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The Journey To Six Figures - No More Excuses

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

Envious

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I've finally had enough.

Enough of my lame excuses that i've been telling myself for the last couple years.

"That won't work"
'It's been done before"
"I wouldn't buy that"
"Everyone is doing it"


So at the weekend i wrote out my f*ck this list (thanks @UncommonWay ) and it made me realize that no one is coming to save me, it's now or never!

Inspired by @Andy Black , @Kyle T and @Sean Marshall (massive thanks guys) , i'm going to focus on helping businesses and start doing marketing(an agency?) for them.

I know it's been done before, saturated and un-original. But the steps have literally been written out, everything needed to get started.
If i can't even make this work, then i'm no entrepreneur.

Last night my girlfriend and I wrote out a plan of what i need to be earning to quit my job and how much runway i need. I need about £10,000 saved up which is about 6 months (im halfway there) and need to be earning a minimum of £1600 per month.

So those figures will be the goal until i surpass them and then it's the journey to six figures.

I'll update my findings along the way!
 
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Envious

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Update 15/08/19

- Chosen the name, website domain and hosting. I've gone with wordpress as i've used it before and it's perfect for my needs.
I went for a Generate Press theme as it's been touted as a very good theme with little bloating.

- Written the about us page, spent quite a bit of time of this as i know it is one of the most read pages on a website. It was hard to write an 'about us' when you haven't done anything but i tried to focus on what makes us different and how i am planning to work.

-Started on the homepage but still needs finishing.
 

NursingTn

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Look on Craiglist.

See how many jobs there are?

Now set up a landing page for ten different companies that made an ad posting for a job. Your goal is to help these companies find their future workers.

For each company, send them your personalized landing page that helps them find workers. Show them how you are helping them find workers, e.g. making posts on FB groups, showing the landing page at networking events, talking to staffing agencies, posting on job ad local sites, etc.

Send all this info in screenshots, snapshots, contact personnel of people who may know someone that might make a good worker for their companies, etc. Do this via email, phone call to get email or a location to meet them in person, etc. Your ultimate goal is to make friends with these business owners who will see that you have skill in making shit happen. Guess who they'll ask for marketing help if you let them know you're a marketer?

Do this before you continue working on the website. A website without people visiting it is worthless no matter how pretty it is, how amazing the copywrite on it is, etc.
 

Envious

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Sep 26, 2017
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Update:

I've been working away on this and hit a few road bumps on the way which was obviously expected. But a had a good week this week:

  • First things first - I landed a client! I started an online marketing course back in november last year which i was hoping to finish within 6 months. It took a lot longer than i expected and i didn't work as hard as i could have so i ended up finishing it in august. As a bonus for completing the course i was allowed to enter into the "google online marketing challenge " where you are paired up with a non-profit and handle their google ads for 4 weeks (it actually took 8 weeks due to the account not being activated by google for 3 weeks). I surprised myself and did a really good job on their account, raised their CTR% by about 250%, as well as getting them a decent amount of conversions, clicks and impression. I was planning to ask them if they wanted me to continuing managing but they just offered to pay me to keep managing their account as they were so happy with the work.
  • Built my website in wordpress and got it optimised for mobile and tablet
  • Did my logo and knocked up some quick business cards on canva
  • Set up all my social profiles, email accounts etc.
  • Worked out what niches i want to focus on
  • Reached out to a family member to do their website and SEO - they've said yes so i will be starting that this week, writing out my work processes and getting a testimonial off them.
I'm moving in the right direction and small things are happening, i'm still plagued with self doubt a lot of the time, but i'm doing my best to ignore it and push through.
 

Envious

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Sep 26, 2017
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Update :

My update is embarrassing to say the least.

I've realised that i got caught in the 'action fake' trap.
Fiddling with my website, optimising my social accounts, all of that pointless stuff.
When I should have been focusing things that actually move the needle - Revenue and getting customers!

I've been feeling a lot of resistance recently towards starting this 'agency'.

Perhaps it's because i feel like i don't have enough experience.
Perhaps it's because i ask myself does the world need another 'digital marketing agency'?
Or maybe it's because i don't feel aligned with this kind of work.

