Introduction + a few questions!

9 replies
Hi There,

My name is Brendan and I'm 21 years old. At the end of february I quit my day job and started up my own small business providing a popular lawn service. 95% of my clients come through door to door sales. I've travelled across western canada providing this service and am averaging about $400-500 p/day. I have already made nearly $3,200 in the month of June. This income is very active, I am busting my ass all day from march to the end of june. If I don't go out and start hitting doors, I don't make money. My plan with this business is to help me transition into running a business(es) online. I already have a facebook page with around 5,800 page likes, all came organically without spending any money.

I want to know what skills are most essential to be developed for getting into making money online. What do I need to know? What should I spend my time learning about? I plan on turning my facebook page into a blog site and possibly creating some products/services and selling them online. This summer I will have the time/energy to focus solely on learning/growing/building online. Where is a good place to start, in your opinion?

In hindsight, what do you know now that you wish you knew back when you were starting out online?

Thank you
#introduction #questions
  • Profile picture of the author AidenTingley
    Build a mailing list!!
    start emailing those 5K likes on facebook - Write a Free ebook but get them to sign up through email to get the Ebook you can then mail market to them.

    You can also market this free ebook to people around the world to get the emails and sell to them.

    there is plenty of information on this forum. If you are serious about internet marketing then I suggest getting a coach. I got one for only $499 who hgelped me and I making money online.

    p.s. I'm only 20 so anyone can do it.
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    • Profile picture of the author BSchmidt
      Thanks Aiden. I agree it would be a smart idea to hire a coach/someone who has the experience so I can speed up the process. No need to reinvent the wheel

      @ATAC - I really appreciate the advice! I asked because of people like you that have the ability to look back and remark on what you would have done differently or wish you had known starting out. BTW - door knocking is the BEST way to get clients with what I'm doing. I'm constantly in new cities, otherwise I would establish myself and start marketing etc. I am building a client list so next year when I do the same trip and go through the same cities I have people I can call to book ahead so I can do a little less door to door.

      @gjabiz - If I am able to make around $50,000 in 5-6 months of work, I don't really need an exit strategy. My business isn't a traditional one... It is incredibly simple. I have the machine, a trailer and my truck and I knock on doors. I'm building a client list and when I do transition out of the business I could train someone to do what I did and give them the client list for a price. Remember that I have been in 50+ cities in the past 4 months. In the past I've considered getting established in one spot and offering a wider variety of services but I would be doing more work/more complex work for the same amount of money. I figured I might as well keep it as simple and straightforward as possible. The service I provide is a once, twice a year max service. I'm currently building a 'roadmap' as to where I want to be and equally as important, WHY I want to be there. Thanks for the tips
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  • Profile picture of the author ATAC
    Hey B ,
    Great start by asking questions !
    If I can look back and start my im career a different way "I wish in the beginning that instead of focusing on learning SEO that I would have focused on copywritting and lead generation it would have got me where I am a whole lot sooner ..

    You will use these two skills in every aspect of your Internet marketing career ...
    Also by learning these skills first will benefit your business that you have now too. Plus it will take all the grunt work of knocking on doors ....

    Been there done that and its great to see that you have a great work ethic,it's one thing you will see is rare in this industry and another thing that helped me along.
    Everyone online is lazy and looks for the simplest and easiest way to do things and you can use this to your advantage..

    Best of luck and keep asking questions its how you learn.
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  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    Originally Posted by BSchmidt View Post

    Hi There,

    My name is Brendan and I'm 21 years old. At the end of february I quit my day job and started up my own small business providing a popular lawn service. 95% of my clients come through door to door sales. I've travelled across western canada providing this service and am averaging about $400-500 p/day. I have already made nearly $3,200 in the month of June. This income is very active, I am busting my ass all day from march to the end of june. If I don't go out and start hitting doors, I don't make money. My plan with this business is to help me transition into running a business(es) online. I already have a facebook page with around 5,800 page likes, all came organically without spending any money.

    I want to know what skills are most essential to be developed for getting into making money online. What do I need to know? What should I spend my time learning about? I plan on turning my facebook page into a blog site and possibly creating some products/services and selling them online. This summer I will have the time/energy to focus solely on learning/growing/building online. Where is a good place to start, in your opinion?


    Thank you
    What will you do with your lawn care business? Do you have an exit strategy? Will you sell it and for how much?

