Techspin Marketing Group

Founder

Dyspatch

Started at Dyspatch as the first marketing hire. Helped the company raise a series A, and grew the team to 5 marketers.

Director of Marketing

Head of Marketing

Flytographer

Marketing Manager

RevenueWire

Marketing Operations Manager

Marketing Campaign Strategist

Fitness Freedom

Fitness Freedom allows people to attend fitness classes at the most popular gyms and studios in Victoria with one monthly pass. fitnessfreedomcanada.ca

Co Founder

Rethink Learning

CRM and Marketing Consultant

Seeker Solutions

At Seeker Solutions my main responsibilities included Salesforce administration, website management, and Campaign Management, which involved creating ad copy, working with a designer to create ad graphics, executing campaigns and reporting on relevant campaign metrics.  I was also responsible for the company google adwords account, email marketing efforts, tradeshow logistics and coordination of externally facing marketing events.

Marketing Automation Specialist

Marketing Services Assistant

DRBM Management Inc

Personal Assistant

Self proclaimed marketing expert

Hi, my name is Alison and I’ve been passionate about marketing for over 13 years. I left my full time job as a Director of Marketing to start my own marketing agency and now I'm helping other marketers do the same. If you're interested in joining my next free training session for How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months, get registered in my featured section.

I don’t schedule meetings before 10am, here’s why…


I don’t want to. 


#selfemployed #slowmornings

Alison Fisher

Don’t become a freelancer. I mean it.

Sure, not having a boss is appealing, but it’s not true freedom.

In fact, it’s more work than a full time job because now you have to find your own clients AND do all the work. You also don’t get paid vacations so you're basically working all the time.

Here’s the solution:

Start a marketing agency.

This also makes you your own boss, but you don’t have to put in the hours doing client work. Even better, right?

Instead, your only job is:

--> Finding clients

--> Resourcing their projects with other experts

--> Take a monthly profit cut

This is how I went from working 40 hours a week in a full time job to working 15 hours a week working for myself, plus making $55,000/year more in income.

In my next free training I’m giving all the details on how you can do it too. Completely free. Join me on April 17th. Registration in comments →

#worksmarternotharder

The right way to do cold outreach on Linkedin:


First... please don’t start the conversation with a vague question.

I know you heard that building relationships is the way to win clients on Linkedin, but when you say something like:

“Hey, how’s your day going?”

or 

“I’m interested to learn more about you, what’s your business about?”...

It raises suspicions. And people aren't buying it.

Because let's be real… no stranger cares about how my day is going.

And no stranger randomly wants to know about me for no reason.

100% of the time there is an ulterior motive, and 100% of the time, your prospects know this. And they don’t want to engage with you just to find out.

So just come out with it so they can tell you if it makes sense to chat or not.

Some of the most successful cold outreach messaging I have used leverages plain simple honesty with a bit of uniqueness to stand out. Nothing super fancy.

“Hey, I’m Alison. I own a boutique marketing agency in Victoria, BC. We specialize in x, y, and z for B2B SaaS. Our approach to marketing is to build longterm, sustainable lead gen channels that help build a strong brand. If you need any of the services I mentioned, I’d love to chat. If not, no worries, I’m still happy to connect!”

Try something like this and see what happens. 

I use to get responses all the time along the lines of “Hey Alison, I don’t need any of those right now, but I love your genuine approach and will keep you in mind for the future.”

And that’s just it… It’s genuine, tactful, and not annoying. 

There’s no need to disguise, trick, or manipulate. 

People appreciate honesty. And they can sense dishonesty. 

Want more ideas? Get on my newly launched newsletter list! I’m sending tips all the time. Sign-up in the comments →

POV: You left your full time job to be a freelancer, but now…


- You have an inconsistent income

- You have to spend time finding new clients WHILE doing work for existing clients

- You have to work on every vacation

- You are capping your hours and therefore capping your income

For example:

You make 10K/month and work 40 hours a week.

If you want to make more than that, you have to work more than 40 hours a week. But no one wants to do that.

Change your freelancing business into a marketing agency.

Following the uncapped revenue business model, you will start outsourcing your client work to scale your business.

You'll go from 10K/month to 20 or 30K/month AND work only about 15 hours a week.

