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How I built a Successful Ecommerce Consulting Agency Immediately After I quit My Job
It was almost the dumbest decision I ever made.
House rent was about to expire, food stuff almost about to finish, and all I had was about 4000 naira cash in my bank account.
I was scared.
I doubted if I was in the right frame of mind, in fact, I thought of going back to beg to be taken back even though it was my decision to leave in the first place.
The love of money and food they said, is the beginning of poverty!
I know it is hard, to make a decision that you want to quit certainty for uncertainty.
How stupid. Right?
A lot of you are with a job right now, and are satisfied with it. Great, this post is not for you.
But if you are in a job right now, and it is like going to hell everyday with no fulfilment to show for it, then, welcome to the world of limitless.
It is time to quit your job and embrace your vocation.
Your spirit man is telling you to take the rod and stretch it to the red sea like Mosses. You are going to the other side.
The promise land.
And trust me, whatever knowledge, idea, skills, experience you have, is enough to help you unlock your life goals. It was enough for me.
I know it is going to be hard, in fact, near impossible, but if you really want to be happy, and stretch your full potential, you need to go in the strength you have like Gideon.
You still in doubt? Hear my story on how I built an Ecom agency after I quit My Job.
HOW I BUILT MY ECOMMERCE CONSULTING AGENCY BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK USING FACEBOOK GROUPS
I was broke.
I don’t need to explain how that feels, I mean to be broke.
Everybody goes broke once in a while right? But I think what makes the difference for me was that I just quit my job, and I have the choice either to survive, eat, pay house rent, or go in search for another 8 to 5 job that takes more than it gives.
I was determined. I was lazy. I wanted more from life with little to do to get it. And that’s it. How can I stay at home with the things I possess, and still be able to generate cash for myself?
What did I have? My Tecno w5 lite Android phone, an 8 years old Compaq laptop which I inherited from my brother, and enough cash for internet data subscription.
I had one month, just one month to put everything in shape if I ever wants to come out of the mess I found myself. And guess what? I did it!
Within one single month, I was able to build for myself knowledge, which I took advantage of in other to gain authority in the niche I focused on, and then monetize its influence.
Okay, let’s pause a bit here, so that we can try and see things from the right perspective.
Yes, life is never that simple and easy. To achieve what I achieved within a month, I possesses 9 years of Internet Marketing in my pocket of experience, so I had a foundation that made my success quicker and possible.
But I did it, and you can to, if you make a firm decision now without looking back, and also follow the step-by-step guide below.
How It All Get Started
I knew about the Shopify Business Model, I have tried it out before. I know its potential likewise its setbacks, but it was never my ambition to start another Shopify store… I don’t have that kind of money in the first place, looking at my financial condition as at the time.
What choice do I have? With no enough money to burn, I needed to start a business with less or no financial investment that is more than what I have as my initial capital, which was 5 dollars for Internet subscription data and my gadgets.
Shopify was booming, more people were now buying into the business model, and after I researched to know the feasibility of the continuous growth of the business model and how more and more people with no clue about the business were pouring in, I know right there and then that I have a market, and a product to sell. Because as long as more people are coming in to start that business, they will have to face one problem or the other, and if I can be there to solve those problems, I might as well make good money.
First Things First: Get Knowledge
In the first two weeks of the month of March, I dedicated my time to do a deep down study on the strategies needed to succeed on Shopify, I downloaded literally hundreds of videos, read articles and blogs, use the free trial offered by Shopify to test run some marketing ideas, and so many in depth research just to gather both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
Before the end of the first two weeks in March, I searched and gathered about 50 questions that are frequently asked by new Shopify store owners. I needed to know where the real problems are, so that I could meet their needs.
After the first two weeks, I was loaded, full of both practical and theoretical knowledge of how to operate well using the Shopify business model for ecommerce. I also have started writing blog post based on those 50 questions using my “Writer Plus” app which I downloaded from the play store.
At this point, due to heavy internet presence, videos downloaded, I have exhausted 75% of my internet Data Subscription. It was not funny, I had to do something.
I took advantage of the free Facebook surfing offered by my data provider Airtel, even though I had to sacrifice viewing pictures and videos. I sure don’t need it anyways.
Connect With Your Target Community
In the third week of March, I got to work. I searched and join 3 Facebook groups on Shopify and related topics, armed with all those knowledge, I started to engage.
In my first post, in one of the groups, I started by talking to the problems that I know most of the newbies have, even the experienced ones. I made them see the problems even though they knew, but I used my post to build curiosity, trying to draw them into what I have in stock for them.
This was the post:
It’s quite hard to sell more and more of the same product that has been over saturated by other dropshippers.
