Any Lucrative Off-line Businesses?

16 replies
Hello,

Is there any solid offline businesses that I can do from my computer?
I am new(er) in the IM circuit. To be honest with you, I am confused about HTML, PPC, SEO, Feeds, Blogging, Adwords, Adsense, Banners, Click Thru's, etc...

I am a veteran Salesman for over 10 years in the offline world. I am good at being the middleman and finding products for "buyers", but doing all this techie stuff has only made me more frustrated as I continue to 'buy-in' to the next IM Guru hype.

So my question is, is there a solid, lucrative off-line business I can run from home?

I understand, PDF's, E-mailing, Outlook, Microsoft Word, and pounding the phones to get sales. I've been very successful in matching up buyers to sellers.

Is there something out there that has been tested and could be a great long-term business venture?

Help an illiterate IM wannabe.

Thank you!

Peace.
#businesses #lucrative #offline
  • Profile picture of the author Looking4Mentor
    Thank you for those encouraging words!!
    You have shown me to look deeper within myself and see what talents I have. Thank you for that!

    I guess, I've always been used to working for a corporation and have never thought about going out on my own since my lay-off in May 09. Fear and doubt has mastered my mind into thinking I can't do this on my own or I need to find, as you put it, the right system.

    In the small world in my head, I think it would be easier to find a system or an expert who has done it already and can reveal an A-Z business system. Maybe I'm being ridiculous or a bit naive.

    Thank you for your great reply!!

    Peace.
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  • Profile picture of the author Looking4Mentor
    P.S. You mentioned something about arbitrage. In one of my earlier Posts I mentioned coming across "Barter Arbitrage" and looking for feedback. According to their sales letter, it seemed like a system that could be a good fit, but I wanted to get reviews or advice from others in the Warrior Forum first.

    Thanks again.
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  • Profile picture of the author thenextlevel
    Search for the thread here called "offline marketers what are you charging for your monthly fees" It's probably 20 plus pages and has everything you need to know to start an offline business. If you don't know how to do something technical there are plenty of people on this forum that will do it for you at a nominal cost (compared to what you would charge the business).
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    • Profile picture of the author Looking4Mentor
      Originally Posted by thenextlevel View Post

      Search for the thread here called "offline marketers what are you charging for your monthly fees" It's probably 20 plus pages and has everything you need to know to start an offline business. If you don't know how to do something technical there are plenty of people on this forum that will do it for you at a nominal cost (compared to what you would charge the business).

      Thank you! I will do my homework and really dig into "offline marketers what are you charging for your monthly fees". I appreciate it.

      Peace.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lloyd Buchinski
    One person here has a website catering to offline businesses. It sells advertising for them. She said the site took off recently because a woman doing sales for her just can't be stopped and is out to sign up every business in the city.

    You might be able to look up sites like that in your area. They WILL have contact info. Get in touch and let them know what you can do. A lot of people who are comfortable putting up websites don't necessarily have social skills. You see evidence of that around here often enough.

    Everyone is so different and has at least a little gift somewhere. When you get 2 of them complimenting each other, sometimes 1 and 1 make 11. Of course in business the ability to sell has to be one of the most valuable skills.
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    • Profile picture of the author Looking4Mentor
      Originally Posted by Lloyd Buchinski View Post

      One person here has a website catering to offline businesses. It sells advertising for them. She said the site took off recently because a woman doing sales for her just can't be stopped and is out to sign up every business in the city.

      You might be able to look up sites like that in your area. They WILL have contact info. Get in touch and let them know what you can do. A lot of people who are comfortable putting up websites don't necessarily have social skills. You see evidence of that around here often enough.

      Everyone is so different and has at least a little gift somewhere. When you get 2 of them complimenting each other, sometimes 1 and 1 make 11. Of course in business the ability to sell has to be one of the most valuable skills.
      Great words! I like the, "sometimes 1 and 1 make 11." I will really put your advice to use.

      Peace.
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  • Profile picture of the author BargainBob
    We've been online for many years and built a good business. Then we decided to try offline late last year. The results have been excellent. I started by talking to a few business owners about what they needed and soon we knew the products and services to offer. Offline sales are blasting past our online sales which have grown as well.

    Search online, but try a little in-person door knocking and I think the message will be clear. You can decide the right next steps knowing you've got some data to support you. With your background I expect you will probably enjoy the face-to-face contact and you will be able to dig down to find the real opportunities.
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  • Profile picture of the author betsyanne
    I enjoyed reading this thread. I have not been thinking of working more offline, but it seems to me that sales people can often fit into any kind of business. People skills are very important, and needed always.

    I do offline work as a tutor. This can be a good offline business, and you don't need a lot of money to start it up. The same goes for any kind of service business that you know about and feel comfortable doing for people.

