Desperate straits, please help.

A lot of us has been there...totally get it. It stinks.

So can you "hit the streets" and make it a numbers game? Walk in and offer your services with a small, low-priced offer that can show some local businesses results they'll be happy with?

Maybe get them a few more leads with some of your services?

Do you have any pages to show as samples? Could you take one domain and add 5 or so subdomains with different sample templates of your work? Or, just buy some .info domains and put up a few sites in your Hostgator or Homestead account as a portfolio? Give them something visual so they can get comfortable with your abilities. Good luck.

I think some of you are missing the joke and the point of this thread. No, my situation is really not desperate. I have food, utilities, and am only a little over due on the rent(owe 580, monthly rent is 500 and that 580 includes this month)

The point of this thread is, how do I get money TODAY. I could take a part time job at the closest eatery, and wait two weeks before I even hear if I've been hired, then wait three weeks for my first paycheck. Not going to get any tips since small towns like this do NOT hire men to wait tables, I would be resigned to the kitchen, and I hate working kitchen. I do love to cook, but not that way.

I am currently working up demos of websites I could build for the local businesses to load onto my flash drive. I will then take my wife's laptop and show these websites to local businesses. That is ONE WAY to possibly get money today. What are others you can think of?

Here are the services I offer:
Website creation, ebay stores, social network marketing, copywriting, press releases, promotions creation, SEO, media advertising, merchandising, and, well, anything else a client could ask for that pertains to marketing.

What can I do so that I can get enough money, before my wife gets home, to get these ingredients: Potatoes, milk, bacon, cheese. That is the question posed.

Go to the pawn shop!! Does that help? Pawn your computer and then ask if they need a website for their business.

No pawnshops 'round here. And that was a little snide. Are you seriously telling me I should not try to make any money TODAY in my marketing consulting business because it is impossible. I've been out to see my current client already and she seems to think it's a good idea, in fact, had she not already had someone "still" building her website, she probably would have taken me up on the offer.

Thank you Tim, and also, thanks for the freebie template, downloaded it after watching your posted vids from the conference a couple of days ago. Highly reccomend the videos.

Here is the thing, this was supposed to open the flow of ideas. There are at least half a dozen ways that I could go out after lunch and make 50 bucks from my Business, not from other jobs or gigs. I can sell discounted websites, half up front. Facebook fanpages or group pages for 100 dollars, half up front, other half not due until fans reach X thousand. Keyword research for the local business, that one takes some explaining:
Go to a company in your town that has a simple website. Go to their website, find what keywords they use, then figure out what they SHOULD be using. Take those keywords and proof of why they should use them to the business owner and show, saying "I'm going to show you how you can get more TARGETED traffic to xyzcompany's website." Then show them the proof and offer to get them ranked for keywords for price, split payment again.
Those are just a few of the ones I could use. What else guys? We have in this very forum some of the most creative people I have ever seen.
Let's show how lucrative this business can be starting from 0

I think everyone missed your joke including me and your initial post didn't sound as though you were asking for brainstorming list but it rather sounded like you were begging for assistance or at a minimum ideas. Not to sound like a jerk because I struggle with mine too aka communication skills but I think that would be a good starting point just observing this thread fix the way you interact with others. Then your income would likely go up in proportion to improving communications.

Profit is important, but, in lieu of that, a company or individual has to have "cash flow"... so for one week, dont think of profit, just think of getting "cash flow".

You need cash flowing at all costs.

Offer to do a $1000 job for $200... or something... do something crazy... a man thinks better with money in his pocket. Things will look different from the next plateau when you have a few hundred in your pocket... Get that first so you can think straight. The perspective will not feel desperate anymore, and you will also know you can achieve.Every 100 dollar bill you put in your pocket will help you see just a little more clearly... get cash flow now, when you see more clearly get profit...

Sell something. Its the ONLY^ way out.

I have been there. If you cant see a way, or something you have that can be turned into cash... then ask God or the Universe. "How can I leverage what I already have to get what I want"?

Then listen, as Michael Hiles reminded me. Its there trust me. Believe me, its in all men. Just ask and listen. Cant wait to hear your results.

