Becoming An SEO Consultant - Part 1

So you think you’re ready to go solo and strut your stuff huh? Let me tell you, it’s definitely worth it. But, as you probably figured, there are some hurdles that you need to jump in order to get there. I’ve been on my own for a little over a year now as my own boss, and there are some lessons to be shared.

First things first, forget about all those articles you read that focus more on the benefits of taking the plunge. Odds are, the person who wrote that has been on their own for awhile and they might have forgotten how daunting it can be to actually get started. What I’m going to tell you isn’t so much set in stone, but are some safe practices and methods to help the transition flow in a more controllable manner.

The Preparation Phase

Step 1: Secure some monthly SEO side work that pays at least 2/3 of your employers pay or better

I know, I know.. easier said than done. The point here is to get something that continues the flow of cash coming in once you step out of regular employment. I really don’t need to explain why this is essential. But the only thing I will stress is that you have done the math and you know that this income will cover all of your living expenses. Just the essentials, not the hobby or play money.

Step 2: Spend the last 3-4 months of your job saving up as much as you can in the bank

We all need a rainy day fund. We all need a cushion. With the nations economy the way it is, it’s beyond imperative at this point. But every smart business has it’s “war chest” of extra funds if they played their cards right. This will serve as a form of insurance for them later on if things get tight or if they get into legal trouble.

This money can be used in the beginning for your first batch of marketing materials, however, you want to save as much of this as you can. More on the marketing stuff further down the page….

Step 3: Securing your business name locally and federally

If you’re really serious about this, then you better get yourself on the books so to speak. A good way to get yourself started on this would be to find and contact a local small business help group that specialize in helping small business owners on their first steps. More often than not, I’ve noticed that many local governments fund these little groups, or somehow help them.

BIG HINT:  Save 1/3 of what you get paid in contract work strictly for taxes.  Put it in a business savings account!   Also pay quarterly taxes, not annually. It’s cheaper. Later on though, when you can afford it, go get an accountant that you can visit once a month or so with your financial activity for the month… let them fight with the math and all that crap …

Step 4: Creating a website

To me personally, this is one of the funnest parts of all of this. Take your time on making it and remember that this is your marketing centerpiece; it’s about the clarity of the message being presented. Define your strengths and services, who your audience is (i.e. small business, real estate, etc.), but most importantly do not try to give off the impression that your company is multiple employees. If you start dropping the word “we” or “us” into your copy, you’re lying to your potential clients. Later on, if you get contacted by them, they’ll know you’re full of it. Bad way to set the stage. And besides, people like the contractor more than the firm because contractors are usually cheaper than paying for a team of people in their fancy downtown office. Get my point?

Focus on marketing yourself. Make it clear this is a one person operation and then fill the copy with the confidence you have about your abilities and contributions to online marketing. A huge integral part of getting established is branding yourself with honesty.

Step 5: Allocating a marketing and operations budget

Business cards. Maybe flyers. A light PPC campaign. A magnet square advertising yourself on your car. Membership to a local business club like the Chamber of Commerce. All of these things require some money that is truly disposable. I repeat; this money is disposable. You’ll spend it on something that will not guarantee a return on investment.

Be frugal with your spending, but be effective with your message. Order up maybe no more than 500 business cards online, make your own flyers and head to a print shop. The point is, you need to get exposure on a budget, but the money won’t hinder your effort. The higher cost of this is going to be from your own personal effort of passing out cards, flyers and talking to complete strangers about what you do if the conversation offers an opening to peddle yourself. Once you have the marketing materials in place, hold on to them for now. We’re not quite ready to move on it yet.

Step 6: Preparing your home computer to become a work computer

Yes you can keep your MP3’s and silly photos. Yes you can keep your games. However, there are a few things that you need to get in place so you can keep your work separate from personal stuff, and keep it organized. Creating a whole new directory structure focused on the following is a good start;

• Client records such as contracts, purchases for marketing, notes and scanned copies of payments
• A backup of their website
• Copies of expenses and documentation you have made for your business
• Templates of regularly used documents and spreadsheets for managing clients

One of the best nuggets of wisdom I can pass on is the need to keep all of this organized so you can make regular backups onto disc or thumb drive. I do mine on Friday afternoon right before I shut down my system.  A paper trail of everything you do is a very safe move, so save it!

Conclusion

You can pull all of this off in 6 months comfortably.   Even if you can’t nail down your first steady client, or hell, any clients, you can at least get these other things in place while staying at your job.  This can allow you to put more funds in the war chest, more into marketing, and give you plenty of time to associate yourself with the small business help group.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 7:53 am and is filed under Business Development, SEO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.