I’ve had a very interesting, productive, hilarious and nostalgic week and I’m feeling laser focused and much, much happier.  After writing up my Business Marketing Plan and targets last week, I felt instantly better and then, last Thursday, I went along to the Brighton & Hove Business Fair to mooch around, meet some people and ideally grab a directory to take home and follow up with by email.

I was also looking forward to a Speed Networking session or two but when I went to register, I found it was £20 extra to play and that seemed like a bit of a liberty to me, so I saved my money and went looking for the directory.

None to be found anywhere, so there was nothing for it but to traipse around, talking to each stall holder in turn.

This turned out to be a very good idea as the first stand I stopped at had a very lively lady IFA called Tracey from Ashley Law who is based in Crawley.  I was there principally to promote my Local Business marketing services but it turns out Tracey works very holistically with her financial advice and knows a “wealth coach” called Simonne Gnessen whose company is called Wise Monkey and who has just written a book called “SheConomics”, so we got on like a house on fire.  We are going to get together with Simonne, to see if there is any synergy between our companies.

Moving on, the next standout person I met was Paul Fletcher, a local wedding and commercial photographer, whose picture of the West Pier covered in snow really caught my eye.  Paul was really clued up about internet marketing, having created his own WordPress website – with a theme bought online from India no less – and who dominates Page One of Google.

Interestingly, Paul, like all the other people I met who were pretty good at their own online marketing, were also interested to learn more so I stayed on Paul’s stand for a while chatting and his infectious enthusiasm and energy were a delight to be around.  He called over another photographer – who was there taking pics for “So…Brighton & Hove Magazine” and we chatted for a few minutes, with Paul already recommending me as someone who knows their stuff.

We were joined by Peter from “Just Wedding Albums” who is not particularly interested in internet marketing but who is interested in selling wedding albums online so we have agreed to hook up too.

Another business who stood out as knowing their stuff was ex-website designer who now runs a husband and wife owned courier company called  Bullit Couriers but none of their literature (or website) has a name so I can’t tell you what they were called.

Yet.

I’ve sent them an email as he said I could do a Marketing MOT on his site – again, open to learning more.

I’ve also been dipping into my Local Business Money Machine tuition materials – it really is a very good course – and particularly reading the success stories to keep me enthused.

I realised that there were three things holding me back a bit from going out and selling what I know is an “in demand” service:

1.       Lack of clarity around the product funnel – what am I giving away that is RELEVENT, what is my LEAD PRODUCT, what will I sell them next, how will I package it all when clients want more services.  I sat down with Sarah last week and she hammered it out of me (metaphorically speaking) and it looks thusly:

FREE

a)      Online Business Success Report OR

b)      10 x Marketing MOT videos OR

c)       Free Video Marketing MOT covering 3 of the 10 things to look for in a “website that works”

LOW COST

a)      Mentoring Membership Club for DIY’ers

b)      Full Video Marketing MOT (private) covering all 10 things to look for in a “website that works” – £197 reduced to £97 as a limited time launch offer – click here to order yours >>> then use this voucher code 2010MKTGMOT to claim your discount.

BACK END

c)       Simple but fully configured WordPress Website

d)      Moving existing website onto a fully configured WordPress platform & hooking up with Social Media and a lead capture system

TOP OF THE RANGE

a)      Internet Marketing Mentoring (solopreneurs)

b)      Internet Marketing Services “done for you” (Small Businesses)

c)       Interent Marketing Consultancy (Big Businesses with in-house teams)

2.       Lack of someone to outsource some of the work to, affordably, so I can get on with the marketing and strategy.  This is a common problem with a new business, you want to outsource but can’t really afford to, unless you can find an overseas company or a good VA here.  This was holding me back psychologically as I really don’t want to have to do lots of repetitive work – although I quite enjoy setting up new websites.

3.       Worry about someone paying up front, having misplaced expectations and then asking for a refund.  This can be solved by being very clear about what you are offering AND having rock solid Terms & Conditions but even then those don’t always protect you if a client is, having had the product or service, hell-bent on a refund.  In an ideal world, of course, you would just refund them and walk away, but when you are paying to outsource the work, that creates a loss above and beyond just the cost of your time.

So I’ve started investigating outsource options and have found a few good ones.

I had a pleasant but quiet weekend, enjoying the X-Factor Live Shows where I was shocked to see that bloomin’ Wagner go through instead of FYD who were pretty good.  Nicolo had grown on me but I can see why the public wouldn’t like him, so no surprise there.

My boy Nelson came to stay on Saturday, after spending all day at Hove Lagoon Skatepark.  He’s set up a new skateboarding YouTube channel to show off the videos he’s making with his birthday present video handheld camcorder – I do like a nice obsession in a child, don’t you?  Two in one there!

I uploaded a load of very old photos to Facebook this week too, as I came across an old album and scanned the pics in.  My, how young we looked in the 1980’s and what funny clothes we wore, thinking we were so cool.

It made me feel quite pensive, uploading them and tagging them.  Some friends I haven’t seen for ages, but who keep in touch with on Facebook. Someone put a great quote on Twitter earlier about how Facebook helps you keep in touch with friends from the past while Twitter helps you keep in touch with friends from the future.

Thinking back to Kim’s wedding (lacy dress, big hat), the picture of Neil and I up Mount Teidi in Tenerife, the pics of my wedding (Irving in very fancy suit and me 6 months pregnant with Nelson and my only tiara (nice though eh?) the pictures of us all at Philippa & John’s wedding (green scarf, black hat) where Phoebe was a tiny bridesmaid and Nelson was but a toddler, and the pictures of them dancing on the treetrunk, at Petworth Park, just up the road from where Steve grew up, which was the last time we saw Keiran alive, I wonder what I would have said if someone could have gone back in time and told the younger me what was in store in the future?

I think I would have been thrilled, impressed, delighted and horrified all at once!

What a good job we can’t see the future eh?