This article was originally subtitled “Even if Kamala is Running the Country Into the Ground”. I wrote this when it was still possible that Pennsylvania would be counting their votes well into 2026.
Clearly, there were bigger plans in store for our one-eared commander in chief.
No less, you are tormented by the same old thoughts:
“I only have 4 years to start a successful small business!”
“I need to take the next 4 years to stockpile swimming pools of cash!”
“I only have 4 more years to buy more guns and PATRIOT RATIONS!”
Funny how that works…
…No matter who’s sitting in the oval office, you have the same problems.
Neither Daddy Trump nor Wine Mom Kamala can help you. They can shape the playing field, but you’re in charge of your destiny. And that’s why you still have the same problems in your business–you need to grab hold of your own destiny.
I’m going to give you one proven, simple step (note: simple =/= easy) you can take that will help you start a successful small business while the getting’s good.
Let’s take a practical approach here. We’ll use lawn care as an example.
How to Start a Successful Small Business: Client #1 Thru Client #50
I know you have a friend or a family member, or even a friend of a friend who needs his lawn taken care of. It’s patchy, brown, there’s a spot under a tree where it’s just dirt, and there’s enough crabgrass to make a second lawn. Here’s a truly sick-in-the-head, mentally deranged, downright batshart insane thought:
Do it for free.
You won’t have to ask many people before you find someone willing to take you up on your offer to do their lawn for free.
“But that’s not how you start a successful small business! How do I make money if I do it for free?”
Besides going for an obvious monthly (or even bi-weekly) job agreement, you do a couple things:
You do a damn good job. This will create your first fan.
You bring with you a handful of QR code “special offer” cards in a gift envelope that you tell them to “gift to their friends/family”. This will generate your first handful of high-intention leads.
You can use my free template here.
Finally, you ask them for a Google review with a picture. You talk them through it, with one sentence for each of the following questions:
- What were you looking for when you decided to work with me?
- Are you satisfied with the service provided?
- Would you recommend my services to your friends and family?
And don’t forget that picture. Preferably one of the client, standing on their freshly-cut lawn, giving a smile and a thumbs-up; this could even become your shtick. You’re the guy with the cheesy thumbs-up pictures. Who knows. Whatever you do, this will be your first step in building your reputation online.
So, to recap, if you want to start a successful small business…
- do a great job to get your first fan
- use a “gift card” style referral offer with this “first fan” to get your next 5 paying clients
- get your first Google review from your “first fan” to begin building your online reputation.
Now, here’s your Billy Mays, “but wait…there’s more!” moment.
Remember him? One of TV’s greatest direct response marketers…some of the greatest tactics for driving meth-frantic leads to your business…maybe another time…anyway—
I have a pig-in-the-mud, politician-filthy secret for you:
You can use the referral method described above to continue getting more clients. For a long time.
Maybe even forever.
Let’s do some quick math:
To be conservative, let’s say you average $300 per month per client.
$300 x 50 clients = $15,000/mo
Now, keep in mind, this is lawn care. This is not just a lawn mowing business. You’re mowing, edging, blowing, fertilizing, weeding, and if necessary, seeding and aerating. And 50 clients are going to take you a while to service, so you raise the question of hiring etc. etc.
But not bad for a $180,000/yr business built purely off of referrals.
You blink and the seemingly insurmountable problem of getting new clients is no longer even on your dinner plate.
I can’t help you hire, or write a business plan.
Frankly, I don’t have the experience or qualifications necessary to reliably scale your lawn care business as far as staffing and logistics go.
The closest I ever got was washing wealthy people’s beach house windows (a story for another time).
What I and my team can do is help you start a successful small business (or help you build your existing one) so you can finally have new, exciting problems–like who to hire or how to service all your new clients. And you’ll get paid as much as your general physician to have these mickey mouse problems.
If this sounds good but you can’t quite work out the details, get on a 1-on-1 marketing call with me, for free. By the end of it, you’ll know something about your marketing that you didn’t before, and you might just make a lot of money from it.
P.S. You can get this gift card template and use this method for whatever business you’re running. Whether it’s lawn care or flying lessons. Get the template here and start making more money.
