What would you spend your first $100 on?

by Fleki
40 replies
Let's say you're getting started with internet marketing and you just dropped a $100 in your new paypal account. Let's say you have excellent web design skills and you want to make the $100 your first and only investment so that you can build an empire on top of it. Regardless of what specific direction you want to go in - you want to make sure that you get your $100 (and then some more) back as quickly as possible, so that you can proceed.

What would you spend it on?

1. product?
2. training course?
3. membership?
...
...
...
anything else?
#$100 #spend
  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    I would spend it on a training course. Why?

    Because I want to educate myself as much as possible so that I can grow in my internet business.
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  • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
    Spend $60 of it on a steak dinner to celebrate your new career. Spend the rest on a whiz that lives in a grass hut in some third world country. Have him make you a squeeze page and graphics package. Now spend your time building your list. All of the info that you need to accomplish this can be found for free online.
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    • Profile picture of the author wwdietsc
      Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

      Spend $60 of it on a steak dinner to celebrate your new career. Spend the rest on a whiz that lives in a grass hut in some third world country. Have hi make you a squeeze page and graphics package. Now spend your time building your list. All of the info that you need to accomplish this can be found for free online.
      Haha Well Said!
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    • Profile picture of the author Fleki
      Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

      Spend $60 of it on a steak dinner to celebrate your new career. Spend the rest on a whiz that lives in a grass hut in some third world country. Have hi make you a squeeze page and graphics package. Now spend your time building your list. All of the info that you need to accomplish this can be found for free online.
      I guess that goes under #1 (product).
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      Million Years In Four Minutes

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    • Profile picture of the author KevL
      Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

      Spend $60 of it on a steak dinner to celebrate your new career. Spend the rest on a whiz that lives in a grass hut in some third world country. Have him make you a squeeze page and graphics package. Now spend your time building your list. All of the info that you need to accomplish this can be found for free online.
      What if you're vegetarian?:rolleyes:

      What Brain said would work - but not necessarily in a grass hut, they don't tend to have great internet access in grass huts .... and personally I would spend whatever is left over, not on a slap up dinner, but on something valuable - like content creation.

      I would keep your $100 firmly in your pocket until you've decided on exactly what system you're going to work on. You can invest it in tools, training, outsourcing, traffic - whatever you need, but only do so once you have decided on the system you're going to work on. here is more than enough info on the Warrior forum for you to research & decide on the system for you - when you know what you're going to do - then you can decide the best way to invest your $100.

      Building a list is great advice, but in what niche, how're you going to monetize the list - and if you don't have any experience in list marketing & you don't invest (at least your time) in learning, then are you going to be able to do well with such a system - or will you end up with an unresponsive list & lots of unsubscribes?

      Spend some time deciding on what you're going to do, put a plan together - work out if there are any knowledge gaps - see if you can fill these gaps free with the info on here, and only start spending money once you know exactly what it is you need to spend money on.

      Hope this helps - and I'm talking from experience, I think most of us on here would agree we've wasted money in the past due to the emotional connection we have with spending money on stuff, rather than having a clear plan & then investing available resources based on that - if we start spending money we feel like we're getting somewhere, it makes us feel good, but if you're spending it on the wrong things you'll just waste it - as i've done soooo many times over the years.

      Cheers

      Kev
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      SEO Kev
      Small business SEO / Web Marketing Tips.
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      • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
        Originally Posted by KevL View Post

        What if you're vegetarian?:rolleyes:
        If that is the case, I still recommend the steak dinner. It's about time you see what you are missing!
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        Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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        • Profile picture of the author Fleki
          Thanks, Kev.

          I totally agree about making the plan first, and having a clear vision before spending any money. That's exactly what this question was supposed to help me with.

          So, Kev, what would it be in your case? Your first $100.
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          • Profile picture of the author KevL
            Originally Posted by Fleki View Post

            Thanks, Kev.

            I totally agree about making the plan first, and having a clear vision before spending any money. That's exactly what this question was supposed to help me with.

            So, Kev, what would it be in your case? Your first $100.
            No worries,

            Do you mean what plan would I follow?

