Day One: Setup for Money Making

Can entrepreneurs and small business owners really make money without spending a dime? I think it's possible with some time, creativity and business marketing skills...

My dreams of making money without spending a dime started with a decade-old business, long since dead, that had me trying to sell children's clothing online. I had few web design skills, no knowledge of SEO practices, but a love for learning and a breastfeeding child whom I wanted to stay close to. Unfortunately the project didn't work out (supplier issues), but my desire for money making business marketing schemes didn't die as easily.

It's 2007, Web 2.0 is here, and the opportunities to market myself and my copywriting and marketing business are endless. Sure, I could do it and blow a wad of cash, but isn't it more interesting and exciting to do without?

So here is my plan: I will not spend ANY money on marketing, publicity or advertising for my business for a full thirty days. In fact, I will not spend one penny of my money on my business at all for the entirety of this business marketing project. By doing so I will prove, once and for all, it IS possible to build and grow a business on nothing and have a great time doing it.

Here is what I am starting with:

• A fully-functioning website [here]. The logo, site and hosting were all procured for free, but I'll get into those details over the next couple of days.
• Open Office, an open source program offering free database, calculator, spreadsheet, word processing and presentation modules.
• Internet access. Okay, this technically costs me money, but I have no idea how much exactly since it comes as a part of my all-inclusive rent.

In order to make money however, I realize that I need to have a marketing plan (these free marketing plan templates will come in handy) and ways with which to communicate with my clients. [Since I cannot spend any money, I won't be using my cell phone for calls, but rather will redirect all inquiries to my work email address for the month.]

So. On Day One of the Make Money Without Spending a Dime Challenge, I have:

• Emailed seven potential clients found through online databases for work;
• Responded to one of the above potential clients for a quote;
• Emailed a local home business organization to offer speaking services;
• Compiled a list of local business URLs and started to input them into Base (Open Office's database program);
• Reviewed the book, "6 Steps to Free Publicity" by Marcia Yudkin;
• Emailed eight Canadian home business organizations to offer free reprints of articles that may be of use to their readers;
• Researched free business card printers (didn't find any that were truly free);
• Scanned through several business marketing eBooks;
• Researched keywords; and
• Surfed the web for advertising copy ideas.

Do you have creative money making suggestions I should try? Think the Making Money Without Spending a Dime Challenge is silly, stupid or impossible? Are you willing to exchange marketing techniques or, better yet, barter services to assist with the ultimate goal of Making Money Without Spending a Dime? Post here and let me know what you really think.

Read to move onto Day Two?

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