Up the Creek Without A Paddle.. What would you do?

by ej2012
63 replies
And this is no joke. I've tried my hand at Adsense. Was making a nice income every month until I got banned. Note to self and for everyone.. don't buy traffic and send them to your adsense sites.. eventually you will get hosed.. like me!

I tried my hand at Amazon.. and actually this is the only thing working for me.. 12 sites.. 1 of them is making money. The rest need to get to page 1 and may be a decent income will start happening.

But here's the kicker.. everyday my bank account is being overdrawn.. bills are hitting it and I have no other form of income to stop the bleeding. In hind sight had the adsense still been cranking full pace.. this would be a none issue, bills would be covered.


I've been brain storming ideas. Here's some I came up with and I am really hoping you all can give me some advice as to what I can do RIGHT now to start getting some kind of income in.. remember I have no cash, I can't by any link building services, can't even buy an EMD to build a site on.

Ideas:

1.) Flip sites on flippa - only problem there.. is they have a listing fee of $20..

2.) Keep on blog commenting, social bookmarking and distributing articles until those Amazon sites peak.. this won't happen over night, could be another 30 days away or more.. which means payment from Amazon is way out there..

3.) Thought about writing for pay.. but writing is difficult for me.. although I am forcing myself to do it so I can get backlinks and add content to the amazon sites.. but it takes me literally all day to get 2-3 out of my head.. so its a slow go.

4.) I thought about building small sniper sites to make some clickbank sales.. again ran into that whole not having cash to buy an emd or any domain for that matter

5.) I've put 10 resume's out, 1 response, then they disappeared... even a follow up email didn't get them back into the conversation. I've applied to jobs on Odesk, nothing yet..

6.) I can build sites like no ones business.. wordpress is a breeze for me.. on page SEO I can do in my sleep.. backlinking is the bane of my existence, but I can do it.. But I have to do most of it manually, can't afford High PR networks etc.,

There ya have it... my plea for any other ideas that don't cost money.. that I can use tonight to make cash or by the end of the weekend.. As I mentioned before, I am trying to figure out a way to first stop the "bleeding" of bank penalty payments.. I have some food in the fridge, so no worries there.. heck I am even losing some weight by not eating too much LOL, seems by default I have found a diet that works.. just limit your food intake and run 1 mile a day and the lbs fall off, at least for me they do.

In all seriousness, running keeps the stress of this situation away, so I think I will keep at that during this period of being cash poor.

Alright.. back to searching the WF for a glimmer of hope. Who knows.. maybe next week I will get a call back on the whole job search and that will solve a few problems and get me back in the game, but right at this moment, I have to assume the job market sucks and short of bagging groceries, I have to come up with another may to make some money asap. And just in case you wondering.. yes, I do plan to go to town in the AM and visit all the grocery stores and put in an application, can't hurt right.

Cheers,

ej
#creek #paddle
  • Profile picture of the author 1960Texan
    EJ,

    I feel for you, and I've been there myself a few times. What you need for the next few days is a non-IM solution. If you have a pick-up truck, or a buddy with truck, consider driving through the burbs this weekend to look for households that obviously need to have a few things hauled away. First you'll need to call the dump and ask what the fee is, and to find out which items are banned from the dump. Don't start knocking on doors until after 9am, because your best customers aren't going to be early risers. You and a friend should be able to pull in a few hundred apiece, in one day.

    This may not solve all of your problems, but it will definitely ease the pressure.

    Will
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    • Profile picture of the author ej2012
      I have a pickup truck. Thanks for the tip.. I can totally do that.
      And you are right.. it doesn't solve everything.. but it definitely could relieve the pressure.
      Originally Posted by 1960Texan View Post

      EJ,

      I feel for you, and I've been there myself a few times. What you need for the next few days is a non-IM solution. If you have a pick-up truck, or a buddy with truck, consider driving through the burbs this weekend to look for households that obviously need to have a few things hauled away. First you'll need to call the dump and ask what the fee is, and to find out which items are banned from the dump. Don't start knocking on doors until after 9am, because your best customers aren't going to be early risers. You and a friend should be able to pull in a few hundred apiece, in one day.

      This may not solve all of your problems, but it will definitely ease the pressure.

      Will
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  • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
    Your ideas are no good. Everyone is doing what you mentioned. Local businesses are looking for a guy like you. Be a Bing Business Portal consultant. Upsell Google Places and WordPress sites to your Portal clients.

    Bing Business Portal just started. You'll be the first in your area to offer the service. It's easy once you get your foot in the door.

    On your down time build sites and rank them. Then sell or lease them to local professionals.

    I have bricks & mortar business clients that I've been working for since 08. They're great to work for, they're serious entrepreneurs and they pay.
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    • Profile picture of the author ej2012
      Originally Posted by SiteSmarty View Post

      Your ideas are no good. Everyone is doing what you mentioned. Local businesses are looking for a guy like you. Be a Bing Business Portal consultant. Upsell Google Places and WordPress sites to your Portal clients.

      Bing Business Portal just started. You'll be the first in your area to offer the service. It's easy once you get your foot in the door.

