How to Learn Code, Start a Web Company, $15k+ per month within 9 months

[Denim Chicken]

Now that sounds like a nice problem that one could solve for (small) web developers / digital marketing agencies.
Cold Calling as a service.
Customers can choose how many cold calls they want you to make per month depending on how much customers they can service at any given time and
you bill the customers $x per call.

Well that's a lead gen service like prospect hunter. They charge a lot per month where it would be more financially beneficial to hire your own BDR/SDR. It's possible to retain someone on staff if you pay a base but no one is going to stick around for long cold calling for nothing but commissions. Hence high turnover

 

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[happybhoy]

Well that's a lead gen service like prospect hunter. They charge a lot per month where it would be more financially beneficial to hire your own BDR/SDR. It's possible to retain someone on staff if you pay a base but no one is going to stick around for long cold calling for nothing but commissions. Hence high turnover

This is a problem I thought about when I used to do door canvassing. I thought of a gig style website where companies could upload a script, info and a price per lead(which they verify) and people could then make money cold calling. Could also extend to leafleting, sales etc.
an old school clickbank.

 

[Andy Black]

The call centre up the road from me will do this... work through a list of numbers and arrange appointments. They will work with you to devise the script, and then hone it.

I spoke to them a while back about a different model - where they accept inbound leads from consumers, and then do outbound work to pass the lead onto businesses, and then follow up to arrange a call/meeting. They loved the idea but I've not got round to it yet (too many inbound leads to deal with at the moment).

I've mentioned this strategy before for you lead gen guys/gals. Food for thought...

 

[Andy Black]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entreprene...d_calls_i_went_from_nothing_to_120kyear_solo/

I thought this thread would be helpful here. Note that they had a success rate of 2.5 website sales for every 100 hundred calls, just to show the numbers involved when cold calling.

Thanks for sharing.

I notice that he says he doesn't do cold calling so much now, because he has momentum.

He also focused on local businesses because that's his advantage over out of town web developers.

He also stresses getting some kind of monthly recurring revenue from web design clients.

He made some decent coin just selling and having another business do the fulfilling.

 

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[JDx]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entreprene...d_calls_i_went_from_nothing_to_120kyear_solo/

I thought this thread would be helpful here. Note that they had a success rate of 2.5 website sales for every 100 hundred calls, just to show the numbers involved when cold calling.

This resonates well with me, thanks for sharing this.

 

[xmagerz]

Thanks for this awesome information! I was considering doing something like this myself but reading your post everything just clicked.

I'm definitely trying this, especially since I'm already pretty decent at web design.

 

[ilrein]

Maybe someone knows a better way of doing this and or making some commission? Generally though I like to be pretty upfront about my costs and not drop dollars trying to pick up pennies.

Here's what I am planning to do, as my close acquaintances are now starting to request websites to showcase their own ventures.

1) Register the domain on their behalf on my own account (I prefer namecheap)
2) Generate an attractive one pager with Material UI, deploy to AWS S3
3) Generate an AWS Lambda function that has my Stripe credentials, and can create a credit charge, which also takes a parameter dictating the exact cost (roughly $15/year for the domain, and a few bucks a month for hosting, so let's say $39.99 a year)
4) Deploy an tiny API with AWS API Gateway that connects my Lambda Function
5) Insert the API gateway SDK into my one page site, and wire up the few lines of code needed to make the request work
6) Profit.

Now you can send your prospective clients a comfortable link to a beautiful site, have all the advantages of static hosting (fast deploys, next-to-nothing overhead/expenses). They can fill in a short form with their credit card data. When they submit this form, your automated serverless architecture will process the transaction, you'll get whatever margin you deem necessary, and your client doesn't even know or care about DNS registars. The whole setup can be done in a few hours and has all the advantages of AWS tier security, while the serverless nature keeps costs down to almost nothing. The overall expenses of this setup should never exceed a few dollars a year, and rarely, if ever, require maintenance.

 

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[Andy Black]

Followers of this thread might be interested in the recent chats I had with @SinisterLex and @Nicoknowsbest. I dropped each of those into separate threads.

 

[Manumusashi]

Followers of this thread might be interested in the recent chats I had with @SinisterLex and @Nicoknowsbest. I dropped each of those into separate threads.

Hey @Andy Black ,

Where can I find those threads?

