{"id":739,"date":"2020-09-17T15:24:09","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T15:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/2020\/09\/17\/drop-servicing-the-best-business-model-to-start-if-youre-broke\/"},"modified":"2020-09-17T15:24:09","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T15:24:09","slug":"drop-servicing-the-best-business-model-to-start-if-youre-broke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/2020\/09\/17\/drop-servicing-the-best-business-model-to-start-if-youre-broke\/","title":{"rendered":"Drop Servicing: The Best Business Model to Start if You\u2019re Broke"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><span class=\"rating-result mrp-filter before_content rating-result-1-13644\"> <span class=\"no-rating-results-text\">No ratings yet. Please rate this article at the end ?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Charles, what would you do if you had to start all over again? I don\u2019t have any money to invest in a business, and I don\u2019t have any skills that I can make money from! All I have is my time and work ethic. Please help.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been getting emails like these ever since COVID-19 happened.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever someone\u2019s in a difficult financial situation, my advice is to find a job. And I don\u2019t mean that in a condescending way.<\/p>\n<p>A job is the fastest way to get stability. It\u2019s hard to launch your business if your lizard brain is worried about making rent.<\/p>\n<p>But things are tough.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re in a pandemic right now, and people aren\u2019t hiring.<br \/>You might be stuck at home because your kids are learning virtually.<br \/>Or maybe your resources are limited because of the country you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<p>What business model should you focus on if you\u2019re starting from scratch?<br \/>If you\u2019re starting without any resources or advantages?<\/p>\n<p>I know some people are in panic mode right now and want a \u201c<strong>magic bullet<\/strong>.\u201d There\u2019s no business model I can give you that\u2019s guaranteed to \u201c<em>make $1,000 a day within three months<\/em>\u201d. Having that mentality is harmful to your long term success.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But regardless, I wanted to brainstorm what I\u2019d do in the following situation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<strong>No money to invest. <\/strong>I\u2019m going to assume you have at least $100 for some basics like grabbing a <a class=\"thirstylink\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Namecheap.com\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/namecheap-com\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">domain name<\/a> and website hosting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No existing audiences to tap into.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li id=\"newsletter\"><strong>No existing skill sets.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>A model that can make $30,000+USD within a year. <\/strong>This isn\u2019t \u201c<a class=\"thirstylink\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"How to Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/get-rich-one-worlds-greatest-entrepreneurs-shares-secrets\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to get rich<\/a> quick.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have an open mind, patience, and a solid work ethic, then this framework can help you build a business online.<\/p>\n<h2>Narrowing Down Business Models Due to Your Constraints<\/h2>\n<p>We need to take a look at your <strong>constraints<\/strong>\u00a0and eliminate some ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say I wanted to train my future kids to be professional athletes. I\u2019m short. My fiance\u2019s short. Chances are that we\u2019re going to have some short kids.<\/p>\n<p>If that\u2019s the case, then it wouldn\u2019t make sense to try to get them into the NFL or the NBA.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d <a class=\"thirstylink\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/nudge-improving-decisions-health-wealth-happiness\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nudge<\/a> them towards sports where height doesn\u2019t matter as much such as weightlifting, table tennis, or soccer.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at each of your constraints and eliminate some options.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.h1t599rxxcl6\"><strong>1. You Don\u2019t Have Money to Invest<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>What happens if you lack capital?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u00a0can\u2019t hire employees.<\/li>\n<li>You can\u2019t afford to hold inventory.<\/li>\n<li>You can\u2019t afford paid traffic as a means of distribution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you can\u2019t afford to hold inventory, then that eliminates most forms of eCommerce.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dropshipping is an option<\/strong>. (<em>This means you don\u2019t hold inventory. When the customer places an order, the manufacturer ships it from their warehouse.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>It sounds good on paper, but it\u2019s 2020. The pandemic is causing shipping backlogs. Some customers receive items three months late.<\/p>\n<p>Affiliate marketing is possible. But the majority of affiliate marketing that I\u2019ve been preaching is based around <strong>paid traffic<\/strong>\u00a0as a form of distribution.<\/p>\n<p>You <strong>can <\/strong>do affiliate marketing through building your own audience or SEO, but that\u2019s going to take some time.