In the world of ecommerce dropshipping where there are extreme competition for relevance, what do you have or need to come out on top. What is your back pocket?
- More money for Facebook ads? You might go broke!
- More money for influencer ad? Same as above.
- Target a very small niche? You might soon go out of the market.
So, if things are getting hard, very hard to make more profits, what do you need to do?
Well, nothing out of this world. All you have to do is to increase your existing product value.
Spending more money on ads is only geared for visibility; the conversion is mostly done in your store.
Why do you think many buyers leave at the checkout page? If they were converted into buyers outside of your store through your ads, they won’t back out from buying your product right?
Now, what do you need to do? How can you increase your product value?”
If you want to know more, I need 20 likes and comments from you.
After I posted this, I caught the attention of about 40% of the active group members, funny enough, including one of the group admins. The comment box was full in no time, almost 69 comments and likes in 6 hours.
They wanted to know more, and I indeed had more. I began to post articles, videos on How to Create Perceived Value for products in other to create higher markup and on other problems encountered by Shopify store owners.
My popularity increased exponentially, I began to receive messages in my Messenger inbox, people wants to know more, they have been starved from such quality content.
As I increase in popularity, so also was I breeding hatred!
Before the week ran out, I have made a lot of people happy, I have made their day. And in one of the post, I got this testimonial from a friend.
Here is what Char Cook, of www.vikingjewelry.life store shared.
“Samuel, both of your posts have been very insightful. You have illustrated your points perfectly. There is no better way of building up loyalty than to think of your customers as repeat customers, and providing extra value is an excellent way to do that as you have stated. In my store, I send out “first-time” customer gifts while they are waiting for their purchases to arrive. So about 1 week after their purchase they get a gift in the mail which they are unaware of, just to add that personal touch. All my customers are not “numbers” they are people who I want returning to the store for future purchases. It is 6 to 10 times higher to get a new customers than to get existing customers to return if you do the right things, special things for them. I feel that creates a special bond between them and us. “
Interesting, isn’t it?
The party has begun, it was rocking, the joy of success, until the final week.
On the final week, the unexpected happened!
Converting Enthusiast To Customers
Two of those who had contacted me said they needed in depth tutorials through consultation, and asked me how much it will cost for them to get one. Another wanted me to help her manage her store to get sales which I charged $200 per week. Those that needed consultation begin to increase in numbers, and I charge them about $89 to $100 an hour.
At this point, about 3 days to the end of March, my business was beginning to boom, my income was rising, and so also my authority in the groups I have shared my content.
After that night, I had the best sleep of my life of course, knowing fully well that I will be getting almost $500 which is about a 170k when converted to Nigeria Naira, as part payment for all my services to my new found clients, straight into my bank account the next morning.
The next morning, I woke up as usual, after my usual bible reading to get my day going. I reached for my phone to see the new comments and likes my posts now has, but then, I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I was seeing. It was clear, yet blurry.
It was….
Absolutely Nothing!
Yes, I mean it. I couldn’t find my posts, even the link to the group which I have been most active and where I have gotten most of my clients, was nowhere to be found. I searched for them, I looked through all my notifications maybe I will find something. All gone.
I have been blocked!
Always Have A Plan B
My popularity, my influence, and the level of the following I commanded inside someone else’s group was both massive as well oppressing.
My post had more engagements which doubled the ones the group admins had. I was stepping on toes, and I got served, banned from the group.
That is where it all began my friend.
Although I was a bit disappointed, I never let it get to me. And after I spoke with some people about the new development, my neighbor, even some of my newly found Shopify friends, I was advised to start my own Facebook Group.
That was where it began. I built the group till 60 members which comprises of some of the people who have connected with me through messenger in the groups I was and their friends.
Not the usual 1k to 30k group members you say, but that was enough for me to scale my business further. At least 10 of my members bought my paid service, they referred me, and I also took the business and scaled it to other levels before I stopped being active on the group recently due to other commitments.
That was it, how I made have been able to build a profitable Ecommerce Consulting Agency that is still booming till today.
Wonderful story huh?
So, friend, whatever lifelong goals you have. Either to start an online business or, a brick and mortal business. Either to be a public speaker or a marriage consultant.
Starts now.
Get enough knowledge and be ready to help a lot of people even if for free when you start.
P.S It has been 2 years now that I quit my Job at Heritek Support Services as a creative and digital and brand manager. But one thing I know as oppose to when I first made the decision to quit was that, there was never room for greatness in the pigeonhole called the 9-5 job.
Read This: 5 Digital Products You Can Create And Sell Online For Huge Profit
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Featured Image Copyright by: alphaspirit