Edit:

Okay, a little more,

Take ONE DAY and get some cash. Make a goal of creating $100.

Tell yourself it doesnt even all have to come from the same avenue... it can come a little here or there....

Do everything in your power to create that... and at the end of the day bow to yourself for honoring your goal and achieving it, and thank God for the opportunities you were presented with.

Do that for 5 days, taking small bites, just $100 at a time.

Now that your faith is up and you are $500 healthier. DOUBLE IT the next week.

I know Im typing alot, just trying to help!

Here's probably the best thing I can do to help, and save myself alot of breath. Point you to what I think is the most inspiring post on the WF

Read post #19 on this thread: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...desperate.html

How about the idea proposed in this thread? http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...lie-doing.html

Hit the pavement and start shooting some photos. You could even do an Animoto style video. Then suggest you put that video on a Facebook Fan Page and you can design that fan page for $X.

What to do if you're desperate is a good thread.

But remember, you're racing against time here. Pick one that you can do immediately and just DO IT. Now.

Stop doing work on spec immediately. Never take on a project on spec. From now on, from this day forward, you must commit to requiring payment upfront, at least 50% though I generally require 100% up front.

You're a professional, act like it in front of your clients.

That being said, ask around, ask family and friends. Who needs something right now? Call it a tax discount or something and offer some killer prices until april 15.

If you can write, there are a multitude of a writing jobs that can be found on the Warrior Forum and other forums. All you would need to do is post a small ad and you would have jobs and cash immanently. You will never got rich writing and writing might not be your thing....but if you need cash today there are an unlimited amount of writing jobs out there where you don't even have to prove yourself to be a good writer and someone will hire you.

Last time we spoke Red... you were dealing with a client... So I know this thread is outdated now...

But... How is it going today?

I am doing better and better. Monday is a new business week, and I will be focusing on getting results instead of focusing on the results I've been getting. Got minutes, got a plan, and got a new fire in my belly.

It's going to be the second best week of my life.

Rassler,

Are you trying to market to businesses in the town on your profile?

If so, I think you might need to really do a strategic marketing analysis for your own business. According to the city profile that I looked up, Holton has 3,300 people.

Where are the businesses getting their business from? The immediate community? Is there tourism? Does it pull from surrounding areas?

Do they even need SEO? I mean if they are the only game in town, they could have the crappiest site on the internet and still rank.

And what is the deal with the city web site? That is one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen for an "official" city site. Why isn't is on a .gov domain?

Look at this: this is the "city" email newsletter? Holy crap. It screams "rinky dink" and "podunk." Nothing against small towns. I'm from a town even smaller than that.

But my point is, if you want to serve a specific business community, you have to look at the make up and the culture of it.

What do the businesses in Holton need? What are their challenges. Maybe rather than a web site, you should look at follow up systems and offer that service. In my area, that is what many small business owners struggle with.

Also, the tighter the community the more community plays a role in business. So you may be awesome, but if it is between you and an incompetent idiot that has a better relationship with the business owner, the incompetent idiot will get the job.

And who is this Rex Cameron guy? Do you know? It looks like he did web sites around 2005 that have never been updated since. They're hideous.

Oh my goodness . . . I just looked to see if I could find other sites for area businesses, and did you know that there is not one business that is listed in Google Places? There's a need.

And then the Chamber of Commerce doesn't even have it's own web site? What's up with that? It's a subdirectory off that cheesy "city" site.

I think part of the issue that you're going to run into is that these people just don't know what good looks like, or maybe they do, but they think it doesn't matter because people will come to them anyway.

I looked at the Chamber directory that is posted on the site (plain vanilla pdf no less.) A lot of businesses don't even have a web site and most of those that do absolutely suck. The chiropractor's isn't bad, but that is only in comparison to the rest of the crap.

So you have the casino close by right?

From what I'm seeing online, business owners in your town are stuck in the 1920's when it comes to marketing. If you want to build up a consulting business there, you are going to have to take up the role of teacher. Partner with the chamber for info seminars.

Create a freaking decent community site, have community information, news, have a business directory, build a mailing list for an actual email newsletter, have an option for a single page web site for business, and sell ad packages.