      On your down time build sites and rank them. Then sell or lease them to local professionals.

      I have bricks & mortar business clients that I've been working for since 08. They're great to work for, they're serious entrepreneurs and they pay.
      I've never heard of a Bing Business Portal.. but headed there after this post. So one question that maybe you or someone else could help me out with..
      In order to lease a site out.. does it require that it's visible, in traffic? Or have you had success with just offering to lease it? Any tips on this.. this ultimately the direction I have been heading in..
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      • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
        I get the site up and running. Get it to #1, just below the Google pack. Then approach local businesses using the Google Places listings. I start at the last listing and work my way up offering the site for sale to half the list.

        No sale I offer the site for lease to the remaining prospects. I doubt if you can sell or lease a site that isn't up and running, in the #1 Google spot.

        Google Places and Bing Business Portal is an easier sell though. And you can do those tomorrow.
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        • Profile picture of the author ej2012
          Originally Posted by SiteSmarty View Post

          I get the site up and running. Get it to #1, just below the Google pack. Then approach local businesses using the Google Places listings. I start at the last listing and work my way up offering the site for sale to half the list.

          No sale I offer the site for lease to the remaining prospects. I doubt if you can sell or lease a site that isn't up and running, in the #1 Google spot.

          Google Places and Bing Business Portal is an easier sell though. And you can do those tomorrow.
          Any backlinking strategies you can share that can have a positive impact on the site's rankings that are of FREE of course? That I can start doing now?
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        • Profile picture of the author ej2012
          Originally Posted by SiteSmarty View Post

          I get the site up and running. Get it to #1, just below the Google pack. Then approach local businesses using the Google Places listings. I start at the last listing and work my way up offering the site for sale to half the list.

          No sale I offer the site for lease to the remaining prospects. I doubt if you can sell or lease a site that isn't up and running, in the #1 Google spot.

          Google Places and Bing Business Portal is an easier sell though. And you can do those tomorrow.
          why not sell the site to the top listings? Is it perception? The lower half needs that site vs the top half where they just need to lease it
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    • Profile picture of the author BrandyM
      Originally Posted by SiteSmarty View Post

      Your ideas are no good. Everyone is doing what you mentioned. Local businesses are looking for a guy like you. Be a Bing Business Portal consultant. Upsell Google Places and WordPress sites to your Portal clients.

      Bing Business Portal just started. You'll be the first in your area to offer the service. It's easy once you get your foot in the door.

      On your down time build sites and rank them. Then sell or lease them to local professionals.

      I have bricks & mortar business clients that I've been working for since 08. They're great to work for, they're serious entrepreneurs and they pay.
      I've been looking for clients to do just this! What's the best strategy to go about getting those clients? Do you just cold call?
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      • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
        loyaltytoday: I use automated snail mail to the addresses shown in Google Places for first contact. Then I send them a gift in the mail with a note reminding them I can get them more business and save them money.

        It's under 2 bucks to contact them and start the relationship. I tried a Sales Letter at first. Didn't work. Snail mail works.
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  • Profile picture of the author ej2012
    Originally Posted by Mike Grant View Post

    Time to pick up the phone and offer a 5 page website to local businesses for $300. Very easy to do.
    Funny thing.. I have 2 local websites and was beginning a campaign to make calls.. literally made a call today.. waiting for a response.

    what do you think Chiropractor In Santa Fe, NM | Santa Fe Chiropractor If I could just get this on the first page of G.. I would be in more of a powerful position to lease the space out on a monthly basis... Actually this is a friend of mine who is a chiropractor and he is returning my call on monday to discuss the next steps. so that will be my first offline client.. he is willing to pay $200 for 60 days to get to page 1(as a pilot project) and then $200/month for me to keep him there.. I need 10 people in the whole US to sign up to my offer.. then I would be on my way I think..

    oh so close.. but so far away it feels

    I am curious about the 5 page website.. do you have to have a website to show them first in order to sell it? Or is the offer that you will build it for them and then deliver the result?
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      Funny thing.. I have 2 local websites and was beginning a campaign to make calls.. literally made a call today.. waiting for a response.

      what do you think Chiropractor In Santa Fe, NM | Santa Fe Chiropractor If I could just get this on the first page of G.. I would be in more of a powerful position to lease the space out on a monthly basis... Actually this is a friend of mine who is a chiropractor and he is returning my call on monday to discuss the next steps. so that will be my first offline client.. he is willing to pay $200 for 60 days to get to page 1(as a pilot project) and then $200/month for me to keep him there..

      I am curious about the 5 page website.. do you have to have a website to show them first in order to sell it? Or is the offer that you will build it for them and then deliver the result?
      Call first, tell them something like 50% upfront so you can purchase the domain and a cheap header if needed.

      That website is OK, but needs a custom header and a better call-to-action. Homepage, About, Services, Contact, Blog. Upsell them on email marketing, SMS marketing, hosting, etc.

      Don't worry about trying to rank them until you're out of the hole you're in.
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      • Profile picture of the author ej2012
        Originally Posted by Mike Grant View Post

        Call first, tell them something like 50% upfront so you can purchase the domain and a cheap header if needed.

