JusticeForSpoils
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- Feb 21, 2023
- 15
- 16
After reading the millionaire fastlane , I was lost for months. I got trapped in choice-paralysis, watching guru after guru preach their "plug-and-play business model for just 4 easy payments of $499..." I was stressed, and really just considered trying to get a better job instead of becoming an entrepreneur. Until one day, scrolling through the forums feeling overwhelmed, I came across @Fox and his thread on making a web design business. Bingo. Finally, something that actually utilized my technical skills, wasn't a get-rich-quick scheme, and best of all, would be a fire-and-brimstone crash-course in all things entrepreneurship. No bullshit promises, no "outsource and collect checks" nonsense, no gatekeeping behind a paid course (although, I am thinking of joining the Legends Program once my income increases), just straightforward hard work that brings results.
After building a free portfolio website for a family-friend, I decided I couldn't delay things any longer. I picked up the phone and, with a shaky voice and sweaty palms, pitched to every business owner I could find on google maps (mostly construction and cleaning companies, a lot of them don't have a secretary and use their personal number on google maps. TERRIBLE websites too). It went pretty terribly. 50 rejections later I was feeling discouraged. And then, something started happening. As my confidence over the phone grew, and my script went through multiple revisions, I started to get more positive responses. And then a meeting. And then another one. And another. All I could think was "holy shit, I'm getting somewhere for once"
Unfortunately, most of the business owners either flaked out, or didn't really give me the time of day to pitch anything useful. All but one: my only in-person meeting. A guy who just got jipped out of his website by one of the scammy "$200 a month" web design companies. With no online presence, his business dropped from 2-3 jobs a day, to 0-1. He needs a website, but he's afraid of getting jipped again by a sleazy designer 300 miles away. When I told him I was local, and could meet in-person, he was immediately interested. The meeting was very productive, and he seemed pretty interested. I pitched $1100 as a price, and although I got a shaky "yes" at first, he was pretty sold after I re-iterated that: a) $200 a month is $2200 a year, b) $1100 is less than the profit of 3 jobs, and he's missing out on 1-3 A DAY, and c) the website is HIS forever. Only roadblock though, apparently a common one in sales: the wife
He said he was fully sold on it, but he needs help selling his wife on it. She wants to use a website builder, and she, understandably, doesn't see the value a professional web designer brings to the table, especially after the issues with their previous designer. So, I whipped up a quick demo homepage today, and did a full write up on exactly how each section flows together to get people filling out the contact form or calling. Just sent it off. We're going to get in contact within the next couple days to discuss. So hopefully this deal works out.
In the end, even if it doesn't work out for some reason, I have nothing to lose. This has already been a great learning experience and confidence booster. I know exactly how and why I can charge thousands for a website, and bring real value to someone else's business. Not just a website that looks nice.
If you have a decent amount of computer-skill (NOT coding, necessarily, literally just proficiency with using a computer), and are willing to learn, then I seriously suggest trying this business out. I have already learned more than any $2000 course could teach me. All you need to do is pick up your laptop, download vscode, mess around with a $20 HTML theme, and SELL YOUR DAMN SERVICES. Don't waste your time trying to "build your brand" with a website or ads, just learn and sell, better yet, learn AS you sell. I sell under my own name with my personal phone number and gmail address cause there's no reason to form a "business" yet.
If you need a portfolio piece, ask everyone you know if they know a business owner who wants a free website. Nobody will pass that up.
The only course you need to buy is a $20 udemy course on HTML. You can go from zero HTML to professional website builder in a week, all the technical work has been done for you (HTML themes!!!) Once you start making money, then you can start looking at more expensive stuff like the Legends Program to level up your skills.
Some helpful resources: Youtube, Themeforest, Udemy, Codeacademy
Just wanted to share this small victory, and hopefully convince some of you other lost fastlaners to give it a try. Maybe me being closer to the starting line will make this more relatable than the posts from well-established designers.
After building a free portfolio website for a family-friend, I decided I couldn't delay things any longer. I picked up the phone and, with a shaky voice and sweaty palms, pitched to every business owner I could find on google maps (mostly construction and cleaning companies, a lot of them don't have a secretary and use their personal number on google maps. TERRIBLE websites too). It went pretty terribly. 50 rejections later I was feeling discouraged. And then, something started happening. As my confidence over the phone grew, and my script went through multiple revisions, I started to get more positive responses. And then a meeting. And then another one. And another. All I could think was "holy shit, I'm getting somewhere for once"
Unfortunately, most of the business owners either flaked out, or didn't really give me the time of day to pitch anything useful. All but one: my only in-person meeting. A guy who just got jipped out of his website by one of the scammy "$200 a month" web design companies. With no online presence, his business dropped from 2-3 jobs a day, to 0-1. He needs a website, but he's afraid of getting jipped again by a sleazy designer 300 miles away. When I told him I was local, and could meet in-person, he was immediately interested. The meeting was very productive, and he seemed pretty interested. I pitched $1100 as a price, and although I got a shaky "yes" at first, he was pretty sold after I re-iterated that: a) $200 a month is $2200 a year, b) $1100 is less than the profit of 3 jobs, and he's missing out on 1-3 A DAY, and c) the website is HIS forever. Only roadblock though, apparently a common one in sales: the wife
He said he was fully sold on it, but he needs help selling his wife on it. She wants to use a website builder, and she, understandably, doesn't see the value a professional web designer brings to the table, especially after the issues with their previous designer. So, I whipped up a quick demo homepage today, and did a full write up on exactly how each section flows together to get people filling out the contact form or calling. Just sent it off. We're going to get in contact within the next couple days to discuss. So hopefully this deal works out.
In the end, even if it doesn't work out for some reason, I have nothing to lose. This has already been a great learning experience and confidence booster. I know exactly how and why I can charge thousands for a website, and bring real value to someone else's business. Not just a website that looks nice.
If you have a decent amount of computer-skill (NOT coding, necessarily, literally just proficiency with using a computer), and are willing to learn, then I seriously suggest trying this business out. I have already learned more than any $2000 course could teach me. All you need to do is pick up your laptop, download vscode, mess around with a $20 HTML theme, and SELL YOUR DAMN SERVICES. Don't waste your time trying to "build your brand" with a website or ads, just learn and sell, better yet, learn AS you sell. I sell under my own name with my personal phone number and gmail address cause there's no reason to form a "business" yet.
If you need a portfolio piece, ask everyone you know if they know a business owner who wants a free website. Nobody will pass that up.
The only course you need to buy is a $20 udemy course on HTML. You can go from zero HTML to professional website builder in a week, all the technical work has been done for you (HTML themes!!!) Once you start making money, then you can start looking at more expensive stuff like the Legends Program to level up your skills.
Some helpful resources: Youtube, Themeforest, Udemy, Codeacademy
Just wanted to share this small victory, and hopefully convince some of you other lost fastlaners to give it a try. Maybe me being closer to the starting line will make this more relatable than the posts from well-established designers.
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