            Cheers

            Kev
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            Small business SEO / Web Marketing Tips.
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            • Profile picture of the author Fleki
              Originally Posted by KevL View Post

              No worries,

              Do you mean what plan would I follow?

              Cheers

              Kev
              I guess you can put it this way: What plan would you follow - to get your first $100 investment back? And what would that investment be.

              Fleki
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              • Profile picture of the author KevL
                Originally Posted by Fleki View Post

                I guess you can put it this way: What plan would you follow - to get your first $100 investment back? And what would that investment be.

                Fleki
                OK - I see what you're asking but...... I'm not you!! :rolleyes:

                It's pointless me telling you what I would do - as you will posess a different skill set to me, different experience, different interests & so on.

                If I were you, though - I'd do what I said earlier - spend some time searching & decide on a system which suits you.

                No one can tell you what you need to do, as we're not you.

                This is work you're going to have to put in, no two ways about it - nobody can tell you what you need to do. You'll find a tonne of mega info on here & plenty of very experienced people willing to help - but nobody can give you what you're asking for here.

                Cheers

                Kev
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                SEO Kev
                Small business SEO / Web Marketing Tips.
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                • Profile picture of the author Fleki
                  Originally Posted by KevL View Post

                  OK - I see what you're asking but...... I'm not you!! :rolleyes:

                  It's pointless me telling you what I would do - as you will posess a different skill set to me, different experience, different interests & so on.

                  If I were you, though - I'd do what I said earlier - spend some time searching & decide on a system which suits you.

                  No one can tell you what you need to do, as we're not you.

                  This is work you're going to have to put in, no two ways about it - nobody can tell you what you need to do. You'll find a tonne of mega info on here & plenty of very experienced people willing to help - but nobody can give you what you're asking for here.

                  Cheers

                  Kev
                  I see your point, but I think it's a bit extreme. I'm not saying that I would make a decision 100% based on the answers I got here. I was hoping that answers would give me more options to consider and some reasons why. And they did.

                  Everyone has their own model. I bet that 9 out of 10 people can look back at their first investment and say "man, if I knew then what I know now, I would've done this instead of that" and it's helpful to hear those stories. I have learned on my own mistakes way to many times, to skip this step and see what other, more experienced people would've done "if they only knew then, what they know now".
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                  • Profile picture of the author KevL
                    Originally Posted by Fleki View Post

                    I see your point, but I think it's a bit extreme. I'm not saying that I would make a decision 100% based on the answers I got here. I was hoping that answers would give me more options to consider and some reasons why. And they did.

                    Everyone has their own model. I bet that 9 out of 10 people can look back at their first investment and say "man, if I knew then what I know now, I would've done this instead of that" and it's helpful to hear those stories. I have learned on my own mistakes way to many times, to skip this step and see what other, more experienced people would've done "if they only knew then, what they know now".
                    I don't think my point was extreme - I was simply pointing out that you were asking me to go into more detail by saying exactly what I would do with $100, when it really doesn't matter what I would do as I'm not you.

                    I wasn't meaning to be harsh.

                    What you're doing at the moment is following that well known advice which goes "find someone making money & do what they do" and on the face of it that sounds like good advice, but in reality it just doesn't quite work like that, because the things they're doing will be supported by lots of other little bits of knowledge & skill that they've probably spent a lot of time & money to posses, and this advice makes it seem much easier than it is to copy someone & become as successful as them - in reality you would have to start copying them at the point that they first start learning to do whatever they're successful at - which was probably years earlier.

                    For example - I can go find a famous formula 1 racing driver & copy what he does, it wouldn't make me a champion driver as I don't have all of the necessary skills & training. I would have to go back in time & copy them when they were first learning to drive a go-cart, and copy them for years as they train & constantly practice & start to improve.

                    I can go find a successful singer & copy what they do, but it won't necessarily bring me the money & fame it brought them as I don't necessarily possess the same natural abilities, and I've not had the vocal training they have had. I could go watch David Beckham, and do what he does, but there's no way I could do it the way he does without years of training.

                    I could go on & on with the analogies

                    I think the best advice you can get is to find a system which suits you & then stick to it, and get better & better at it.