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13647\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/307ntl34wci12hk39n1c9pfv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-pixabay-301703-500x333.jpg\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13647\" class=\"ncube-custom-class wp-image-13647 size-medium sp-no-webp\" height=\"333\" width=\"500\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-13647\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/background-blank-business-craft-301703\/\">Pixabay<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/\">Pexels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"h.16703ee90jy4\"><strong>2. You Don\u2019t Have Any Monetizable Skillsets<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Do you have any skill sets that people are willing to pay for?<br \/><strong><br \/><\/strong>If you do then you have options:<\/p>\n<p>A. You can immediately start freelancing on platforms like <a href=\"http:\/\/upwork.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Upwork.com<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiverr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fiverr.com<\/a>.<br \/>B. You can start doing consulting through <a href=\"https:\/\/clarity.fm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clarity.fm<\/a>.<br \/>C. You can create courses on a platform like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udemy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Udemy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This is the quickest path to start making some money.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to assume that you don\u2019t have the skills right now. Or that you have some skills, but you want to move your career in a different direction.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.aer6w6d0f7hq\"><strong>3. Time\u2019s a Limitation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I always preach long term thinking. However, you have to build your foundation first before you can afford to think long term.<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t afford to play the long game right now!<\/p>\n<p>A great long term business is to build an audience, and then monetize them in the future. You could build a brand on YouTube, podcasts, or blogging.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that it can take <strong>years <\/strong>to build an audience large enough to monetize.<\/p>\n<p>Same with niche blogging websites.<\/p>\n<p>You need a model that can pay you within six months.<\/p>\n<p>So hopefully that analysis helps. It can be overwhelming to think of a business idea. The first thing I always do is to eliminate choices.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.ld7nk79ifjfs\"><strong>The Best Business Model For You: Productized Services<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Under these circumstances, the business model I\u2019d recommend is a <strong>service model<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t need any money to get started, and the overhead costs are low.<\/p>\n<p>The hardest part of the service model is you\u2019re going to have to deal with <strong>people<\/strong>. This can be difficult if you\u2019re introverted.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll have to sell to people, make your clients happy, and, if you\u2019re not doing the work yourself, manage a workforce.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the Blueprint.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.hvidvk6k33un\">Step 1: Find a Target Market and Their Biggest Pain Points<\/h3>\n<p>The most important step is to <strong>figure out the audience that you want to service<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re dealing with the pandemic, and businesses are struggling. Restaurants aren\u2019t doing well, and neither are gyms. They\u2019re in survival mode right now and don\u2019t have budgets.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, find the target markets that are doing well despite our circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>Some off the top of my head:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Professionals such as lawyers and doctors<\/li>\n<li>Digital Marketers \/ Ecommerce<\/li>\n<li>Content creators such as Podcasters and YouTubers<\/li>\n<li>Etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Brainstorm as many target audiences as you can. Are there any communities that you\u2019re familiar with? Research and see what type of businesses are thriving right now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t get too tunnel-visioned within the internet market community.<\/strong> If you\u2019re reading this article, then that means you\u2019re entrenched in the online marketing space.<\/p>\n<p>Do you realize how competitive it would be to try and sell \u201cfunnel building\u201d services to other internet marketers? It\u2019ll be 10x easier if you were to target \u201cboring\u201d professionals such as real estate agents, lawyers, chiropractors, etc. You\u2019ll have an advantage if you\u2019re living in a large city.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have a list of target audiences, you need to see where they hang out online. I\u2019m talking about places such as subreddits on Reddit. Or Slack groups, Facebook groups, and online forums.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re going to immerse yourself in their community. You\u2019re going to try and see what their pain points are.<\/p>\n<p>What services are people asking recommendations for?<br \/>What pain points do people keep complaining about over and over again?<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re serious about this, then message people privately. Interview them on what their biggest challenges and pain points are. If they could make their 3 biggest pain points go away, what would those pain points be?