Author, Blogger, Ostomate, Expat, Badass
I GET Shit Done. I have published two books: 7 Steps Out Of Wage Slavery, and, SWOT, Drop, and Roll. The 1st a free #1 Bestseller on Amazon. I have worked kinda in the shadows on an engineering project, well Saturday mornings, that broke 2 World Records. I have gotten on a plane with just a bookbag and traveled to South America to create a happier life. I moved to a new country 14 months ago to do that again, started a corporation, started a blog, started a new book, started selling my music, and people buying my music. I bring ways to get things done better. After many bad ideas, costing me over $45k roughly, I started working more proactive - creating the longer vision, working backwards to this week and figuring out the Smart goal that makes sense now to pursue. I bring experience in failure and triumph. I bring quick feedback because I care. I also bring a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, a partial MBA, years studying Buddhism, a life long student of psychology and an education in life coaching. Plus, 14 months living, adapting and succeeding in a new country, language and culture.
Mobile applications
Author, Blogger, Ostomate, Expat, Badass
Now a days, you create a basic 1 page landing page on Instapage.com with a free mailchimp account to collect emails and start putting the idea out there through channels such as producthunt.com, Facebook Ads (target other countries for lower CPC), and Google AdWords targeting (with .25 cent CPC) to start getting some traffic. In your "website test" include a contact form and a way to submit email if a person is interested. This will also help in getting other people to help you (show that, "hey, people really want to buy this.") What you're doing is putting your website and app in the market first to see the response. You'll get an idea how much it costs to acquire a customer, or if people are willing to pay for it. I think you can do all this yourself. With the landing page and material, make sure it is clear that you are not preselling an app you don't have but taking info for people that are interested. You can probably find a person on Elance that can assist with feedback and making the app.
Business planning
Author, Blogger, Ostomate, Expat, Badass
If it's a product pick the noun that your product is. Add an adjective that describes what you bring to the table. If it's a service, pick a verb that describes what you do or what the collective is called (i.e. engineering or architects). Add what you bring to the table (your name or maybe you do it fast, i.e. Rapid Engingeering) You can also run several small adword campaigns and see what people click on (to see what name people respond to) This is a great way to get your idea out to THOUSANDS to see which names get clicked (it's not perfect, but it's a good way to compare variations.) Call me if you want to get more specifics. P.S. When you think you have a name, do a Google search to see if anyone else is using it.
Marketing
Author, Blogger, Ostomate, Expat, Badass
Don't spam your friends. Build a 1 page website with Instapage.com. Include your contact info and what you bring to the table (maybe you have X years of experience). When I was an engineer, I made a connection at a "learn a new skill" event. That led to my 1st client ($136k in design fees). For a service, people tend to want to meet people and start them with a small project 1st before giving more work. Post an ad on craigslist (Free), run a small AdWords campaign with your area (use your city as a keyword and include in ad so people know you're local). Call me if you want to get into this further.
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