How did you leave full time employment and start earning your living online?
Back in 2008/9 the recession started to really take its toll on the audio-visual industry. I was a Business development manager for a multinational company and I could see budgets tightening, staff being laid off and knew it was time for a Plan B. Sure enough in 2011 I lost my job through redundancy.
I was aware of online marketing and affiliate marketing – where you get paid commission for referring customers to product owners. I tried a couple of variations of that with mixed success. I knew it was what I wanted to do but that I had a lot of blanks to fill in. In Around 2013 I was introduced to The Six Figure Mentors and with their help, systems and training was able to create a profitable online business with multiple affiliate income streams. I’m also able to generate a lot of business for my partner’s driving school through digital marketing.
What is your relationship with SFM?
I am an accredited affiliate with SFM . This means that I receive an “affiliate commission” whenever I refer a new member/customer to SFM. Since this is where I learned marketing I have no doubt that I am recommending some of the best education available online in this field.
How Long have SFM been in Business?
SFM’s founders Stuart Ross and Jay Kubassek have been in business for the best part of a decade. They joined to form the company in 2010 and have developed it into one of the online industry’s top business education platforms. They have members in 140 countries with their integrated product line The Digital Experts Academy (DEA)
What’s an affiliate?
An affiliate is someone who promotes products and services and receives affiliate commissions on any sales. SFM is an affiliate company. It’s not unlike owning a shop that sells say musical instruments: You would buy the instruments at cost price and sell them on at a profit.
With affiliate marketing you refer people to the parent company’s websites by marketing them online. When people buy products or services from the company’s websites you are paid a commission for the sale. SFM provides all the marketing materials for you and also handle the sales. You only need to market their webpages. As an affiliate you are a vendor but you don’t need a store as the affiliate company provides that for you.
What does SFM membership cost?
The SFM system costs $297 plus a monthly fee of $97 starting from the second month. As a member you will then have the option to choose one of the group’s education programmes. These range from $2000 - $29,999 . Some plans can be paid over 12 months.
What do I get?
Firstly new members are given a 5 part, step-by-step plan to follow. This covers everything needed to set up the business system and tools and a step-by-step SFM business plan. SFM members are provided with a business coach to help them get started. The system includes 30 tested websites (landing pages) suitable for a variety of niches in the online and Internet marketing space.
Each incorporates a shopping cart and payment system. SFM also provides members with a custom back office giving access to training, and a suite of tools and resources. You can customise your websites, set up products and prices, create banners, tracking links and much more. Everything needed to run and manage your online business regardless of how much or little experience you have. The average age of SFM members is currently 48.
What kind of support can I expect?
There are multiple support mechanisms with SFM. The company itself offers weekly and monthly live webinars and trainings as well as hundreds of archived training materials. You can opt to receive one to one mentoring with SFM authorised coaches and there is a dedicated support ticket system incorporating live chat. As an SFM member you are part of an entrepreneurial community and are never far from help whenever you reach out. You are running your own business your way but not on your own. I also offer personal support to my referred members as my success depends on yours too.
How much money can I make?
Whilst SFM offers some of the highest commissions in the online industry and provides some of the best products, tools resources and training your success will depend on several factors. Essentially it will depend on how good you become at digital marketing and how much advertising you can do. Your one focus with an online business is to drive traffic to your websites. Dave and SFM will provide everything needed to do this but can’t actually make you take action. Every business carries an element of risk. This is a very real business and has to be treated like one.
How soon will I get sales?
Again this is dependent on a number of factors. If this is new to you there is a learning curve and how long that takes is down to how quickly you can learn and action what we teach. It’s always best to learn at your own pace bearing in mind your personal circumstances rather than to expect fast results and become overwhelmed when they don’t come fast enough for you.
Are there Financial risks?
There are financial risks associated with any business venture. That is one of the key facts that business people accept. If you are not comfortable with that then you probably shouldn’t be in business. SFM does not hold members to a binding contract. The only recurring fees are the monthly membership of $97, which can be cancelled at a month’s notice. You are responsible for putting the work in – it’s your business. It is essential that if you are having problems you contact myself or SFM, who will do our utmost to help where possible.
How and When Do I get Paid By SFM?
SFM pays affiliates by check, direct bank deposit or Paypal. Payments are made monthly between the 15th and 27th of the month for commissions earned the previous month.
How can I cancel my SFM account?
Accounts/memberships can be terminated at any time as there are no longer-term obligations involved for either party. You simply send SFM a support ticket via your back office giving one month’s notice.
What can I do with the education provided by SFM?
SFM’s philosophy is to create independent digital entrepreneurs. This means that you are not dependent on any one affiliate product or service. This is an education in high-level Internet marketing and can be applied to literally anything that can be bought and sold via the internet.
Beyond that, skilled digital marketers are in high demand as consultants and as employees. This is one of the very few industries where you can literally write your own pay cheque.
The skills and training SFM provide can be used to grow an existing businesses online presence. With these skills students can pursue careers as local business marketing consultants, online advertising consultants and specialists in key areas of digital marketing.
That can only happen however if you actually use the knowledge Dave and SFM can equip you with. That’s why there is an application process involved in membership. We just want to know you are as serious about this as we are.
