The Side-Hustle Dad

Ep05
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Service Hustle Problem
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​[00:00:00]

Speaker: Welcome back to another chapter of the Side-Hustle Dad, last week we talked about identifying a possible business. How to identify what it is you might be aiming at for your side hustle. Today, I wanna spend some time specifically talking to those who are looking at services. You've got a skill, you're handy, you're consulting, you're creative.

You've got this thing you want to aim at for your business, right? That's where I wanna speak to today. The issue is you're starting out. No one's gonna hire you yet. You can't get strangers to hire you yet because [00:01:00] there's no proof. There's no proof that you can achieve what you say you're going to achieve.

I am excited for this episode just because I think this is gonna be really powerful because I think a lot of people, when they are starting out, they don't really think through how it is. Somebody's going to come to trust them to the point where they're gonna hand over some money.

Portfolio Not Free Work
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Speaker: So today we're going to really social proof your new business.

Now, how we do that is through a portfolio, some. Businesses, obviously this makes a lot of sense saying the word portfolio. Artists have a portfolio, musicians and recording studios have a portfolio. These are really important for demonstrating that you have the skills to help somebody achieve something.

But how do you go about creating this portfolio and how do you create it for. Pretty much any business, right? And the idea is going in first step and removing [00:02:00] risk for an initial set of. Beta clients. Now, lots of times people say, Hey, you're gonna do free work early on. You're gonna work for free. I don't like the idea of free work because it conveys that what you're doing has no value and that you are getting it nothing in return for doing the work.

That is not going to be the case today. You are going to get something out of that, and we're gonna walk through that.

Beta Clients Value Swap
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Speaker: So what I like to call this is, it's a. Beta testing stage. Your business is brand new. It's like a new piece of software and it just needs to be tested and proven out so you can work out systems and kinks and how you're gonna work with your clients, how you're gonna handle a lot of the things you will down the road.

So beta testing implies this is early stage. It's got some value, and there might be some hiccups that maybe wouldn't happen later on, but what you're doing has value and you're going to be exchanging something, right? You're not going to work for nothing. You're going to expect that whoever you do work for on this [00:03:00] service is going to in turn, give you social capital, testimonials, reviews.

They're gonna give you. Intelligence, they're gonna help you identify where things went really well, what they're really happy with, things that you could improve upon, how much they value your services at, so you can get some early ideas on, on pricing. And so don't feel like this is something you can't attain or you can't dive into.

Anybody can do this beta testing stage, get these beta clients and work with them initially. So just remember everybody starts somewhere. Don't let the impostor syndrome be like, oh, I, I can't, I can't go do this for people ever. This is a pilot program. You're starting out. Everyone starts somewhere. It's sometimes it's in the garage and sometimes it's in the basement, but that is just where we're at.

So we're starting out and I think that that's an important thing to remember. Beta test, not free work.

Deliver Like A Pro
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Speaker: [00:04:00] Second thing that I wanna point out is you have to approach this like it is real work. Like the person is handing over their hard-earned money to you to perform this work. You cannot come in and just be like, ah, it doesn't have to be perfect.

They're not paying for it anyways. This is going to be what you use to get clients down the road, and so you have to absolutely nail it. Because this is what's going to show others that you know what you're doing, that you can approach this with professionalism, that you can approach this with quality, with care, and that you're really going to deliver on your promise.

Okay? So no shortcuts. Don't treat it like it's something that nobody's giving you any money for. You show up on time, you communicate regularly. This is really, and, and when you think about it. This is like a first impression when somebody one day is looking you up on your new website, which [00:05:00] we, we are not even talking about websites yet.

One day when they're looking you up on your website, one day when they're looking you up on Google Businesses, this is that first impression you have to treat this person like they are a $10,000 client, right? It's just they're gonna help you get those first real clients, right. So as we begin.

Pick Ideal Beta Clients
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Speaker: When you're starting out to get portfolio work or free work, you need to identify the person you want to help.

You can't just help anyone. You're looking for friends or family who match an ideal customer. So who is the type of person that needs your help? Who are you going to serve? Who's going to get the biggest benefit? Out of your services. Don't just offer it to anybody. Let's say you're wanting to consult small businesses and help them grow well.

Don't do a free favor for your neighbor's hobby blog, right? That's not a [00:06:00] real business. You're not. Able to deliver results in the same way. It just feels misaligned. So you're really looking for people who are aligned with wanting the transformation, wanting the help that you're offering. And this, this could be very simple.

Like if you were doing lawn care services, you're going to offer a beautiful manicured lawn without them having to spend the time doing it. It doesn't have to be overly complicated. So think about those people. Start with friends and family, people who already know you and have some level of trust with you.

But I wouldn't necessarily stop there.

Bold Outreach Story
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Speaker: If you're feeling bold, you can go reach out to those people that you know you would love to work with. For example, when I was starting music production outta my basement. I was at a like truck. I was at a food truck [00:07:00] rally, right?