    Right now, you are building a "war chest", which can be helpful when you enter the IM fray. One lesson which will help you in the long run is to keep your profits in circulation, use them to build more customers, to diversify (don't pu all your eggs in one basket so to speak)...

    But, it will help you out greatly if you take some time and to project your life 5 years into the future, what do you see?

    Having a clear vision of your destination, will help you to build a map which will automatically take you there.

    gjabiz
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  • Profile picture of the author BSchmidt
    Originally Posted by 10kaday View Post

    I would hire some people so you can expand the lawn Biz and so you can focus on expanding the business and working on your marketing plan. Also you can increase your overall cash flow
    I would, but I am not in one set place. In march I hired someone to do the work for me while I lined up the sales and I made 10.8K in that month. I may use occasional help but again this is not something I want to be doing only for a couple more years. The way it is structured now is very simple and offers freedom to travel and see new places while working. Getting away and getting established in myself has been essential!
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  • Profile picture of the author buffnstuff
    My recommendation for your landscaping business is to get into the lead business. You get the leads and sell them to other landscapers instead of having to bust your ass geting the leads and then performing the work.

    You can also transition that arbitraging strategy into the online world. Provide other businesses with the leads for a price. Lead generation and arbitrage can be a very lucrative endeavor. You definitely sound like you have the right work ethic and skills to pull it off.

    Best of luck to you in this new journey.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kathy_T
    Hi Brendan! You're off to an amazing start. #1) You're not afraid to ask questions, and #2) You are CLEARLY not afraid of hard, persistent work. You have definitely got the right work ethic for this!

    I know a guy who had a lawn care business for nearly 20 years when he sold it, lock, stock & barrel about 2 years ago. I wish I could tell you that he had something lined up that was already working before he sold it. He did not. He did sell the business for a good chunk of change, and yet the funds have just about disappeared.

    I think it's the "protective mother hen" in me that wants to see your interests protected here... As an idea I just had kicking around in my brain for getting started, could you create a local (or regional) website around your business as it stands, and then advertise the WEBSITE to your competitors - maybe to lease the site, giving you some residual income, or sell it entirely (since you don't depend on the site to begin with, learning "local SEO" might be something to start with)?

    But, you did ask specifically what SKILLS you need to develop. You already have some of them. The ability to execute a plan. That's a biggie!

    I think in today's internet marketing world, I believe that:
    1) you will need to develop the ability to choose niche markets that you will be able to compete in,
    2) you will need to learn how to analyze your competition,
    3) discover your primary strengths for things you can do yourself, and then outsource the "small stuff," so you don't find yourself overwhelmed by every single task involved with the projects you are working on.
    4) you'll need to learn and keep up with "best practices" in SEO and link-building to build your business correctly and with integrity
    5) you'll need to REALLY learn how to separate the "good stuff" out there from the rest... and finally,
    6) you'll need to learn how to stay away from "shiny object syndrome" that can really bog people down. That is, once you begin requesting info from various sources, you'll be on a jillion email lists, with each one tempting you with the "next best piece of sliced bread" that is SURE to help you on your way.

    Anyway, sorry for rambling on - but, I see you being a huge success, if only because you are asking questions and obviously giving a lot of careful thought before jumping in.

    I'll be interested in hearing how you go forward!
    Cheers,
    Kath
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    I love Self Development & Writing! I speak from my heart. My book "Personal Goal Planning Strategies - A Guide to Understanding & Planning Goals & Objectives" is available at Self Development Strategies Please visit to learn more! I used to be a career & life coach, and these techniques have worked for my clients for years.

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    • Profile picture of the author BSchmidt
      Hi Kathy

      Thanks for the detailed and insightful post. I can do the work I'm doing for 5-6 months out of the year. During the rest of the year I can focus on travelling, personal development and building income streams online, which is why Im not worried about the day that I stop doing the lawn care business. I don't have very much 'stuff' and am able to up and move when and where ever at the moment so I don't need a ton of money. I'm not going to stop the lawn care business until the time is right and I have established a solid income through other sources. I have already had past experiences of quitting things before I should have, trying to build things while couch surfing, living out of a car, living at an airport etc...

      Funny you mentioned the 'shiny object syndrome' as I see it is very prominent on this site I've realized that there isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme... I've tried to bypass the reality of the hardwork, dedication and discipline required to be successful and am maturing in the sense that I have a deeper understanding of what is necessary to truly achieve my goals now.

      Thank you again for sharing, all the best!
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  • Profile picture of the author BSchmidt
    Anyone/Anything else?
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