Entrepreneurship is not for everyone!
I put out a post offering help to new entrepreneurs, many of which I could help, but this one hit me as an example of an “Unprepared Entrepreneur”.
8/22, 9:53am
Betty
Hi Dawn, I don’t know if you can help me or not. I am just starting out and I haven’t found my niche. Though I have an idea, first I would like to help massage therapists get more clients with web presence and appointment options. To start. I think that will be easy enough for me to get my feet wet since I still need to learn how to do all of that! Like I said I’m new with only ideas and a passion ! If you can help me in anyway it will be appreciated.
9/10, 9:05pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
If you can go to http://thinklargeconsulting.com and set up an appointment, you will only see checkboxes next to the times that I have available. That would be awesome to talk with you!
FACT: According to the SBA, there are 600,000 startups per year, with an 80% failure rate – 15% more never make a consistent profit. Why? They didn’t invest in marketing, no one found them, and they couldn’t pay their bills.
Here there occurred a phone call where I found out that Betty did not have the basic digital marketing skills needed to do what she wanted to do. I offered that she could be in business right away and not struggle with learning all about Digital Marketing (15 yrs in my case) by reselling our services. Entrepreneurship is not an easy decision.
9/12, 3:12pm
Betty
So I get the clients and send them to you for website and marketing help?? Starting with me? This is a big step forward again. Thank you! I’m pretty sure this is the only way to go forward with my business. Otherwise I might as well hang it up. Because I don’t have the skill set to move forward.
9/12, 3:16pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
It depends – if you enjoy selling and want to white label it and build your own business, do that!
However, resellers usually do handle their own accounts and for that we pay 20% – if you just send us a lead and it does close, it’s 15%. It’s worth that extra 5% to us. If you decide to white label, we’ll discuss how we work it. Our marketing is at http://1-Box.com/seo/ – we only offer programs that we know work and that we can guarantee. They are balanced and effective for both short and long term.
And guaranteed.
9/12, 3:19pm
Betty
Explain white label, please and I’ll checkout the site
9/12, 3:19pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
White label is your own business – no one ever knows that you send the work to us.
9/12, 3:20pm
Betty
Ok thanks! I appreciate your help????
9/12, 4:49pm
Betty
So do you have a contract for me to look over and sign with all perks of partnering with you?? I’m in over my head as far as bringing results to my clients.
9/12, 10:02pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I know – it’s really hard now. There’s so many people doing it.
Pick out what you want:
Website
eCommerce
Scheduling
CRM (for capturing leads and order tracking if you have eCommerce and your Calendar if you have Scheduling)
Then if you are going to need any of the marketing plans we have.
9/12, 10:06pm
Betty
Ok I’m looking into it. I have meetings tomorrow so Wednesday I’ll be getting in touch !
9/12, 11:11pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Me too – I’m looking forward to figuring out what you need.
9/12, 11:11pm
Betty
Me too!
9/14, 7:42pm
Betty
Ok I’m still struggling with my business plan. I think the best thing is to be the middle man to get their website and other DM business and send it to you. What do you think ?
9/14, 7:50pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
If you do, you’ll be in business pretty quickly. If you are just sending us leads, you need to qualify them so none of us are wasting our time. I’ve had leads where they get to us and then they say they just had some questions and don’t have any money. We don’t want those – we can’t help them without putting ourselves out of business.
9/14, 7:54pm
Betty
Right. I understand so excited! To be working with you so I need some guidance. So my business plan is my problem. Do you suggest i get the money from them up front, I do the first 3weeks of SAMs program and get the website worksheet filed out and then send it to you?
I’m selling coaching and the website. In my first 6 week program then the next 6 wk program a VSL and ads?
9/15, 9:38am
Dawn Brown Cassara
That sounds like a plan – we can work that out as we go, but I think you need a website first? Are you ready to move forward on that?
9/15, 4:28pm
Betty
I will contact you tomorrow!
9/15, 4:28pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Great – looking forward to it.
9/15, 4:31pm
Betty
Thank you????
9/15, 5:16pm
Betty
Where do I find pricing on your web page?
9/15, 6:55pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
We do custom plans so that you get what you need on your budget and so we can guarantee it. We just have to figure that out depending on both the technology and the marketing they need.
