Guestimate — Some Basic Numbers for Info Marketers to Consider

Dear Info Marketers,

I just got an e-mail over the weekend from a man just starting out as an information marketer. He was asking about numbers. Very specific ones at that. This kind of questioning I like because it forces me to try and provide palpable advice to information marketers who want to start up their info marketing business.

You have to consider all kinds of numbers when starting your information marketing business. I’ve spoken about budgeting several times in the past, but there are more numbers to consider when launching your info marketing business.

Here are some to consider:

--Number of clients: You always hope that this list grows like tree roots. Still, you should always watch the numbers of your clients. Always keep tabs on times when the numbers decrease and increase, and set goals for yourself. A good marketer will have a set number, but will also set standards for a new, higher number to reach.

--Production Numbers: You never know how many actual products to create. Even if you think you are sure of the number of people that will buy the product, you never know until each item is sold, especially if they are print products. With that in mind, you can come up with some numbers based on your client base. If you have say 2000 clients on your e-mail list, you should have 2000 products to offer. Don’t go overboard with this figure as it can be costly. Speak to your local print shop and they often can cut you a deal on the number of products you want to create. Remember: you can always get more if the demand is there.

--Number of Colleagues: You are going to need help in your information marketing business, but since it’s your own venture, you should try to keep it to a minimum, due to costs of others’ services. At IMI, we have our in-house staff, plus a few others that we contract in to help us. In the event we need outside help, we get recommendations from people we trust. But the rule is that we only do this for things we cannot do ourselves.

--When the numbers get too big: This may sound comical, but you may run into a situation where there are a lot of numbers to organize, namely tax and revenue numbers. This problem isn’t unique, but it has to be dealt with. If you find yourself bogged down by the legal and financial responsibilities of your business, don’t panic. You can get an accountant to help you. They aren’t too expensive and have very skilled expertise in this area. We keep one on deck at IMI and he is always aware of ways we can save, what we owe, and some revenue ideas for the future.

Numbers can seem overwhelming, but like anything else in life, they just have to be organized. Keep on top of all numbers that you have to deal with and you will never have a problem with your information marketing business.