Work less and make more.

Isn't that true freedom and flexibility?

Get my free 60 minute masterclass to learn exactly how to do this! Link in comments -->

#freelancing #marketingagency #freedom

I’ve often said “no” to taking on a new client.… here’s why:


- They can’t afford my rates (FYI I don’t charge premium prices, I’m very reasonable)

- Their expectations of results are inflated and I know I can’t deliver

- They want help with a one-time project and there is no potential for a monthly retainer

- They are rude or disrespectful in initial calls, foreshadowing a stressful relationship

- If they want Linkedin Ads… because they don’t work 😂

Knowing when to say no to a new client may feel like a backwards move, but it will actually propel you forward.

Remember that next time something doesn’t feel quite right, sometimes saying “yes” will end up costing you more than it profits you.

What reasons would you add for saying “No”?

______

PS. are you building a marketing business and want more tips? Sign up to my BRAND NEW newsletter! Signup link in comments -->

#entrepreneur #marketer #marketingbusiness

I was laid off 4 times in 13 years.

My first 2 businesses failed.

But I still:

- Started a 3rd business

- Scaled it to $14K/month 

- Am now building a 4th

Through all that, I had lots of doubts… daily. 

There was a voice in my head telling me that I might fail again.

But if I had let these beliefs talk me out of starting my own business for the 3rd time, I would still be stuck in a career:

- Working too many hours

- Not making enough money

- Answering to a boss

- Building someone else’s dream

Don’t regret the decisions you make, regret the ones you don’t make.

That’s the message I’m spreading through my free trainings. 

The next one is on April 17th.

Register for How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months (while working 15 hours a week), and I’ll share my best agency-building strategies with you. For $0.

Link in comments below →

Last week I took Monday and Tuesday off, pulled my son out of daycare and ventured off to Vancouver for a few days of fun with my family.

I did this guilt free.

But historically, I would feel guilty the entire trip. 

When I was employed full time, I would have been checking email and slack at least 3x a day, plus respond to messages. I would feel guilty for “falling behind”. It was impossible to disconnect.

And even in the early months of starting my own biz, I would feel guilty for not being more productive. Taking time off felt like I was being lazy and wasn’t doing enough.

It took me a good year to not feel any guilt when taking time off. Crazy, right?!

But this is what hustle culture has ingrained in us.

We are rewarded for burnout behaviours like:

- Working after hours
- Being available while on vacation
- Acknowledging the boss’ evening weekend slack messages
- Prep for Mondays on our Sunday evenings

Working 40 hours a week only to feel guilty during evenings, weekends, holidays, and vacations, is not the life I want. What about you?

Our work culture today has to change!

I changed my quality of life by starting my own business where I only work 15 hours a week and make more money than in my previous corporate jobs.

I spend more time enjoying hobbies, spending time with family, going on multiple vacations a year, and feeling pretty damn good about it. Completely guilt free.

If you want me to show you exactly how I did it, join my next free training on April 17th for How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months. Registration in the comments! →

Many may disagree with this statement… but

You don’t have to work more hours or work harder to start your own business.

In fact, the opposite is true.

I definitely didn't start my own business to work more, and I wouldn’t have done it if I’d had to.

I did it to:

- Spend more time with my family
- Spend more time enjoying hobbies
- Spend more time going on vacations
- Spend more time sleeping in (yes, I need my 9 hours a night)

And, this is exactly what I do. Every day. Yet, I make more money than I did in any of my previous full time roles.

There are two different stories you can tell yourself:

1. “It’ll be hard, and it’ll be a lot of work”

2. “It’s only 3 - 4 clients and a couple of good contractors to fulfill the work” 

Both of the above are true, it just depends on which one you believe.

PS. My next free training on How to Build a 6-Figure Agency in 8 Months (while working 15 hours a week) is coming up fast on April 17th!

Get registered and ditch the 9 - 5. Sign-up link in the comments! →

You want to start a marketing agency but you don’t know what services to offer.

Follow these rules and you will gain a lot of clarity:

1. You don’t need to be the expert because you will be outsourcing the work to the experts → you can technically offer everything, so start with your favorites.