Work on creating and promoting a community event that will pull some of that casino traffic into town.

That will all take some time though. Both to establish yourself as an authority and to educate, inspire and encourage people to take action.

But for the immediate need, I would look at the casino. If you had a contact with someone there and could get a contract with them, that would obviously be awesome. But again, you will probably have to establish yourself first.

I would look at the businesses around and focus on contacting those who need that traffic from the casino. Maybe you could even put a cooperative promotion together for several businesses and charge them to execute and promote it, then the businesses could split the cost.

Go to the concierge at the casino and tell them you are working with area businesses to help create the best experience possible for local visitors and ask them where they see a need.

Good luck!

I'm sitting on a gold mine alright, but when trying to sell shovels to these people, they find reasons not to buy

That's just sour grapes.

The problem I'm running into most often is that most of these businesses think they "Don't need marketing" or "we're putting a sign out on the sidewalk next week, that should help really bring them in".

This town has had some tourist attractions, but they are all closed down now, because the town never marketed these things outside of the town itself.(The last remaining "sight to see", a doll museum, only advertises themselves with a flyer in the local library).

I wonder if I could approach the city council about creating a tourism draw, and creating that kind of revenue.

The businesses get most of their foot traffic from the same people they have been getting traffic from for 10 years or so, and those customer's families, but I know some people who have lived here for over a year, and still don't know where a couple of long established businesses are located or what they sell, because these businesses just don't know how to market.

The sad thing is, I actually realized that the reason people are leaving this town and it is dying(businesses are closing, more people leave then stay, the average age in Holton is something like 56, and there is no one in this town that I know of over 95, meaning it's alot of senior citizens) is self created. This town is literally killing itself, and I hate to see that.

I have a solution, I know with a good marketing plan in place for these businesses the economy would get a boost and then this town may yet survive, but the business owners are not interested in spending the money, or even in some cases, free advice. Most of them don't want to hear what I have to say.

And as far as any business being the only game in town...There are 5 hair salons, two auto parts stores, to furniture stores, 3 restaraunts, 2 fabric stores, and 6 antique stores all on the "Square", literally one square block.

CMA does make a valid point about getting into the mind of the target demographic.
Also... the Chamber Meeting educational presentation wouldn't hurt things...

Do you think that the auto parts stores and fabric stores would like to get revenue from outside of the city by having an ecommerce site set up that get's national traffic?

Really... you are only 36 miles outside of Topeka. A city of 122k people...

So... while you are getting set up... I would call on every single in home service provider in Topeka.

Roofers, Electricians, Builders, Window Cleaners, Plumbers, etc....

You could also do your local area as well... with the same type of business... But really... I would focus more on Shawnee Co.

Even though Topeka is a small town.... It doesn't mean there aren't opportunities to be had for Internet Marketing Consultants.

Just sayin...

There is absolutely no need to confine yourself to just Holton. Louie has pointed out one viable strategy above, and another approach you could take is to just approach businesses in Topeka about improving their internet presence to garner additional sales. You'd gain a lot more traction and interest there, in my opinion.

Sometimes you have to go the extra mile to get going, since you're in a small town. Don't let that be the excuse that holds you back - try to broaden your horizons here. In addition to Topeka, you also have the cities of Lawrence and Manhattan to target. While they're not as big as Topeka, they're still significantly larger than Holton and you'd have many more businesses there to target.

Paul

I do plan on focusing on Topeka, Manhattan, Lawrence, and even Kansas City, but all of those locations require travel which is a risky condition with my current vehicle.

I did consider the educational spin through the chamber last night and feel it is a great idea and I will be calling the chamber Monday as well as my cold calling.

The autoparts stores are national franchises, Nappa and Bumper to Bumper, so to sell to them would require going through their corporate system.

The fabric stores may be interested in e-commerce, but the one doesn't ever want to hear what I have to say "No, we don't need anything, we handle our own website", and the other is run by the mother of a local web designer who actually understands SEO(her site has quite a few good quality backlinks) but doesn't understand how to market effectively as far as I'm concerned.

I am liking how this thread has developed, there is a lot of good content coming out now that may help more than just me.