        That website is OK, but needs a custom header and a better call-to-action. Homepage, About, Services, Contact, Blog. Upsell them on email marketing, SMS marketing, hosting, etc.

        Don't worry about trying to rank them until you're out of the hole you're in.
        Thanks Mike, really good things for me to think about here. I think the content for the homepage should come from the actual person that buys the space or the site, instead of me putting up generic info(just did that for SEO). Or somehow I tweak this copy to be a stronger call for visitors to pick up the phone to call and make an appointment.

        Same with services, that would have to come from the new leasee or new owner of the site.. I guess there are probably plenty of chiro sites to go look at for a list of services.. use that as a place holder for the services page maybe.

        At least of some kind of template to show them.. and then work together on getting the right content in place.. hope that all made sense.

        So I am no sales guy.. any tips on starting up the conversation.. I'm not shy, I'll do it... but my approach might be to straight to the point..

        Like.. "I'm ej I have a 5 page website with your name on it" lol, that probably won't cut it.. being a lil sarcastic here.. I am sure I can get creative, any tips?
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
      I can get you top fold of google for the exact match in less than 30 days and G1 in less than 60. Probably can get G1 in 30 days.

      You don't have money ... I don't want money. I use you as a case study.

      I do require somethings

      I tell you exactly what to do .. step by step .. you do them .. not me.

      I need access to the back office for the on page

      The promotions I do in the background .... you don't ask .. I don't tell. They are all white hat.

      I can't start until Monday

      If interested ... pm me here.


      On a different note... if you have seventy five adsense sites .. convert them into squeeze sites ... find products to promote for the niches or find your closest competition and do ad sends for a fee.




      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      Funny thing.. I have 2 local websites and was beginning a campaign to make calls.. literally made a call today.. waiting for a response.

      what do you think Chiropractor In Santa Fe, NM | Santa Fe Chiropractor If I could just get this on the first page of G.. I would be in more of a powerful position to lease the space out on a monthly basis... Actually this is a friend of mine who is a chiropractor and he is returning my call on monday to discuss the next steps. so that will be my first offline client.. he is willing to pay $200 for 60 days to get to page 1(as a pilot project) and then $200/month for me to keep him there.. I need 10 people in the whole US to sign up to my offer.. then I would be on my way I think..

      oh so close.. but so far away it feels

      I am curious about the 5 page website.. do you have to have a website to show them first in order to sell it? Or is the offer that you will build it for them and then deliver the result?
      Signature

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    • Profile picture of the author timpears
      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      Funny thing.. I have 2 local websites and was beginning a campaign to make calls.. literally made a call today.. waiting for a response.

      what do you think Chiropractor In Santa Fe, NM | Santa Fe Chiropractor If I could just get this on the first page of G.. I would be in more of a powerful position to lease the space out on a monthly basis... Actually this is a friend of mine who is a chiropractor and he is returning my call on monday to discuss the next steps. so that will be my first offline client.. he is willing to pay $200 for 60 days to get to page 1(as a pilot project) and then $200/month for me to keep him there.. I need 10 people in the whole US to sign up to my offer.. then I would be on my way I think..

      oh so close.. but so far away it feels

      I am curious about the 5 page website.. do you have to have a website to show them first in order to sell it? Or is the offer that you will build it for them and then deliver the result?
      I think this is your answer. Every small business that isn't on page one of Google for their local keyword search is a very good prospect. Every small local business that has a crap web site or directory page or something is a very good prospect. You can get an email pitch put together and find their contact information online and send them the offer.

      If you could only pick up one or two clients per week, in a couple of months your money problems would be very much diminished. It is obvious that you have the knowledge an talent to do this type of work, now just go contact the prospects to turn that into cash.
      Signature

      Tim Pears

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      • Profile picture of the author ej2012
        Originally Posted by timpears View Post

        I think this is your answer. Every small business that isn't on page one of Google for their local keyword search is a very good prospect. Every small local business that has a crap web site or directory page or something is a very good prospect. You can get an email pitch put together and find their contact information online and send them the offer.

        If you could only pick up one or two clients per week, in a couple of months your money problems would be very much diminished. It is obvious that you have the knowledge an talent to do this type of work, now just go contact the prospects to turn that into cash.
        Thanks Tim. This has been a great experience to get feedback from everyone, I feel the support and I plan to take this advice to heart, create a plan and get to it.. All at the same time of picking up a "side" job if you will to cover the basics..

