A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone talking about everything they were trying to do for their offline consulting clients. They were interested in creating blogs for their clients, creating lead generation websites, and even sales pages for products and services.

It’s was pretty awesome that they wanted to do it even though they didn’t have much designing skills. However, I told them that WordPress makes a great platform for any of these.

The problem was, although WordPress makes website design much easier, until recently, you’d need different plugins or themes to accomplish these.

Trust me, I’ve paid over $2,500 in WordPress themes and plugins to do everything I wanted it to do. Even then, I still was using different tools to get the job done.

But just recently, I purchased what is perhaps my last and only WordPress Theme I’ll be needing to accomplish 80% of my website work for my offline clienst.

It’s called the Profits Theme. This thing is absolutely awesome.

Let me just tell you that I own the iThemes Builder theme (which I do recommend by the way and this site is created on), StudioPress themes, Thesis, Headway, OptimizePress, JVPress, and perhaps hundreds of others and the amazing thing is, Profits Theme has just won my heart over all of them.

The thing is, it does literally everything I need it to do in one theme. Here’s a quick list although I could probably go on and on:

  • membership sites
  • corporate sites
  • download pages
  • launch pages
  • one time offers
  • squeeze pages
  • sales pages
  • legal pages
  • thank you pages
  • profession blogs with featured content and multiple widget areas
  • you name it, it does it

So those are the kind of sites it does easily.

Here’s a few other things it does for you…

You want to create formatted testimonial boxes? Does it! Have over 25 different layout and template options. Yup, you have that too. Display special report or fake videos on optin pages? It’s got that too.

Here’s a look of some of the built in templates (believe me, there’s 26 of them).

I can go on and one, but I think I can’t do it justice on my own. Anyway, you owe it to yourself to check it out. I know it was a no brainer for me.

Most importantly, their support has been stellar and you can expect the same. You got me too who is using this theme now almost exclusively.

Check out what’s probably the best wordpress theme for making money. After you check it out, tell me what you think. I’m probably going to transition this site over to it shortly after I’m done with my niche membership site that I’m building with the Profits Theme.

I got an email from Dale H this week and he asked a couple simple but important questions pertaining to getting started as an office consultant. I thought rather than just answering him directly, you may be able to benefit from the answer as well.

Dale has been considering getting started in the offline consulting world but has hesitations based on the time it may take working with clients and keeping them happy.

This is a great question especially considering if you’ve been delving in internet marketing for some time. What makes it most interesting is that we’ve been told with all the new launches and info products that selling online information products will allow you to make tons of cash with little to no time or effort on your part.

I’m sorry to say but the only place you’ll really find that to be true is to make us think we’ve found the missing formula. I gotta admit, I’ve personally fallen for that time and time again and come to find out that there was actually work involved.

To give you an example, my first information product was an ebook on credit scoring secrets. I physically typed it out word for word in the course of over 45 days and believe me, it wasn’t easy. Once I had the product, I then had to start writing the free report for the opt in, then learn how to use Microsoft Expression Web to built the site and write the sales letter and…

You get the point.

So, does working with local businesses take time. Yes. Is there a way to shortcut it though? Absolutely.

The first thing you have to do is narrow down what your business model will be and what are the 2-3 things you’ll be offering initially.

So, if all I offer are Animoto videos for businesses or Google Places optimization, it doesn’t take a whole lot of time. However, if I’m taking on a client and building a website for them or creating a lead generation system with videos and autoresponders, then it will in fact take more time.

Do you get what I’m saying?

If you focus on a select few services that you’ll master, it will take you less and less time to implement which shortens the amount of time you spend working for each client.

Now, the secret to this focus strategy is that you’ll then get to know a little about your clients and for those you don’t mind working with, you can offer them more services outside of the primary offerings.

Put it this way, you get money from them all for little engagement and you only continue working with those who you personally like working with.

It works perfectly.

What do you think?

Be sure to leave your comments below!

Do you have any questions you want answered regarding your offline consulting business? If you do, make sure to let me know and I’ll be answering your questions on the blog. If you miss it on the blog, don’t worry, I’ll email you too!


With social media being all the rage right now, small businesses are flocking to try to figure out how to make it all work. However, what they’re discovering is that it’s not enough to have a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (among other SM channels), you also have be be active in it to start reaping the rewards.

Last week I had a consultation with an office equipment company here in Chicago and they were excited about having hired a consultant to teach them about implementing a social media plan.

They showed me their website which was wearing new badges as proof that they are now using Social Media. They included a Facebook, Twitter, and Blog image showing that they’ve now made it to the new age of connections.

While I congratulated them on their efforts, I let them know that…

…social media is more than just links to these communities on their website

They never told me, but I imagine they paid at least $5,000 for the consultant to come in and give them generic advice on social media.

So here the truth. Social media is a way for you as a marketing consultant to make a great  living, especially considering that most small businesses don’t know how to properly manage that type of marketing.

But I also want you to know that you’d be doing a disservice to these needy businesses if all you can do is “set them up”.

Social media is about relationships. It’s about connections.

Small businesses can benefit from social media if they are taught how to properly utilize it for their business or you are able to manage it for them in the right way.