2. Choose services that lend well to, or lead into monthly retainers → You only need to win a client once and they bring recurring revenue

3.  Experiment → You may offer a service and realize later you don’t love to offer it. That’s ok, your services can evolve over time so don’t over think it before you launch your biz. It’s all about trial and error.

Don’t let “not knowing” block you from moving forward, because whatever you decide today will likely end up changing anyway. Just get started.

#entrepreneurship #marketingagency #justdoit

Real talk: I have a lot of negative thoughts about my skills as a marketer. Some include…


- Do I even really know what I’m doing?

- I claim to be a good marketer, but am I actually?

- Can I actually help people?

- Is the marketing course I created even any good?

- Do I have enough experience to call myself a coach?


And it’s important to acknowledge that this is all normal. 

Yes, self sabotage is normal. 

Crazy, right?

These thoughts use to hurt me by holding me back and keeping my self-confidence down.

What I do to turn it around and keep my eye on the prize:

- I know what I’m doing because [insert thoughts of things I’ve achieved that I forgot about]

- I’m a freaking great marketer because [insert results I’ve accomplished]

- The course I created is incredible because it’s all the information required to replicate how I built my dream business

- I can help people because I knew how to help myself

- There’s no such thing as “enough experience”. It’s about having enough confidence, drive, and ambition to “figure it out”. Which I do.

I flip my negative self-talk as soon as I catch myself doing it. 

I can’t avoid having these thoughts completely, because unfortunately it’s just human nature. 

But I can keep getting better at recognizing them and squashing them when I do.

And that’s the key to always continue moving forward and never getting stuck in self-doubt.

PS - My live free training is THIS week on Wednesday: How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months.

Registration link in comments →

I see countless posts every day about talented people who have been jobless for 6+ months, have applied to hundreds of companies, have had several rounds of interviews and done free work only to be rejected in the end over and over again.

It sounds exhausting, unfair, financially stressful, demotivating, and disheartening.

In job markets like these, I realize how valuable it is to have your own business.

If you lose your job, your income goes down to $0.

If you lose a client, your salary dips maybe only 10%.

I made the leap to start my business when I was last laid off two years ago.

I always thought I had taken the harder, less secure path, assuming that it would be more work than finding a new full time job.

But to be honest, finding full time employment in these times sounds pretty rough. Like, really rough!

If you’re currently looking for a full time job with no success, I would seriously consider starting your own business! See it as an opportunity to invest in yourself, build more financial security, and ditch the 9-5. 

It’s probably not as hard as the job hunt you’re on right now!

If you want to learn how, join my next free training on April 17th. I explain exactly how I built my biz to 6-figures in just 8 months with only 1 hour a day. Today, I only work about 15 hours a week, and I’ve never felt more financially secure.

Register in the comments →

After hitting 6-figures in 8 months, this is what I learned about growing a business FAST with no budget:

- Have a loose idea of services you want to offer → this ends up evolving over time, so don’t get stuck on it

- A one page website → You don’t need anything fancy

- Lead generation → Get scrappy and find leads anywhere and everywhere

- Start outsourcing from the very start → Don’t become a freelancer


What you don’t need:

- A carefully curated business plan

- A perfect looking website

- Paid ads or other forms of paid advertising

- Case studies and testimonials

It’s easy to get blocked and stuck along the way, especially in the first months of starting your new biz.

A sure way to keep yourself moving forward is to always be asking yourself “Is what I’m doing right now going to move the needle?”

If you want the exact blueprint I used to start and grow my marketing agency fast, don't miss my free training on April 17th! Sign up link in comments -->

Are you undercharging for your services?

You’re doing this because:

- You’re worried that by pricing too high, you won’t win the client

- You don’t have many leads in the pipeline to fall back on

- Your hours aren’t capped yet, so you tell yourself that you have the time

But if you want to build a sustainable business, you need to be prepared to walk away from low budget clients.

Walking away will:

- Give you back time to prospect clients who CAN afford your services

- Be more profitable while working less

- Motivate you to deliver better quality work, therefore better retain clients

Low paying clients will end up costing you, not profiting you. 

And while it may feel like a win at the time, it will actually slow you down. 

PS. Want more tips? Join my next free training for How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months! Registration link in comments →

Hiring!

