What's the point of learning automation when I can position myself with someone able to sell even low ticket?
I’m not saying you can’t use automation – you can, but if you’re underage you can’t sign up for Upwork. For people in that situation I recommend treating the platform like a straightforward sales funnel: you don’t need to master every sales skill, you just pitch why you’re the better pick among thousands of freelancers. Talk to the client, explain how you can solve their problem, and close the deal. If you can’t use Upwork, replicate the same approach by sending custom video DMs that solve a specific problem, distributing them via Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or email. Search for “Loom outreach” or “video outreach” to see detailed tutorials I’ve made, and check out the Maker School community for a step‑by‑step guide.
I’ve actually recorded a video that answers that exact question, and I’ve been publishing a new video on the topic every day for the past six days. Right now I’m focused on funnel‑building and trying to reach as many people as possible, so you’ll see a lot of repeated content. Think of it as me consolidating the most important points you need to know to be successful in this niche, rather than just shouting at you. Check out the recent videos for a step‑by‑step guide on launching an automation business as a solo agency owner.
Focus on the need‑to‑know, not the nice‑to‑know. Get customers first, then let their feedback tell you where to invest your time. Apply for jobs on platforms like Upwork to start earning, and learn the tools you need by actually doing the work for a client. Prioritize outreach—cold email with personalized Loom videos works well initially—rather than spending endless hours learning theory. Once you land your first client, double down on delivering value and then scale from there.
If you're running an automation agency, you have three main options to find clients. First, Upwork: it's the simplest, straightest path for beginners to get your first dollar online, though the ROI is lower than other methods. Second, cold email: cost per acquisition is super low, you can scale it, and you can use AI to personalize outreach; check out my previous videos on my main channel @Nix for details on customizing and personalizing emails. Third, communities: post high-value content daily or every few days in groups where your target customers hang out; this frames you as an authority and quickly builds an inbound presence without the hard work of recording hundreds of videos. In Maker School I provide a daily regimen: send 10 Upwork applications, make a community post, and do cold email outreach each day. I recommend about 270 cold emails per day (nine mailboxes with 30 emails each). With a two-step sequence, that yields roughly 3,240 contacts per month, leading to about 90 engaged people, and assuming a third respond positively, you get around 30 leads per day—fantastic for your pipeline. This is what's working today given your photography background; you don't need to cold‑approach bigger businesses unless you want to, as it's often a pain.
Start with a kickoff call after the client pays, where you help them set up any needed platforms and possibly share your affiliate or partner codes for discounts or revenue. Then state that you’ll build everything in their environment so they retain full control if they stop working with you. Build using their tools (they give you credentials), and deliver the project with a video SOP that walks them through the system and serves as documentation for future maintenance. Use that video as a retention mechanism, then upsell related projects based on the knowledge gained from the current job. Mention that you can save them $500–$10,000 per month with a simple system, and invite them to a quick call if interested. The loop gets you in and prints money; you can pitch a monthly upsell or another one‑time project.