How can I start a Membership Site?

The worst motivation for starting a business is the need for income. A business has to be built over time based on meeting a market need. Of course a business must make money to be successful, but this can take a bit of time. So, the real need is to use the online world to make money. Based on your copywriter skills, here are some ideas to get you started: 1) Start a blog. You can do this for free with platforms such as Blogger and WordPress. This will provide you a chance to show case your writing talent. Writing articles about copywriting can both demonstrate your writing ability and be used to market your approach. 2) Join job markets. There are several freelance sites you can use to make extra money without little to no cost, such as Upwork and elance. You will find jobs on these that will help you earn money and build your portfolio. The pay can be low as the markets tend to be aggressive but a few good contacts can lead to a better source of work. 3) Build your network. Connect with people who provide web marketing services. They need guest bloggers, ghost writers and ad copywriters. Over time you can build a steady source of freelance work. Once you have a good portfolio and practice, you should consider building a branded web site. But first, build your freelance brand. This approach works with other skills too. Let me know how else I can help.

It worries me when I hear a (budding?) entrepreneur use words like "reliable" and "consistent" and "income". Entrepreneurs know there are no such guarantees on the road to potential success. As well your statement "may take time" also indicates that it's just a matter of time. In many (dare I even say MOST) cases your big idea will flat out fail. Sure, some people get lucky and hit it big on their first outing... But the wise ones know that luck was a HUGE factor. And they hold no such expectations for future endeavors to succeed or pan out that quickly. I say none of this to discourage you. On the contrary - these things are the reasons why being an entrepreneur is so amazing. -Most people fear failure and as such will avoid even trying. -Most people give up after their one big idea doesn't start cash-flowing immediately. -Most people have an aversion to risk so they take the path of (seeming) least resistance. Entrepreneurs aren't "most people". Entrepreneurs embrace risk. They do everything they can to MITIGATE that risk - but they also know that "sure things" are for suckers. Entrepreneurs move forward with confidence and passion but also do so knowing that there are no guarantees. They may have to hold down a "j-o-b" while pursuing their vision. It might takes years. They may spend nights and weekends toiling away. But they do so knowingly and willingly. The answer to your question - how to do it - is just to DO IT. Start taking action today. In my opinion - a better question to ask is "What can I do to increase the probability of turning my idea into a business - a profitable reality - one that creates value for the marketplace while kicking off profits to me, the owner?" Find a great mentor or coach and then just go for it. I sincerely wish you the best of luck!

What your trying is one approach to finding investors. Here's another that in my experience is far more effective. I'd tap your network, and it's probably actually a lot bigger than you think! Linkedin is the perfect tool for this. Look for people you're connected to, that you trust, and that are suited to helping your business (ideally in your industry, or experienced in fundraising, etc) and that have a good network themselves (ideally they're connected to some investors you're interested in, but not required). Reach out to them, and let them know you're starting a venture, and are looking for their advice, and would love to treat them to a 30 min coffee meeting. People love to hear that others think they're awesome and they love to give advice which makes them feel awesome, and this is someone you know, so chances are they'll accept. Send this request to everyone relevant in your network. At the meeting, tell them about your venture, give them your pitch, hear their comments and heed their feedback, and ask them for 3 people in their network that would be great people to talk to. Get intros to those people, and repeat. If you do this diligently and listen well, your network will expand extremely quickly, and you'll be able to get introduced to literally anyone you want. This is how our founding team at Tachyus acquired our first customer within 1 month of starting, and having no experience or direct connections in our industry. I'm always down to chat in more detail if you're interested. Best of luck!

I think as a first-time entrepreneur who is non-technical, you should focus 100% of your energy on your clothing business with your buddy. There is far less required to make a clothing business a success than a startup run by a non-technical founder. I don't mean to trivialize the challenges of running an apparel company (there are many) but comparatively, there is a greater chance of you having success with the apparel business than a startup. But you *reduce* your chances of success by diluting your focus with other ideas. Happy to talk to you in a call about starting off on the right foot with a cofounder.

Reed Hoffman and Sydney Armani