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t try to create a demand.<\/strong>\u00a0Find out what people are dying for, and give it to them.<\/p>\n<p>People are willing to pay more for a painkiller than a vitamin.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Podcasters need help with editing their episodes and marketing.<\/li>\n<li>eCommerce guys have an insatiable appetite for videos for their Facebook campaigns.<\/li>\n<li>Lawyers. I did a quick call with my attorney friend on some of his pain points, and man, they are endless. The first is around marketing. He needs more leads on cases. The second is overall inefficiency. His technology stack is stuck in the early 2000s. He doesn\u2019t use <a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/\">Calendly<\/a>, a CRM software, or invoicing software.<\/li>\n<li>Local businesses want to transition to sell online, but they don\u2019t have any idea how to. Setting up <a class=\"thirstylink\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Shopify\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/shopify\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shopify<\/a>, an inventory system, and fulfillment is too confusing for them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In picking services, you should use a mental model I call <strong>market efficiency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>I would <strong>not <\/strong>start a logo or landing page design space. Why\u2019s that? Those services have been around since the 90s. <strong>There are too many choices for people aka they\u2019re red oceans.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instead, look for <strong>newer<\/strong>\u00a0services.<\/p>\n<p>eCommerce, YouTube, and podcasts have boomed in the past decade. What new services are needed because of that?<\/p>\n<p><strong>This is another way of using the blue ocean and red ocean strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Blue Ocean<\/strong> = Creates a new demand. Companies develop uncontested market space rather than fight over a shrinking profit pool. An example could be a service for managing Tik Tok influencers.<br \/><strong><br \/>Red Ocean<\/strong> = All about competition. As the market space gets more crowded, companies compete fiercely for a greater share of limited demand. An example could be a generic Facebook agency. Yes, you can make money, but it\u2019s ultra-competitive if you\u2019re starting from scratch.<\/p>\n<p>At this point, you should have a list of target markets and the top 3 pain points for each one.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13646\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/307ntl34wci12hk39n1c9pfv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-chevanon-photography-1108101-500x333.jpg\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13646\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13646 ncube-custom-class sp-no-webp\" height=\"333\" width=\"500\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-13646\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/@chevanon?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels\">Chevanon Photography<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/woman-wears-yellow-hard-hat-holding-vehicle-part-1108101\/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels\">Pexels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"h.t9tlj4s7zr61\">Step 2. Deliver the Service Yourself or Outsource It<\/h3>\n<p>You should have brainstormed a list of services in demand.<\/p>\n<p>The next question is <strong>product delivery. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can either learn how to do the service yourself or do drop servicing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Option 1: Do It Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People underestimate what they can learn with two months of intense concentration. I\u2019m talking about 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, for two months straight.<\/p>\n<p>There are some skills that might have too high of a ceiling such as programming. But think about other skills you can learn.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can learn decent podcast editing<\/li>\n<li>You can learn decent video editing<\/li>\n<li>You can learn how to pivot a local store on <a class=\"thirstylink\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Shopify\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/shopify\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shopify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You\u2019re not going to be the best in the world. But you will get better with more experience, and increase your prices as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Option 2: Drop Servicing aka Outsource it to Someone else<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Drop Servicing is a new buzzword term, but this model has been around for decades. It was big in the 90\u2019s.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You go around to local businesses offering to build them a website for $2000.<\/li>\n<li>You found someone online who could build it for $500.<\/li>\n<li>You pocket the $1500 difference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You\u2019re focused on sales, managing the client, and making sure that your product delivers.<\/p>\n<p>Some of you are thinking, \u201c<em>Why would a client be interested in working with me instead of working directly with the service provider? What value do you bring to the table?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a great question.<\/p>\n<p>Think about this.<\/p>\n<p>So many eCommerce companies repackage items that are available on Alibaba. They give them some great packaging, a story, baller photography, and boom!<\/p>\n<p>Everyone\u2019s happy!