#NewBusiness Chit-Chat: Offshore Virtual Assistants: Good, or Bad for the Economy?

offshore worker economyEarlier today I was interviewed for a podcast, we spoke about a lot of small business principles and strategies, and one of the questions poised to me was today’s discussion point. Obviously, I’m a big believer in working with offshore staff to leverage your time, financials and business growth potential.

I was also ‘cornered’ by pro-blogger John Chow minutes before my presentation at BlogWorld Expo (I’ve been asked to speak again in New York, this coming June, too!) last year where he asked the question ‘How does it feel to know you’re destroying the American economy by promoting offshore outsourcing?”.

It was a fair enough question – and I gave my answer, which was basically the following:

The fact is that it’s the small businesses that fuel any local economy, and a lot of the time these businesses are in bootstrapping mode. Every little the can save makes a big difference to their bottom line. Not only this, but from a business owner standpoint, it simply doesn’t make any sense to me why you would decide to pay $3,000 to have a web developer work for you, managing your websites, when an offshore, highly skilled and experience worker can do the same job for $800…

Fair comment, I believe… And I’m obviously a big believer in working with offshore staff to leverage your time, financials and business growth potential and have helped hundreds of business owners do just that through my Virtual Staff Finder company.

Now… I appreciate that this is a touchy subject, one that we’ve discussed in a round-about way before, and one where opinions will come into play quite heavily, hence today’s discussion point.

Please keep it friendly, and in the spirit of entrepreneurship. Over to you…

3 Reasons Why the ‘Entrepreneurial Pivot’ is More Important than EVER!

UPDATE: Please note that YouWebPA is no longer in business. You can hear the story as to why on episode 16 of the New Business Podcast, and learn by my mistakes!

Original Post:

One of the most undeniable traits of a real entrepreneur is the ability to be flexible. To move in the right direction when the time strikes and to turn, or pivot in another, when required.

This is ‘formally’ known as the ‘Entrepreneurial Pivot’. 

I’ve experienced plenty of pivots in my career – learning something from each and every one of them. So, I thought it might be a good idea to tell you about my most recent one, what caused it, and how I handled it to turn things around and drive home another successful business launch – just in case you bump into one yourself in the near future!

The Beta Mode

Before I launched my most recent business, YourWebPA.com, we were in beta mode for around a year. We had been testing out different service packages, price points, how our processes ran, the way that we would work with and report to clients, and so on.

As someone that really believes in helping people with their outsourcing needs, YourWebPA.com is my personal answer to the issues of project-based outsourcing via the popular ‘job posting’ websites, and the hassle that comes along with hiring and having to work with people you’ve never worked with, or met before, for simple one-off projects.

Throughout the entire planning process and beta period we had our focus on putting together a line-up of 25 different service offerings. It was going to be a huge launch, with plenty of growth possibility for the future, too.

However, it simply was not meant to be that way.

The Problem

In theory it seemed fantastic to be able to offer that many services, right out of the gate. The problem, however, was that it was taking a long time to gather, train and get management processes in place for the complete, highly skilled and diverse group of people that I was going to have to assemble to be able to provide the best possible service to our clients.

Something needed to happen so that we could focus on bringing this new venture to the marketplace faster, and with a solid line-up of services that would really work well for our clients.

Enter… The Pivot

So, I grabbed my laptop, jumped in the car and went to my local Starbucks to do a little entrepreneurial soul searching.

Being around the team, as great as they are, was just clouding my vision when it came to finalizing a product line-up. Their passion and excitement to finally launch the new company was awesome, but it was really getting in the way of me thinking clearly.

An hour into a planning session over coffee, a brand new mind-map and a couple of quick tweets to people that had been utilizing the service in its beta mode, to get some quick feedback, and I had my service line-up completed.

YourWebPA.com would now feature just five different service offerings (instead of the 25 that we had been planning) for its kick-off, namely:

  • SEO Packages
  • Niche Site Creation
  • Personal Branding Kit
  • eBook Design
  • Article Writing

Clarity was immediately felt. 

