 6

1. Meeting with one potential client. Could be my first sale

Well, it didn't go as planned. They don't want anything for their business at the moment as they want less clients and are actually trying to take a break from doing as much.

Moving forward
 
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AFMKelvin

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We call those barriers to entry and they will make you a fortune (if you can solve it). An acquaintance of mine did exactly what I described and he now owns more buildings and yachts than I can count...
How do you even start with a rural internet service business?

Can you give me more details on how your friend got started? How much money did he need upfront?
 

Get Right

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How do you even start with a rural internet service business?

Can you give me more details on how your friend got started? How much money did he need upfront?

I've never done it but from listening to those guys the keys are getting the license/approval and developing the technology to make it work. It seamed like they were always working on the systems (rather than struggling with sales). From my understanding there were lots of investors. I would assume they came in at various stages.
 
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Devampre

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Day 7

1. Meet with second potential client after the wedding.

Met with them, they need to discuss with two others, but may be interested. I did talk to someone else, that I'll be meeting with again this month to build a website for their startup. They were asking a lot about stuff that I felt was irrelevant unless they require running their own server. But, I need more details to understand their ACTUAL needs. And I don't want to intentionally make them spend more. I think he wants me to sign a NDA before he feels comfortable telling me more details.

2. If there's time, adjust website design based on the feedback I've gotten.

Did a little, should add better vectors. But, don't want to action fake too much. So will upgrade leisurely.
 
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Devampre

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Day 8 (hungover and family visiting)

1. Might do the "busywork" as I'm not 100% and visiting family.

Finally found decent enough vectors. Leaving the website alone for now. Happy enough with it.

2. I can setup a more optimized contact list for tomorrow. (Determine who to call, DM, email, meet infield, and/or text)

Got a few new ones added.
 
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