Either way, i wish i didn't feel so lost sometimes.

So where does leave me?

Well one thing i do know is that i need to leave my job sooner rather than later. It's a soul sucking job which is dead end. And thanks to the British government changing the laws surrounding contractors, we now will have to pay a higher, employee tax and NI contributions, without the benefits that an employee gets (sick pay, holiday pay, pension)

If i'm completely honest i don't really know what business to start, but i can't wait around pondering.

So my focus for the near future is going to be to get PPC clients and escape my job. Then at least it will give me the freedom to explore other avenues and ideas that i have.

I've already got one client, and i'm very close to securing a 6 month contract with another.

Has anyone had success with cold email?

I've tried it and everyone either ignores it or doesn't reply. I know it's because of the trust factor and the amount of email people get in general but it could just be a numbers game.

So my new strategy will be to network face to face and send value first emails (no pitch) and see how that goes down.
 

Envious

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Sep 26, 2017
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Update:

The 6 month contract went out of the window pretty fast as soon as the pandemic hit as the client was a restaurant and venue in London. This may return but who knows at this point.

My first client is still paying and still happy so that's a positive.

On another positive note, I've managed to partner with a mutual friend who gets great clients for her Social Agency but has no clue on ppc.

I've just said yes to Google Ads and Facebook ads even though i'm inexperienced and not confident. But I'm confident In my ability to learn!

Nothing has been confirmed but she has two projects waiting to get the go ahead, if these get signed off it will be worth £1000-£2000 per month!

Will update this when i know.
 
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Envious

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Sep 26, 2017
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So I recently made the decision to furlough myself for 6-8 weeks without pay and really spend all my effort on getting enough clients so I hopefully will not have to return to my place of work.

This was not an easy decision and it took almost everything i had to make it.
But this is possibly the BEST opportunity to focus on your own business that we are going to see in decades. And i just couldn't let it slip.

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

Following some advice from @Andy Black I've started reaching out to my network and people i know who may need help with paid search or digital marketing.

I've also signed onto a Zoom Local Business Networking in mid may and will just start talking to business owners and find out what their potential problems are and where i can help.

If anyone is interested in this and lives in the UK, you can join a meeting for free:

 

Envious

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Sep 26, 2017
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Been sending out emails and messages left and right to my network and a list of what i would call 'low hanging fruit'.

The response has been overall positive, with many people replying and intrigued with what value I can bring them. However, nothing 'closed' yet, just window shoppers.

What puzzles me is people that are doing stuff wrong which is costing them money, and you point that out to them and they have no intention of fixing it whatsoever.

A bizarre finding in all of this.

Perhaps it's they don't trust me, they are too busy or they just don't care.

I've also been trying to refine my offer and eliminate the risk for local businesses.

I've either been thinking of ' Our ads will pay for themselves' and instead of guaranteeing business from the ads (because you can't, too many variables), i could potentially guarantee that the amount of leads/enquiries will be worth more than the cost of the ads.

Not sure on how enticing an offer that is though or if it's possible. Something to think about.
 

Salama2017

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Sep 12, 2017
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I've finally had enough.

Enough of my lame excuses that i've been telling myself for the last couple years.

"That won't work"
'It's been done before"
"I wouldn't buy that"
"Everyone is doing it"


So at the weekend i wrote out my f*ck this list (thanks @UncommonWay ) and it made me realize that no one is coming to save me, it's now or never!

Inspired by @Andy Black , @Kyle T and @Sean Marshall (massive thanks guys) , i'm going to focus on helping businesses and start doing marketing(an agency?) for them.

I know it's been done before, saturated and un-original. But the steps have literally been written out, everything needed to get started.
If i can't even make this work, then i'm no entrepreneur.

Last night my girlfriend and I wrote out a plan of what i need to be earning to quit my job and how much runway i need. I need about £10,000 saved up which is about 6 months (im halfway there) and need to be earning a minimum of £1600 per month.

So those figures will be the goal until i surpass them and then it's the journey to six figures.