<\/p>\n<p>There are many people who are great service providers. But they suck at marketing, selling, and branding.<br \/><strong><br \/>You\u2019re capturing that value difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are some challenges if you\u2019re Drop Servicing<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Finding reliable, but cost-effective freelancers. Try <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Fiverr\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/fiverr\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Fiverr<\/a>, Upwork, or Reddit.<\/li>\n<li>Lower profit margins. If you can learn it yourself, then you keep 100% of the profit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want larger profit margins, you can try negotiating with the freelancers to get a lower rate. The more clients you bring, then the bigger the discount.<\/p>\n<p>Between the do it yourself and drop servicing option, I do favor outsourcing.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<strong>Doing it yourself limits your markets<\/strong> \u2013 What if you find that the biggest opportunity is in designing funnels for lawyers? You might not have enough time to develop expertise.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>You\u2019re laser-focused on selling<\/strong> \u2013 Affiliate marketing allowed me to be a world-class marketer because I only focused on marketing. I didn\u2019t have to deal with customer service or developing a product. The same thing applies here. You focus on selling, and partner with people who are world-class at what they do.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>You\u2019re going to outsource eventually. <\/strong>Do you want to be designing logos yourself for the rest of your career? Sooner or later you\u2019re going to hire employees and train them. By doing drop servicing, you\u2019re getting experience with that model.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Even if you outsource, <strong>you should invest some time into learning some of the basic skills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It gives you more control over your business. People are attracted to world-class service.<\/p>\n<p>You will always have a glass ceiling on your prices and your brand if you outsource everything.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.e1j3l8vqjosu\">Step 3. Develop a Productized Service<\/h3>\n<p>Services can be a soul-draining business.<\/p>\n<p>Your clients never seem to be satisfied. They always want changes, and they want it fast. <strong>And they\u2019re hard to scale.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the solution to this? <strong>Going for a productized business<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a done-for-you service with a defined price and scope. <strong>The key is to find out what\u2019s in demand, and figure out a done-for-you service based around it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/307ntl34wci12hk39n1c9pfv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/service-productized-service.png\" class=\"ncube-custom-class aligncenter wp-image-13650 size-full sp-no-webp\" height=\"345\" width=\"630\"><\/p>\n<p>If you want extra credit, try to find a <strong>recurring service<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>How many podcast covers does someone need? Probably one. You spend all this effort acquiring a customer and you only get to sell to them once.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s inefficient because all your energy is going towards customer acquisition.<\/p>\n<p>How many podcast editing services does a podcast need? Tons. You could sell podcast editing 4 times a month for years.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the great part about productized services: <strong>they can be scaled into multimillion-dollar companies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some examples include:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/scribewriting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scribe Writing<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 They help you create a book.<\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/designpickle.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Design Pickle<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Unlimited Graphic Design on a monthly retainer.<\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lightspeedwp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LightSpeedWP<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Make Your WordPress Site faster.<\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bench.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bench.co<\/a> \u2013 Monthly bookkeeping services<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Fiverr\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/fiverr\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Fiverr<\/a> is a great place to do market research on productized services.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/307ntl34wci12hk39n1c9pfv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/download-4-1030x742.png\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-13651 ncube-custom-class sp-no-webp\" height=\"742\" width=\"1030\"><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.9ulaq2roelv9\">Step 4. Validate Your Ideas<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sell it before you build it.<br \/><\/strong><br \/>You don\u2019t want to spend months building a service, only to find out that no one\u2019s interested in paying for it.<\/p>\n<p>My challenge to you is to find <strong>5 paying customers. <\/strong>This doesn\u2019t mean 5 people who think it\u2019s a great idea. This doesn\u2019t mean 5 people who say they would pay you if you offered it.