I had taken my kids to go to this food truck rally. We were there just to check out some things, eat some really greasy, unhealthy food together as a family, and just enjoy a nice evening outside. And we went there and there was a band playing. They were great. I mean, they had high energy, they were polished, they could perform, and it was just, I mean, it wasn't a big production.

There wasn't a big stage. They were kind of set up with some speakers, but I just knew, I was like, they're really good musicians. And I had been working in the studio for a while. I've been doing just some work on the side, and I was starting to think about who would I like to work with? Who else could I serve?

And I was like, man, they would be a lot of fun to work with. And they would really highlight my work. Right? Because sometimes it's not just about what you can do for somebody else, it's also that the other person is bringing [00:08:00] their best selves to this process, right? That they're a great. Client for you. So even though I didn't know him, I went over to him, I said, Hey, I've got this little studio.

You guys sound great. I would love to work with you sometime. And in their case, I'd been, I basically did a super cheap rate, really low cost just to, to get 'em to say yes. At this point I was, I was a little bit past the completely free portfolio work, but I wanted to get them in just because I knew what that sort of work could do for my portfolio.

So. I made that offer. They were like, yeah, that, that sounds great. And we were able to do like a four or five song project together, and it was fantastic. It turned out great. They were excited. They left me reviews, and it just creates this goodwill, this effect, because now you've got this work that demonstrates the [00:09:00] quality that you can provide.

And draws other people to you. It's a virtuous cycle, right? So you're thinking of those people, but feel free to be bold. Like if there's like, Hey, this, business or this house. Like I know those homeowners who they are and they, they would really value my work if I did a project for them.

Materials Only Offers
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Speaker: Now, some of your services you can't completely offer for free. Because you're doing home renovations, right? You're building a new deck, whatever that might be. 'cause it's a service, but you're, you're creating something. So in those situations, what I actually do is say, Hey, I'm, this is a beta test business.

All you have to pay for are the materials. All you have to pay for is the software subscription so that I can create all these accounts for you. All you have to pay for is the advertising spend that I'm gonna. Maintain and support for you to grow your business. [00:10:00] You can basically do this cost of materials, rules.

Don't take on a bunch of costs just to do something for somebody for free. The values that you're gonna provide, the work and the labor, and the effort and the results for free. But they're gonna have to. Cover materials and things like that. So whenever you're meetings with somebody who's a potential person for this, if your service requires you to get some of those, you, that's how you pitch it.

You say, Hey, I'm, I'm launching this business. I'm looking for some beta clients, and all I'm looking for in return is some feedback. And that they would pay the cost of materials. Very low risk for them, and that's really what we're wanting to do with portfolio clients or these beta clients, is remove the risks so that it is easy for them to say yes up to the point in which you've proven your quality.

Scope Boundaries
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Speaker: Now, when you're offering this free work, you don't treat it like it's [00:11:00] free. Which also means you say, Hey, here is exactly what I'm going to do, and here's exactly what I'm going to deliver for this price, because you might get into it. Let's say you're doing a renovation. You say, I'm doing a new deck, and you're doing the work, and they love it, and they go, oh, this is fantastic.

Would you also do an outdoor kitchen? Would you also, because that's gonna be the temptation, since they're getting such great value out of you initially, there's gonna be a temptation probably not out of any ill will, but they just see the opportunity and they wanna work with you more because they see what you can do.

They say, Hey, what about this other thing? So I want you to, anybody you work with, and it doesn't have to be like this giant legal document, like just very clearly say, Hey, here is a paragraph or a set of bullet points. Here's exactly what I'm going to do, [00:12:00] and here's exactly how long it should take.

And, and also what I'm expecting you to provide back, and we'll get to that in a little bit, but you're laying out a clear scope of work so that when that question comes and they say, oh, this deck is fantastic, would you also be willing to do an outdoor kitchen for us? I'll, I'll pay for all the materials right there.

I'll pay for all that at this point. You have proven your worth. You've proven what you can do. I'm not telling you to turn down the opportunity for work, but if they are starting to. Perform what's called scope creep or ask for additional things that are beyond what you initially laid out. You need that document just as a guide. Say, Hey, that's really exciting.

i'm glad you are enjoying what I'm providing, but that's a bit outside of what we've defined, so here's what I would propose. Here's how we'd expand it, and for this additional work, it would cost you X and then just offer that. And if they say, nah, nevermind, [00:13:00] that's fine.

But now you've created clear boundaries so you don't get taken advantage of. That is the important part. 'cause we don't want this to just bleed into all things. You're just creating a portfolio. We want these clients to give you a series of success stories that you can show to anybody else when you're pitching your services.

So we want to maintain clear boundaries through the process. Okay, now you've got the offer. You've laid out the boundaries. You've found those clients, they've said yes. I'm in it. You perform like a pro all the way through the process. You deliver on everything. They're happy, they're loving it.

Collect Feedback Proof
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Speaker: So now at the end of the process, there are three things you need to make sure you get back.

