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Profiles of real-life joint
venturers - Wayne Porter...
I already knew Wayne Porter
as an affiliate marketing participant/observer/consultant. In May 2001, he
acquainted me with Xcleaner (www.xblock.com),
his transatlantic joint venture that brought a raw
idea to fruition and changed his general marketing approach…
Wayne, who works for a high-tech company and runs
his own businesses online, had the idea for a computer utility that he saw had great
market potential... A means of cleaning up one's PC that goes beyond
virus scanners and firewalls - efficiently detecting spyware and other unwanted
detritus and removing them from memory.
He already understood a lot about how to market a product
online (including setting up an affiliate program, of course)... But he
lacked programming skills.
Meanwhile, he happened to review a software product (for a
former website) developed by a gentleman named Jan Herstens... who lives in Belgium. Wayne
(in the U.S.) linked to Jan's website - "Jan reciprocated by linking back
to my site and giving me a registered version as a token of appreciation",
explains Wayne.
"...From there we talked over a series of months
about how shareware authors struggle to make sales. We came to the
conclusion that part of the problem stems from poor marketing on the part of
authors. We decided to tackle that dynamic and see if we could build a
product that would really sell."
So "Xcleaner" was born! And this
international e-mail friendship has flourished into a business partnership that
is working very well.
The time difference works out well for Wayne and
Jan. Both sleep very little, so they can generally link up together when needed. They rely on e-mail and real-time
messaging to communicate together.
Then, they typically take turns (during their respective
waking hours) responding to customer e-mails, allowing them to provide
nearly 24-hour tech support. And when one partner is away, the other is
available.
Since the type of product they've collaborated on must itself be as dynamic
as the
computer technology it deals with, at least a part-time programmer is needed to
do continual monitoring/updating. ...Hence Wayne and Jan's partnership, rather
than Wayne just contracting Jan's programming services.
Jan also has a full-time job with a high-tech firm - so
the timeline for development and promotion of the Xcleaner
project had to be flexible.
That seems to reflect the very cooperative spirit of this joint
venture... You may be surprised to learn that Wayne and Jan never did feel
the need for a formal written contract.
They discussed it, but "we both felt that a virtual
handshake was all that was needed. ...We are both comfortable with this form of
working relationship" - though Wayne acknowledges that some people would
"probably want to extend the agreement to a written one."
Since most of their business would, at least initially, be from
the U.S., the partners decided to take care of the financial angle through Wayne's
company...
All of the product sales are handled through the ClickBank
affiliate program. Wayne, then, just pays Jan his equal share (as an
independent contractor) out of the ClickBank commission checks. They allocate 20% for marketing expenses and future
growth. Plans
include a stronger European presence - further capitalizing on their strengths!
(ClickBank was their choice for affiliate program
management
because it's easy to use and allows for very fast setup. It's especially viable
for a single product - though using a larger network might be down the
road. And by the way, their sales and revenue really took off once they
raised the payout rate from 15% to 40% and "branded" the free version
of the software with their affiliates' IDs.)
Wayne has found his venture with Jan to be both rewarding
and good fun...
"What we both discovered is that aside from our
cultural difference, we're very much similar people with similar
interests. We trade chocolates and confections from our countries and
share pictures from our homeland.
"I find it pretty fascinating to get a glimpse of
Belgian culture from an insider perspective. [Our partnership has] also
taught me to think and work globally. ...Even small things matter, like
stipulating currency in U.S.
dollars or using metric instead of assuming the other party should have to deal
totally with my frame of reference. This has been a real asset to me with
my other ventures as well."
Such virtual "hands across the water" reveal the
power of the internet, as well as the power of joint venturing, in bringing
people together for mutual gain!
Wayne Porter writes
for ReveNews.com and serves on the board of the AffiliateUnion.
He is also the author of Affiliate Marketing 101 from Intellectua
Press.
What can we learn from Wayne
Porter about joint
venturing?…
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You never know where an initial networking contact will
take you...
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Exploring points of mutual interest over time can lead
to interesting (and lucrative) joint ventures.
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You don't have to know how to do it all to succeed in
business! - "think joint venture".
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Around-the-globe coverage = around-the-clock coverage.
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A lasting partnership doesn't have to entail rigorous
legal/accounting measures.
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Diversity can be more of a stimulant than a barrier in
international cooperation... think globally too!
For
those serious about JV marketing...
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Copyright 3-2001 - Gordon Pioneering
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