For me getting in the door and getting the money up front was like prying open a Loomis Bank Armored Truck...everyone and his brother were offering web design seo ect..I needed to stand out...I noticed in my area no and I mean almost no one had a mobile website...so I figured out how to build mobile design sites..started calling owners and they had a open ear..than once I got busy I would outsource it..low and behold once I started calling biz. owners they were very open to mobile site design...this has been my key to getting in the door of business owners with open arms and handing me a check...this is new and fresh to business owners and they need it...this has open many doors to seo up-sales.

Just my experience...no problem getting money!

Wow, I gots homies who gots my back.

I have no intention of accquiring clients here for marketing services, though if anyone wants to hire me as a copywriter...

I am more focused right now on helping out the small business owners in a still struggling economy.

I have been trying to figure out a way to offer my services and sell on the phone entirely, reading the scripts on TMF and such, but I guess I still have some doubts about my own ability to do so.

But I will keep trying, adapting, and trying again. My goal is to make one decent priced sale in town, which should allow my the resources to start in on Topeka. And actually, my wife has doctor's appointment in Leavenworth and is taking the shuttle from Topeka, so I had planned on spending the time between dropping her off and picking her up, working my way up and down the main 3 strips. Her appointment is on 4/13 so that is pretty soon, should I call and set up appointments for that day or just drop in cold like I do here in town.

Rassler,

When I was looking at the businesses in your town, there is a direct mail marketing company that is located there. They claim that they are the leading direct mail company in Northeast Kansas.

So obviously there are businesses spending money on marketing in the area if they are doing well.

Businesses spend thousands of dollars for one single mailing. What is stopping you from doing online what they do in print?

There was also some sort of water heater company that looked like they were trying to target a broader geographic area.

Marketing concepts is the direct mailing company you are referring to, and I only know of one "local" business who markets through them, the local burger king franchise. The water heater company might be one of a couple of places, but I didn't see anyone trying to expand. Perhaps you could point a finger towards the direction for me.

I will research that some more tonight and keep working at it, because I only really fail when I give up.

Rassler,

I sent you a pm.

Alright, worked my way through my list plus some since I was on a roll, and I got one "appointment". I use the quotation marks because the guy wants to meet on thursday but has a prior engagement and doesn't know what time he will be available, so I am supposed to call him thursday and we'll set up a time then.

I also got call backs with times to reach the decision maker, and left messages for those that didn't pick up. I may call them again later this afternoon.

@CMA, I got your PM and know the company, I called them and left a message. I checked their website and they have some decent SEO and a website that has good information I guess(though it isn't exactly great looking), I don't know what I could help them with until I talk to them and get their motivations, but I will surely try.

@Darinlh, I am actually going down to the chamber today to see about setting up a free marketing seminar for the local community. I was actually going to put together a class and charge for it, but I think this will serve the community and my own business better in the long run. I was thinking about doing a camtasia to show the benefits of web marketing, or even just hooking up a laptop to a projector to show the basics of SEO. I will probably write up a presentation tonight and tomorrow and get it honed down.

@wbinst2, I actually tried using pamphlets and handouts, with follow up calls and got absolutely no results. I'm not saying that wouldn't or couldn't work, I just don't think it will be very effective in this market. I thought about doing an informational on why web marketing, and marketing in general is so important, but I fear that they will end up the same place my benefits laden promotional sheet did, in the trash.

@ all the warriors. You guys are so awesome. I had already done a lot of research on my town before I started so I knew what businesses would be most likely to buy or what ones most needed my services. I also spent time getting to know dozens of business owners in town, socializing with them and am on a first name basis with practically everyone on the square and many of the run-out-of-the-living-room construction and cleaning services. The info you are giving is golden, and I'm sure in a different town, maybe with a more aware business community, these tactics would be nuclear. It hasn't worked for me so far in Holton, but I will keep trying. And I want to thank those of you who actually looked in to why I might be having trouble, the information isn't easy to find, and if not for the fact that I served these people coffee and sold them cigarettes and pop, I may not have known who to talk to when I started cold calling in town.

While some of you may be too humble to realize it, most of you are rockstars to those of us who have yet to really "make it", keep leading us to victory, because we will be the next generation of WF rock stars.