Realization: I Need a Sales Plan

Yesterday I got a taste of what it is really like driving for Uber, and now I feel a lot more urgency in my startup. I know it seems counter intuitive to think that every single moment spent driving for Uber is a waste of time, but it is. My time is worth more, and even though I waste a ton of it, that waste is part of being human.

But when it comes to working and being able to support myself, Uber is not an option. It was never the long term option but now I know that it is not even the short term option. The only way to generate revenue is to increase sales. The only way to increase sales is to get the fuck out there. Either spend money or spend time, and if you spend time, you need to be spending that time shaking hands.

Shaking hands.

That’s your goal as an entrepreneur. How many hands did you shake today?

Then, if you shake someone’s hand, they better be somewhere inside your funnel. This is the way to succeed. There is no other way. No matter what business you’re doing, getting customers is the first order.

In that respect, I’m green as fuck. I need to practice and practice heavily. That is why building a daily customer acquisition process is one of my fundamentals. For example, when I was at the vet today I should have looked at it as an opportunity to sell my laundry business to them and turn them into a client. That is still possible, they haven’t said no and they may never say yes.

But here’s the deal: I have to be looking at these moments as opportunities. It never even crossed my mind. Well, that’s mostly because the cat was the only thing on my mind, and if I am going there it would be during times of distress.

Still… the point is that sales need to become the forefront of thought. Sales. That’s all there is because that’s what top line revenue entails. I’m not shy, so why the hell is this so intimidating to me?

When I think about how I overcame my fear of approaching women… that was much more difficult than this. After enough practice, I was able to date beautiful women. This should be easy. I’m selling my work ethic.

So then how do I meet people? Uber is one way although it is a colossal waste of time. Another way is just to walk into places and buy a little something while trying to sell them.

I feel as though I can’t do sales unless it is person to person. I don’t think telemarketing suits me. I much rather make an attempt face-to-face and that is the way I should approach my sales. The bottom line is that is what I have to focus on.

I’ve had a sales plan in my mind that involves targeted marketing on social media. But that’s not going to be enough. Not if I want to support myself without having to work for a fraction of what I’m worth.

The first step is to get a Solicitor’s License from the Dallas Police Department.

So that’s now on my to do list. Speaking of which, here is an update from last week and what I look to accomplish this week.

From last week —

1. DONE — Create a Google Drive account and folder for the business, move all current business documents and files to this folder and organize them.
2. DONE — Create a Twitter account.
3. Not done — Create a Mailchimp landing page.
4. Not done — Create a Xero account for bookkeeping.
5. DONE — Create a Table of Contents for this series.
6. DONE — Create a summary blog post for January.
7. DONE — Open a Business Checking Account.
8. DONE — Update budget to match the checking account.
9. DONE — Test the square reader, link square to checking account.
10. DONE — Order checks.
11. DONE — Order stickers with the logo.
12. CHANGED — Take test bags to the screen printing company and test screen printing on nylon bags. BECAME — Order laundry bags with logo online, and it’s DONE.
13. HALF DONE — Audit the customer experience by conducting dry runs with friends as customers. As we went through the process there were things I did not foresee and had to fix (removing half the website), which means this auditing process will be ongoing for some time.

OK now for this week —

1. Create a Mailchimp landing page.
2. Create a Xero account for bookkeeping and link it to Square.
3. Audit the customer experience by conducting dry runs with friends as customers.
4. Fix the tip recommendations on Square. (Found during first run)
5. Fix the service categories on Square.
6. Create ad copy and a better slogan than “Cleanliness is Attractive”.
7. Create a Free Laundry Sweepstakes with rules. (notes on rules: zip code, deadline, lbs. of laundry, newsletter announcement, hat tip profile link required: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)
8. Create a spreadsheet for orders and connect it to the online order form.
9. Obtain Solicitor’s Permit — http://www.dallaspolice.net/SolicitorsPermit/Solicitors_ordinance.html
10. Create a pick up & delivery calendar.
11. Add business to google maps (as delivery only) using home address.
12. Set up Google Analytics for the website.
13. Categorize expenses using tax forms as a guide.
14. Website pages to build — About / Blog / Contest / FAQ.
15. Create a sales plan or daily customer acquisition process that can be measured.

The following items require funds to clear the checking account (which happens on Feb 9th) —

1. Set myself up as an employee (tips / payroll / time card).
2. Purchase a weighing scale & sturdy basket for weighing.
3. Move automatically deducted expenses from personal to new business account — Strikingly / Apple / Google / T-mobile / Typeform / Mailchimp / Xero.

So as you can see there’s a lot on my plate. If you want to see what I’m doing day to day, Snapchat is your answer.

This story is part of a series documenting the journey of a 2016 Dallas startup called Feather. If you would like to read more, here is the Table of Contents for the series.

Previous story: January 2016 Summary

Next story: Why a Startup Should Never Start as a C-Corporation

Thanks for reading!