There's more to pay with than money.
I was just reading a nice thread about being successful and treating your IM like a business - great advice.
However, the inevitable "yeah that's great - but I can't afford to go pay an expert" comments came.
This is a pet peeve of mine and I couldn't help but say something.
Many people read about IM and see others giving examples of getting other people who are experts to create your product while you do the marketing, and they automatically assume that such a person would only do that if you paid them cash, therefore making this strategy impossible without a stash of money to do it.
Which is simply not true.
I've lost count of the number of times i've done things for people for something other than cash (sometimes just because i felt like it), and the number of times people have worked with me without me paying them cash.
There are too many aspects of this for me to get into now, but I want people to think twice before saying such negative and wrong things which limit their possibilities.
using the example of creating a guitar product - there are MANY proficient guitar players who will happily let you record them and give tips just to spread their name or the name of their band.
most people who have a skill and like sharing it do not have marketing chops and will gladly work with your on some sort of JV basis just to get you to help them help more people in their niche.
sometimes you might want to just pay someone and not have a relationship, but for most sensible IMers, the best deal you can make is one where you both have skin in the game and you have an expert to create and maintain your product while you market it.
I've done this so many times I've lost track and it seems to be something many people don't even consider.
so next time before you say "i can't do it because I can't pay someone" - please think twice.
Andy
Stuff n Junk