        It'll all work the way it should, it usually does.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrandyM
      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      Funny thing.. I have 2 local websites and was beginning a campaign to make calls.. literally made a call today.. waiting for a response.

      what do you think If I could just get this on the first page of G.. I would be in more of a powerful position to lease the space out on a monthly basis... Actually this is a friend of mine who is a chiropractor and he is returning my call on monday to discuss the next steps. so that will be my first offline client.. he is willing to pay $200 for 60 days to get to page 1(as a pilot project) and then $200/month for me to keep him there.. I need 10 people in the whole US to sign up to my offer.. then I would be on my way I think..

      oh so close.. but so far away it feels

      I am curious about the 5 page website.. do you have to have a website to show them first in order to sell it? Or is the offer that you will build it for them and then deliver the result?
      You can do this! I have one client right now that pays me exactly amount. I was thinking the same thing I need only 9 more clients and I'm on my way. It can be done!
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      • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
        Honestly, I am doing the same thing for $700 a month and am a third party .. the dude that I am supplying the service to is undoubtedly making $1000 a month or better

        Originally Posted by loyaltytoday View Post

        You can do this! I have one client right now that pays me exactly amount. I was thinking the same thing I need only 9 more clients and I'm on my way. It can be done!
        Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author Newbie11
    What about putting Kontera and Chikita on the sites?
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    • Profile picture of the author ej2012
      Originally Posted by Newbie11 View Post

      What about putting Kontera and Chikita on the sites?
      I've tried that with Chitika, but the ads aren't relevant most of the time, at least that is my experience. And honestly, I'm a bit burned out on the whole get a click here and there and make pennies..

      I'll have to figure out a way to re-purpose those banned adsense sites.. I have about 75 of them. most of them fell from the G's graces during that not so cute Panda update..
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  • Profile picture of the author ej2012
    does it cost to get into GP listings.. or can anyone go create a listing?
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    • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      does it cost to get into GP listings.. or can anyone go create a listing?
      Any Business can get a GP Listing, it is sent by mail and takes about 2weeks for the Approval to arrive at your door.
      Signature


      You can earn 10% average annual returns on your investments - https://app.groundfloor.us/r/m2aa7b
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      • Profile picture of the author Yogini
        A few things you mentioned might be services you offer. For instance, you can do review sites and that is something you can offer others. Also, you said wordpress is easy for you. A number of businesses, could benefit from having a blog and don't know how to set that up.

        Debbie
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        • Profile picture of the author VipsK
          Originally Posted by Yogini View Post

          A few things you mentioned might be services you offer. For instance, you can do review sites and that is something you can offer others. Also, you said wordpress is easy for you. A number of businesses, could benefit from having a blog and don't know how to set that up.

          Debbie
          That was exactly what I was going to say, offer your wordpress skills here too, as there are many people here who are not good at WP - me for an example, I looked for someone like you a few weeks ago, and found someone in the wanted for hire section....
          Good luck! I feel for you but at least you do have a lot of skills to offer, so hang in there!
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      • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
        ej,

        This topic comes up a lot here. Check out this thread (it has over 40,000 views).

        A lot of good stuff in there.

        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...desperate.html

        ~Bill
        Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author Sapan Verma
    You can offer services to IMers on the WF or Odesk etc. Or you could offer it to offline businesses and either do the work yourself or outsource it.

    Good luck with your efforts.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew S
    7. put on a tie and get the best job you can find.

    putting out resumes does not count. picking up the phone and visiting business counts

    i would never recommend trying to make money online if you are having trouble covering the basic bills like food and rent first
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    Sick Analytics: Find and fix your worst pages. Entity Explorer: Make your content better with related entities.
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    • Profile picture of the author ej2012
      Originally Posted by Andrew S View Post

      7. put on a tie and get the best job you can find.

      putting out resumes does not count. picking up the phone and visiting business counts

      i would never recommend trying to make money online if you are having trouble covering the basic bills like food and rent first

      Fair enough, thanks for you opinion.
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  • Profile picture of the author digitalmoolah
    OK here is my 2 cents. My next door neighbor has been living for the last 3 years without un employment or any other help by doing jobs on craigslist. If you gotta have money tomorrow, then that is the fastest way. Let me share some things he has done to earn money. He has a pickup truck and offers a hauling service. Nothing heavy. He states in his ad that he doesn't do heavy work. Often times he just shows up with the truck and the clients do most of the work. He has also done some transporting of stuff for auction companies. When an auction closes, he sometimes gets free stuff which he resells on craigslisg and ebay. You could also teach people how to use the internet. You could list things for antique stor owners or pawn shops for a commission. These people often don't have the time to do this, and I have made some money by doing this. You can find keyword phrases for Rap bank and pay dot com.com products. These programs pay out more frequently. If you don't mind completing CPA offers, you can get paid for it. Sites like project payday and freebie society will pay you for completing these ads. I have done this before. If you complete 5 of their sites, you can earn $250. This is sent to your paypal account. You can also post articles with your affiliate links. This doesn't require you to buy a domain. You could do a WSO. Just find out what questions people are asking and create a quality product.

    Hope these ideas help to get you thinking;

    Brian.
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  • Profile picture of the author digitalmoolah
    reate Squidoo lenses that are basically stores. You only have to copy, or better saying, rewrite the reviews you’ll find at Amazon about the products you’ll promote. You can also promote Clickbank products, eBay products, etc.

    You only need to write a few sentences, if you want to – I think an explanation is always helpful.