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s 5 people who are willing to send cash to your PayPal.<\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t find 5 paying customers, then you\u2019re either bad at selling or there\u2019s no demand for what you\u2019re offering.<\/p>\n<p>If no one\u2019s interested in what you\u2019re selling\u2026<strong>that\u2019s good. <\/strong>It\u2019s better to know right now than waste weeks on the idea.<\/p>\n<p>Too many people get caught up in trying to <strong>THINK <\/strong>through if idea A or idea B is better. <strong>The only way to know is to test.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say I wanted to test if a podcast editing service has potential.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Find a solid freelancer that you can outsource to.<\/li>\n<li>Build yourself a quick landing page.<\/li>\n<li>Start finding your first customers. I\u2019d start doing some cold outreach towards newer podcasts. Join different communities and start offering value.<\/li>\n<li>At this point, you\u2019re testing the idea. Take 0% profit to make your offer more enticing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>I\u2019d test out as many ideas as possible to see which one gets the most traction. Think of it as dating around before you get married.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to avoid.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Scenario 1:<\/strong>\u00a0You fall in love with the idea of podcast editing without testing it. You spend two months building a service, and no one\u2019s interested. You wasted 7 weeks when you could\u2019ve figured that out in one week.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Scenario 2: <\/strong>You think of 3 different ideas and spend a week launching a podcast editing service. You get 5 sales in your first week. You go all-in on your idea without testing others! But what if the others had way more potential?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Scenario 3: <\/strong>You test out different ideas, and you get 5 sales on the podcast editing idea. But you keep testing out your other ideas. You test your 3rd idea, which is marketing funnels for lawyers. You get 10 sales and they\u2019re high-profit margins! You go all-in on this idea.<\/p>\n<p>Market validation is underrated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I know most of you are going to be scared of selling but trust me, it\u2019s a skill worth developing. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s one of those keystone skills that improves everything else in life: communication, persuasion, negotiation, etc.<\/p>\n<p>If you suck at selling, read everything you can find from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Zig-Ziglars-Secrets-Closing-Sale\/dp\/0425081028\/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&amp;keywords=zig+zigler&amp;qid=1600176902&amp;sr=8-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zig Zigler<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/307ntl34wci12hk39n1c9pfv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-pixabay-434346-500x333.jpg\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13648\" class=\"ncube-custom-class wp-image-13648 size-medium sp-no-webp\" height=\"333\" width=\"500\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-13648\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/abstract-apple-art-black-and-white-434346\/\">Pixabay<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/\">Pexels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"h.l4eu5hhesqas\">Step 5. Establish a Brand<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t spend too much time on this.<br \/>I repeat, don\u2019t spend too much time on this.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen way too many wantrepreneurs waste time on stupid shit like \u201cWhich logo do you think is better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pick something and go. You can always improve it later.<\/p>\n<p>Your focus should be on research, selling, and testing ideas.<\/p>\n<p>A quick checklist:<\/p>\n<p><strong>A. Establish a name for your business.<br \/><\/strong><br \/>You don\u2019t want to operate from your personal name. It\u2019s lower perceived value and can hold you back from selling the business if it ever gets to that point.<\/p>\n<p><strong>B. Design a Logo.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Big budget go <a href=\"https:\/\/99designs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">99designs<\/a>.<br \/>Low budget go <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiverr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fiverr.com<\/a>.<br \/>If you don\u2019t have a budget, then use <a href=\"https:\/\/hatchful.shopify.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hatchful<\/a>\u00a0and design your own.<br \/><strong><br \/>C. Design a Landing Page.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Build something off of <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WordPress<\/a>. Don\u2019t waste $99 a month on a landing page builder until you actually start having customers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Create a website with the following information:<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>About You<\/li>\n<li>Talk about Your Unique Selling Propositions. How are your services different from the other guys?<\/li>\n<li>Testimonials<\/li>\n<li>Portfolio<\/li>\n<li>Pricing<\/li>\n<li>Create a Lead Magnet to capture emails.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Think of your landing page like a version 1.0. It\u2019s not going to be perfect, and you need to be OK with that.<\/p>\n<p>Once you get traction in your business and some profits, you can re-invest into a better site.<\/p>\n<p><strong>D. Figure out your Unique Selling Proposition<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your potential customers have options.