4:27pm
Betty
I should meet with you. We have a lot to talk about. When is a good day for you?
5:13pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I must say I am booked except for phone calls all next week. And I’d very much like to talk with you!
6:19pm
Betty
Ok so what are you thinking?
I’m building my whole business around what you have to offer. Because this is what small businesses need for success! Or exposure 🙂
8:33pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
You should do the same thing I do – talk to people, see where they are and then what they want. It’s Point A to Point B – if you can offer a risk free guarantee that you can get them there, they often don’t care how you do it. So offering set packages turned out to be a HUGE detriment to our business. About 1% understand what they actually need – the reality of business.
8:36pm
Betty
Ok that is fine then. I just want to help people that need direction. I should probably tape my conversations with them so I have their exact words and give them what they want!
8:37pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
That’s a really good idea – then I can give you ideas and more help.
8:38pm
Betty
I was just talking with a gal that is a Life Coach and she wants a Facebook page and ad
So I’ll start taping the conversations and see what they want and you will set up the DM?
8:42pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Here’s the thing with any coach – they need
1) A really good web site that takes appointments (scheduling) which means they need a backend database where it’s updated to with a calendar. That’s called a CRM – Contact Relationship Manager. That’s what my product is – http://1-box.com.
2) A facebook page – which takes an hour to set up and years to get anyone to look at if it’s not marketed.
8:44pm
Betty
I understand, how much does the 1-BOX COST?
8:44pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Let me continue – we’re not to the pricing yet.
3) Facebook or Google ads. You have to look at the Google tools to see how much her keywords are going to cost to even begin to advise anyone on how much they should spend on ads.
Not as many people go search for life coaches on Google. However, FB ads let you zone in on your target market like a laser – so I would suggest FB ads in this case. If it were a home services (contractors) I would suggest Google Adwords, make sense?
That’s the differnce between PUSH and PULL marketing – you PUSH out to FB (they are not looking for you), and PULL in from Google Ads (they are looking for you).
8:47pm
Betty
Yes, I will get a conversation with her and see if we can pin down what she wants and her budget
8:49pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Let me continue –
No one that’s any good sets up and manages ads for less than the average of $750/mo especially at first. The price might go down later after all the research and split testing (testing different ads to see which works the best). Then the general rule is that you start making money once you spend over $2-3000/mo. again depending on the cost of the ads.
8:53pm
Betty
Ok what do you suggest will work for businesses just starting so they can gain more clients?
8:54pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Wait –
Ads only work as long as you’re running them. So that’s where SEO comes in. SEO is where in line you appear on a Google search. Google has very complicated rules and the people who have mastered them are very expensive. Ranking is made up of Links and Traffic. It can take thousands of links to get someone up to the top of the search engines for their keywords. Traffic is from the ads, Social Media and VIDEO. So let’s talk about VIDEO.
8:54pm
Betty
The reason I coached my first couple of clients was so they could slowly get organic clients information
8:54pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I’m getting to that, but you have to understand what they need first. If you sell them something that won’t work, they won’t stay with you or refer to you.
8:56pm
Betty
Ok, I just want to get them what they want with their small budget to begin
8:56pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I”m not quite done yet –
Video includes speaking into the camera, power point and animated presentations. The quality of your video affects how the potential customer sees you. Going and having a professional video taken can cost thousands of dollars, but if you have a newer phone, that could work, depending on what you’re selling.
After all, YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine after Google, so video is critical.
So, knowing all this, I sell them a package of $1200 to $8000 a month and I mix and match these services until they are seeing some good results with a contract that reflects all the work they need, including a website, a CRM, a FB (and all other Social Media) page, and the balanced SEO, PPC and Social Media Marketing they need.
Not having a balanced marketing program is like having a one-eye eye lift.
9:00pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
So we adjust the term (length) of the contract based on what services they need – then they stay with us AND they will get the results they need. People tend to “market hop” – they stay with one company for a month or two and then hop to the next company promising them something. So you have to get them to stay long enough to see results.
It’s like buying a car on term – they can get more that way and be happier with what they get.
9:01pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
However, if they can’t afford that, they are not going anywhere anyway. period.
