Sowpub Brainstorming session...500 bux a day....HOW...IF...

[Ankesh]

So time is a constraint. That means.

1. You can't sell products or services that requires people to think a lot to make a decision.

2. You can't sell products or services that take time to deliver. At most, delivery needs to happen within 2 hours. At best, you sell someone else's products. You earn the commission for the sale. (In which, the sales price has to be a lot more than $500.)

3. The more sales pitch you have to make, the more time it takes. So you have to focus on either:
1 quick sale with $500 profit.
10 quick sales with $50 profit.
More than that is just too time consuming.

Keeping these constraints in mind, I would focus on 1 of 2 things.

1. Teach. 10 students paying $75 a head for a 2 hour workshop on a particular topic.

2. Sell someone else's service. Where you can ask the buyer to pay in installments - and you get to keep the first installment payment as commission.

The process is simple:
1. Find a hungry crowd.
2. Make your pitch to them.
3. Make the sale and deliver.

Example:
Selling local SEO services.

1. Find the local yellow pages or newspaper. Make a list of 10 advertisers who already have a URL.

2. Find a company who sells local SEO optimization packages for $2000 or so. Ask them if they will pay you $500 per sale commission. Get their work history and portfolio and proof.

3. Approach the businesses in list 1. And start pitching.

Example 2:

1. Pick up a hot topic. Stock trading. Losing weight. Beating procrastination and improving productivity. Formulating a book / script / novel. Learning how to read music in 2 hours.

2. Find a place to pitch the workshop. A company. An institute. A fraternity. Religious organization. Make an offer: $75 per person. Learn ____ in 2 hours. Free dinner.

If you can call people before hand, then hire someone to make the sales calls before you reach the town - and get people to pre-order their seats. Book 10 people before you reach the town. (Or 1 company who can send 10+ employees.)

3. Find a place where you can hold the workshop for 2 hours. A local diner would allow because you'll be paying them for your guests dinner. Or else, a library. Or an open park. Or a room in someone's office. Or a class room in the local school.

4. Deliver the workshop.