I went back to the office, met with my team and told them the great news! At first I could tell they were a little shocked – but, after explaining why I was doing this, they quickly realized that the entrepreneurial pivot that I had just made was exactly what we needed to be able to REALLY start growing this new business together.

We simply needed to get going, the growth would come… And it is!

The ‘3 Reasons’ 

1) You see, if I had of carried on shooting for the 25 services that I was wanting to offer to people, it would have taken at least another 6 months to get it all finalized to the point where I felt really comfortable and confident to go live. I wanted to make sure that I had all my ducks in a line and that people would be immediately impressed with the service line-up and quality of work we were doing for them, as well as the general customer service, too.

After all, you only get ONE chance to make a first impression, right?!

2) Bringing the initial number of services available down to the five listed above allowed us to wrap things up quickly and get this new baby of ours launched and in front of potential customers all around the world – FAST. In fact from the afternoon that I performed this latest entrepreneurial pivot of mine, to the time that we launched, it was exactly 3 days.

3) We are now planning to roll out another six different services this year, with the first addition being transcription services at the end of this month. They are all being tested slowly, but surely and looking better every day. It’s given us more clarity than we ever thought possible.

UPDATE: Please note that YouWebPA is no longer in business. You can hear the story as to why on episode 16 of the New Business Podcast, and learn by my mistakes!

 

Ask the Readers: Are you REALLY in the Right Niche, as an Online Publisher?

I’m currently in the process of working with a blogging mentor – I’ll reveal who it is at a later date, but trust me, their credentials are solid!

The reason why I reached out to this person is because I’ve been battling with a few ‘blogging demons’ over the last few months. More specifically, I am actually questioning my purpose as a blogger, as well as my general niche and the way that I am perceived in that niche, too.

It’s Personal, I Get It!

The thing is that we blog for our audiences, obviously. But, as a blogger, when you spend the amount of time that you do, putting together all of your content, surely, you should be:

a) Enjoying it.

b) Doing it for the right reasons.

This is what I am questioning, I guess, at the moment. And, I must say, after just two sessions with my mentor, along with a little homework, I already feel that I’m getting close to REALLY understanding what I SHOULD be doing and the type of content that I should be creating as a blogger.

Now I’m Wondering…

So, here I am, now starting to wonder if all my blogging buddies and the other people that I enjoy reading online (and perhaps even offline – you know, real BOOKS!), are perhaps feeling the same way?

Are you blogging in, and about the niche, that you REALLY should be?

Or, have you started something that has done well, and you’re simply sticking with because it keeps you ‘up there’, or making you money?

I’m curious. If you’re a blogger, podcaster, author or online video producer, please let me know how you feel about this topic below in the comment section.

And please share this post with other bloggers you know…

Entrepreneurs, Listen UP! – The ONE Thing I Wish I Had Done Differently… in Business!

Nowadays, I often get interviewed for podcasts, magazines and blogs. In fact I was just interviewed by Yaro Starak for his excellent entrepreneurial blog and podcast, which I’ve personally read for years myself.

I’ve been asked ‘If you could go back and start your journey as an entrepreneur all over again, what would you do differently…?’, on more than one occasion.

My answer is a simple one…

As an entrepreneur, I wish that I had gotten active online way, way sooner than I actually did – which is just two years ago.

Why I Enjoy Blogging so Much

My blogging, and the fact that I utilize social media, podcasting and online video as much as I do, has enabled me to far surpass my business growth targets, and has opened more ‘business doors’ than I can count!

In the video above, I go into my feelings on this a little more, and actually tell a couple of stories that reflect things a little clearer.

However, here are a handful of reasons why I wished I’d started my blogging and general involvement in the online business world, sooner:

  • It’s enabled me to build a fantastic personal brand. A brand that has catapulted me to ‘Thought Leader’ status in my niche of ‘outsourcing’, even to the point of being asked to speak at several international conferences and expo’s.
  • I’ve signed up so many new clients for my largest business (which currently houses over 300 employees), who have found me through my podcast and blog, I’ve lost count!
  • The networking opportunities that blogging and having a voice in social media brings, has netted me some of my best, and smartest friends.
  • Blogging has enabled me to create and launch TWO new businesses in the last 12 months.
  • Doing business online has shown me that the world is so much smaller than it used to be, and that the global economy is thriving!

