September 2021 - Jeff Cassman

How to Start a Content Writing Business

Starting a content writing business is a great way to achieve financial freedom with very little investment.

But that also means that it’s an increasingly competitive industry–one that’s hard to establish a new business in.

That’s why understanding how to set up your business the right way, attract high-paying clients, and compete with established agencies is essential to finding success.

Once you start your business, you’ll be able to choose your own income, decide your working hours, and cherry-pick your clients–all from the comfort of your own home.

This guide will cover the steps you need to take to start a content writing business that’s profitable, how to find clients, and how to compete with other agencies.

The Easy Parts of Starting a Content Writing Business

The easiest parts of starting a content writing business are the technical aspects, like setting up your website and social media.

Web hosting companies and website builders can help you set up your website using prebuilt themes and templates. You can have your business site ready to launch within a day, especially if you use a hosting provider like Bluehost.

Bluehost includes both a domain and a WordPress site, plus prebuilt themes that save you from hiring a designer. All you need to do is choose your business name and customize the site with your content.

Writing the content for your business can also be easy, even if you write it yourself instead of hiring writers. There are plenty of tools that can help you with grammar, SEO, and even AI that help produce copy, so you can become a successful writer even without formal training. But if you’re starting a content writing business, you probably have this part covered.

The…

Why You Need to Stop Fighting Arrogance

Arrogance is a beast that never tires, never stops, and can’t be defeated. It never compromises.

Arrogance never cohabitates with your best self.

Arrogance is an enemy that dilutes the joys of life and degrades the value of others.

Arrogance tells you:

You’re right when you’re wrong.
Talk when you should shut-up.
Others aren’t serving you enough.
Feel threatened when others shine.
You are special, better-than.

Defensiveness is arrogance.

Feeling neglected is usually arrogance asking, “What about me?”

The worst thing you can do is try to defeat arrogance.

Don’t fight arrogance:

Arrogance enjoys your resistance. It taunts you into a fight and smiles when you raise your sword.

Everyone who fights arrogance is a noble fool.

The moment you raise your sword against arrogance is the moment of defeat because the fight against arrogance makes you arrogant.

The belief that arrogance can be defeated is the deadliest arrogance of all.

Practice humility:

You can’t defeat arrogance, but you can practice humility. Even here we are in peril because arrogance cheers when you notice how humble you are.

#1. Remember shoulders.

You practice humility by acknowledging and appreciating the shoulders you stand on. I read that Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”

Practice humility by sending an email to someone who helped you get where you are today. Better yet, give them a call.

#2. Explore ideas.

Arrogance knows. Humility learns.

The best ideas to explore belong to someone else, a person down in the trenches, for example.

#3. Be curious about people.

Arrogance talks about itself. Humility learns about others. Record everything you learn about people everyday for a week.

Humility is never fully attained and arrogance is never fully defeated.

What practices nudge leaders toward humility?

Episode 1509 Scott Adams: Today’s Coffee With Scott Adams Will Be Amazing

My new book LOSERTHINK, available now on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/rqmjc2a

Find my “extra” content on Locals: https://ScottAdams.Locals.com

Content:

$4.6T to settle Afghan refugees in US
Chris Cuomo, old story by his ex-boss
Arizona Audit leaked draft
Climate change solved by nuclear energy
Pandemic solved with airflow
Misunderstanding “mild” COVID

If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

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Episode 169: Developing a Cohesive Brand with Mark de Grasse, the New President and General Manager of DigitalMarketer

Episode 169: Developing a Cohesive Brand with Mark de Grasse, the New President and General Manager of DigitalMarketer Episode 169: Developing a Cohesive Brand with Mark de Grasse, the New President and General Manager of DigitalMarketer
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How to Start a Digital Marketing Business

Have you ever thought about why you purchase products or services from certain brands or companies?

The brand or company was successfully able to grab your attention, solve a problem for you, and thus create a mutually beneficial relationship where you’re buying something you really want and they’re getting a customer who really likes them.

This whole relationship exists because of effective marketing. Though traditional marketing is what most people are familiar with, and is what was most popular 30 years ago, things have changed. Today, digital marketing reigns. This form of marketing looks to websites, search engines, social media, email, and more to build strong relationships with potential and current customers.

With this form of marketing, people can make decisions (purchases) in a matter of minutes. Everything is convenient and (almost) immediate, and people happily get their purchases much more quickly than they did in the time of traditional marketing.

Digital marketing has made it easier for companies, regardless of their location, to reach consumers all around the world and increase brand awareness by using things such as social media, digital ads, SEO, and more.

Now more than ever, digital marketing is one of the most important aspects of a company. And guess what? Not everyone fully understands the world of digital marketing, and many people don’t have the time or interest to learn more about it.

That’s where you come in. It is not an easy process to master the art of digital marketing but when you do, you’ll be amazed at how much opportunity is available to you.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then read on to find out how to start a digital marketing business.

The Easy Parts of Starting a Digital Marketing Business

Starting a digital marketing business in the 21st century…

Four Obstacles to Clear Between Now and December

Scale your business. Find your freedom.

With proven systems, frameworks, and guidance, you can join other successful business owners as you scale your business, reap the fruits of high-performance, and spend more time on the things that matter most.

Learn More

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Episode 1510 Scott Adams: What Do Biden’s Dementia and Whale Sperm Have in Common? I Have The Answer

My new book LOSERTHINK, available now on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/rqmjc2a

Find my “extra” content on Locals: https://ScottAdams.Locals.com

Content:

Whale oil industry branding mistake
FDA experts vote 16-2…AGAINST booster shots
Kaiser study finds no mRNA serious health effects
AZ audit results
Taxing unrealized portfolio gains
Whipgate HOAX

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How to Secure Longer Marketing Clients by Using Retainers

Freelancers and agencies fall into the one-time project trap all the time. They work with clients on smaller projects for a few weeks or a month, and then move on to the next client. This puts them in a perpetual sales cycle without a dollar of predictable income.

