Hey everyone,

I just had a great day, and I figured I could share it. This is nothing new really, but maybe it can be of some inspiration for the new people or for anyone trying to get into offline/online marketing.

I was at the bank today, and when I got in my car it wouldn't start. Wonderful. I'm in an area I don't live in, and I don't know what garages are around.

So I pull out my iPhone, Google for local car repair shops and find a few. Then I call AAA for the towing, and ask the operator if they, by chance, have any certified dealerships around. She told me that there is one just 2 miles away, and I ask for it to be towed there.

While I wait for the towing truck, I google the name of the garage and realize that they don't have a presence at all online.

I get there, and they find that some stuff needs to be repaired (I am TOTALLY ignorant when it comes to car repairing, I just drive the damn thing). He says it will cost me $1200 to have it fixed.

I start talking about what I do, and that I see that they have no web presence at all, and that they are losing out on clients because of that.

To make a long story short, the guy agrees to repair my car FOR FREE and pay me to set up a 5 page website and to handle his ppc campaigns. How? I told him my keyword research alone was $1200, and then I threw in some free hosting for a year and gave him a 50% discount on the website.

Lesson of the day: Be proactive, grab opportunities, don't wait for them to knock! Had I not checked this, I would have lost $1200 instead of getting my car fixed for free AND getting a new ppc client to pay me $299 a month.

Hope this inspires some of you!

Cheers!

Good stuff bro

I always say that success is a state of mind

Wow that's a great story! Definitely feel a touch of inspiration after reading it.

Thanks for sharing man, inspiring story. You turned a shitty problem into a great opportunity. I'm starting to get more into bartering and this just proves that it's really not that hard.

Great story, that is keeping your head up and eyes on the prize at all times. I totally would have been so bummed about my ride that I would have missed this opp. Good lesson.

That sounds great to me. I could see myself doing something like that - Maybe in a local gaming shop or something. But, you have to know your stuff!

Wow.. thats very inspiring...and more like a luck.

Some great information here.. A lot of businesses still do not have an any online presence so there is plenty of opportunity available.

Good job, but that is: You SAVED $1200 , you didn't MAKE it. ;-)

Way to stay positive. Nice job!

Originally Posted by superman100

Good job, but that is: You SAVED $1200 , you didn't MAKE it. ;-)

Uhhh, I think he made it.

First is the old addage that money not spent is as good as money banked.

More importantly, and work with me here.

Cost to fix car: $1,200
Payment: $1,200 cash or
$1,200 worth of services.

Yup, he made the money. It has already been spent on $1,200 worth of car repairs, but the money is earned.

beside the $1,200 he also made money on the website and ppc

Originally Posted by superman100

Good job, but that is: You SAVED $1200 , you didn't MAKE it. ;-)

Money saved is money earned my friend.

hahah, finally you saved 1200$, thats it!

Actually this is great.
I do more than my fair share of offline consulting.
Sometimes small business owners are hurting for cash.
I did this same thing with my mechanic. He needed help and had no money and I needed my car worked on. Now he's number 1 and 3 for top keywords. He's number 1 in google local and I have customer that refers me 1-3 new clients a month.

I have a similar story, but my repair shop owner said he didn't want anymore business.
He spends (wastes) a lot of time answering the phone, and not getting through his work.
After a little chat he tells me that most of the calls were general inquiries about the work
he does, or requests for prices for repairs.

Once I told him that he can have all of that info on his website, and if he installed an
answerphone sending people there, he will spend less time answering the phone, and more
time making money. Not only did I get my repairs done, but now I have free services for
my car three times a year (in exchange for me updating prices etc. on his site).

HTH

Glenn

bartering is tres sweet.

It should workin Every offline branch...J.Straw is preaching that since how long: that the money is hidden offline in ya own hood...