As you can tell, I’ve become a big fan of doing business online.

How My Blogging Journey Began

When I launched this blog, two years ago, I did so with a 1-year goal to become a Virtual CEO. I achieved that goal. And one of the reasons I believe I achieved it (and a full month ahead of schedule, I might add!) is because I documented the entire journey through the pages of my blog.

I blogged about everything I was doing to achieve that status, and more. And I produced monthly reports for people to see what I was doing on a month to month basis to hit my goal, too. It gave me a focus that I’ve never actually experienced before… Seriously. Some might say that starting a blog, and everything else that I’ve done online over the last 24 months has changed my life…

Has Blogging Changed My Life?

In a word, yes, I think it has. For all the reasons I listed above, and because of the stories I discuss in today’s video, too. Plus, much more.

Has it made me a ‘better person’..? No, I don’t think so (I like to think that I’ve always been a pretty nice guy!). But, it’s certainly made me more accessible to potential clients and business partners – which, as any REAL entrepreneur will tell you is AWESOME!!!

Its also put me into a thought process on business that is, literally, never ending. That doesn’t mean that I don’t switch off from ‘work’, because I certainly do. What it means is that I find myself having more ideas, creating more opportunities for myself and my businesses, as well as allowing myself to truly represent myself and my businesses the way I really want to. I love that control.

Have YOU Started a Blog Yet?

If you have, well done. If you haven’t, and you really, truly want to make a difference in this crazy entrepreneurial world that we live in and enjoy so much – do it. TODAY! Don’t wait… like I did. There really is no point and you’ll achieve nothing by sitting on the sideline.

The fact is that people want to do business with other PEOPLE. And creating, starting and building a blog will give you tons more opportunities to connect with people (AKA, your future customers, friends and partners!) than any other medium out there today, that I promise you.

I’m a curious type, as you know, so I have a couple of questions for you…

If you’ve not started a blog yet – whats holding you back? And if you do have a blog, and you’re perhaps thinking about re-launching it in some way, why is that? What are you not happy with?

 

How to Start a Blog That Matters and Make Your First Dollar Online!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8A8ufqrdRc

As you know, it’s not often (I can count on one hand how many times I’ve done it in the last two years!) that I whole-heartedly get behind someone and what they have to offer online. But, I’m gonna do it today.

On Monday I published a post highlighting 3 bloggers that you must follow online in 2012 to achieve the success I know you are all after – one of them was my good friend, Corbett Barr.

Just as I hit the publish button on that post Corbett opened the doors to his 13-week coaching course on How to Start a Blog that Matters. This thing is stacked, jam-packed with everything you’ll need to know to start a blog and kick-ass online – and the price makes it an absolute no-brainer, as far as I’m concerned.

Watch my video above for a solid explanation on everything, and 2 special bonuses that are up for grabs, if you get involved through my affiliate link.

What’s in the Course?

The following list is taken directly from Corbett’s genius set-up:

  • Week 1: Choose the right topic for you.
  • Week 2: Develop the perfect blog name and brand.
  • Week 3: Design your blog to look great.
  • Week 4: Create your social media strategy.
  • Week 5: Develop your launch plan.
  • Week 6: Learn how to create outstanding content.
  • Week 7: Create your launch content.
  • Week 8: Launch your blog.
  • Week 9: Start making friends in the blogosphere.
  • Week 10: Build your thriving audience.
  • Week 11: Expand your reach using webinars, YouTube, podcasts and more.
  • Week 12: Make your first dollar blogging.
  • Week 13: Develop your strategy for taking your blog to the next level.

His Bonuses are INSANE!!!