I'm looking for a social media freelancer available in Victoria BC. Requirements:

- Produce onsite content (photos + videos) - estimated one monthly visit.
- Create, publish, schedule posts on Instagram and Facebook
- Post engagement
- Monthly reporting
- Boost posts upon request

Please DM me if interested (and please, only local freelancers. This isn't a remote position).

Thank you!

3 ways to retain clients so you never have to worry about churn:

1. Do regular check-ins. Never let your client go quiet for too long… there might be an issue that you don’t know about and they may give notice before you get the chance to address it. 

2. Don’t sugar coat bad results. For example, if a Google ads campaign isn’t performing well, tell the client, and also tell them how you plan to optimize it better to improve results. They will appreciate your honesty and will trust you more.

3. Offer additional value without being asked for it. Do you see something on their website that could be hurting conversions? Or a missed opportunity for a CTA? Send that free advice their way and they will feel that you are invested in their success beyond your contracted services.

Are you thinking of starting your own business but are worried about client retention? 

It's more preventable than you think! Join me in my next free training session for How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months to learn more about how to win and retain clients for a fast growing, sustainable business.

Registration link in the comments →

Last chance to get signed up for the free session on How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months.

Reasons to join:

1. It's the last session I'm running for the rest of the year!

2. All attendees will get access to my calendar to book a free 1:1 mindset session

3. All course purchasers will receive a free credit pack they can use to buy leads on a lead gen platform that I've used to land new clients. These credits never expire and have a "Get Hired Guarantee".

This training is for you if: 

- You've been wanting to start your own marketing agency but don't know how. 

- You want to ditch the 9-5

- You don't want to trade your time for money anymore - a.k.a. freelancing or full time job

- You want to have spare time to enjoy the real luxuries in life like: Slow mornings, the freedom to choose, peace of mind, being present, spending more time with family, and anything else you would add.

Join me tomorrow at 12pm PST / 3pm EST. Link to register is in the comments!

“I don’t want to find my own clients. That sounds way too hard.”

People say this to me a lot.

Here’s the deal:

1. Finding your own clients is a bit of a pain. You have to learn a new skill and invest time into doing it.

2. But the payoff of learning that skill is incredible. Not only do you get to ditch the corporate 9-5 for a 15 hour work week, but the hustle of finding clients is temporary just until you build a large enough client base.

I didn’t want to do prospecting or selling either.

As a marketer, selling was completely foreign to me.

And Prospecting always sounded like a lot of work for little return.

Aside from the powerful motivation I had to start my own biz and not letting anything “uncomfortable” get in the way of creating a life of freedom.

I knew I wouldn’t need to sell and prospect forever. I haven’t done it for months.

Win the number of clients you need to generate the income you want and then stop.

Take on new clients when you start getting referrals. If a client churns, no biggie.

It’s easier than it seems.

And the payoff is incredible.

PS. join my next free training on April 17th on How to Build a 6-Figure Marketing Agency in 8 Months. Learn how to:

- Build a loyal client base
- Make a passive income (work only 10 -15 hours a week)
- Surpass your current corporate salary
- Say goodbye to corporate politics, drama, and micromanagement
- Stop fearing layoffs

Registration in comments! 

#passiveincome #marketingagency #entrepreneurship

"Hi Alison, I attended your training and found it extremely valuable"

"I thought the course introduction today was very informative. It reinforced several things that I already knew that I needed to do and gave me a few ideas - especially the profit / expense portion."

Just a few of my fave comments from yesterday's free training 🔥 

I always wrap up free trainings feeling a sense of accomplishment, knowing that fellow marketers got a lot of value from my content. Especially when there's an additional 20 mins of Q&A afterwards.

I never thought I'd be in a position to share so much knowledge that other people wanted, but I'm realizing more and more that people's mindsets about job security are changing quickly.

We're all starting to accept that there is no job security now and we need to take more ownership and control of our financial well-being without relying on a full time job.

Something that really resonated in yesterday's training:

When you own a marketing agency, each of your clients is essentially a separate source of income, diversifying your income streams significantly, which provides very strong income security.

Having one full time job is a singular source of income... and it could go to $0 overnight.

If you missed the training yesterday, I've linked the recording in the comments. And if you want to join my newsletter, go to alisonfisher . ca to sign-up!

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