The first is you want to get the brutal feedback. Hey, on a scale of one to 10, how likely would you be to [00:14:00] recommend me to somebody else? How likely would you be to recommend me to a friend or a family member? Just find out if they give you a low score, say what? What things can be improved? If they give you a six or something mediocre, say what would make it an eight?

What would make it a nine? Do not just let them give you a number and then move on. You need to get some idea of where it is you could grow and improve and ask for that question. What would it take to if it's not already a 10? They love it. They'll pay you for an additional project tomorrow. What?

What needs to happen for it to move up? What could you do to grow? Because that's gonna help you identify gaps, especially early on. And then the second question really is, what would you have been willing to pay for this service? Like how much value do you see it bringing? Maybe, maybe they don't have the budget and they wouldn't have themselves originally, but just what value would they attribute to what you've done?[00:15:00]

And, and to ask that question. Now, here's the best part in all of this. If they say, yeah, I would really recommend you throw in, would there be anybody you know that you would recommend me to right now? Like, would you be willing to make an introduction? You can ask for that. It is totally fine. Why?

Because they're excited. They have just seen the results of what you can do for them, and that's fantastic. Okay, so that's the first thing. You need to close a feedback loop. They need to provide you with some of that. The second is you need a testimonial from them. You want them to not just give you a review, say he did great work five stars.

Describe what things were like before and where you got after what it looked like. Think through that process. Ask those questions and then get them to write it down, send you a video, something along those lines. Any of those will be fine, but [00:16:00] collect that testimonial, that review. And then once you've got that, say, Hey, that's fantastic.

And when you have a Google Business page, just respond to 'em. Say, Hey, you gave me this amazing testimonial. Would you be willing to copy and paste it into Google Businesses? You know, here's my link, and just leave a five star review. That'd be, that would help me out a ton. But the testimonials are important.

And then finally, you need to document in some way, shape, or form, the before and after. If it's an outdoor project, the photo before and after, if it's an organizational tool, before and after. If you're doing music like I was, you would show the results of working together. What does the song sound like after working together?

You want to have that proof. What is the result? What is the physical, tangible thing? That you've created that's helped them. Now, in some cases it may be ambiguous, like if you're doing business consulting. You may have to depend on the testimonial, and in that case you may need to ask some additional [00:17:00] questions like, how did it help you?

What was the result? What was the monetary value after working together, right? I saved X amount of time, and at that point it becomes more of a case study, but that is still documentation and you need to document all of those results because this is what gets pulled together as saying, here is my portfolio of work, here is the proof.

That I can do this, and that's really fantastic. You know, you get Google Business reviews. Now you have these testimonials that when you get a website, you can put them on there. You can put these in social media posts to highlight before and after of working with you. Any of those places are great opportunities to use your portfolio, and you don't have to just use it once.

You can come back to it over and over and over again.

Permission Referrals MVP
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Speaker: Now a few things as you're thinking about. So you've got all this stuff. You've got the testimonials, you've got the feedback, you've got the case studies. [00:18:00] Few things to make sure you take care of, just to button everything up. Make sure you have permission to use, get some written permission that you can use their logo or photos of the work you've done for them.

So make sure you have permission for that at the end of the day. Now. That should be a no brainer that you're providing with them with the service at no. Or low cost or the cost of materials. They should have no trouble saying. Yeah, absolutely. You can use our logo, our business logo as you've worked with us, or you can take photos of the project afterwards and use those photos on on your website.

That shouldn't be any trouble, but just make sure you ask for it and make sure you're clear and you save that off. Now, I hinted at this earlier, somebody might expand the scope and say, oh, what, you know, try to expand the scope on you and say, what if we did this, could you also do this? And we said, [00:19:00] keep the boundaries in place.

However, now you're going with the next step. Hey, this has been awesome. You're the exact type of person I want to work with on these things. If you happen to know anybody who would need me, I would love an introduction. I'm gonna be opening up paid spots for my first customers, and they might actually be the first customer themselves.

Offer it to them, ask for an invitation to somebody they would refer you to, but make that next step. Ask, and then finally. We are looking for what's called a minimum viable product, right? Part of the point of this is to see if this business model is going to work before we commit a bunch of time, a bunch of resources to this.

So you're providing the service, you're delivering the result. So all you really need to be able to do at the end of this with the portfolio to say, okay, here's before and after. Here's case study. And it just goes [00:20:00] into a set of slides, right? To be able to pull up to help you talk about your offer with the next person.

Say, yeah, hey, this is what it did. You don't need to get too crazy with the fancy website. Those things will, will all come. I absolutely recommend having a website, but don't feel like you have to have that yet. It's coming. Those things will, will be found eventually. All right.

Homework And Wrap Up
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Speaker: So hopefully this was helpful thinking through portfolio building for your service business.

I want you to think about that next person, who is that person? So your homework this week, who are those two people? If you were starting out, who are those two people you could make a beta offer to to provide your service? Think about that. Consider that. Thanks for listening, and I look forward to seeing you next time.

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