Getting into internet marketing consulting is one of the most inexpensive online businesses to set up. It is something that you can do part-time initially, but always approach it as a business.
Consultants are able to run their businesses from home, working the hours they want. It is a profession that does not discriminate on age, sex or race, and it does not require a college degree. (Indeed formal educational institutions cannot offer such training because the need to be up to date defeats their tutors’ ability to keep up!)
So how attractive would it be for you to work from home, avoid the rat-race, traffic gridlock, not have a boss breathing down your neck – being your own boss? Does the thought of working for as many hours as you choose, having time to take your kids to and from school and helping other businesses profit appeal to you?
What is involved?
The simple answer to this question is: as much or as little as you like. You see, you can choose to offer whatever services you like. If you don’t know how to do a particular task, you outsource it. If you only want to offer one service, e.g. search engine optimization, PPC management, or content writing, then that’s all you need to do.
Residual income
One of the most lucrative aspects of internet marketing consulting is that you earn ongoing fees from your clients. Of course, you can bring a business online and leave them to it if you choose. However, the money is in managing the sites on an ongoing basis, for a monthly fee. This will usually include providing the hosting service, content and adjustments to their search engine optimization.
What you charge per month will be relative to the size of the business (what they can afford basically!) and the amount of time you will need to spend on it each month (it’s usually hours rather than days).
The best part is these ongoing services can be outsourced, with others doing the work and you simply collecting a commission for managing the project.
Find your customers
This is the easiest part – walk down your high street or through your shopping mall. Take note of all of the bricks and mortar businesses that would benefit by having a wider customer base. Could your lumber yard, lawyer or realtor do with more business? They will certainly get it by having an online presence.
Get good training
Perhaps the only expense in setting up your consulting business will be the investment in training – and good training will pay for itself with your first client. So find from someone with proven internet marketing consulting success, and follow their lead.