I have just finished reading ‘Offline Gold Forum Thread’ report by Andrew Cavanagh.  This report is full of ideas how to make quick money offline.  You can get it for free at Offline Biz Forum.

In this report you can read discussions about ideas and methods for approaching local businesses.   Which methods worked for some people and which did not?   What do you have to do to avoid making crucial mistakes?

It is a really inspiring article to getting you to think about how to make money.  Reading this will give you a huge amount of ideas.  You also can register for a membership at Offline Biz Forum and get a lot of valuable tips and tricks for Internet Marketing.

I would like to add an idea to this report, which I learnt from my experience with a local business.

A few years ago I tried to establish business relationship with a local photography studio.  I offered them my skills as a designer and a developer of a website.  They were happy to turn on their business online; because the company’s profit was getting lower each year.

It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to develop a relationship with a local business and build my portfolio for future referrals.  However, I made some mistakes, which I would like to share with you.  So you will not make them and be successful in your business.

My recommendations are:

1. Do not be shy to discuss how much your service cost.  I would recommend naming higher price at the start of your conversation, but then lower the price as an exception for them.  Psychologically it works very well.

2. Write a contract between you and your client.  An oral agreement is good, but by the time you finish your project your client and you will have forgotten some points in your agreement.  It could lead to misunderstanding between you and your client and as a result to a disagreement between both sides.  So I would strongly recommend a written contract.

3. Define deadlines for every part of your project.  A definition of deadlines will help you to organize yourself and develop your product in a more effective way.

4. Regularly inform your client about your progress.  Keep your client informed on every stage of your project.  So he/she can see your progress.  It also will help him/her to realize an enormous amount of work you have done.

5. Before putting the site on the web prototype it. Prototyping is a method which helps to find different design alternatives and assess usability. I am going to explain more about prototyping in my next article.  But for now just remember that it is very important for successful website development.

If you want to get a full picture what is in the report, go to offlinebiz.com and sign up for a free report.  And do not forget to visit Offline Biz Forum, where you will get help in any aspect of your Internet Marketing.