The outcome leads to a stressed founder and management team, who are all unsure of where their next paycheck will come from.

If this is where your freelance business or agency is right now—there is a solution. It’s called retainer contracts and they’re about to become your new best friend.

What is a Retainer?

A retainer contract is an agreement between client and company that you’ll perform specific services for a set rate each month. For example, your content marketing agency could provide 8 articles per month, distribution, and splintered content for $13,500 a month.

These contracts can either be on a month-to-month basis or go for an agreed-upon amount of time. For example, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, or even more.

With retainer contracts, you’ll know how much revenue you’re making from clients each month and (if you’re smart enough to make multi-month contracts) how much you’re making in the near future. For freelancers and agency owners, the predictability you’re seeking comes from these retainer contracts.

But, how can you secure these retainers so you can shift out of perpetual sales mode?

Securing Retainers 101

Retainers are intimidating. If you’ve never asked clients to sign on to a retainer, it’s easy to think they’re going to say no. Of course, they’d rather have their services a la carte—right? Well, that’s actually not the case at all. Clients are happy to sign on to retainers they feel confident in. It helps them solve the problem they’re currently facing (like a struggle with content marketing).

Here are a few tips for securing retainer contracts so you can go into your next contract discussion with confidence.

Only Offer Your Services in Varying Retainer Packages

To get out of the perpetual sales cycle of one-time projects, you can package your services into retainer contracts. Take out all of your one-time project packages and only allow your current and future clients to work with you in retainers. This can feel scary at first and like you’re going to lose out on business, but a few months into only working with retainer clients and you’ll never look back.

Your retainer packages could look like:

Freelance Facebook Marketer: 6 months of Facebook Ads (included: strategy, ad creative, data and analytics, benchmark goals, consulting).

SEO Marketing Agency: 1 year of SEO services (included: 8x SEO articles per month, 4x SEO pillar posts per month, 50x backlinks per month).

Freelance Email Marketer: 6 months of email marketing (included: 2x weekly newsletters, campaign and offer creation, 2x campaigns per month, data and analytics, benchmark goals, consulting).

It feels like a big ask to get clients…

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How to Start an LLC in Montana

Starting a limited liability company in Montana offers tax advantages and liability protection to business owners.

But before you can get these benefits, you need to follow a strict procedure to legally form your LLC in the state of Montana.

Lots of new entrepreneurs are intimidated by the paperwork, filings, taxes, compliance, and registration process.

Fortunately, starting an LLC in Montana is easy.

This guide will teach you how to form your Montana LLC in just five simple steps.

The Easy Parts of Starting an LLC in Montana

To legally form your LLC in Montana, you need to file formation paperwork with the secretary of state’s office. But any errors on these documents can delay the process and potentially cause you to lose out on non-refundable application fees.

Rather than going through this process alone, using an online LLC formation service makes everything easier.

LegalZoom has been used to form over two million businesses nationwide. It’s definitely the simplest way to start an LLC in Montana.

Just answer some basic questions about yourself and the business—LegalZoom will handle everything else. They’ll create your articles of organization and file all of the appropriate paperwork with the Montana secretary of state office.

Beyond the basic formation options, LegalZoom also offers everything else you need to start an LLC in Montana. I’m referring to things like registered agent services, business name reservations, DBA names, operating agreements, EINs, business licenses, permits, and more.

You can get all of your needs fulfilled under one roof, which helps you get up and running as fast as possible, without having to worry about the administrative work.

Montana LLC formation plans from LegalZoom start at just $79 plus state filing fees.

The Difficult Parts of Starting an…

Positive Discontent: How to Intervene Before Things Fall Apart

While he was on vacation, one manager’s team lost momentum. We discussed how to intervene before things fall apart.

I gave him two phrases for reflection, protecting gains and positive discontent. “Protecting gains feels defensive,” he said. “It leads to stagnation. But positive discontent works.”

Positive discontent:

Positive discontent is celebrating gains and working to improve.

Gains are platforms, not resting places.

Let celebration stand on its own.

Don’t devalue improvement by immediately saying, “Great job. How can you do better next time?” It’s ok to enjoy wins. Work on improvement this afternoon.

Wins are defeats unless they’re followed by, “What’s next?”

Intervene before things fall apart:

“What doesn’t get done when you’re on vacation?” I asked. He clarified a five-step process to teach managers.

#1. Be discontent when results decline.

Give your team an opportunity to acknowledge drop off. As long as people fail responsibly, declining results are learning moments, not punishment points.

When you punish responsible failure people stop trying.

#2. Establish trigger points.

Catch the drop off before it’s catastrophic by establishing a red-flag-moment, a point when you intervene.

He said, “When I’m here, I’m the eye in the sky. I have a goal for each team. When performance drops below that goal, I step in.”

#3. Ask each manager to establish a red-flag-moment.

What’s the metric?

Know when to step in before stepping in is necessary.

#4. Plan three interventions.

Ask managers, “What will you do when the red flag goes up?” Share some of your own strategies, if they get stuck. Be specific. Develop three options.

#5. Follow up.

What did you try?
How did it work?
What did you learn?
What will you do next time?

Positive discontent – When skills improve, expand the scope and raise the standard.

What does positive discontent look like to you?

How might managers maintain momentum?