                    Cheers

                    Kev
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                    SEO Kev
                    Small business SEO / Web Marketing Tips.
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        • Profile picture of the author KevL
          Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

          If that is the case, I still recommend the steak dinner. It's about time you see what you are missing!
          Haha - no flesh here thanks!!

          Tofu way nicer

          Cheers

          Kev
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          SEO Kev
          Small business SEO / Web Marketing Tips.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mangozoom
    I would spend it on tools for list building.

    When you get in to online money making the very first thing you should do is build a list.

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author entrepreneurjay
    1. Webhosting $9.99 month
    2. Start email list Aweber $1.00 first month $19.00 after
    3. Buy backlinks look on Fiverr 3 gigs $15.00
    4. Buy info product killer good course $37.00

    Grand total $81.00 bucks now go get chinese food with the other $19.00 bucks!
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  • Profile picture of the author FutharkLifehack
    Before I realized that traffic means nothing unless they actively make money, I was willing to pay money to get traffic. Now it's no longer a concern of mine. I am now writing an ebook to sell on my site as well as a smaller book that I will give away free along with it to entice people to buy.

    Traffic means nothing if they don't do anything, so it is really not much a thing to spend money on at the beginning.
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    • Profile picture of the author Fleki
      Originally Posted by FutharkLifehack View Post

      Before I realized that traffic means nothing unless they actively make money, I was willing to pay money to get traffic. Now it's no longer a concern of mine. I am now writing an ebook to sell on my site as well as a smaller book that I will give away free along with it to entice people to buy.

      Traffic means nothing if they don't do anything, so it is really not much a thing to spend money on at the beginning.
      So, what would you spend your first $100 on, if you could go back?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeremiah Walsh
    I would spend it on a tool/tools that will help me automate some routine tasks.

    Time is money. If you save time, you save money. A dollar saved is a dollar earned.
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  • Profile picture of the author rmolina88
    Outsourcing more of my stuff.

    Plus a rib plate.
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  • Profile picture of the author thehobbster
    I'd purchase a one-off article submitter. Once you get that sucker tweaked and rolling 100%, you are in backlink heaven.

    Here is exactly what I'd do: I'd go to Incansoft this Labor Day weekend. I'd look around for their coupon code for the sale they will be having, and I'd get Article Bot, RSS Bot, Social Bot, Directory Bot, etc. I'd get the ones that you will use over and over for each site. Each is a one off payment, and will probably be down around $10 a pop. It's not fully automated out of the box. You will have to tweak the databases some at first. But once it's rolling...
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  • Profile picture of the author ShawnP
    I suppose if you're only talking about affiliate marketing $100 could be enough to start, but to build a real business I would hope you'd be willing to invest more than $100. It is a business, after all.
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    • Profile picture of the author entrepreneurjay
      Originally Posted by ShawnP View Post

      I suppose if you're only talking about affiliate marketing $100 could be enough to start, but to build a real business I would hope you'd be willing to invest more than $100. It is a business, after all.
      What are you saying affiliate marketing is not a real business? Lol that is a silly statement. Tell that to all the affiliates including me, that do well with it.

      Or super affiliates like Rosalind Gardner, Ewan Chia, Shoemoney, Travis Sago

      Sure they have and sell their own products now. But they still are affiliates in one way or another.

      Affiliate marketing is a multi-Billion dollar a year biz. If that is not a real business please tell me what is.
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      • Profile picture of the author ShawnP
        Originally Posted by entrepreneurjay View Post

        What are you saying affiliate marketing is not a real business? Lol that is a silly statement. Tell that to all the affiliates including me, that do well with it.

        Or super affiliates like Rosalind Gardner, Ewan Chia, Shoemoney, Travis Sago

        Sure they have and sell their own products now. But they still are affiliates in one way or another.

