The reason I am on this forum...

[brandonrush]

I'm on this forum because I am fed up with my 8:30AM-8PM J.O.B. that is making my boss rich and me miserable. I am fed up putting in 60-70 hour weeks working to make someone else rich, whenever I would be happier spending that time growing my own business and making myself rich to reach my goals in life(I'll get to my goals later).

I've read the book and I am sold on the principles of the method. I am currently still employed at my J.O.B. while searching for my Fastlane avenue. I've always been interested in business ownership but MJ's book and my current annoyance at my job have turned what was a small campfire of interest into what is now a raging house fire of escapement.

My wife owns her own photography business that she runs from the home. This business does not bring in much money and is mainly just a way to pay for everyday expenses. I have already sat down with her and discussed how I would like to develop a fastlane idea with her to help run it day-to-day as it grows into something large enough for me to quit my day job.

Thankfully, I do have quite a few months of living expenses saved up, both vehicles are paid for and my only true monthly obligation is my mortgage, insurance, utilities, and food for us two and two dogs.

My ultimate goals by taking the fastlane lifestyle will be to purchase a 1-3000 acre piece of land in a mountainous region like Montana, west Texas, Utah, Colorado, etc to use as a main home, an extended family retreat, and a hunting/camping destination for myself, friends and relatives. I would also like to learn to sail so in the winter months I can escape my mountain home and travel the world in a catamaran. By my estimations I could accomplish this task comfortably with $20-30 million, which is a daunting task to look up to.

So, what next?

 

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[psaco131]

make a plan to fulfill what the market needs to catapult you into that lifestyle.

That's a simplified, less gritty & dark summarization.

 

[DeletedUser2]

become a research maven

find what works in other places but my not be duplicated in your area.

Copy
Paste.

test,

make money

ramp up

Grind away for a little bit.
then sell.



pretty simple to me

NOW
Before you go to far. look back at your post.

its all about you, what you want, whats in it for you, how your going to get all these cool things how you want to experience life from a certain way.

you want to make money? put that shit aside for a while. maybe like 2-5 yrs.

and learn to ask, what OTHER people want.

when you can elicit the response from someone else, that looks alot like what you wrote up there (their pain, their dreams, their goals) you can then begin to develop a real plan that will make you alot of money.

until then, your just like 1 billion other dreamers that wonder why they are not getting what they want in life.

stop it.

Z

 

[Lights]

Set the world on fire






it's going nowhere if it stays at home

 

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[awkwardgenius]

My wife owns her own photography business that she runs from the home. This business does not bring in much money and is mainly just a way to pay for everyday expenses. I have already sat down with her and discussed how I would like to develop a fastlane idea with her to help run it day-to-day as it grows into something large enough for me to quit my day job.

Just a tip on a referral system I've seen blow up photography businesses (assuming she does this type, and not some artsy thing):

Tell your wife to offer, after each session with a client, a free large print for each name they can provide as a referral. Then, for each person, drop a nice post card in the mail mentioning that so-and-so referred them, and if they bring in the post card, they will also get one free family portrait. Tell her she must use this on each and every client she works with, without fail.

For each person that comes in for their free portrait, be prepared with no-pressure, but comprehensive upsells and cross-sells (and don't get grumpy about the people who just want their freebie. They can still give referrals too!).

Finally, be prepared to help her, since her business is likely going to explode after that. Might even give her enough of a boost that you can focus on your fastlane instead of your job.

 

[brandonrush]

NOW
Before you go to far. look back at your post.

its all about you, what you want, whats in it for you, how your going to get all these cool things how you want to experience life from a certain way.

you want to make money? put that shit aside for a while. maybe like 2-5 yrs.

and learn to ask, what OTHER people want.

when you can elicit the response from someone else, that looks alot like what you wrote up there (their pain, their dreams, their goals) you can then begin to develop a real plan that will make you alot of money.

until then, your just like 1 billion other dreamers that wonder why they are not getting what they want in life.

stop it.

Z

You're right Zen, my post came off pretty self-centered. No one cares what the owner's goals are when deciding to use their services or not.

Thank you.

 

[brandonrush]

Just a tip on a referral system I've seen blow up photography businesses (assuming she does this type, and not some artsy thing):

I appreciate the advice! I will talk with her about implementing a referral system to her new clients from here on out.

 

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[awkwardgenius]

I appreciate the advice! I will talk with her about implementing a referral system to her new clients from here on out.

No problem...and don't rule out warming up past clients again. Have her call them and express how much she enjoys working with quality people such as themselves, and ask if they could refer her to people of similar quality, and ask if there's anything else she could do for them in the near future.

She should also keep a meticulous contact list with information about her clients' family makeup, interested, etc...so she can send out, for example, postcards at Christmas for family photos...keep track of the sports the kids are involved in, and send out promos to coincide with the start of sports season. Send random snippets of interest either via mail or email that have NOTHING to do with selling anything, and just keep your wife's business in the forefront of their minds.

Followup to above: Establish the marginal net worth of your clients. Now, once your wife has fully committed to a system of follow up and consistent referral-gathering, you guys need to sit down and calculate just how much each client is worth to you on a long-term basis. When she starts working with someone, can she count on them to buy again once a year? Twice? More? How much will they spend?

Knowing this puts you in a position to control your marketing like never before.

For example, you can then decide what sort of promotions you can afford to offer...for example, she may be able to afford to acquire customers on a break-even, or even a small loss, knowing that on average every one of them is worth $xxx.xx in the long run.

You also know how much you can afford to give as a referral fee...identify other businesses who work with your prospects. Talk to wedding planners, for example. Contact them and work out an arrangement to refer business to one another. Offer a generous referral fee. Contact ad agencies or radio stations or newspapers and offer to barter her services for ad space. There's no limit to what you can barter for if you're creative and you have something of value to offer people.

This sort of strategy, applied consistently, will set her head and shoulders above other photographers in town. She will be leaps and bounds beyond the amateurs trying to score a few bucks from their hobby, and she'll stand out even among the WalMarts and Sears studios for the level of service she provides. Don't let your customers commoditize your business...make your business stand out uniquely among the others in your field, and you will be able to command a premium.