What business could we do thoroughly online? From supply to delivery to payment. Something that business owners could do from the comfort of their homes.
That's the kind of dough you can retire on in 5 years or less.Find X said:
I charge 75-100 a month flat rate with a 75 set up fee.
I work with about 400 accounts and it's just me and 1 other part time assistant that is good at writing adwords rules and scripts to help automate the management process.. My kids help me do updates if I have a lot of repetitive data entry from time to time (Teens jump at the chance to make 15-20 per hour!)... You can do the math - I keep 90+% in Profit.
Solo Tetherball Champ said:
Find X,
I've been working as an SEM Manager for the past few years and I have bounced around at a couple of different agencies, on the hunt for more money and better working environments. I've always toyed around with the idea of going out on my own, but I've never made the jump. Lately, as I've been looking down my career path I have noticed that there is not a whole lot of salary growth potential once you reach a particular level. When I look at the total MRR that I am responsible for vs the (comparable) pittance that I'm paid, it starts to look real attractive to step out and go at it by me for me.
If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you make the jump to doing this all yourself? How do you acquire new business? What tools do you use for tracking, reporting, etc? What automation tools do you use?
WaynerAg03 said:
So how many small ag SEM agency firms is this post going to create?!
Keep in mind I started very slowly. I didn't set out to conquer the world. I'd have been very frustrated and disappointed.Solo Tetherball Champ said:WaynerAg03 said:
So how many small ag SEM agency firms is this post going to create?!
I'm always considering that option. The main trouble is getting the leads to create your own business. As you can imagine, advertising for an online advertising business is incredibly expensive, so expensive that most small and even midsized business don't even try. They typically rely on either referrals or a sales team to bring them business.
As a sole proprietor, you'd either have to go out and generate business yourself or rely on friends and family to funnel business to you. Once you've done a good enough job for your existing clients, you then have to hop that you'll receive referral business from there.
While I'm happy for Find X, I don't see that as a repeatable business model - he essentially has a market segment that he has the inside track on as a fellow franchiser. However, that has opened the door to him to start working in other verticals, which is fantastic for him.
Find X, I'm in the DFW area. Would you mind setting some time aside to meet with me? I'm looking at new opportunities because the agency that I'm at is in a little bit of turmoil and I want to make more local contacts (trouble with primarily working remotely is that you're cut off from the local scene) and I'd also love to hear more about your story.
If you'd like to meet, let me know and I'll email you at the address you posted above.