        Affiliate marketing is a multi-Billion dollar a year biz. If that is not a real business please tell me what is.
        Not what I meant at all. Of course that is a real business, just saying it doesn't cost as much to get started as it does if you're the vendor/merchant looking to create an online business.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Dotcom Hippie
    I wouldn't spend a cent of it. Instead, I'd spend all the time I had finding someone who was already doing what I wanted to be doing, and start learning from them. Not someone who sold courses on how to do it, of course, but someone who was actually doing it. That way I would know that I wasn't likely to waste my time nor my $100. That's the best way to do it in this business unless you want to keep spinning your wheels year after year like most people do.
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  • Profile picture of the author shermancox
    - Aweber...gotta have it
    - Some Kind of hosting...Probably one of them shared hosting things for under 10 bucks..hopefully got one click wordpress install
    - Get a domain for just under 10 bucks

    that's all I would spend before getting started...then get started. Spend money as you are trying stuff not as a prerequisite before trying stuff...
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  • Profile picture of the author Stojsa
    I would spend it on articles!
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  • Profile picture of the author ChickenMan
    My first $100, I'd spend it on food and a trip to the mall
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    If money grew on trees, we'd all die from a lack of oxygen.

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  • Profile picture of the author CashKiller
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author The Dotcom Hippie
      Originally Posted by CashKiller View Post

      I'd get a blowjob.
      Money well spent, I suppose, but there ARE countries in the world where a gentleman could get 50 blow jobs for that kind of money.
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  • Profile picture of the author KevL
    But to answer your question anyway, if it were me now & I had my last $100 and I needed to make money, this is what I personally would do:

    Research to find a great niche: Free (preferably one I know something about so I can write at least some of my own content)

    pay $1 to set up Aweber ($19 pm thereafter)

    Create a website with a squeeze page, using my aweber form: (I can create websites in dreamweaver or via wordpress so this wouldn't cost me anything. So it depends on whether the same is true for you, if not then this may cost you $30 - $50 of your $100)

    Use the rest of the money I have left over, to pay a decent writer to write as much content as possible. With me this generally means asking around friends & family & find someone who can write. (Often you'll find friends or family who have the skills & the time, will help you for nothing or very little, because they want to help you to succeed. You can find writers on here, or rentacoder etc, but be careful as it's difficult to find good writers).

    Write more content myself.

    Do all the onpage SEO, get the site indexed on Google.

    Write auto responder emails using aweber, to start building a relationship with my subscribers.

    Create an eBook to market to the list.

    research affiliate products to carefully introduce to the list.

    Many of the above points will require certain knowledge & info - if you don't invest in courses or eBooks & so on then you will have to put time & effort in at least, to work out how to do these things if you don't know already.

    For instance, I couldn't make a single penny in list marketing until I spent quite a lot of money learning how to write decent emails / sales copy - and learning more about list marketing in general.


    OR

    The other thing I would do, would be exactly the same as above, but focus on my local area, and around a niche which I can offer a service around.

    Then I would monetize this by putting my contact details on each broadcast / auto response message, and aim to do offline transactions with my list members.

    This can be FAR more profitable on a smaller scale. For instance if you have only 100 members all over the country / world, which you'll profit from by affiliate sales, then you'll probably make very little money - however a local list of 100, offering offline services which you can charge $100 or more per transaction for - then you do stand a chance of getting your $100 back very quickly.

    Do you have any special skill or ability? Just go through all the things you can do, and try to find something that you can use to add value to someone else, to their business or their life - and see if this is an idea.

    For example, lets say you're great at editing video's - you could put a list together as above & work on signing up local business people to this list (You'll have to think of an incentive to get them to join) and then use the list to market your video editing services - for example you could offer a package to create a promo vid for local businesses & upload them to YouTube. Many local businesses would pay for this as they wouldn't have the skills or inclination to do it themselves.

    If you're great at logo creation then you could build a service around this, web design, marketing services, any skill you have which you can use to create value.

    One thing I would say is that I have always found it easier to make money offline than online. Getting the enquiry online is great, but I personally find that it's way easier to create the interest online & get the enquiry, but then do the business offline. I find I can make more money that way.

    Anyway - hope this helps, and I really wasn't meaning to be harsh earlier, I just wanted to point out that it really doesn't matter all that much what others would do in the same situation, as we're all different & we all posess different abilities & experience.

    Cheers

    Kev
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    SEO Kev
    Small business SEO / Web Marketing Tips.
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    • Profile picture of the author yesacpow
      Knowing what I know now, I would spend some time to do proper market research and then keyword research.

      After which I would use 10 bucks to purchase a keyword rich domain name, and the another 10 or so for hosting..

