How to Get Started on a Small Budget – Option 2 – Barter with a Pro
This article is the second of five on building your coaching website without spending lots. I wrote about option 1 – getting a free website last week.
This week’s is about the second option – bartering. This means finding a talented web designer to build your website in return for coaching.
The benefits are:
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You get more coaching experience, fewer headaches, and a hopefully a great testimonial.
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They get more web design experience and a great testimonial.
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You both focus on strengths and help each other.
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It won’t cost you much.
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You get your website up.
One of my business advisor friends said this to me today, “Web designers are very talented but they have zero business sense.” That’s why I wrote The Coaching Site Guide. To make sure you’ve got a good strategy behind your site regardless of how you get it done. Learn more about the guide and buy it here.
The keys to getting this to work are:
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Find a talented but newer web designer who would love to add more work to their portfolio. Being a newer web designer, he is more open to bartering.
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Get advice for what you need for your site and don’t expect the designer to have the answers. This means good copy and a smart website strategy to support your goals.
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When you approach a web designer to discuss bartering, I suggest you find out the web designer’s dream for their business, which will often mean getting plenty of work and earning a good income. Then, offer to coach them to realize that goal.
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Set a deadline for your website. Whatever it is, get a date on the calendar.
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Make it clear that you’re treating this bartering agreement as important as paid work. Often, web designers will focus on the high paying projects and slack off on the lower priority ones.
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Take responsibility for managing the project. Many web designers will behave like hired employees and wait on you for direction. So do that.
This covers the first two options. Three more to go. Here’s the list:
Option 1 – Get a free website
Option 2 – Barter with a pro (today’s article)
Option 3 – Get a friend
Option 4 – Find a low-cost freelancer
Option 5 – Do it yourself
In the next blog I’ll talk about option 3 – getting a friend to help you.
If you’ve tried to barter, failed or succeeded, what have you seen happen? Discovered? What have you learned? I’d love to hear. Comment below.