    You can also use your Squidoo store to promote your websites or blogs. You have many alternatives at your disposal, and the creation of squidoo lenses is totally free. You even make money with royalties, just for creating lenses – if they are quality lenses, and their lensrank is at least 85.000 - being 1 the best lensrank.
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    • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
      - Start at the bottom of Google Places and work up - why?
      You get a feel for the market in that category. Then you can adjust your responses as needed.

      - Backlinking - I use Market Samauri. Without such a tool your shooting in the dark. I comment on blogs that are backlinking to the top sites on page one of my target niche. That's it.

      - There's a few tricks with the local search but anyone that breathes can make money at it.

      - The get a tie and job is bad advice. If you have to knock on a businesses door and beg for a job, you may as well sell them something they need and probably don't even now about.

      - I do this from my home in Costa Rica and make money at it with clients in the US and Canada. Yesterday I started helping a local Doctors clinic in Costa Rica. The doctor called me and asked me to help them with their site and SEO.

      You're in demand, you just don't realize it yet.

      You can do it locally. You just have to try. Here's the thing. Once you snag a client with the Places stuff, they're yours. They'll want help with uploading videos, creating a new site, graphics and other related stuff.

      - Want proof. Go to Google Place or Bing Business Portal and search for any one of 8500 business categories and you'll see most business haven't even claimed their listing.

      - As for building sites and ranking them for eventual sale or lease. You can still do that in your spare time.

      - Like I mentioned. Bing Business Portal has just started. Explain the benefits to local businesses and you'll score clients.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Andrew S View Post

        7. put on a tie and get the best job you can find.

        putting out resumes does not count. picking up the phone and visiting business counts

        i would never recommend trying to make money online if you are having trouble covering the basic bills like food and rent first
        I'll expand on that. If you have checks bouncing, the fees are like burning money. Plus, they affect your credit rating, which affects what you pay for things like car insurance. You need to stop the bleeding, pronto.

        Don't be picky about finding honest work that pays. Wait tables, wash dishes, wipe down cars, whatever. It's not easy and it's not glamorous, but it's honest money.

        Check the Yellow pages. Is there a temp service or day labor contractor listed? Many of those places can put you to work immediately, and many pay daily. If you have days where you get paid more or the work will put you in a better position, you simply don't ask for a temp assignment.

        Do you have any kind of performing talent? Can you sing, dance, mime, etc.? Consider taking some of your spare time and performing on the street, passing the hat for donations.

        You say you like to run every day? Maybe you could use CL to put together a running club that meets daily. For $5 per session, you'll run with someone who has trouble sticking to it, kick them in the butt, call and nag them to show up, etc.

        Use your down time to build your real business. The idea of converting your adsense sites to promote affiliate products is a good one.

        "This, too, shall pass." Keep working, and like the man said, "the harder I work, the luckier I get..."
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        • Profile picture of the author art72
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          I'll expand on that. If you have checks bouncing, the fees are like burning money. Plus, they affect your credit rating, which affects what you pay for things like car insurance. You need to stop the bleeding, pronto.

          Don't be picky about finding honest work that pays. Wait tables, wash dishes, wipe down cars, whatever. It's not easy and it's not glamorous, but it's honest money.
          While I virtually 'disappeared' from here 4 months ago flooded with the same reality as the OP. After brainstorming (*too many) ideas, I decided to roll with the 'simplest' one of all... I started an offline Mobile Detailing and Car Washing Service.

          *Not glamorous perhaps, but I am slowing killing off debts, increasing my clientele, and near ready to reinvest some time & focus on my previous IM efforts with a new mindset; work full-time first (offline), then, work some more...part-time (online), and maybe in 12-18 months substantiate growth in both, and afford the luxury to play a little in between.

          Again, take the 'simple' and expand upon it. Combining an offline 'service' while gaining online knowledge is a win/win. If all goes well, my 18 year old son and I will have a 3000-5000+ sq ft shop within 12 months, a full retail outlet store, food court & lounge, and most importantly: use the internet to brand everything from tutorials, our own product line, e-store sales, etc... *The sky is the limit.

          For me, finding the balance offline/online was the hardest part. By 'clipping' the wings of my initial IM dream(s) it put me back on solid ground with a very executable & expansive game plan. Plus, it's fun!

          Hang in there bro.. the bleeding general stops when the higher priority knocks and you answer it with a 'do whatever it takes' mindset. Many said it to me, and I refused to listen until it was almost too late... find some offline work, and work online in spare time... unless you have mad skills and a customer base already established. The chiropractor gig is a good start, but $200 is not gonna pay the bills either. Do both.

          For me, I couldn't afford to wait for the return online to become consistent. Opportunity found me, and I wasn't even looking! The "Car Wash" started as a joke when I told my son; "we could make better money washing cars part-time then working full time for $10 per hour!" -Which is now proving to be true.

          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post


          "This, too, shall pass." Keep working, and like the man said, "the harder I work, the luckier I get..."
          So true, just by putting yourself out there working, 'other' seeds of interest generally bud!
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          • Profile picture of the author KenJ
            In 1989 I resigned from my job and went self employed. I had no financial resources apart from a few hundred pounds in the bank.