Not only all of this, but you’ll also get the following amazing bonus videos from him to:

  • How to Start a Popular Blog – The Ultimate Beginners Guide (Sit-down interview with Leo Babuata of Zen Habits)
  • How to Use Authenticity to Feel Great and Build a Huge Following (with Danielle LaPorte of White Hot Truth)
  • Case Study – How I Helped Scott Dinsmore create Live Your Legend and amass 10,000 Subscribers in 6 months!
  • How I Built a Launched Expert Enough using the 13 Factors to Make a Blog Successful

As you can see, he covers exactly EVERYTHING you need to know to be able to get started with your blog in the right way, and with SUCCESS already a certainty! He also promises that if you don’t get incredible results he will spend time coaching you personally, one-on-one! An amazing guarantee!

And, Here are MY Bonuses!!!!!!!!!

Like I said in my video above, I want to make this as useful as possible for my audience. The chances to get involved in courses like this don’t come around very often – especially at the ridiculously low price of just $97 – for everything!

So, I’ve decided to put together a couple of bonuses of my own! If you purchase Corbett’s new course between now and February 3rd, 2012, I will give you the following:

Bonus #1

When you buy ‘How to Start a Blog that Matters‘ through my link, you’ll get exclusive access to a 1-hour webinar that I will do in the next month or so, which is basically a re-vamp on my BlogWorld Expo talk that I gave in LA, last November. It’s entitled ‘How to Work with Virtual Assistants to Help Build, Grow and Monetize your Blog’. The PERFECT companion for those of you wanting to take this course and fundamentally get someone else to do all the work – based on Corbett’s ‘How To’ principles and under your guidance!

And, so you can listen to the webinar (as well as watch it), when you’re traveling, working out, eating, walking your dog… whatever – I’ll include a free audio version, too!

Bonus #2

When you decide that you want to go ahead and hire your virtual assistant, whether that be right now, or anytime in 2012, I will give you a $50 discount on my Virtual Staff Finder service, allowing you to hire your virtual assistant and start realizing the power of outsourcing as a blogger and online marketer – trust me, you have NO IDEA what you can achieve (but, you will do, when you watch the webinar!).

So, that’s it.

CLICK HERE – TO GET CORBETT’S COURSE, HIS BONUSES  — AND MY BONUSES, TOO!

And like I said in the last video – in 2012 I’m going to be focusing on providing very focused content on Start-Up and Marketing principles here on VBL. Showing you how I’ve been able to create and market successful businesses (both my own and other peoples!) and launch them online to huge success. Some of them being real ‘online’ businesses, and some even traditional ‘brick n mortar’ businesses, that have simply blown up after getting active online.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about ‘How to Start a Blog that Matters, please leave them below – I know that Corbett will be more than happy to pop over to the blog and answer them for you!

Blogging from the Heart… But, Smart! My Chit-Chat with ProBlogger, Darren Rowse

Happy New Year, everyone…!

To kick-start 2012 I’ve decided to post this video a little earlier than I had originally anticipated. Even though it was shot at BlogWorld in LA, last November, I was going to release it at the end of this month, as part of a little series I plan on doing. However, when I was looking at it earlier today, the content just grabbed hold of me again, and I realized how important of a message it is for all of us bloggers! Hence the decision to post it earlier than planned.

Darren Rowse is known as one of the most successful bloggers and online entrepreneurs around. I’d met with Darren originally at BlogWorld in Vegas in late 2010, and we reconnected in LA, where we got to hang out and chat together a lot more – he’s a top guy and someone that I hold a massive amount of respect for.

So, in this video you’ll see me and Darren discuss the subject of one of his BlogWorld sessions, which bears the same title as this blog post.

I feel the content of this video is massively important to all bloggers out there. Not just because it helps us to come up with some cool post ideas, but also to capture the attention and imagination of our communities, and also allows people that follow us online to perhaps get a deeper understanding to what makes us tick and why we all do what we do in business, and life.

As a side note, I’d like to thank my buddy, Pat Flynn for playing cameraman for us for a few minutes on the middle of a very busy expo floor!

I’d love to hear what you guys think about this topic – please comment at will, below.

NOTE: Have you ‘Liked’ the CD’s Facebook page yet? If not, come on ever (click HERE now to join the gang!) and introduce yourself, ask questions and get involved!

