Need some help with business plan to raise capital..

B

brokemofo

New member
Feb 10, 2011
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NIGGAS BROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so I'm currently trying to get into AM, but lack the capital. So I have an idea to make some money for a while until I make some progress in AM, and I need help perfecting my plan.

My Plan:
Basically I want to start cold calling businesses that are listed on yp.com, but only ones that don't already have a website. I figured this would be the best way to start; which businesses to target, I have yet to figure out. I'll offer them a custom professional business website that could only benefit them and explain to them that they're losing customers by not having one and blah blah blah...you get the point.

  1. I don't want to design/code a new website for each customer (I could, but I would have to raise the price quite a bit), I want to make it quick and easy for me, yet affordable for them to convert rather easily.

    So I thought I may go with WordPress, grab a couple templates, and just edit the layout (images/colors, maybe some styles). This way I can quickly and easily create their websites without many problems or issues. They'll be satisfied, because what the fuck do they know..It'll still look good of course!

    My next idea if I weren't to use WordPress, would be to make a couple different design layouts coded by myself and then just change the important aspects to make it unique to their business.

    If there's a better way of going about this, please share. Also, if you know of any good sites with templates that would be great for this, please let me know.
  2. I plan on recommending them to a web hosting company (via affiliate link), or host it for them for $10/mo, $20/mo to manage/update their site for them.

    Not sure what the best way to go about this would be, any insight/advice would be great.
  3. I don't feel like doing any SEO for them, so I may or may not recommend a company for them, depending on if they ask about it or not.
  4. PRICES! This is where I need some help. I was thinking about doing what I mentioned above for about $155, which would get them their website, and then they preferably pay for the hosting which I'll make a little extra cash off of. But honestly, I'm not sure what to charge, I figured $155 would be cheap for them and enough for me to make a decent profit off of. What are you thoughts and what would you charge? I know a low price screams SCAM or NEWBIE, and too big of a price will probably scare them away, so I'm trying to come up with something that they'll go for and will still be decent enough for myself to make some cash.
I think this would be a rather easy way to make some cash as it's pretty simple on my end.

If anyone could share what they would do or wouldn't do, then please do! I appreciate any help.

Anyone else looking for gain some easy capital, feel free to use this method/idea!
​
 


Double whatever price you must have. Then think about tripling it.

Anytime you deal with 'people' you have to factor in the pain in the ass factor -- one client will suck up 80 percent of your time. Seriously.

Then he won't be happy.

Then he will want changes.

Then he will stalk your grandma.
 
Don't raise capital, ask for a deposit from your first client and use that to finance everything.

Step 1) ask for '50% upfront'. This should be enough to cover the cost of everything.

Step 2) Use the deposit to buy templates and stuff through your links (or pay someone $5 to do it to make it look more legit if you're into that sort of stuff).

Step 3) Tweak the template and show it to the client on a WAMP server. Tell them it's ready to go as soon as they put down the remaining 50% for hosting and setup.

Step 4) Don't bother teaching them how to use it, it's a waste of your time (experience talking here). Charge a $25-50/month retainer to be their personal website monkey. Whenever they want something updated they e-mail you with the changes.

Step 5) Forward all future correspondence from 'retainer' clients through a VA that manages their request. Get a VA that responds quickly and will make the changes within 24hrs and they'll think they're getting amazing service...even though you're just bullshitting them.

Step 6) Thank me from saving you from having the icy claws of shareholders wrapped around your tender nut-sack.
 
Your idea isn't very uncommon and you will have to stand out from the other hundreds of people who have already phoned those businesses without a website :(

Your english seems good. Go write articles for 2$/100 words?
 
cold calling small businesses selling cheap websites is an exercise in how many kicks in the dick you can take before quitting. Be prepared to hear no over and over and over again...

My advice: pick something you're good at and do it over and over until you have the money you need. Productize yourself. It's why so many people here start with article writing. You're setting work contraints so you can become efficient and stay focused. Then just set a goal and run with it til you hit it.
 
Hello friend,

I think it probably more easy and more profit for you to use time to do ewhore.

Good luck bro
 
guerilla said:
How much money you need to raise?
Click to expand...

Right now I'm looking to build an income where I can support myself and then invest into AM. I'm more worried about supporting myself without having to commit to a 9-5, and at the moment I'm doing construction almost full time just to pay the bills.

