The Six-figure Beggar’s Business Model
Published: Thu, 01/02/20
“Cash-Strapped Small Businesses Turn to GoFundMe”
The gist of the article was this:
There is a growing trend where businesses in Manhattan and other overpriced and overrated locations with sky high rent, taxes, and expenses are begging their customers to help them keep the doors open via GoFundMe campaigns.
And, in many cases, their customers are doing just that.
All of which sounds very warm & fuzzy, I suppose.
And I have no doubt some unscrupulous types are already exploiting this - probably to the tune of 6-figures in revenue (or more) while playing their naive customers like a fiddle. But for the ethical beggars doing this, it ultimately is not something that can last forever for most of them — and is not nearly as wise as learning and applying a few, very simple, and very obvious direct marketing principles that even a goo-roo fanboy could figure out.
But really, even then, they’d still be dead in the water.
Why?
Because any business owner who would resort to a GoFundMe campaign instead of peeling their arses off the stool they sit on all day blaming their problems on Trump or the liberals or whatever, instead educating themselves on how to better sell and market, come up with better offers, think up big promotional events, etc… has less of a skill problem, and more of an inner-game problem.
Which brings Yours Cruelly to the point:
I once toyed with only selling my first Villains book up front.
i.e. no Email Players, or any of my other offers.
That would have meant you’d have had to buy that first Villains book first in order to even qualify to buy anything else. The reason why is, the entire reason for that book’s existence is to “train” people up with the right inner game about success before coming to my table to dine on the advanced info.
But, I quickly scrapped the idea.
Mostly because it isn’t necessary.
But also because it would be too much like “newbie-bait.”
And, I prefer catering to people who already have a business and a list. Frankly, there is very little I can offer newbies who have not yet been educated on the very basics of marketing.
Whatever the case, that article reminded me of two things:
1. Not only is there no real “competition” anymore… but with just a little bit of knowledge and some daily prolific marketing, it’s near impossible to NOT succeed. Especially if your competition is begging their customers for a bail out.
2. All the knowledge in the world is nothing without the will to use it.
Which brings me back to my first Villains book:
It not only gives people (especially raw, “wriggling” newbies) searching for some guidance and direction a useful beacon to follow in less than an hour of reading… but it can potentially enhance the marketing and sales power of even seasoned marketing and sales pros, too.
Take Mr. Gabe Johansson, for example.
When I launched the third volume, he sent me this note:
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Can’t wait to read this one as I’ve made way more money in car sales, improved my relationships, and felt more accomplished as a human being since reading, re-reading, and applying the first two.
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Anyway, I suspect in the coming months and years we’ll see more beggars.
More “oh woe is me!” drama queening.
And, also, more smaller businesses with the right inner game rising up like a multi-headed hydra out of the sea, equipped with all the strength and fire power needed to conquer their markets, blowing right past the crowd of nay-sayers who will no doubt call these businesses “lucky” or “privileged” or whatever trendy social media-dictated labels the kids are using these days to justify their own misery.
If you want to be one of the beggars, that’s what GoFundMe is for.
If you want to be one of the hydras breathing fire all over the place and devastating anyone in their way, I shamelessly recommend getting my first Villains book.
Then, get the second volume.
Then, after that, the third.
It’s extremely important to read them in order, for reasons explained in their introduction chapters.
To get your hands on these books, go here:
http://www.VillainsBook.com
Ben Settle