 

[Nicoknowsbest]

Hey @Andy Black ,

Where can I find those threads?

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...with-sinisterlex-about-selling-scaling.70698/

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...-about-graphic-design-selling-services.70779/

P.S.: There is a search function available on the forum

 

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[Manumusashi]

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...with-sinisterlex-about-selling-scaling.70698/

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...-about-graphic-design-selling-services.70779/

P.S.: There is a search function available on the forum

Ah I see. I knew I was being retarded. Thanks for pointing that out

 

[ChasingPaper]

Someone in the last page mentioned a Udemy course on javascript, and it triggered my memory.

Right when I got laid off, I thought I wanted to do software development. Compelling arguments made here on the forum convinced me it wasn't a great idea, so I abandoned it.

The resource I used, and I still think is valuable for those looking to do more development than design, is free code camp.

it's a self guided code camp with a boat load of material, and a big support ecosystem (kind of like what we have here). When I was going through it, it culminated in doing some free work for non profits making full stack apps for them. Point being that it gave you some sort of real world experience you could use on a resume, and get a job with the experience.

If you are looking to learn javascript, and its litany of frameworks, feel free to check it out. It's a great resource.

www.freecodecamp.com

If you were still tacking software development you'd be at a six figure slowlane job right now with tons of fastlane opportunities.

A big realization I made is there will ALWAYS be people saying something is a bad idea. Every idea you will ever have, lots of people will say it sucks.

I've been learning software development hard for the past two months. I paid to do a coding bootcamp. I know HTML/CSS/Ruby(OnRails)/And currently learning some JavaScript and Jquery. I also have learned how to solve algorithms, database stuff, etc. In January I will have a 70k+ slowlane job in the Midwest at 21 years old. I also make money online, i will be closing the gap and I will have a six figure year in 2017.

If you have an idea, study it. But every time someone says it's a bad idea don't dismiss it completely. I can't stress it enough, I actually had to get away from here and other forums for a bit to really realize what needed to be done without other voices in my head telling me what I can and can't do.

The software jobs are NOT going to India or none of that nonsense. I'm just assuming that's what they told you, I suggest studying the topic greatly and maybe decide to jump back into the arena.

- side note: After I seen this thread I asked a hunting group that has a YouTube channel if they needed a website. I know them, I'm going to do it for free as a portfolio piece. I actually have a couple portfolio pieces (random quote generator where you can submit quotes, yelp clone, and some other things) but needed to show off a bit more web design and I think after this I'll be able to get some low 4 figure jobs.

Thank you once again for this thread Fox.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fox]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entreprene...d_calls_i_went_from_nothing_to_120kyear_solo/

I thought this thread would be helpful here. Note that they had a success rate of 2.5 website sales for every 100 hundred calls, just to show the numbers involved when cold calling.

Excellent post.

This part is very true and great advice...


The Goal of a cold call and any necessary follow-up activity is to get to a Yes or to a No.

Don’t try to convince people of your product’s value. That takes more effort and isn’t what you should be doing. Explaining is required, but convincing is something altogether different – I didn’t have the time or patience to try to show that there was value in a new website. If they didn’t see it, then they didn’t have any money or they were old-school and likely going to be tons of work to convince.

• Small commitments lead to larger commitments. I didn’t ask for the sale right away. I didn’t ask for an hour of their time. I didn’t ask for them to meet for coffee. I asked for 5 minutes of their time over the phone. If they liked what I had to say, then I’d ask for 30 minutes of their time to show.
• Don’t leave voice mails for people unless they know who you are. Only leave voice mails for follow-up calls.
  
  
• It is okay to call as often as 5 times per week (once per day), but only leave one voicemail per week in follow-up. It is safer to call only 2-3 times per week, and you should call less often as time goes on so you’re not annoying. I’d say up to 5 calls the first week, 3 calls in week 2, 2 calls in week 3, and 1 call per week after that for follow-up. Just a general set of guidelines.
  

The most important concept I learned on my own: The Three Boxes

People have three boxes in their head that need to be “checked off” before they will allow you to pass. The receptionist, the business owner, or the office manager will reject your call and not even give you an answer if you don’t give them these three critical pieces of information!

1. – Your name. You don’t need to give your company name. Sometimes it’s even a bad thing if you give your company name. It doesn’t add credibility – It just tells me that I don’t know you. Most times, I’d only give my first name, and this was almost always fine.
   
