DIY Dollars

There’s a great deal of information on how to get more clients. This info is aimed at businesses and consultants who need more money, which means they need more business, which means they need to secure more clients…which means they need to sell more.

After all, when you look in the business section of your local Barnes & Noble and see how many books (basically) address this concern, it has to be the “main thing”, right? Right?

Not necessarily. I would have you take a look at the problem from a slightly different angle and consider another way to approach the problem.

First, ask yourself the question:  “Am I charging enough for my services?”

Yes, you read that correctly. The problem may be with the class of clients you’re currently getting – and by charging more you will definitely be abandoning them, but the “positive” is that you’ll be classifying your business as one that serves a higher class of client.

I have to quote a commenter on a blog a read.

I asked a friend once, “how do you get those huge contracts?”. His response: “charge a lot”.

His point, obviously, is that when he charged more than the next provider he appeared to me a better provider.

The principle of “perceived value” isn’t a made-up fairy tale – it’s quite real and can have definite effects on your level of business and type of clientele.

So, in short, the answer to your problem of “not enough” may have more to do with quality than with quantity. And as risky as it may seem, sometimes raising your prices may be the answer.

I happen to be a huge movie fan. My DVR is usually full because I’ve recorded too many movies – I can’t watch them fast enough to delete them. I have DVD’s piling up all over the house. I simple love the escape of a good film, and from another perspective – I love the fact that a group of people could get together and create something almost magical from nothing.
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Everyone’s own definition of success varies according to their own system of values. Some people may think success is primarily measured by monetary gain and financial security; others would argue true success is doing something that really matters; and yet others would contend that success is defined by deep personal relationships. Success is subjective and so there is not one correct definition. However, there are certain characteristics that are common to everyone’s idea of living a successful life.

In no particular order…
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Loompanics (oh how I miss that company!) published a book about making money in the underground economy. I loved that book. I have a rebellious streak, and combined with my hatred of bureaucracies, a book about making tax-free money is pure entertainment to me. And that’s what this post is about: the making of money (without paying taxes) in what is called the underground economy. This is not a guide or a how-to or a step-by-step list, but rather a primer to start you thinking. I am offering zero advice and not advocating or recommending any sort of behavior here.

What IS the Underground Economy?
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A few years ago, I was in “t-shirt” mode. I had this idea that I would make my own t-shirts and then maybe sell them. Mostly I was just interested in the art of screen-printing, but it turned into one of those moments where one thinks, “Can I do this, and also make money at it?”

Well, I was only semi-successful at DIY screen printing. Yes, I proudly built my own press, made my own screens, and printed a few of my own shirts. My first tee was a Hunter S. Thompson portrait, and I sold all of them rather quickly. To this day, when I wear the shirt, people stop me to ask where I got it or to say “cool shirt”.
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