Road Trip Story: How I Made $350 in San Diego, in 15mins – in a Hotel Lobby!!!

hotel lobby

On the way back from BlogWorld at the beginning of this month, I took a little detour from my trip back to the Philippines and stopped by to say ‘Hi’ to all the lovely people in San Diego, staying four nights to enjoy a little down-time with my wife. We hit the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld (with my buddy, Pat Flynn and his family) and Macy’s for a brand new suitcase as my other decided to die the day before we were due to leave!

Our time in San Diego was awesome. The place is fantastic, and we’ll definitely be going back again in the future. There was one thing that made it all the more sweet, however.

As my wife and I were enjoying a late breakfast, before checking out, I had an email come in from my assistant back in the Philippines. She was confirming a consultation call with a Virtual Staff Finder client – in 30mins. Bad timing? A little… But, it was better to take care of the call now, I thought, before hitting the ‘road’, as I would be keeping my client waiting for at least a few days whilst I traveled and got re-acquainted with the Philippines time-zone.

I Don’t Pay for WiFi!

Being the tight bastard that I am, I don’t pay for wifi. Anywhere. I think that in this day and age, to even attempt to charge for it is nothing short of taking the piss, quite frankly. And at my hotel, they were attempting to charge me for in-room wifi. However, I was told that there was free wifi in the hotel lobby. Great!

I escorted my wife back to the room so she could finish the packing (as all good wives do!), and headed back down to the lobby with my MacBook Air and a pair of earbuds!

The call with my client was going by as normal. Simple questions at first, then getting a little more in-depth. Advice needed on how much to pay their virtual assistants, how to work with them properly, and whether the time differences would cause any issues, etc., etc. It was around half way through the 30min consultation that I noticed another hotel guest sitting across from me, using the free wifi, too. “I’m not the only cheap bastard staying here..!”, I thought to myself.

Why Eavesdropping is a Good Thing!

As I continued my chat, I noticed that my side of the conversation had gotten the attention of my freebie wifi buddy, sitting across from me. He was intently listening in on the advice I was giving my client, and quite frankly, I wasn’t bothered about it.

As with most people that I meet, not many of them know that much about virtual assistants and how they can help you run, support and grow your business, so I’m happy to educate whenever possible, if it means I help another had-working entrepreneur.

When I was done with my client call, I sent a quick email to my project manager, Stephanie, on the call notes, attaching a recording of the call, as I do with all my consultations (so she can go back and listen to it, if need be), and started to shut down my laptop. At this point, the other hotel guest reached out his hand and introduced himself as Mike, a business owner from LA, who was in town for a conference.

The Elevator Pitch!

After subjecting him to my 20-sec elevator pitch (which is perfected, trust me!) and a couple more minutes of general chit-chat he admitted listening in on my conversation, apologizing at the same time. No problems, I told him, and asked if there was anything in particular that pricked his ears up in the first place. He said that he liked the idea of having someone do the ‘shit work’ (his words, not mine!), that he hated doing everyday. As we all know, virtual assistants can do that stuff (along with other things, too!). 🙂

Ten more minutes goes by, I explain that we’re leaving soon and that I’ve got to go up to the room to make sure that the wife hasn’t stuffed the hotel bathrobes into our suitcase, along with other stuff that should stay in our room when we leave – he laughs – and asks one more, conversation-defining question.

“So, how much does it cost to use your service, then…?”.

BHAM!

I answered, gave him my card and told him to email or tweet me with any other questions that he might have. Here’s the thing… Because he had been a nosey so-and-so and listened in on my call, he already had all the answers to his questions.

By the time I had jumped in the taxi, got to the airport, checked in and was waiting for my flight to LA, I had a Paypal notification come through on my iPhone for $350. Nice.

Lessons Learned

Know your elevator pitch off by heart.

Never be shy, or scared to chat with strangers about ‘business’.

And above and beyond everything else – NEVER pay for wifi. 🙂

What do you think, should you have to pay for wifi? Anywhere? Have you any cool business stories like this to share? If so, go for it… below!

How to Maximize Your Entrepreneurial Day, Easily and Quickly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgt82_PVdTU

I was driving to the office this morning and shot this quick video on the hop, as they say – but, I think the content brings up a serious point…

As entrepreneurs, we ALL do things differently, right?! What works for me, might not work for you, and vice-versa. That’s what makes this entrepreneurial world that we live in so remarkable and outstanding.