   
2. – How you found them. This tells them if you have something in common or not. If you found them in the Chamber of Commerce, for example, this tells them that you’re local and immediately differentiates you from a random cold call. Look to leverage anything you can to show that you are “like them.” If you can somehow connect on any level, you get a check on this box, because you seem human.
   
   
3. – Why you’re calling (and it better not be to sell something!). This one is really the crux of why I am different. If I told someone that I was looking to sell them a website, they’d get rid of me as quickly as possible. “Ugh, not another sales call…” I needed to give them a different, but still valid, reason for calling. My reason was because I saw “a potential fit between our businesses, and was calling to talk to [insert name here] about it.”
   

I do tell them what I am selling afterward, but once I addressed the third box in this new way, something magic happened. People started listening! I was no longer selling snake oil to make money, but was offering to talk about something that would be mutually beneficial. Often times, they would identify with me, and I would get people to give me respect and honest answers. Many times, the answer was still no, but I got my answer! And guess what? Sometimes the answer was yes and I made a sale!

 

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[Fox]

I didn't really want to make sales this month so I could focus on the teaching stuff but made three this week (one for after my course finishes).

Total value is $XX,XXX.
Amount of cold calls - zero.

I am not taking a jab at cold calls but as you do more and more decent websites people and businesses start finding you. Do what it takes to start but as you focus on really adding value to businesses you will see people start seeking you out.

People who own a business like to talk about their business.
Every website you build will naturally get shared and talked about.
By the very nature of a website people will notice it and companies will share it.

An interesting note is that at the bottom of every website I build is a link back to my personal website. I have never got anyone contacting me through that website. Every lead has come directly from owners and people I have built relationships with. People want to work with someone that comes personally recommended.

I am taking the weekend off but I will be responding back to stuff again next week. Thanks.

 

[SuperDuper]

When starting out how do you sell results(increased sales) when you have no results to show. How do people trust that you will offer them value?

 

[Denim Chicken]

When starting out how do you sell results(increased sales) when you have no results to show. How do people trust that you will offer them value?

Page 1-17

 

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[SuperDuper]

Page 1-17

What about ? I've been keeping up with this thread from the start.

 

[Denim Chicken]

What about ? I've been keeping up with this thread from the start.

Build quality sites for free to build your portfolio.

 

[kbrenda]

Hello All. I'm new. I've known about TMFL & this forum for over a yr and I can't believe I am signing up this late

Anyway, I have a question regarding this thread. I went over all the pages in detail but I didn't see some of these answers.

1) Why do html/css when you can use already made themes on platforms like weebly? The site made in the course you posted on Udemy looks very similar to the paid & some free weebly templates/themes.
I am asking so I can learn the benefits of going the route of html versus using something like weebly.

I am going to/want to learn html either way. Is it because weebly looks unprofessional in the eyes of bigger $$ clients? Do they really care?

Thank you!

 

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[kbrenda]

....Also

Is it better to find companies that have no sites because its easier to build from scratch? I'm finding catering businesses with bad sites but (and maybe I am overthinking this) how would I edit their site---they would have to give me access?

 

[germandude]

Hello All. I'm new. I've known about TMFL & this forum for over a yr and I can't believe I am signing up this late

Anyway, I have a question regarding this thread. I went over all the pages in detail but I didn't see some of these answers.

1) Why do html/css when you can use already made themes on platforms like weebly? The site made in the course you posted on Udemy looks very similar to the paid & some free weebly templates/themes.
I am asking so I can learn the benefits of going the route of html versus using something like weebly.

I am going to/want to learn html either way. Is it because weebly looks unprofessional in the eyes of bigger $$ clients? Do they really care?

Thank you!

Why Custom HTML vs weebly and wix and shit:

- Cleaner code, allowing for better SEO and faster loading times
- Customized content without design and dev obstructions
- The latter two use outdated technology most of the time, thus creating huge issues and these huge issues cost money and reputation.
- Hacking and Safety Issues with these web builders

 

[Chimp]

....Also

Is it better to find companies that have no sites because its easier to build from scratch? I'm finding catering businesses with bad sites but (and maybe I am overthinking this) how would I edit their site---they would have to give me access?