If you're asking how much I would need for AM, then well that depends. $500 could take me a very long way, and then again I could lose it rather quickly. But I believe, after as much as I've read, and my experience with web design and development (and a little AM), I would have a pretty good head start, compared to others.

stmadeveloper said:
Double whatever price you must have. Then think about tripling it.

Anytime you deal with 'people' you have to factor in the pain in the ass factor -- one client will suck up 80 percent of your time. Seriously.

Then he won't be happy.

Then he will want changes.

Then he will stalk your grandma.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice and I'll definitely take the price factor into consideration when determining the final price.

Smidge said:
Don't raise capital, ask for a deposit from your first client and use that to finance everything.

Step 1) ask for '50% upfront'. This should be enough to cover the cost of everything.

Step 2) Use the deposit to buy templates and stuff through your links (or pay someone $5 to do it to make it look more legit if you're into that sort of stuff).

Step 3) Tweak the template and show it to the client on a WAMP server. Tell them it's ready to go as soon as they put down the remaining 50% for hosting and setup.

Step 4) Don't bother teaching them how to use it, it's a waste of your time (experience talking here). Charge a $25-50/month retainer to be their personal website monkey. Whenever they want something updated they e-mail you with the changes.

Step 5) Forward all future correspondence from 'retainer' clients through a VA that manages their request. Get a VA that responds quickly and will make the changes within 24hrs and they'll think they're getting amazing service...even though you're just bullshitting them.

Step 6) Thank me from saving you from having the icy claws of shareholders wrapped around your tender nut-sack.
Click to expand...

Lol, thanks a lot for the advice, I like the idea of doing just that. What exactly is a WAMP server, though?

bauss said:
Your idea isn't very uncommon and you will have to stand out from the other hundreds of people who have already phoned those businesses without a website :(

Your english seems good. Go write articles for 2$/100 words?
Click to expand...

I realize this, but hopefully I can be cheaper with a better offer. Writing articles isn't really my thing, I can write when it comes to topics I'm either interested in or educated in, other than that, I'm like duurrrp.

SEO_Mike said:
Read the stickies or better yet, use the search function:

http://www.wickedfire.com/newbie-questions/116462-financing-guide-newbies.html

One of the best guides on Wickedfire (or anywhere for that matter) for broke n00bs.

(no, it's not a dickroll)
Click to expand...

Thanks! I've actually read that thread before (at least the first post), and honestly, I don't think any of it's going to help me. I'll take a look again and see what's up, though. I've also read PLENTY of other threads related to making money, and everything just seems to be too crowded. I don't have credit or anything else I could use to raise even 5 bucks.

dchuk said:
cold calling small businesses selling cheap websites is an exercise in how many kicks in the dick you can take before quitting. Be prepared to hear no over and over and over again...

My advice: pick something you're good at and do it over and over until you have the money you need. Productize yourself. It's why so many people here start with article writing. You're setting work contraints so you can become efficient and stay focused. Then just set a goal and run with it til you hit it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that advice! I figured I'd at least give it a try before I decided it was worth it or not.

sumitdhawan said:
Hello friend,

I think it probably more easy and more profit for you to use time to do ewhore.

Good luck bro
Click to expand...

I almost kind of just hate reading your posts..you know bro?
 
Sell websites cheap. Seriously don't make money on them. Why? Because you don't actually sell the site. You sell them a template for your CMS and fuck them on hosting. Of course you don't tell them all this. It'll be in the contract they sign.

That seemed to work for a few people I know doing it. Maybe it'll work for you too.
 
crackp0t said:
You sell them a template for your CMS and fuck them on hosting. Of course you don't tell them all this. It'll be in the contract they sign.

That seemed to work for a few people I know doing it. Maybe it'll work for you too.
Click to expand...
You Fuckwit!

-He's likely to go do it now and there'll be one more conman out there making the world a worse place... :bootyshake:
 
crackp0t said:
Sell websites cheap. Seriously don't make money on them. Why? Because you don't actually sell the site. You sell them a template for your CMS and fuck them on hosting. Of course you don't tell them all this. It'll be in the contract they sign.

That seemed to work for a few people I know doing it. Maybe it'll work for you too.
Click to expand...

lolwut
 
brokemofo said:
NIGGAS BROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so I'm currently trying to get into AM, but lack the capital. So I have an idea to make some money for a while until I make some progress in AM, and I need help perfecting my plan.

My Plan:
Basically I want to start cold calling businesses that are listed on yp.com, but only ones that don't already have a website. I figured this would be the best way to start; which businesses to target, I have yet to figure out. I'll offer them a custom professional business website that could only benefit them and explain to them that they're losing customers by not having one and blah blah blah...you get the point.