I enjoy making people smile… Shortly after filming this clip, I popped into Starbucks to get coffee for a couple of my managers, one of which tweeted a thank you (below) message. She was so happy, that she forgot how to spell ‘christmas’ (I assure you, her written English is spotless – unless infused with a free Starbucks treat!). Its awesome to think that this employee has been with me for 3+ years, has grown her career with my company and recently brought yet another Live2Sell Family member into the world!

What a way to begin not only my day, but my week – one of which, I can only assume, as I always do, will be awesome! It’s this mindset that I have that I know for a FACT has something to do with the way I am so productive, and therefore enable myself to be highly productive, in an increasingly ‘noisey’ entrepreneurial world.

What do you do to get started every day? Let us know below, maybe we’ll pick up some cool ideas from each other!

My Speaking Experience at BlogWorld LA, and Why YOU Should Have Attended!

I’ve just got back into the Philippines, and figured I’d get cracking this week with this round-up from my recent (and second this year!) trip to the USA. The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, and I’m feeling a little tired, but also very excited about the next few months, at the same time.

The trip kicked-off with a trip to San Francisco, where I met with a couple of clients, had lots of fun hanging out with my man, Corbett Barr and enjoyed plenty of coffee at Starbucks, which was situated right in the lobby of our hotel – to my surprise and delight!

After a few days, myself and Mrs. VBL jetted off to LA and landed to another couple of client meetings, a dinner and then it was all about BlogWorld. This was something that I’d been looking forward to ever since I attended last year and then subsequently missed the first ever New York event earlier on in the year. This time around, however, it was going to be a little different, as I was going to be speaking!

My BlogWorld Speaking Experience

Unlike some of the speakers I met at BlogWorld, this wasn’t my first time speaking in front of an audience, of any size. I’ve spoken at many different conferences, seminars and training events in the past and before I left for my trip to BlogWorld, I was actually confirmed as the Keynote Speaker at the upcoming Visayas Blogging Summit in Cebu City, Philippines which is taking place at the end of November.

All that being said, I always get a little nervous before speaking in front of a crowd (there’s something wrong with you if you don’t!), and BlogWorld was no exception. Especially as the crowd there is very savvy!

I had already got into the mood by shooting my video promo for the event, and had a load of people coming up to me, doing mafia impressions at the show, which was awesome!

All in all I was very happy with the way that my session, which was well attended and on the subject of working with VA’s to help build, grow and monetize your blog, played out. Not only did all the preparation for my session pay off, but I was very happy to see several friendly faces in the audience, as well as some of the biggest names in the blogging world, too!

I did have a little video shot at the session, and as I have had several requests to put something together, I’ll do my best to go ahead and do that in the next week or so, after I recover fully! 🙂

Why YOU Should Have Attended BlogWorld!

If you didn’t get the chance to attend BlogWorld in LA then you certainly DID miss out. The event just gets better and better, seriously. Just to make you feel worse than you probably already do, here are my top 5 reasons why YOU should have attended:

  • Networking opportunities up the yin-yang!
  • The chance to learn from the best in the industry.
  • The opportunity to meet and greet your online buddies.
  • Swag, baby – lots of swag on the exhibition floor.
  • You would have been able to attend my fantastic presentation, obviously!!!

For me, the big take-away is being able to hang out with people that I get on well with, admire, respect and general enjoy talking to. Here you’ll see myself, Pat Flynn and Darren Rowse posing for a snapshot at some point in an hour or so of just ‘chit-chatting’ together. Good times.

If you still want to check out the fantastic sessions that made up the entire 3-day conference, then you can! Simply hop over to the BlogWorld website and purchase a Virtual Ticket. You’ll get access to every session, as well as a bit of extra stuff, too!

Thank You to Everyone!

There are way too many people that I met at the conference, came up to thank me after my session, shook my hand on the exhibition floor and in the corridors of the LA Convention Center, as well as in the Speakers Room throughout the course of the event, to thank here.