      I would then set up a wordpress blog for free and then use the other $80 bucks to purchase some high quality articles.. Post them to the blog and re-purpose them on articles directories and web 2.0 sites for immediate traffic..
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    • Profile picture of the author theory expert
      Banned
      Originally Posted by entrepreneurjay View Post

      1. Webhosting $9.99 month
      2. Start email list Aweber $1.00 first month $19.00 after
      3. Buy backlinks look on Fiverr 3 gigs $15.00
      4. Buy info product killer good course $37.00

      Grand total $81.00 bucks now go get chinese food with the other $19.00 bucks!
      I like the plans layout excluding 4 & 5(don't think he needs another product on his desk top). Not sure if it would work in practice though, fivver sucks.

      Originally Posted by The Dotcom Hippie View Post

      I wouldn't spend a cent of it. Instead, I'd spend all the time I had finding someone who was already doing what I wanted to be doing, and start learning from them. Not someone who sold courses on how to do it, of course, but someone who was actually doing it.
      How are you going to find someone who is making money and not marketing themselves to marketers to learn from. On top of that they would have to be doing whatever is making them money for free since your not spending your only $100 bucks. Obviously, this mentor has to be doing things almost free.


      OP, practice is alot different than theory. Not sure what I would do. Asking for advice here is a start. Although, I hope your taking it with a grain of salt.

      I know you're clinching onto that $100 and once it is gone it is gone.

      Your skill set is not great, so, you really need some help in making sure whatever you do works the first time.

      I wish you the best man.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rhoody
    Banned
    Domain, Host is the first I would spend on.
    create content on your niche, sign up for EZA to get your site fast indexed. Earn 100 $ again. (with whatever system you use )
    Continue creating content and invest 20 - 30% of each check into outsourcing, software etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author itzpaul
    I would just spend my money on domains and work on ranking my sites on serps and the money I made i would repeat the process and get smarter.

    Do more with less work.
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  • Profile picture of the author Super Affiliate
    Man, I was going to add something but you guys pretty much took care of all. Yeah, go and do them. : )
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  • Profile picture of the author sylviaunlimited
    I have struggling with internet marketing for almost a year now. There are alot of FREE programs around and a lot of free things to sign up for, so set up a new inbox. Here is my suggestion because it is so easy to have the money sucked out of you and time wasted from searching for the next big thing...
    1. Take the FREE 30day challenge from Ed. In my opinion best free program out there to learn about internet marketing. Those who participate in the 30day challenge usually get to try out their recommended software for a longer free trial period.
    2. Now decide on two or three back linking methods you want to START employing; video, article marketing, social marketing, rss, directory submission, etc. I say START because they are all beneficial.
    3. Look for FREE software for the methods you want to start employing or come back and look for a WSO so you can buy it at a significant discount.
    I hope that helps
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  • Profile picture of the author el-chucklebuck
    1) war-room membership
    2) hosting and a few select domain names
    3) some red bull
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    Josh Meyer
    Diet for Acne
    $2500/month is the goal.
    "The more I see, the less I know, the more I like to let it go." -Red Hot Chili Peppers
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  • Profile picture of the author Coby
    Here's what I would spend my first hundred on if I was starting:
    Aweber - first month is only $1
    Hostgator hosting - $0.01 for first month with coupon code hpc25 (i think, just do a google search)
    GetDpd.com - digital download delivery - free 30 day trial (then starts at $5 a month)
    Domain - $10
    Product with squeeze page and giveaway rights - $35
    I would set up a One Time Offer on the opt in confirmation page
    Then spend the rest of the money on a solo ad to drive targeted traffic to your list and make a few sales from the OTO.

    Hope This Helps,
    Coby
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  • Profile picture of the author vishalduggal
    Make a good squeeze page.
    Spend $80 on adword for advertising your squeeze page.
    Make 250-300 subscribers.
    Send them an good offer and COLLECT THE CASH :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author morsh
    I think it would be spend on web hosting, domain, web hosting, domain, web hosting and domain :p
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  • Profile picture of the author ukcarl
    Hosting
    Aweber
    .com Domain
    and do some research to find a good product on list building
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