Roughly a month ago a lovely chap called me asking for specific help. He had overpaid for a specific purchase and was due a lovely refund, which he didn't know how to claim. He was somewhat desperate and hopeless, thinking he can't claw back some of the money he had paid...
I insisted meeting me in a lobby of a local hotel. We met there in few minutes and I interrogated him for like an hour. After interrogation was over, I grabbed my laptop and began writing a small document that was probably to guarantee him getting some of his money back...
Fast forward one hour, document was done. I've told him what documents he needs to attach and insisted sending it out tomorrow...
He gladly did so.
Fast forward one month. He received a letter with an attached cheque of €3000. He received his refund. Like 60% of the original price...
And I got nothing out of it. Nada. At least that's what this chap thought.
I knew there must be more folks like him. Who are crying for similar problems to be solved... and off I go... instead of wasting my time on web development, logos, etc. I've designed a lovely poster and posted it on online classified - to see if there's any market...
It took me €10 and roughly 40 minutes to design a poster and post it on a classified. I decided to give it a day and see what response I get...
Usually, when guys post really cool stuff on that specific online classified, their ads get like 400-500 views in a few days and like 20-30 saves. I was expecting to get like 300 eyeballs on my ads and 10 saves in that single day...
One day passes and I turn on my computer... go to statistics and see that more than 1000 people had seen my ad and 105 had saved it for future reference! Oh, and I received like 8 calls in a span of 12 hours asking if this service is available...
I knew I am onto something. Maybe not global, but the feeling of adrenaline had finally reached me again. The last time I had felt like this was before my first business collapsed, swallowing high 5 figure saving...
So, I designed a professionally looking website within just a few days with Wix. Created online contracts so people can sign it and developed a rough business system, which will definitely change its shape.
All is ready to fire. Competition is non-existent yet, people are crying for this service and I have my arsenal in place. Yeah, my confidence is still on its knees due to depression caused by my first business failure, but I can't live in the shadows forever...
Lesson: Helping my friend claw back €3000 and getting nothing in return wasn't a waste of time. It was an opportunity to solve someone's problem and see if more people needed help.
P.S. I had started a progress thread, but decided to go for a week's holiday, because I hadn't been on holiday for like 3-4 years, felt over-exhausted and running on fumes, because of battling depression. So, I decided to go on a holiday, relax, recover and come back stronger than ever. I didn't want to go on holiday, but am glad I did - I feel much better and looking forward to dominating this niche when I get back to a beautiful emerald isle I call home in a few days!
I insisted meeting me in a lobby of a local hotel. We met there in few minutes and I interrogated him for like an hour. After interrogation was over, I grabbed my laptop and began writing a small document that was probably to guarantee him getting some of his money back...
Fast forward one hour, document was done. I've told him what documents he needs to attach and insisted sending it out tomorrow...
He gladly did so.
Fast forward one month. He received a letter with an attached cheque of €3000. He received his refund. Like 60% of the original price...
And I got nothing out of it. Nada. At least that's what this chap thought.
I knew there must be more folks like him. Who are crying for similar problems to be solved... and off I go... instead of wasting my time on web development, logos, etc. I've designed a lovely poster and posted it on online classified - to see if there's any market...
It took me €10 and roughly 40 minutes to design a poster and post it on a classified. I decided to give it a day and see what response I get...
Usually, when guys post really cool stuff on that specific online classified, their ads get like 400-500 views in a few days and like 20-30 saves. I was expecting to get like 300 eyeballs on my ads and 10 saves in that single day...
One day passes and I turn on my computer... go to statistics and see that more than 1000 people had seen my ad and 105 had saved it for future reference! Oh, and I received like 8 calls in a span of 12 hours asking if this service is available...
I knew I am onto something. Maybe not global, but the feeling of adrenaline had finally reached me again. The last time I had felt like this was before my first business collapsed, swallowing high 5 figure saving...
So, I designed a professionally looking website within just a few days with Wix. Created online contracts so people can sign it and developed a rough business system, which will definitely change its shape.
All is ready to fire. Competition is non-existent yet, people are crying for this service and I have my arsenal in place. Yeah, my confidence is still on its knees due to depression caused by my first business failure, but I can't live in the shadows forever...
Lesson: Helping my friend claw back €3000 and getting nothing in return wasn't a waste of time. It was an opportunity to solve someone's problem and see if more people needed help.
P.S. I had started a progress thread, but decided to go for a week's holiday, because I hadn't been on holiday for like 3-4 years, felt over-exhausted and running on fumes, because of battling depression. So, I decided to go on a holiday, relax, recover and come back stronger than ever. I didn't want to go on holiday, but am glad I did - I feel much better and looking forward to dominating this niche when I get back to a beautiful emerald isle I call home in a few days!
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