Genesis
Starting my business, I struggled to get clients who were serious about starting their business.
Ok, maybe that’s a bit too harsh.
Friends would recommend clients who didn’t know the first thing about starting an online business or what they would need to start the one they had in mind.
All I’d hear is “I want to start a business online”.
Then I’d respond:
Me: “Ok, well have you bought your domain yet?”
Pseudo Client:
“Umm, no, I don’t have a domain.”
Me: “Ok, well, do you have social media accounts for your business? You know, like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook page and a group, Twitter, etc for your business?”
Pseudo client: “No, I don’t have any of those either.”
Me:
Psuedo Client: “You’ve given me a lot to think about, I’ll have to get back to you on that when I have everything ready!”
Me: “Of course…no problem…I’ll be here…”
Also me:
Le sigh…
If there’s something I’m quite sure everyone can agree with, it’s that no one likes their time wasted, especially when you’re sharing valuable knowledge (NYC voice “spittin’ straight facts”) with someone who isn’t quite ready to receive it.
I sat down and had a talk with my girlfriend. After hearing what had happened, she suggested I charge these “Muggles” (beings who know not nor practice what we do) a consultation fee.
I hadn’t thought about it before, since I’m still small-time, but it made a lot of sense.
Even charging someone as little as $10 for a 30 minute or an hour session could mean a lot for you.
For starters, now you know you’d start to get semi to serious customers because now you’ve placed a price tag on your time and knowledge.
And that could just be the start to everything.
From consultation to full-on employment, can now await you, if you go for it.
Now It’s Time To Reach For The Stars
So, you’ve started consulting and are now being paid to consult.
Excellent!
But now, what is next?
Well, now you’ve gotta cater your skills to the client you land.
You have a pricing plan, right?
No?
Let’s make a pricing plan.
A lot of businesses offer services, sometimes, with a tier system.
Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3
Don’t worry, this won’t be complicated. I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible.
So, now you’re in McDonald’s and you want to order a meal…
Tier 1 = Small meal
Tier 2 = Medium meal
Tier 3 = Large meal
Now it boils down to which meal size is best for you and whether or not you can afford it.
Simple, right?
Your consultation was like an appetizer: whets their appetite for the real thing, and now they’re ready for the main course!
Boom Baby! Business!
SHAZAM! I mean- “Huzzah!”. Now you’re rolling in the big bucks!
Ok, so you only sold a package or two, but it’s something, right?
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So now, your next move will be marketing, but that’s for another time and another blog post.
So In Conclusion…
First, know that your time is valuable, and thus, time = money.
Wasted time gets you no money.
And we want monies, right?
Yes, yes we do.
Charge for your time so that your clients know that you’re serious and won’t give up the goods without seeing a little green first.
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