    I am going to head to the offline marketers section and check it out. Thanks for all the great advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author NewbiesDiary
    I run a membership site for an offline business niche. The site was started almost a year ago and I currently have over 100 members all paying $800 per year (upfront of course). It's not a fortune but certainly is a start - especially considering I've been able to travel the country promoting the site, meeting small business owners in my niche, and best of all... discovering what other needs and problems these businesses are facing - and how I can help them. I now have 2 more membership sites for the same niche industry. This business could have been done by using commission only sales people in each state - but as it's a niche I'm passionate about I was happy to do it myself. Really was a great adventure (though incredibly tough on a marriage!).

    So I phone the business, my spiel shows that I totally understand their needs and that I have a solution to help them get customers in their doors. I go visit them, show them the site, what it includes, what it means to them and most importantly I tell them about the 'Travelling Special' which, among other things, gives them a 25% discount. Very rarely do they say no to me stopping by, and the conversion rate once I visit is around the 90% mark. I can usually sign 2 businesses a day, which gives me $1200 after the Travelling Special. I do everything for my members as they aren't web savvy - and yes I mean everything!

    It's interesting to note that this niche only has around 600 B&M businesses across the whole country - and they are seriously struggling. Yet they all know they need to be on the net, and they want to do it for the lowest possible price, and requiring no extra effort or time. If you are able to tick all those boxes for them, answer all their objections before they have a chance to voice them - then there's no way they can say no!

    Two more sites are planned in the same niche - answering 2 more major issues. Each site is expected to bring in a nice $20k each per month (if they fail - if they do well that should be at least doubled!) - giving me a very nice $45k. Memberships are going to be incredibly easy to fill as I've already been talking to the businesses about one of them, telling them how much I think the membership will be and they're begging me to keep them informed. The other site is for the businesses' customers, so the businesses will help fill that one.

    Plus as word gets around, I have people approaching me with their own ideas for an offline membership site that they want to partner with me on. I've got a great one about to start which, on some really rough figures, will beat the crap outta what I've already done! I do the site and have the marketing ideas etc, and they do the actual marketing and promotion as it's their niche and they know & understand it.

    So in answer to your question - there is SO MUCH you can do with the offline world. They know they need to be on the net, but have no idea where to start, how much to spend, who to trust etc etc etc.

    Good Luck with it
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    • Profile picture of the author Lloyd Buchinski
      Originally Posted by NewbiesDiary View Post

      I currently have over 100 members all paying $800 per year (upfront of course). It's not a fortune
      IS a fortune, dumbie.

      Compared to your posts a year (or so) ago, that's amazing. One more post like that and and the forum software will probably automatically change your user name to Smartbie or something. Watch out for that

      What's B&M?
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      Do something spectacular; be fulfilled. Then you can be your own hero. Prem Rawat

      The KimW WSO

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  • Profile picture of the author MarkWrites
    Since you have a great base of knowledge in the offline world and at least a decent understanding of what IM is, the answer to your offline business may be in bringing the two worlds together. There are plenty of offline businesses desiring to get online and not knowing how to do it. Read through this forum and you will also see plenty of IMers who want to reach out into the pool of offline customers but either don't know how or have no experience. You could be the middle man between those two groups... the facilitator.
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  • Profile picture of the author dndoseller
    You can resell seo services. Once you understand it then put together an outsourced package and double the price to sell to offline clients in your local area.
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  • Profile picture of the author Freddie Crossberg
    Import/Export Agent.

    I don't do it personally, but I have a buddy that does this full time. He uses the Internet
    to match up selllers from one coutnry to buyers from another. He works from his home and he does well ;-)

    There are a couple of good courses on the Internet that will teach you the basics, but in the end, just like anything else, there is a learning curve.

    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Your core skills for matching buyers and products together can be the most valuable and most underated skill you can have.

    You can match a product owner to a list owner who has complimentory products he's selling.

    You get a simple agreement from the product owner, in writing, to say that you will get a commision for every sale that is made resulting from a new distribution channel.

    The product owner gets more sales at no risk.

    The list owner gets more sales without risk.

    You put the deal together and continue to get paid ongoing for the work
    if you call it that, you did once.

    Passive income.

    That is a broad overview of the dealmaking which matches your skills to a T.

    To get super clued up on this, there are free trainings from Robin J Elliot
    and Jay abraham's MASSIVE PASSIVE INCOME.

    Google them.

    Real mind expanders.

    Check back in if you have more questions about this.

    All the best,

    Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author BBBB
    abstract question - you can trade real estates from your computer if you like... good book is Portable Trades and Occupations for that matter.
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