I guess the obvious answer is yet but hear me out.

I've been trying to start my own business for almost 3 years now and it's hard since I have to work my normal 40 hours(60 counting travel time) a week to pay the bills thus why it's taking me so long. Anyways, with limited money and time it's hard enough to get the product down(software) let alone find customers. I tried Google ad sense but got the wrong kind of people and the people I did get rarely request any info. I also charge very little for the product mostly because I'm not sure what to charge so I figure the lower the better when it comes to attracting customers(probably wrong).

I've been reading through tons of threads and the stuff I've read here is just insane(good way), what people have done for other people, what good copy writing can do and also what it costs. Once I finish my 2nd revision of my product I was thinking of launching some kind of marketing to attract customers so either I was going to use ad words or direct mailing(postcard style). I was thinking of hiring someone but at the rates I've seen thrown around on this site I doubt I can afford it since it was hard enough for me to gather $1000 to get a web designer. What are my options, what should I try first(do it myself? ad words, direct mail?)

Little info about what I do
I'm creating a product that allows small B&B's and hotels to accept reservations online. My current product I only charged $10/month for, well $9.95 actually because someone told me that was better. Anyways, after talking with some people I'm changing it to $1.00/reservation but should it be $0.95? The amount I'm making is small per customer so what I need is a large client base but the people I'm working with(B&B owners) are limited on money as well so I have to keep my price down.

Okay, that's a lot for now...let me know your thoughts...back to the main purpose of this post, would copy writing help someone out like me?

Hi Detz and welcome!

As a copywriter, I'd have some concerns about taking this on. It seems like you may have committed a common mistake to beginning marketers. That is: you've put a lot of time and effort into creating a product, but do you know for sure that you have a market?

You've indicated your market is limited on money, so are they willing to shell any out for your product?

Absent research showing market potential, I'd hesitate to take this on, even if you were willing to pay a fair fee.

A.

If I were in the B & B niche, I'd probably create
a product that would show owners how to keep
their occupancy rate booked solid 98% of the year.

You may think these people are short on funds,
but not all of them are. Many are savvy business
folks raking in a good chunk of change.

I tend to think that some of these people would probably
pay $297 to learn how to keep all their rooms booked
to the max.

Obviously, your copy would need to be able to demonstrate
that a simple $297 investment could reap 20 to 30 times
the return by keeping folks in the beds, and ordering
breakfasts.

I personally know some B and B owners, and trust me,
they ain't hurting for cash.

With such a small price point it sounds like you got a ton
of work on your hands.

I wish you the best of luck, and welcome to the board.

Hey , thanks for the response. OK, maybe I said that wrong, it should have been , I think they have no money...I really don't know. I'm pretty sure there is a market for this for two reasons. Firstly, I visit a lot of B&B sites and a large majority don't offer any way for people to check rooms and reserve rooms online. Second, there are products out there that do this but...to put it likely, they suck. The customers I do have now have said it's a very good product so I can only think that others would like it too if they get a chance to try it.

I think part(if not most) of the reason I don't attract new customers is probably becase I'm not very good at telling people what the product offers. Also, I'm not very good at getting the word out. I've paid for some advertments but either I was advertising on the wrong sites or my message did not make them want to click...

Good points, but to be honest I know nother about running a B&B. I started this project as just that, a project to keep me busy and up with technology and I saw the need to a real online reservation system for small places. I would love to offer the type of service you said but I would have to learn a lot more first..and I've actually learned a lot from my customers already so who knows.

Good headline(copy) would be that accepting online reservatoins vs forcing people to call can increase occupancy rates by 200%. If only I could word that correctly.

Detz,

I'd like to suggest a book: Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got by Jay Abraham. I've had it for several months but just started reading it again. It's full of valuable information.

What impacted me about your post is that it started with all the reasons why you aren't successful. Yikes! You've already answered your own question. You've got to focus on the end-result and find a way to get there.

