6 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
6 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

** ADVICE REQUIRED ** Making the transition from a successful bricks and mortar business to IM

by veritasim
5 replies
Hi Warriors,

I thought I would reach out and introduce myself to you all as I'm keen to get some advice from you IM'ers out there.

My names Adam, I currently own a successful bricks and mortar business based in the UK. My current operation focuses on lead generation in the financial sector, we use a variety of online and offline mediums to generate traffic and leads for the business.

To date the business has done extremely well, I now have a team of 12 working for me and with the introduction of robust systems and technology I now have a well-oiled machine which needs minimal effort from me to run. This leaves me feeling a little redundant and a bit of a spare part!

I set the business up 4 years ago out of financial necessity and it isn't something I'm majorly passionate about, it has however afforded me a very nice lifestyle so far so I mustn't grumble. I'm now left in a fortunate position where I have a fair amount of time on my hands and I am keen to build another successful company doing something that interests me.

I am 28 years old and for the last 5 years I have always been very passionate about marketing, in particular I am drawn to the internet marketing industry. I understand the promise of overnight fortunes, get rich quick schemes, push button software that will make me a billionaire in hours is just marketing hype and prays on peoples desires to change their financial situation easily with minimal to no effort. In my experience there are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.

I want to build a sustainable online business that is profitable over time and one that can be scaled. I have my eyes open and am under no illusion that I will be making a 7 figure income in the first 4 weeks. However I would like to think within the next 12 months with investment both in terms of money and time that I can work towards a 6 figure income.

I feel that mentorship will be a crucial element to my success, however with so many so called gurus, programs and systems on the market I am left slightly confused on who I should work with and what approach I should take.

I have several questions I want to ask, I don't want anyone to give away their trade secrets or blueprints for success for nothing. However I don't want to get hoodwinked by a snake oil salesman, a sustainable business is what I want to build and any advice you guys/girls can offer is appreciated. My questions to you warriors are:

a) In your opinion what is the most sustainable way to make money within the industry? What have you focused on?
b) Who in your opinion is a reputable expert that can help me be successful in the areas that you have outlined?
c) Realistically how much would need to be invested in terms of time and money in order to realise my goals?

Thanks for reading my post and any information you can share with me is great!

Thanks Warriors!

Adam
#advice #bricks #business #internet marketing #making #mortar #newbie #required #successful #transition
  • Profile picture of the author Roth
    Banned
    Originally Posted by veritasim View Post

    My names Adam, I currently own a successful bricks and mortar business based in the UK. My current operation focuses on lead generation in the financial sector, we use a variety of online and offline mediums to generate traffic and leads for the business.

    To date the business has done extremely well, I now have a team of 12 working for me and with the introduction of robust systems and technology I now have a well-oiled machine which needs minimal effort from me to run. This leaves me feeling a little redundant and a bit of a spare part!
    Take up a hobby? Or expand the company? Or begin investing?

    Every company must utilize internet marketing, every online business is also offline. In today's level of modernity, there's no one or the other. You've seen this since you've said that you've had to utilize online mediums to work your present company. This is a fact of life for all companies now.

    In my head there's no such thing as a brick and mortar business vs and online business...it's all BUSINESS and ALL BUSINESS MUST UTILIZE INTERNET MARKETING. I'm not meaning to shout, but I gotta emphasize that. Even online businesses often have offices or other properties...especially the large corporate ones.

    Anyway, those are my first thoughts after reading your thread.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9695951].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author veritasim
      Hi Roth,

      Thanks for your response, I take on board the points you've raised. You're certainly right 'it's all BUSINESS and ALL BUSINESS MUST UTILIZE INTERNET MARKETING', looking at my own company without marketing online we wouldn't have experienced the success we have to date.

      I think it is important to clarify my goals, I am really passionate about marketing! Marketing in various forms has catapulted my business into the success it is today. Thanks for your suggestions on what I should do with my time, my hobby is Business, expanding my current company is already happening. In terms of investing, the only investment I want to make right now is in myself hence my post.

      I really enjoy helping and coaching others I would love to develop a sustainable way of earning income online and then helping others replicate the same success. This is the area I would like the warriors to help with.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9696012].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Roth
        Banned
        Originally Posted by veritasim View Post

        My hobby is Business, expanding my current company is already happening. In terms of investing, the only investment I want to make right now is in myself hence my post.
        I would contest that business is never a hobby, it's a vocation. And by investments I mean property, IP, commodities, etc. I imagine that you have disposable income. But hey, it's your life...but you should live while you're able. Anyway...

        Originally Posted by veritasim View Post

        I really enjoy helping and coaching others I would love to develop a sustainable way of earning income online and then helping others replicate the same success. This is the area I would like the warriors to help with.
        You probably know more about IM than most wannabe gurus and snake oil salesmen. So I wouldn't bother getting a coach or mentor. Perhaps you should start consulting for related businesses in your industry.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9696139].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      Adam,

      I'm of the opinion that Internet business is no different than "real world" business with the exception that the main platform for conducting the business is virtual rather than physical. But all the same principles of success and profitability apply to both kinds of business.

      Personally, I don't think you're ready for a mentor at this stage. You have enough business know-how and savvy to mentor others because you currently have a successful business and 12 people working for you.

      Mentors are regular people that can help you with certain aspects of your business because they've been down the road and can share their positive and negative experiences with you. But I would personally hold off from employing a mentor until you have chosen a business market and model and you begin doing business based on what you already know.

      Most mentors are specialists in a chosen method of doing business. Some specialize in running membership sites, others know affiliate marketing, and still others have experience with e-commerce stores. There are very few mentors that are great at everything. If you decide you need a mentor, get one who is successful in the type of business you're running and hopefully one who has experience in your market.

      If you choose a mentor before you choose a market, no doubt he will steer you towards what he knows . . . and that may or may not be the business that is right for your interests, your time available, and your temperament.

      It's a relatively easy thing to do some market research to identify a market demand and determine what you will sell (as a product or service) into that demand. That's where you should start. Once you're identified the basic method, funnel, and approach that will be right for you (and also address the needs of the market), then you can look for a mentor who has been highly successful in that same approach.

      I hope you have a great online career.

      Steve
      Signature

      Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
      SteveBrowneDirect

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9696021].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AdwordsMogul
    If I understand you correctly, you want to end up teaching how to market successfully. If that's case, I would strongly suggest that you look for people who are interested in a success similar to yours.

    When it comes to helping Warriors, you really have to understand that WF is a completely different animal from the rest of the world. Regular logic doesn't apply here.

    Also, you have to be willing to sell people what they want, not what you think they should have.

    And that, is sometimes a tough call.

    You'll also notice that there are more people browsing the WSO section than any other part of the forum.

    Finally, the truth is such that most people are really careful about saying what it is ( perhaps that's why some of what I've said this far may sound a bit cryptic )

    My advice to you would be find products that teach you how to create WSOs - especially the old ones by Jimmy Reilly and Jason Fladlien. They capture the WF psychology very well.

    Study the best selling WSOs, look at the comments people make, start talking to people. Then you'll decide whether or not this is a good place for you to make money from.
    Signature
    "Those who can - DO IT. Those who can't, say it's impossible."
    Jean Paul a.k.a AdwordsMogul
    PHPDevelopers.net - Top of the range PHP developers

    ⇉ Easy Link Saver - Are you tired of the pain of constantly searching for your affiliate links? ( Chrome extension - FREE )
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9696053].message }}

Trending Topics