How can I go about finding a business-partner for an offline endeavor working on commission only?

So, if your commision is going to be decent - why not find someone locally with experience in sales? Advertise in the usual ways. You presumably want them only doing the front end and not the back end, so you don't need them to be IM savvy or anything. People work for commision all the time.

What is your offline endeavour? Does it lend itself to direct mail or cold calling also? For face to face, just hire a commision only salesperson/people.

Hmm that means they'll have to make a sale a day to attract anyone decent.

Finding someone who can get past the front-end work of filling the pipeline is going to be the biggest challenge. Most people without experience give up after the very first day, because they don't sell anything.

Larches,

If you plan on splitting it 50/50, is there no one in your town that you at least semi-trust? You guys can come up with an agreement to split 50/50 (you have the idea, he sells it), and send him out on the town.

Maybe search craigslist - college kids always looking to make a buck.

For me, I have a network of same aged (mid twenties) ambitious friends who want to take over the world. Introducing them to mobile/sms was easy, and they can see how them selves would want to be on these sort of lists, and showing them how lucrative it can be for them, they are all over it. I am not sure what your offline venture is, and how easy it is to get anyone excited about selling it.

I have not found that anyone does not take us seriously because of our age, it is our age that is the future, the now, we know what people are age want to be apart of, not 1 person has asked me my age. I exude a confidence more than most, from my time in the Marines, so carry your self like you own the world, and people will feed off on that, many of the "older" people have said to me "you have a certain confidence about you and I like that" , so just be confident, it will come out, 18-45 doesnt matter your age, it would matter how you carry your self.

Don't be afraid to give up a lot of the front end -

What if you gave 70/30, 70 to your sales man? What is the back end residual? You keep the larger of the back end, like 90/10 or just 100?

We have a large up front commission more like 70/30, and they get a smaller back end residual for the lifetime of the client, a 10% residual. They are happy with the fat money up front, and like the small back end as well.

So, if they walk out of a business with a $800 mobile website / sms package ,that is worth $250 residual to me, they have just made over $500 for the day, I still make under $300, plus $225 for the lifetime of the client, in 1 sale. Everyone is happy.

So, if they make 10 sales in the month (at $800/250 model), they could actually make 5K+ , plus their residual now pays off their car note, they are happy they want to make more sales.

I guess it depends on the type of offline venture.

We are also implementing a referral fee, putting some cash in a clients hand for a referral fee, the more they refer the more they make back.

Building up your business should (hopefully) be on the residuals, so I guess do not be afraid to "take care" of anyone on the front end, provide your client a great service, keep them for a lifetime, and you will have a nice residual business.

My numbers are just examples, I pulled them out of the air.

Well I'm very interested in Bob Ross' direct mailing coupon service.

I can't go with my friends. Only a few are professional in the slightest and none of them take me seriously, so I have to move further away from my circle.