Build mail chimp lists for local businesses.

Most people realize that building an email list is one of the most important things you can do for an online business. Many brick-and-mortar businesses don’t collect email addresses though. A simple yet valuable service would be going into stores in your town and offering to do this for them. For example, you could go into a teriyaki place and offer to set up a jar that says “fill out a card for the chance to receive a free lunch!” Place a stack of cards next to it with fill-in-the-blanks: first name, last name, and a line that says “what email address should we contact if you win?” (Customers will be less likely to object to sharing their email this way.) Then once a week you stop by the restaurant, collect the cards, and enter the names and email addresses into the restaurant’s Mailchimp account. As part of your fee, you could also write an autoresponder series: six emails over the course of two months that lets customers get to know the restaurant, understand what sets them apart, and maybe give out discounts or incentives. You could charge businesses a monthly or quarterly subscription fee for this service. Sell the first few subscriptions relatively inexpensively and have them fill out weekly or monthly surveys about how much business is being generated via email. Now, armed with this data, you can raise your rates and go to new businesses and say “For $X I will increase your customer visits by X%.” This would work in an infinite number of industries.