I suggest you begin with a more manageable project that has a hungry crowd. Set a higher price point. With a low price point, you need a lot of customers to make money. There's nothing more motivating than a good paycheck. A good copywriter can help you achieve your goals.

Ten years or so ago, I tried to launch something big on my first try. I spent 12-16 hours a day for about eight or nine months working on this product. I ignored the expert advice. To make a very long and embarrassing story short, I didn't make money. In fact, I lost a lot.

The lesson I learned was to attract success in manageable bits. If you've worked on this project for three years now, maybe it's time to set it aside--temporarily--and focus on something without the negative baggage attached--just a suggestion. Focus on something that will give you a windfall to get you closer to your original goal.

Joint ventures are wonderful, if you team up with the right person. I've got something in the works right now, and we complement each other perfectly. We have different strengths. If you can find the right person, this may be a good way to go on your first attempt.

I'd like to hear Jason Moffatt's take on this. I get a kick out of his success. His journey into this biz is an interesting one.

Welcome to the forum.

Deb

(I see that Jason posted before I did. Great advice, as usual.)

Hey thanks Deb!

Detz,

What I'm gonna explain here is some really important stuff.

First of all, get that Jay Abraham book Deb spoke of if you can.
I personally haven't read it, but I know Jay is one hell of a
salesman.

Shifting your mind set is crucial or you will likely flop around
for months, if not years making very small chunks of change.
Possibly, you even lose money.

You said that you know nothing of running a Bed and Breakfast.

Do you think I know anything about putting Dreadlocks in people's
hair? Nope, not at all. However, I make sales of my dreadlock
product all the time.

Here's the deal...

Often it's great to not be the expert. That way you can appear
as an unbiased person who is just referring people to the expert.

Here's an example of how I could make a b & b product tomorrow
morning and be in business by sundown the next day.

First of all, I'd find a successful B & B. I'd probably go to
craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events and find a handful of them.

Then, I'd call them up and speak with the owners. I'd explain
that I'm putting together a guide for b & b owners, and I'd
be delighted if they would be willing to give me some of
their expert input on how to keep the place hopping each
and every week.

I'd also tell them that I'm interviewing a handful of other
owners, and I can't be positive that I'll actually use the interview,
but, I'd be willing to do a couple of things for them if they
would grant me an hour interview.

1. I'd pay them a bit of money. (maybe $100)
2. I'd agree to book a weekend at the B & B for my family
(I'd get all kinds of cool pictures while I was there for the product too)
3. If I use their interview, and pictures it will be great exposure
for their business in the future. After all, they are going to appear
like the experts. Anyone listening would probably have some interest
in visiting if ever in the area.

These are just some of my quick ramblings that came to my head.

I hope it makes sense.

So you see, I'd take that interview and package it up into a nice
mp3, and I'd probably hire someone to write me up a bit more
content on B & B's. Most likely I'd just pay a ghost writer about
$500 to whip up some good stuff.

And baam, I'm in business with a "How to Pack Your B & B
Like Crammed Sardines Every Week, Even During The Off
Season" product.

And the beautiful part is, I was just an enthusiast who had a
bunch of questions. Nobody expects me to have all the answers.
So instead of me faking it, I just go to the experts and get their
rock solid advice, pay them a bit of cash, and sell it.

This marketing stuff is definitely just a way of thinking and
leveraging small bits of wisdom. You don't have to be a genius,
that's for sure.

Just look at me!

Good luck, and take care.

PS: I'm not suggesting you go through with my plan, but I just
wanted to give you an idea of how I would never even balk at
the idea of not being able to make a product.

I'm overly confident I could make a product ( a good one too)
in just about any niche in a super speedy time, including the B & B niche.

Rule no 1: Find a hungry market that's easy to get to.

All the other stuff you're doing, while interesting, will be a complete waste of time if you can't get your sales message in front of people who want to buy what you have to sell.

So instead of trying to create a product and sell it, find the hungry market first then create a product you know that hungry market will buy.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
Free 59 minute copywriting audio "How To Find A Hungry Market Online"