I'll update my findings along the way!
Way to go!!! I had the same plan... save $10,000, then drop to part time at my job and focus on learning copywriting. I actually ended up saving 12k and dropped to part time right away.
I'm now spending my mornings learning copywriting and preparing my upwork profile...which has been approved already!
I'm almost certain that you'll hit your savings target before 6 months if you really commit. Good job and all the best!!!
 
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Envious

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
165%
Sep 26, 2017
251
413
London
Way to go!!! I had the same plan... save $10,000, then drop to part time at my job and focus on learning copywriting. I actually ended up saving 12k and dropped to part time right away.
I'm now spending my mornings learning copywriting and preparing my upwork profile...which has been approved already!
I'm almost certain that you'll hit your savings target before 6 months if you really commit. Good job and all the best!!!
Great work on dropping to part time. I've currently got around 6 weeks off work so i'm hopefully going to secure enough clients that i don't have to go back. I'm about 80% there with my savings target but couldn't miss this opportunity to get working!
 

Envious

Bronze Contributor
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Sep 26, 2017
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If i'm being honest, today has not been a great day.

I've contacted and run out of leads to email, and i have been stuck in a bit of analysis paralasis. Asking myself questions like:
  • Do I need a website?
  • Should i pitch people directly in the first email?
  • Should i send them connections on linkedin or should i refine my service/offer first?
Here is the email that i've sent out that has had quite a few responses but after i follow up with my value filled email, the communication just goes cold. Any feedback on this would be great!

Hi 'Name',

I hope you are doing well.

I just wanted to ask you a quick question.

I came across your website I've noticed a few changes that you could make (especially re: your Google Ads) that I think could help you get more customers, would you be interested in me sending them over?

No strings attached, just trying to help small and local businesses where i can.


then i leave my name, linkedin profile and mobile number.

My theory is to only spend the time with people that are interested in improving their marketing and reply. Should i follow up a few days later?
 

Rarely

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Apr 8, 2020
3
4
Chicago
If i'm being honest, today has not been a great day.

I've contacted and run out of leads to email, and i have been stuck in a bit of analysis paralasis. Asking myself questions like:
  • Do I need a website?
  • Should i pitch people directly in the first email?
  • Should i send them connections on linkedin or should i refine my service/offer first?
Here is the email that i've sent out that has had quite a few responses but after i follow up with my value filled email, the communication just goes cold. Any feedback on this would be great!

Hi 'Name',

I hope you are doing well.

I just wanted to ask you a quick question.

I came across your website I've noticed a few changes that you could make (especially re: your Google Ads) that I think could help you get more customers, would you be interested in me sending them over?

No strings attached, just trying to help small and local businesses where i can.


then i leave my name, linkedin profile and mobile number.

My theory is to only spend the time with people that are interested in improving their marketing and reply. Should i follow up a few days later?

I think that selling your pitch in your first email is not going to get you the results that you are looking for.

It would be better to go ahead and ask a potential client if they are seeing the results they expect from their online ads, if there's anything that they wish could be improved, if they feel they are getting their money's worth from Google Ads, etc. Make it about them.

Asking good questions will give you a better idea on how familiar they are with Google Ads, what a pain point might be, how open they are with discussing this with you. It's hard for you to establish credibility and offer to make changes before you know more details about their situation.

Play around with one or two questions and see what gets the most responses and then run with it. If they respond, then you can go ahead and discuss how you can help them.

My 2c
 
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Envious

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
165%
Sep 26, 2017
251
413
London
I think that selling your pitch in your first email is not going to get you the results that you are looking for.

It would be better to go ahead and ask a potential client if they are seeing the results they expect from their online ads, if there's anything that they wish could be improved, if they feel they are getting their money's worth from Google Ads, etc. Make it about them.

Asking good questions will give you a better idea on how familiar they are with Google Ads, what a pain point might be, how open they are with discussing this with you. It's hard for you to establish credibility and offer to make changes before you know more details about their situation.

Play around with one or two questions and see what gets the most responses and then run with it. If they respond, then you can go ahead and discuss how you can help them.

My 2c

Thanks for your comments. This is a good point, it might also let them know a little about me(someone who does ads) and it might them reflect on if they think it's worth it currently and they might be open to letting me offer an account audit, phone call etc.
 

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