9:02pm
Betty
Ok, let’s say this package is for me. I’m starting out trying to get small businesses to work with me to gain clients and exposure. This is it then!
When I talk to people about improving their business this is what I’m selling
9:03pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Right, but if they can’t spend at least $1200/mo. building their business every month, then it’s a hobby, not a business.
9:04pm
Betty
I agree
9:04pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I can’t realistically help anyone for less than that.
9:04pm
Betty
I agree:)
9:05pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
So you only sell whole packages, never “just a page”. It’s a waste of your time.
9:05pm
Betty
Ok So now I need to define it for my own website
9:05pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Right.
But you have to understand that the people who want to spend the least (the 20%) will take up 80% of your time.
9:06pm
Betty
Understood
9:07pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
You’re not such a different case. If all we did together was build a website, it would literally just sit there and do nothing. Yes, you could get someone in once in a while by just contacting people one by one, but that’s a slow way to go and you’ll eventually give up and try something else – just like anyone else would.
9:07pm
Betty
So I will need to get them to commit to $1200 a month for the basic package for at least six months
9:09pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
That would get them a great website, a FB page, some good SEO, but as you can see you’d have to save up 3 months of that to get them one month of an ad campaign, so I don’t include PPC in that small a package at all – just SEO and some Social Media Marketing, unless they want to pay extra for the cost of the ads.
9:11pm
Betty
So small business is in a tough spot
9:12pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Yes, people are media blind and if you don’t have the money for a real marketing campaign, you’re gong to waste it on trying to do it yourself until you give up. Very few people are lucky enough to make it on a small budget – and that’s if they pick a niche that’s not over-saturated and at the same time, is in demand.
9:13pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
And that’s if they “get it” – understand the psychology of funnels and learn very quickly how to do a lot of the marketing themselves. I’ve known a LOT of people who tried ads and just spent and spent and spent – again until they just gave up.
If they make enough to keep trying, they can eventually learn but very few make it that way – it takes someone who really “gets it” and that can take a long time.
9:14pm
Betty
Wow! This is a very eye opening conversation.
Really this kind of marketing is for businesses that are very successful who want to go viral
9:15pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
You can’t start a business without a budget.
There are many many people who understand that, but unfortunately, it’s usually men.
9:16pm
Betty
Right!
9:16pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I hate saying this, but men usually understand what it takes and will outsource the work or learn smaller portions of it or just enough to know who to hire.
My father was an entrepreneur and taught me.
9:17pm
Betty
I understand. I appreciate your time and effort. I read your bio you are a very special women!
9:18pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
Thanks! Also, women rarely understand how much work it is. I don’t see how you can be responsible for kids and a household and start a business – there just aren’t enough hours in the day. I know some do it.
9:18pm
Betty
I think I’m in over my head again????
9:19pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
My house is a total wreck and my only son is 23 and doesn’t need a lot of attention. When he did, I didn’t make that much money – for the same reason as every other mother – their kids come first.
I have that feeling – that’s why I’m telling you this. Think about all I’ve said and then we’ll talk again.
9:19pm
Betty
Thank you are awesome!
9:20pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
No – I’m really not.
I don’t want to invest my time in you for you just to give up after a month or two because you didn’t understand how much work it is. You really have to understand what you’re selling and why.
9:20pm
Betty
Totally understand
9:20pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
I’m just a realist and I’ve had a lot of help. I’ll help you as long as you understand all this and are willing to work that hard.
9:21pm
Betty
I understand I don’t know if I have what it takes to get the job done!
9:21pm
Dawn Brown Cassara
If you think working for yourself is easy, you’ll be very disappointed.
OK – good night! Think about it.
9:22pm
Betty
Good night
Betty,
I realized as I read this back over again that this is a conversation that I wish I’d had with a lot of people who never knew or understood what starting a business was really like BEFORE I started working with them. How hard it is, what’s required, the systems and strategies they needed to know, the marketing they needed to be able to understand and afford, and so much more.
I really didn’t mean to scare you, but I did want to make sure you were ready for what would be required for you to make it in your own business.
I’d like to share this – you’ll be anonymous of course, but I think it will help a lot of people. It’s a “hard truth” and one worth sharing!
Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.