However, a few people I’d like to point out and say thanks to are Corbett Barr from Think Traffic, ‘Handsome’ pro-blogger David Risley and Srinivas Rao from BlogCastFM for their unwavering support. I’d also like to thank Darren Rowse from ProBlogger for not only showing his support by attending my presentation, but also for sitting down to record a quick, but memorable video Q&A for the blog (coming soon!) and my buddy, Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income, with whom I spent plenty of time with, both during the event and after, in his home town of San Diego, where we relaxed together for a few days, along with our families. SeaWorld, baby!

And last, but by no means least, I’d like to thank Rick Calvert, Dave Cynkin, Deb Ng and the rest of the BlogWorld Team for all the fantastic support they showed myself and the other 300-odd speakers, as well as for their hard work in putting together an awesome industry event.

The next BlogWorld event will be in June 2012 sometime and probably in New York. Its a little soon for me to tell if I’ll be able to make it – but, I can assure you, if I can… I’ll be there with bells on!

Did you attend BlogWorld in LA? If so, tell us about your experiences at the show! And if you didn’t, what do you think you would have gotten out of it the most, if you had…?

Passive Income: 7 Membership Site Tips From A Long-Time Professional Blogger!

This post by David Risley, is part of ‘VBL Guest Post Season 2’.

Membership sites are pretty popular in the internet business arena these days. Passive income, baby!

But, let’s leave the realm of the obvious and move into something practical. Membership sites have been my focus for some time now. I’ve learned some things in the process. The following tips are some which I will pass on to you in the hope of saving you some time.

Shall we get started? 🙂

#1 – Have a front-end offer.

One of the hard truths about membership sites is that they can be hard to sell. It is a larger psychological hurdle to surpass because of the recurring billing. This is one that I’ve run right up against.

The solution is to have some kind of front-end offer. Sell something concrete that they’ll get right away when they enroll. Make it clear that they’ll be enrolled in your membership but that they can cancel any time they want.

#2 – Consider having multiple front-end offers.

When you set up your sales funnel, consider having one core membership site which is recurring. Then, you can have multiple front-end offers out there, targeting various aspects of your niche, all with your membership site being an upsell.

So, you could have, say, 5 different products out there. All of them act as bait in the water. Of course, make each of them extremely valuable for your customer. But, all of them will be lead generators for your membership site in the upsell sequence.

#3 – Have an attractive value proposition.

The days of people signing up for membership sites simply for more content are coming to an end. We are all in information overload. In that situation, people aren’t willing to buy more information – at least in the usual form.

So, you must ask yourself: WHY would people enroll in your membership site? What are you going to do differently in there?

#4 – Think hard about implementing member forums.

The truth is that starting up forums from scratch is incredibly difficult. You really have to build up a momentum before it will work consistently for you. For many, forums become a drag. You have to be in there constantly sparking conversation. Unless you do so, it acts as negative social proof and gives your existing members the sense that they’re alone.

So, don’t have member forums unless you have a plan and know you can get people engaged in there.

#5 – Membership sites don’t have to be recurring.

A membership site makes a great way to distribute products. You can really deliver ANY information product via a membership site. Even an ebook could be downloaded from within a membership site… with some value-added bonuses exclusive to that site.

A membership site can be simple.

#6 – Sometimes lower price makes more money.

The amount of money you make depends on how long members stay enrolled. If you can get them to stick around longer with a lower price, often the math works out so that you’re actually making more money by charging them less.

#7 – Use a drip feed.

You can set up a membership site to work just like an email auto responder. Based on the date your member enrolls, they automatically get content distributed to them on a schedule.

The benefit of this is to make the site more passive for you. Create material once, new members consume it when they’re ready for it. This is much better than they getting everything at once (potentially overwhelming) and also have to constantly create new stuff.

I’ll leave you with this…

Membership sites are an awesome business model. If you have a useful offer for the right market, they’re awesome.

The above tips will hopefully save you some time as you move forward.

To get the plain-spoken truth on how to make money blogging, by visiting David’s blog at DavidRisley.com. To get weekly live video coaching, check out Dave’s InnerCircle, too! It rocks.