Fulfilled.

14 years ago

You sir, are one smart cookie.

Two steps away from your business - you -> project manager -> team.

I would give you mine - but it's specifically tailored to my business and I don't like sharing it...

It is a pain at first...trust me. But it does get better as time goes on.

Rob

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Andyhenry

14 years ago

I must've missed something - I just use a team that already has a PM.

I've had to do zero training. I just tell him what I want and he makes it happen - I never even speak to any members of the team.

I even included a local guy who does most of the communications with this PM in my latest wso so that people can just get him to quote for anything they need - they don't need me, and they can get anything done by the same team I've used myself.

This isn't a secret and it's not new - I think that trying to train a PM or build a team of outsourcers yourself just doesn't make sense.

I haven't bought many products talking about this but I would have thought it wouldn't make sense for anyone new to this to try and train up outsource staff themselves. At least not unless there's no other way.

Andy

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91213

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Andyhenry

14 years ago

Originally Posted by 91213

I don't want to get into your financial business, but, generally speaking how much out of someone's budget does that cost? Forgive me if I am taking this out of context, but, whoever outsources needs to have enough to afford management, and, still remain profitable. In essence, you're an online absentee owner. Is this what your doing?

I obviously haven't gone into much detail - I don't outsource everything.

I'm not one of these people who wants to sit at home doing nothing while outsourcers run my business.

I just use a team whenever it makes sense. I speak to the PM and get a quote and if the numbers make sense I let them do it.

My business model is not normal - I LIKE to do my business myself and I prefer to work with clients in a personal way and build relationships rather than playing the numbers game and trying to squeeze large numbers through an outsourced process.

My clients pay well and so I only outsource if I don't actually want to do the work or it's outside my own skillset.

With a lot of my work I could easily outsource it and make more money but I like doing it and I like to keep up with technology and solve their problems so that I keep my skills and knowledge up to date.

I know a lot of people are just doing this for the money and want to get as many clients into their funnel as possible and squeeze them for everything they can - That's not my model, but then again when you can make 5 figures a month with only a few clients it comes down to what you prefer to do and what your goals are.

It's not my plan to make my clients reliant on me and I'm not trying to make a multi-million dollar business - I'm all about spending my time on things I enjoy that help people I want to help.

That makes outsource just a small optional activity rather than the focus of my business.

There are some things I usually outsource - like graphics, but that's just because I have someone I trust that I've come to rely on for that stuff.

With the team I mentioned - they actually like revenue sharing models too - they're very fliexible so sometimes when they quote more than I wanted they also have alternative options that cost less and give them revenue in another way so they're actually very creative in looking for ways to get and keep new business.

Andy

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Rob Howard

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

With the team I mentioned - they actually like revenue sharing models too - they're very fliexible so sometimes when they quote more than I wanted they also have alternative options that cost less and give them revenue in another way so they're actually very creative in looking for ways to get and keep new business.

Andy

For those of us that are greedy *******s who wants lots of money with little work...lol..Andy mentioned a good way to get started. Revenue sharing. That can help lower your front end costs a lot and still make you a lot of money with little work.

Rob

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Joint Venture

14 years ago

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Rob Howard

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Joint Venture

Rev-sharing? It's a little perk I mention in the interview and they do enjoy it... but no-one (Filipino/Indian) will work with you for a rev-share. Cold hard paypal cash, now please.

I have a team. I have procedures and project plans... but omg, what a mess! If someone released something you could just change the logo and ta da! Your own IM PM manual. That I would buy.

Maybe it is as simple a hiring a very experienced PM and see what they bring to table.

Anyone keen to share a contents table? I'm so unmotivated to do this lol

You know, I've gone around and around on this...I've thought of the idea of creating "Franchised" Internet Marketing businesses for people.

They wouldn't be real franchises like in the "offline world"...but basically you would be purchasing the entire system.

The project manual, the process maps, the systems, etc. You could, literally from that point, just hire a Project Manager and hand over the manual.

Only problem with this is that it still takes business savvy. Certain things we learn in our "gut" as what works well and what doesn't.

So a complete newbie would still probably fail their first few times.

With that said, it wouldn't be cheap...probably in the 10,000 dollar range...but you wouldn't be getting some ol' "Infoproduct". Instead you would be literally given a complete business that just takes a couple grand to set up.

Rob

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Andyhenry 14 years ago

Originally Posted by ccmusicman

You know, I've gone around and around on this...I've thought of the idea of creating "Franchised" Internet Marketing businesses for people.