            My plan was to offer a service business to the local community. I did not want to work for an employer any more.
            I ordered 10000 flyers from a print shop for £99 - Black and white. (Colour was too expensive)
            I nearly killed myself delivering 6000 of these flyers through the doors of peoples' houses.

            Every night I got home, my wife told me the phone had been ringing with customers. At the end of 7 days I had made £3000. And so it continued.

            This is so possible and easy to do.

            Kenj
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  • Profile picture of the author try_hard_samurai
    You could design mobile sites for local businesses as well.
    You could also put an ad in CL for work as a social media manager. Just look up what they do and ask questions on forums.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ducksauce
    When you got banned, did your sites get effected in the serps or deindexed?
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    • Profile picture of the author ej2012
      Originally Posted by Ducksauce View Post

      When you got banned, did your sites get effected in the serps or deindexed?
      When I got banned, the only thing that happened was adsense being removed from the sites.. These were micro niche sites.. the ones that were earning, did get a solid slap, but I am pretty sure that had to do with the Panda update and not from getting banned.
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  • Profile picture of the author SeasideMarketer
    Yep, go the local offline marketing route...even as a consultant...you have the ability to deliver GOLD to your clients
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  • Profile picture of the author Robbie B
    I would take what you know about firing up SEO'd wordpress blogs, wrap it into PDF format and make it available on DP.

    I got that idea from a WSO before I joined here and it is definitely doable in a days work.

    Hook it up with paypal and post around digital point with a decent sig link and sell your copies.

    It's free to sell on DP so you can have your sig link here over to it, and folks here can comment on your thread to get it noticed. Take some of the revenue you make from the DP offer and release it on here at a better price for helping you get your thread up and noticed in front of the other users.

    Don't know if that would work but just trying to brainstorm out loud here. Seems like you could be doing with some fast cash and the only way I can think of it is to sell the information you know to folk that want to know what you know. SEO is a hot topic on all marketers minds.

    If that doesn't work then some kind of service. Fiverr.com. Quick videos. Since everything is 5 bucks on there, you'll want something that's super fast to do so that you don't get $5 an hour but you can do it in about 10 minutes per job. Some videos are super fast to do and I as hate doing video I'd definitely pay $5 to have one done.

    I don't know much about it but I have heard a video can be 10 - 15 minutes to piece together. Then 4 an hour could get some decent money. The only thing is you still need folks to find your offer. So probably not the best of ideas.

    I do think you'd get good results doing a quick PDF though and sharing your knowledge.

    Even a report on adsense and how it can cripple your business if you don't multistream your revenue. Obviously not saying that you're only selling the report coz you're in that boat.

    Hope that helps and you get things worked out.

    Robbie
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  • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
    Keep pressing those Amazon sites.

    You may be able to use subdomains to leverage existing sites into additional ones.

    For the 1 site that has a ranking, is there an info product you can add to the top (I know writing isn't your thing, maybe there is free plr you can find, or check the article directories).

    Offer it for sale via PayPal as a means of generating cash.

    .
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  • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
    ....If your going the offline marketing I might suggest walking in to a dentists office and offering him a deal on saturation direct mail. Dentists spend tons in the yellowpages ...they could spend as much or less on regularly sent household mailers and get a hundred times the return.

    Do a quick check with your local printers to gauge the pricing that your dentists are paying...then set your deal accordingly. I'd be glad to help you seemit through, and give you pricing that would allow you to profit from the production and fulfillment.

    If you are offering direct mail to your clients then you have a decisive advantage over all your local SEO / website competitors.

    If your dentist keeps himself in front of the faces of every household in his community on a regular basis...there will be no reason for people to bother looking on google or in he yellowpages. They will already know who "the authoriy" in dentistry is, they'll already know the name they're calling.

    This is a relatively easy sell...dentists get it...like a light bulb going off in their head.

    Good luck and let me know if I can help
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  • Profile picture of the author davcon
    Im curious how much do you charge local business for getting them listed in google places?
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  • Profile picture of the author uncmonk500
    I would drown mate, in fact I am drowning. The sooner it happens for me the better. The end is in sight...
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  • Profile picture of the author 1million1
    Run some ads all over craigslist offering your web services. Show them examples of your work and have them pay you with paypal. You'll have some money in no time.

    You could even offer them package deals.
    1)One time design fee
    2) design plus a monthly fee for hosting it. So you'll some monthly residual
    3) design, host, and some seo service

    Just a few ideas on packages.
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  • Profile picture of the author ej2012
    in the money now.. when in doubt pick up the phone.

    just landed 2 new offline clients.. offered them a website, plus ranking that website to Google page 1 over a period of 90 days. I didn't expect that to be sooo easy.. they paid upfront for 3 months worth of service and they are each recommending me to someone else.. that could be client 3 and 4.. on my way.

    thanks all for the tips and encouragement.. I didn't even have to leave my recliner.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kelly Verge
      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      in the money now.. when in doubt pick up the phone.

      just landed 2 new offline clients.. offered them a website, plus ranking that website to Google page 1 over a period of 90 days. I didn't expect that to be sooo easy.. they paid upfront for 3 months worth of service and they are each recommending me to someone else.. that could be client 3 and 4.. on my way.

      thanks all for the tips and encouragement.. I didn't even have to leave my recliner.
      Whatever you do, don't drop the ball with these clients. Money might be tight, but make sure you hold back enough to be able to pay for their set-ups.

