By resellers and colleagues alike, a question often posed to me is why anyone would want to become a white label reseller? My response to this question is, of course, that this industry offers entrants the unique possibility of leap-frogging years of hard work (not to mention enormous financial investment) and to become almost instantly profitable. Many hear this and seem to think, “Okay, well, that sounds good, but how does it work?”
Firstly, consider the financial investment, and for the sake of discussion, put some context around it. Most businesses and even entire industries require enormous capital investment before a business can even open its doors. Take, for example, a common type of business, a typical pizza restaurant. To open a pizza shop, a given individual has two viable options. The first option is to find an existing pizza shop and purchase it – running the risk of being sold because it’s losing money, which is often the case. The other is to find a location, rent, lease or purchase it, apply for permits, wait, wait, and wait and then pay a small fortune to install the various trade emblements to open the restaurant, running the risk of failure the whole time.
Now contrast the above scenario with a person opening a small digital marketing agency reselling white label services. They figure out a name for themselves, buy a domain, get a business entity formed, get a small website developed, and from there, all they need is a way to accept payment. The only concern is selling, and even a single meager sale puts them in the black – perhaps even in a significant way. Now, this isn’t without risks; if they choose to resell the services of a poor service provider, sell incorrectly (tell lies) or otherwise behave in an unethical manner, they will get slammed online, damaging their reputation in the process. The odds are relatively low and especially low for those with common sense paired with at least a moderate degree of ethics. This is not an industry that favors the boldly deceptive or the courageously stupid; If you waddle into this industry with the intentions of a used car salesman, you will get burnt – and hopefully to the ground.
Another significant and often overlooked advantage for entrepreneurs seeking entry into this industry is that it is an industry and business type that allows for being waded into. It’s an all-or-nothing proposition without a hypothetical pizza business; you cannot “half” open most businesses and indeed not a restaurant, not if you want to be successful. With a digital marketing agency, you can certainly launch your business for well under $1,000.00 and perhaps even under $600.00 and sustain that business for less; this frees you up to pursue another career entirely or even another business.
This is a big deal because it means as an entrepreneur, your time is divisible. You can spend some time on this business and some on another – or on yourself. You can build a client base slowly, over months, or years and as you do, you can transition into being a full-time entrepreneur – you are not forced to choose between your dreams and your responsibilities.
It should be pretty clear now, with some contrast drawn, that the white label industry is an industry that is both easily and affordably entered into. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme or an industry that lends itself to this mentality. Still, it is an industry that legitimate entrepreneurs can engage in with a relative modicum of effort. If they meet with even mediocre success, they can expect to walk away having profited.