<\/p>\n<p>What separates you from the competition? You have to figure out what advantages the customers care about.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<strong>Turnaround time. <\/strong>I love how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onehourtranslation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OneHourTranslate<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rev.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rev.com<\/a>\u00a0have a fast turnaround time.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Your unique background\/experience. <\/strong>I was researching CPA\u2019s, and there was one guy who used to work for the IRS!<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Extras. <\/strong>I worked with this one logo designer. He provided unlimited revisions, the source files, and gave me an extra mockup for free.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Avoid trying to be the \u201c<strong>cheapest<\/strong>\u201d service provider. That\u2019s not really an advantage and can easily become a race to the bottom.<\/p>\n<p>You should always be trying to improve your services so you can raise your prices.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.a0y5ayps5ggn\">Step 6. Find Your Distribution Channels<\/h3>\n<p>You have your service designed. It\u2019s validated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How are you going to find customers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I simplify distribution into several categories.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<strong>Cold Outreach. <\/strong>If you\u2019re providing services to lawyers, then that means contacting them directly. Email. Calls. This is a fantastic way to develop your sales skills.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Your Own Audience. <\/strong>Your email list. Your YouTube Channel. Build a website and let the SEO kick in.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Paid.<\/strong>\u00a0Run a campaign on Facebook, Google, etc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other People\u2019s Audiences.<br \/><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>I\u2019m going to assume that you don\u2019t have an audience, and you can\u2019t afford paid traffic.<\/p>\n<p>That leads us to Other People\u2019s Audiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some examples include:<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<strong>Social media<\/strong>\u00a0such as FB, Twitter, and Instagram. Search hashtags.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Communities<\/strong>\u00a0such as forums, subreddits, and Facebook Groups<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Paid marketplaces<\/strong>\u00a0such as Upwork and <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Fiverr\" href=\"https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/go\/fiverr\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Fiverr<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Influencers. <\/strong>Could you offer some services for free in exchange for a review?<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Referrals.<\/strong>\u00a0Once you start getting some customers, start asking them for referrals. It\u2019s free.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Pick and Choose 2 Channels.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If it were me, I\u2019d choose a combination of cold outreach and free communities. Don\u2019t spread yourself too thin.<\/p>\n<p>Each traffic channel has its own rules and customs.<\/p>\n<p>You have to understand how the communities work. For example, you do<strong>\u00a0NOT <\/strong>want to go into a Facebook group, and your first post is advertising your services. Don\u2019t whip your dick out on the first date.<\/p>\n<p>Answer questions.<br \/>Give value.<\/p>\n<p>Go to large Facebook groups and see how some service providers do it. The best ones are presenting case studies and dropping knowledge bombs. They are giving away valuable information for free.<\/p>\n<p>The ones constantly advertising their services are banned or laughed at.<\/p>\n<p>If you spend enough time and provide enough value, you can establish yourself as the \u201cgo-to\u201d service in a community. If that happens then leads can start flowing to you. You can\u2019t get this type of leverage if you spread yourself too thin.<\/p>\n<p>Find what works.<br \/>Double down on it.<br \/>Keep doing it until it stops being as effective.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.akoac4r4u1ot\">There\u2019s Always Opportunity<\/h2>\n<p><strong>No excuses.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve laid out a framework you can follow.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter what country you\u2019re from.<br \/>It doesn\u2019t matter if you don\u2019t have a great budget.<br \/>It doesn\u2019t matter if you don\u2019t have an audience or a skill set.<\/p>\n<p>If you work hard, then I\u2019m confident you can build a successful business following this framework.<\/p>\n<p>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/@jopwell?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jopwell<\/a>\u00a0from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-sitting-in-front-of-keyboard-2422278\/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pexels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>li { padding-top: 8px; }<\/p>\n<div class=\"rating-form mrp-filter after_content\">\n<h4>Please rate this article &#8211; it helps me know what to write!<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>https:\/\/charlesngo.com\/dropservicing\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/affiliate-marketing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}