No, don't find companies without sites. You also don't just edit their site. You edit your html template/wordpress theme and upload the files to their hosting service. Also don't use weebly, use wordpress. Not wordpress.com, wordpress.org. Wordpress has any problem you could think of documented and has a shit ton more features and capabilities.

 

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[Fox]

When starting out how do you sell results(increased sales) when you have no results to show. How do people trust that you will offer them value?

You either:

- Start with friends or family

- Find a business so stuck they will trust you

- Do a free site to show you can get results

- Or learn how to sell without having prior results

All of these can work and more.

 

[Fox]

Hello All. I'm new. I've known about TMFL & this forum for over a yr and I can't believe I am signing up this late

Anyway, I have a question regarding this thread. I went over all the pages in detail but I didn't see some of these answers.

1) Why do html/css when you can use already made themes on platforms like weebly? The site made in the course you posted on Udemy looks very similar to the paid & some free weebly templates/themes.
I am asking so I can learn the benefits of going the route of html versus using something like weebly.

I am going to/want to learn html either way. Is it because weebly looks unprofessional in the eyes of bigger $$ clients? Do they really care?

Thank you!

I have answered these before. Quick version...

- I don't like using other peoples platforms. It violates control. The examples look good but when you actually go to use these you might be limited with a lot of different things. I want control of my platform and my sites. It also cuts the standard of your business way down. Would you like if you favoruite restaurant was just selling you unwrapped McDonalds?

- It is easier to find businesses with a current website. If a company doesn't have a website they are unlikely to see the value in a large website project. These are usually the people you approach, convince to get a website, and then they hire their custom Steve for $100 who does a terrible job.

 

[Born-To-Run]

WEW! finally caught up to the end. What a thread, the amount of information and support is insane. Currently working through the udemy course, should be finished by tomorrow. I'll start a progress thread soon.

I know its been said many time before but fox thank you for this. Of all the business ideas I've entertained, this one is the most promising, cant wait to start!

 

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[twj97]

Hi,

For two days (I know it's a pretty short period), i've tried taking up the cold calling approach linked by @happybhoy . The first day was pretty unsuccessfully, only making two calls with the first not picking up and the second not getting to where I want. To be honest, I then gave up.

I then got back to it the next day and had a few of the calls say they already have someone contracted to do the job, but yet the website is dated back to 2013 and could be improved.

I was just wondering do you ask them questions about why their with the person currently contracted? Do you try and persuade them to choose you?
Or do you just accept it and move on to the next one?

 

[HoneyBadger]

I was just wondering do you ask them questions about why their with the person currently contracted? Do you try and persuade them to choose you?
Or do you just accept it and move on to the next one?

For the first part you can use genuine curiosity - "Hey that's cool/exciting - do you mind if I asked what did you like about their offering?".

For the second part - move on buddy. Someone already made the sale - in the time/energy you spend trying to convince them you could've made 20 more calls and found a hotter lead. It is like trying to sell a car to someone who just bought a car last week. Is there a possibility that they will go return/sell the new car and buy the one your offering? Sure but let's be real.

 

[DaRK9]

For the first part you can use genuine curiosity - "Hey that's cool/exciting - do you mind if I asked what did you like about their offering?".

For the second part - move on buddy. Someone already made the sale - in the time/energy you spend trying to convince them you could've made 20 more calls and found a hotter lead. It is like trying to sell a car to someone who just bought a car last week. Is there a possibility that they will go return/sell the new car and buy the one your offering? Sure but let's be real.

You'd be surprised at how many people have someone working on their site already who have called me later.

When I run into someone who "Has someone working on the site already." I reenforce what I offer vs. what most people offer in my area.
I ask if they have been happy with the speed of their work.

Now here is the tricky part.

If they stumble around before answering it means two things in my experience.

1. They don't actually have anyone "working on it"
2. They are the person working on it, or it's family/friend.

If they say they are happy. Just leave your info and move on.

If they stumble before answering or say they are not happy, keep pushing.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

What about ? I've been keeping up with this thread from the start.

I posted a paint-by-numbers list on how to get started in this thread. Not sure how much more clearer it needs to be.

 

[Chimp]

only making two calls with the first not picking up and the second not getting to where I want. To be honest, I then gave up.

For real? You make TWO calls and you give up? It takes a couple hundred to get some good numbers. There's a lot of potential sales, you have if you just call 100 people, two is not enough. Good luck man, you just have to keep at it.