The team I referred to are looking to offer this too.
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Andyhenry 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Joint Venture

but no-one (Filipino/Indian) will work with you for a rev-share. Cold hard paypal cash, now please.

You must've missed the post I made where I said that I have people in Indian that love to rev-share. It's an integral part of their business - they often prefer rev-share to just being paid.

With that said - they're not a bunch of $1 articles writers and I doubt they'd want to rev-share with a newbie who just wanted their stuff cheap and called it rev-share with no real expectation of good results.
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91213

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Rob Howard

14 years ago

Originally Posted by 91213

I like the revenue sharing model in theory. I have tried to do this on no cost businesses like the service industry, but, so far it hasn't worked.

Any suggestions and recommendations?

Well, here are some ideas for Revenue sharing if you are doing product creation.

Here are a few examples of what I've done in the past.

- Got a friend of mine who is a dog training expert to create the videos/product for me. Only took about an hour of my time. She did the rest. Split 50/50

- Another friend loves helping people with relationship issues. Created a business solely around her. No upfront cost - 50/50 split.

- Formed a business partnership with Keith - he had a product but didn't have a method to market it. He made the product, I leveraged my name and experience on the forum. Then helped create the bigger marketing plan. 50/50 split

- I have a friend who is selling stuff on Itsy. She does decently well and I want to work a deal where she creates the product and I build the marketing engine. 50/50 split would be.

Granted, these aren't project managers. But this shows you the deals you can work out.

Its really easy to train someone to be a project manager.

They just need organizing skills and the ability to communicate well. If so, then you can train them.

That would be all that you need. From there, they can build the entire process themselves. I have a VA that I'm working on training right now. Pay is 500 a month full time plus % bonuses.

She is from the Philippines and is highly organized.

Hope this helps,

Rob

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insomniacl

Banned 14 years ago

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Rob Howard

14 years ago

Originally Posted by insomniacl

So you think hiring Project Managers is the missing link? How do you think people can get project managers quickly and affordably? There just seems to be so much work involved in not only searching for them, but training them with the relevant skills.

They ARE the missing link.

Think about how most real offline businesses (the big ones) are structured.

You have managers who report to leaders who report to presidents who report to owners.

Granted, you don't have to be that complex.

For most IM businesses, a single project manager is all that you need. Someone to be the middleman between you and your team.

Lets create a business right now.

Here are the steps most info product makers follow:

Pick a niche. Any niche - hell it doesn't matter. Find a topic in that niche that requires some information or know how.

1. Do research on the market and niche.

2. Do competing product research.

3. Create the product.

4. Write the sales letter.

5. Get the website designed.

6. Set up the infrastructure and scripts. (Tracking scripts, ways to take cash, product delivery)

7. Set up the conversion funnel. (How you convert prospects to buyers)

Here is a simple one:

Squeeze Page promising cool free info -> Sandwich page (Free info given here) -> Sales Page -> Product Delivery (thank you page)

8. Start advertising (free or paid, doesn't matter)

In 8 steps you have set up a business.

Now, what do you do?

You hire a project manager to keep all of that straight. But if you have a specific way of doing it, you show them once how it is done and if they are smart (and you hired right), they will quickly figure it out.

See, you could literally do all 8 steps yourself. OR you could outsource all of it. From the Product Creation to the Advertising.

If you have a system of setting up a business that is easily tracked, repeatable, gives consistent measurable results, and can be implemented by anyone, then hiring and training a project manager is a breeze

Rob

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Rob Howard

14 years ago

Yeah, actually, the manual is easy.

Joint Venture, here is what you need to do:

Go through the steps you are taking to build your business. Do it in a very step by step way.

As you go through, literally record everything you are doing. Hell, you can even do a screen capture, explaining what you are doing.

Then, watch the video again and come up with the process in a step 1, step 2, step 3 format.

Now you have the Project Manager training manual. It's your entire step by step system to setting up a business.

Then, all your Manager has to do is follow it. You do the initial stuff - like research and provide direction - the manager then fulfills.

It sucks the first time building the system - I know. But once done, it pays for itself many many times over!

Rob

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honeyyoung

14 years ago

While not a manual to give your PM, this article further stresses your need to hire a PM when outsourcing: Why You Need a Project Manager by Kathy Dobson

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Steve Ranger

14 years ago

I certainly haven't missed this..

And I find it funny that nobody has mentioned a certain 3 letter acronym...

S.O.P = Standard Operating Procedure

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Rob Howard

14 years ago

JV, I like this idea.

I'll stick around and participate and as soon as I get time I'll post.

I'm reserving this space for ideas I'll put down later.

Rob

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