You owe it to yourself to learn how to use it right for yourself while also learning from applying Social Media strategies for your clients’ type of businesses.

Is there money in Social Media Consulting. Absolutely!

What do you think? Is social media a service that you’re ready to offer businesses in your community? If not, what’s holding you back?

Do We Still Need The Yellow Pages For Business?

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011


I came across this video recently and thought it was pretty interesting. For years consumers and businesses alike have used the Yellow Pages (and other versions of it) to locate businesses in their local area.

However, now that technology hands you literally thousands of results with a single 2-3 word phrase, the question is, “Do we still need the yellow pages?”

As offline marketing consultants, we see things differently than most consumers and businesses.

Most people still using the big huge yellow book utilize it to find a particular company to buy from. However we as marketing consultants can use it to clearly identify the businesses who could profit from our marketing expertise.

Here are three reasons offline marketing consultants should value the yellow pages:

  1. It gives us a fairly updated local list of businesses who want more business
  2. It shows us clearly which businesses have the resources to back up their desire for most businesses (just look at the ads in there than range from $2000 – over $10,000)
  3. It shows us exactly how to approach these businesses using their own ads (i.e. website review if they include their domain, missing a call to action, offering something for free, using direct response marketing, etc…)

So, while the yellow pages may not be a great thing for consumers who favor technology like search engines and mobile phones, it is a literal goldmine for offline marketing consultants like us to capitalize on and be able to help businesses who really want and need us!

Have you utilized the yellow pages to get more clients? Do you still use them to find local businesses to shop at or visit? Share below.

How One Paper Can Simplify Your Offline Consulting Business

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

As Christmas and New Years approaches quickly, I’ve been taking the time to think about some opportunities and challenges in my life, family and business.

One of my New Years commitments (not resolutions) is to FINALLY simplify things.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could simplify your business?

After a wonderful and insightful meeting with a client today, I’ve come to the realization that over the last few years, my ambition to achieve perfection has been more of a hindrance than a force for good.

… and if perfection is the goal, when is it ever achieved? (that’s right, NEVER)

So, my main objection moving towards 2011 is progress not perfection. It’s simplicity rather than enormity.

You see, in my meeting today, my client looked over to the top of my computer monitor and read a small note I’d placed there close to a year ago which has become invisible to me over time.

He said that it addressed one of the problems that has kept him from achieving his financial goals. In fact, I find it common for most business people.

And to be honest with you, I’ve been guilty of this too.

Are you wondering what it said?

The hand written note read “Don’t chase after the exotic until you’ve mastered the basic.”

I wrote it there nearly a year ago to remind me that “good enough” is really “good enough” to start and improvement always comes after. I had found myself spending way too much time trying to perfect every aspect of my business before even entering the race.

How silly is that?

Well, now I know the difference and with the reminder my client gave me, I’ve prioritized “simplicity” again.

That’s exactly why I wanted to share this with you. It’s a one page document that has the ability to clarify business for you and make it as easy to take action on as possible.

Yes, one page can really make all the difference in the world!

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Categories : Business Strategy

A Message To My Loyal Customers

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

First, let me thank you if you’ve purchased on of my products within the last few months. I was recently having a business conversation with  my son Christian. For all his life, he’s seen his daddy be in business starting with a mortgage company, then a business consulting coaching business, and now a marketing agency.

It inspired him to want his own business. However, as you may know, a business needs some start up capital (while not much these days) and I had a solution for him where we can get him the startup money that he needs as well as offer high quality training and resources to business owners like you. Check out the video below for more details.


If you have any advice for my son, please comment below. I’ll be sure to share it with him.

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Categories : Offline Resources

Are You Helping Local Businesses With Their Branding?

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

The other day, I was talking to a business and got extremely fed up. I got irritated because almost every business that I work with does the same exact thing that never works.

I asked them a typical question, “Can you tell me what makes your business different?

Guess what they said?

“We have the lowest prices, best products and we have great customer service.”

I felt bad but I didn’t want to vocalize what I was thinking. As you can image, I said to myself “Who isn’t saying that?”.

Virtually any business can say that. So rather than making the business appear different, they are categorized with the same businesses that probably failed their customers by sharing those usual expectations and not meeting them.

So when I was done with the meeting, I walked away and pondered why everyone had the same canned answer even if it never works.

And I think I figured it out. In fact, I know I did.

Check out what I discovered…

Looks like I have just one more opportunity to present to my business clients.

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Categories : Offline Services

Free Tool Helps You Quickly Identify Local Markets

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

I just came across a brand new tool to help you find local markets to take on as clients. I usually do keyword research using either Market Samurai, Traffic Travis, or Google Keywords tool but sometimes I just need a quick and easy way to find exactly what I’m looking for.

With that in mind, here’s a quick video that I put together to show you how easy it is to target keywords and discover tons of opportunities to get new offline consulting clients. I’ve also placed a link below this video that’ll show you where to get the tool absolutely free.

You can get the report here.

The cool part is, you’ll also get a free report showing you some of the latest ways you can help local businesses get results from Google.

Let me know what you think!