      Cash flow will be difficult for a while, and that's the easiest way to screw up from your position.
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    • Profile picture of the author MaryKathan
      Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

      in the money now.. when in doubt pick up the phone.

      just landed 2 new offline clients.. offered them a website, plus ranking that website to Google page 1 over a period of 90 days. I didn't expect that to be sooo easy.. they paid upfront for 3 months worth of service and they are each recommending me to someone else.. that could be client 3 and 4.. on my way.

      thanks all for the tips and encouragement.. I didn't even have to leave my recliner.

      That is great. I am glad for you. You will make it, just keep going.
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    Originally Posted by Mike Grant View Post

    Time to pick up the phone and offer a 5 page website to local businesses for $300. Very easy to do.
    most people will not do this cause they will get some NO's

    but heck you might spend a few dollars in phone calls, get some no's and then someone will say YES!

    Then you just outsource on the warrior forum. EASY TO DO!

    this is a great strategy.

    Why do people expect clients to come to them these days....you have to go to them. that is the secret.
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  • Profile picture of the author jgant
    Congrats on landing some clients. That's awesome. This was a good thread. I totally agree with everyone that if you can rank a website your skills are in demand. I still do IM part time, but look forward to the day when am doing it full time. ej2012 your landing some gigs are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing. Wraps up the thread nicely.
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  • Profile picture of the author davcon
    Curious question. Are you a registered business before you offer your services for building a website for a local business or just presenting yourself as a knowlegable person that can build a site and get it ranked?
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    • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
      davecon:

      Technically you should be legal doing business anywhere you live, however, I wouldn't worry about it until you land a job. Then run down and get a business license, see your accountant and take care of the legal stuff before you bill the client.

      You're working for businesses and they want an invoice for your work so they can write it off as an expense. You need to have your act together in this regard to avoid future problems. A lawyer and accountant in your local area can steer you in the right direction.
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  • Profile picture of the author Josh C Guy
    I knew a guy that went to a senior living place and he would get paid helping out seniors. Doing odd jobs for them and hauling stuff etc. He did pretty good. Hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author Targeted Traffic
    Right now what you should mainly focus on is on getting a stable offline job. When you are ina "desperate" position and just starting out with IM...it is not wise to count on it for your basic day to day needs and the bills.
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  • Profile picture of the author XponentSYS
    Originally Posted by ej2012 View Post

    And this is no joke. I've tried my hand at Adsense. Was making a nice income every month until I got banned. Note to self and for everyone.. don't buy traffic and send them to your adsense sites.. eventually you will get hosed.. like me!

    I tried my hand at Amazon.. and actually this is the only thing working for me.. 12 sites.. 1 of them is making money. The rest need to get to page 1 and may be a decent income will start happening.

    But here's the kicker.. everyday my bank account is being overdrawn.. bills are hitting it and I have no other form of income to stop the bleeding. In hind sight had the adsense still been cranking full pace.. this would be a none issue, bills would be covered.


    I've been brain storming ideas. Here's some I came up with and I am really hoping you all can give me some advice as to what I can do RIGHT now to start getting some kind of income in.. remember I have no cash, I can't by any link building services, can't even buy an EMD to build a site on.

    Ideas:

    1.) Flip sites on flippa - only problem there.. is they have a listing fee of $20..

    2.) Keep on blog commenting, social bookmarking and distributing articles until those Amazon sites peak.. this won't happen over night, could be another 30 days away or more.. which means payment from Amazon is way out there..

    3.) Thought about writing for pay.. but writing is difficult for me.. although I am forcing myself to do it so I can get backlinks and add content to the amazon sites.. but it takes me literally all day to get 2-3 out of my head.. so its a slow go.

    4.) I thought about building small sniper sites to make some clickbank sales.. again ran into that whole not having cash to buy an emd or any domain for that matter

    5.) I've put 10 resume's out, 1 response, then they disappeared... even a follow up email didn't get them back into the conversation. I've applied to jobs on Odesk, nothing yet..

    6.) I can build sites like no ones business.. wordpress is a breeze for me.. on page SEO I can do in my sleep.. backlinking is the bane of my existence, but I can do it.. But I have to do most of it manually, can't afford High PR networks etc.,

    There ya have it... my plea for any other ideas that don't cost money.. that I can use tonight to make cash or by the end of the weekend.. As I mentioned before, I am trying to figure out a way to first stop the "bleeding" of bank penalty payments.. I have some food in the fridge, so no worries there.. heck I am even losing some weight by not eating too much LOL, seems by default I have found a diet that works.. just limit your food intake and run 1 mile a day and the lbs fall off, at least for me they do.

    In all seriousness, running keeps the stress of this situation away, so I think I will keep at that during this period of being cash poor.