.....​
Click to expand...


Isn't this the same crap soupyone made into a personal "challenge" a year or two ago and everybody started hugging his nuts and fawning all over him like he was the first person to ever pick up the phone book?​
 
crackp0t said:
Sell websites cheap. Seriously don't make money on them. Why? Because you don't actually sell the site. You sell them a template for your CMS and fuck them on hosting. Of course you don't tell them all this. It'll be in the contract they sign.

That seemed to work for a few people I know doing it. Maybe it'll work for you too.
Click to expand...

Hmm..I got a better idea..how about I call them up and explain to them that the site I customized for another client running a similar business didn't want to pay up so I never sent him the files for the site, so you (the client) can have the exact site I set up for him for 75% off original price (I'll tell them I was charging the original client $500+ and that they'll make out pretty damn good) since I just want to get rid of it.

I'll probably just tweak a template for a CMS this way I can say I customized their site and I wont be at fault if they ever find out it wasn't an original design for a specific client (I'll choose my words carefully, I don't want to be so much of an asshole).

lukep said:
You Fuckwit!

-He's likely to go do it now and there'll be one more conman out there making the world a worse place... :bootyshake:
Click to expand...

Well I don't plan on doing just that, as mentioned above. I'll set them up with hosting (so I make some more money) and everything and add the content THAT THEY MAKE UP for their site.

I don't see anything wrong with MY idea since they'll still be getting a pretty decent website, just no idea of how it became.

justo_tx said:
Isn't this the same crap soupyone made into a personal "challenge" a year or two ago and everybody started hugging his nuts and fawning all over him like he was the first person to ever pick up the phone book?
Click to expand...

Who cares, I'm not at all implying that I came up with this idea. I've read about plenty of ways to make money by working with businesses whether you're running a directory site or doing something else, but I've never read about doing exactly what I'm talking about (not saying the info isn't out there)..
 
Surprisingly decent replies for a common method.


My advice, go for it. Start with Wordpress and themeforest. Well built and once you get bigger, join WPMU Dev. Then you can give your clients cool ass plugins, nice videos that you can brand, etc.. Also, charge a maintence fee. $50 per month. Up to 2 hours per month. Include rollover and clients won't care. Most never use it.
 
brokemofo said:
Hmm..I got a better idea..how about I call them up and explain to them that the site I customized for another client running a similar business didn't want to pay up so I never sent him the files for the site, so you (the client) can have the exact site I set up for him for 75% off original price (I'll tell them I was charging the original client $500+ and that they'll make out pretty damn good) since I just want to get rid of it.

I'll probably just tweak a template for a CMS this way I can say I customized their site and I wont be at fault if they ever find out it wasn't an original design for a specific client (I'll choose my words carefully, I don't want to be so much of an asshole).
Click to expand...

Affiliates have dubious moral foresight so people here will probably get up in arms when I say this, but it's not a good business strategy to land clients on the basis of a fabricated story.

TL;DR Don't lie to your clients
 
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dchuk said:
Affiliates have dubious moral foresight so people here will probably get up in arms when I say this, but it's not a good business strategy to land clients on the basis of a fabricated story.

TL;DR Don't lie to your clients
Click to expand...

What if I do what Pb.com mentioned, I'll just call them up and offer to "put" together a website for them at a cheap price and then just use wordpress and themeforest to make it all happen? But then would it be necessary to customize the template a little bit, or just leave it, put it together and add the necessary content?

Then host their website for $50 a month and include 2 hours for maintenance and updating or other work for their website. If they don't go for that I'll just hook them up with hosting via affiliate link :)
 
Affiliates have dubious moral foresight so people here will probably get up in arms when I say this, but it's not a good business strategy to land clients on the basis of a fabricated story.
Click to expand...

100% agreed.

There's plenty of money out there and you don't have to lie or be shady to get it. Just be upfront, "I'm a web developer and I'm trying to put some money together for a personal site. To do that I'm offering discounted website designs."

-Scott
 
scottspfd82 said:
100% agreed.

There's plenty of money out there and you don't have to lie or be shady to get it. Just be upfront, "I'm a web developer and I'm trying to put some money together for a personal site. To do that I'm offering discounted website designs."

-Scott
Click to expand...

just signed a lease on a place at the corner of Reed & Everts, let's get some beers soon.
 
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