    Alright.. back to searching the WF for a glimmer of hope. Who knows.. maybe next week I will get a call back on the whole job search and that will solve a few problems and get me back in the game, but right at this moment, I have to assume the job market sucks and short of bagging groceries, I have to come up with another may to make some money asap. And just in case you wondering.. yes, I do plan to go to town in the AM and visit all the grocery stores and put in an application, can't hurt right.

    Cheers,

    ej
    WOW, I understand how you feel. I went through such times myself with a catastrophic business failure.

    It was DESPERATE.

    I went through DEPRESSION, a bout of alcaholism, and then I wrecked my paid off car becayse the STRESS was so bad.

    Wound up HOMELESS and had to completely rely on friends and family to "put me up", while I figured it out.

    These times can make you crazy... they did me.

    But, I came back.

    My advice, reach out to A FEW people who are successful here and approach them with "everything on your sleeve" and ask for help.

    You'd be shocked at the kindness they'll demonstrate and what they offer you.

    Then, stay FOCUSED and D-O I-T!!!

    You'll come back out on top. I did.

    Another piece of advice, tell NOBODY, except mentors here, what you're doing (especially family) or they'll "nay-say" and knock you off your game in this fragile state.

    It's gonna get TOUGH, I know from experience. But, you'll make it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Apollo-Articles
    Go get a job to fund your bills and help grow your business faster.

    Sam
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    • Profile picture of the author PattC
      In addition to selling things on Ebay or Amazon to bring in some quick cash, I would sign up with a temp agency. I did this when I was between jobs, and it looks good on the resume. Two of my temp jobs turned into job offers.
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  • Profile picture of the author WebPen
    I'd recommend 2 things-

    1) Try to find a job-any job- to get money flowing into your pocket ASAP.

    2) Start an online service like writing, building websites, backlinking, etc., and do that when you aren't at your day job.

    People REALLY underestimate the amount of $$$ that providing a service can bring in. Sure, it's not "passive income", but its harder to build a passive income when you're worried about bills all the time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kirahster
    If you are good at building sites, just open your yellow pages and start calling businesses offering to build them a website. Dont stop making calls until you get a sale.
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  • Profile picture of the author Hardcoremarketing
    So, you can provide excellent information on what NOT to do and there is probably a book there, once you find your center again.
    Unfortunately, very few of us learn anything when life is flying by and the money is pouring in.
    I would suggest that you follow the advice from people to take your truck out and earn some quick money to ease the pressure.
    But, you also need time where you can come to a complete stop, especially mentally. You are correct that running around creates a temporary solution, but the long tail solution is already in your head. You just can't find it through all of the noise.
    Find a place where you can slow, then stop your mind. Just breath for a few minutes. Then, start focusing on what you have versus what you don't. I don't read anything that says you aren't in good health. That's one for the victory column. You probably have friends and family that love you and that's two. I'd be happy to coach you, for free, if you like and you can use yahoo and reach out to saleclozer and we'll find your path.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
    First of all, get a job. Seriously. You can't fund IM projects if you don't have a consistent income of some sort, even a small one.

    Second, you still haven't even considered some of the most lucrative options on the table.

    -Offering your own products

    -Offering your own services

    These make the most money of all. Plus they can make money FAST on a forum like this.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    you need to stop...get a job to pay those bills and build again slowly. No other way! Do not out of desperation buy into another "make $50,0000,0000 in your underwear tomorrow" type thing.
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  • Profile picture of the author canada94
    Well done dude for sticking at it and not giving up, i've been in your position, it's not good, and that phone can sure feel heavy when you need to make calls to raise funds.


    Keep the faith

    Kevin
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  • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
    Keep in mind, the majority of people who graduate college don't end up working in their desired field.

    Which means, the professional world has almost as high of a failure rate as the online marketing world.

    Saw an interesting post by CDarkLock earlier today on the subject. Makes you think.
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  • Profile picture of the author lovelysue
    ej2012, this is what you must do:

    1. Your TOP priority is to get a job. Like it or not - your bank and your tummy and the bills you have will Thank You. These are the things you can't run away from - every day you need food, water, sleep, roof over your head. J.O.B.s are life sucking systems and most entrepreneurs hate in their guts ... They eat away your time: time you would have otherwise spent actually living your life or doing something you love. And eat away your life - you end up spending it doing things you don't really like in order to get paycheck at the end of the week / month. But - it pays the bills so is a must have. Don't fool yourself - nobody waits around the corner to give you money, job, business even if you're really good at many things. Be active and go get that interview!

    2. Start freelancing ASAP! Go to : odesk.com, guru.com, elance.com and apply all the time. Don't be afraid to take up less paid jobs. As a newbie - it's natural that employers won't trust you much. But - it's work, it pays and money will come in. Not the nest solution long term unless you want to make it your career. However - if you want cash fast - go get it there.

    3. Forget about your business until you can sleep at night without owing lots and lots of money and not having income to help with that. This is probably the least you want to hear right now bu trust me - in business, just like in job hunting - nobody waits around the corner to buy from you and give you money. Takes time and devotion and right now even if you have that you can't afford it because you don't have the piece of mind that you have enough to make ends meet.
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