Thanks for checking out my review on the Craigslist Middleman Blueprint!
As owner of buildalaptoplifestyle I'm always looking for new ways to grow multiple streams of income. Recently I came across an ad for The Craigslist Middleman and I have to say the ad copy was certainly intriguing - who wouldn't want to make a six figure income?
I was curious to learn more about The Craigslist Middleman and its potential to generate a six-figure income stream. After conducting my due diligence, however, I decided against joining the program.
In this review I'm going to provide you with a beginner's blueprint on how the Craigslist Middleman works and what you need to know before you decide to join this training program. I'll also be sharing my experience with some of the services that the training utilizes so you can make the best decision possible.
If you've had any personal experience with the Craigslist Middleman, have any questions or comments, please post them in the comments at the bottom of this page.
The Craigslist Middleman Blueprint - Summary
Product Name:
The Craigslist Middleman Blueprint
Pricing: $97 One Time + $67 (Upsell)
Best for? People that still think Craigslist is a good place to sell their products and services.
Summary:
The Craigslist Middleman Blueprint consists of you putting yourself as the middleman of a transaction. Essentially you'll sell on Craigslist, but not do any of the real work yourself. While you may get a few rare sales, what makes this course questionable is the claims that the average student makes $1750 and I'll share my experience testing a similar strategy.
Overall Rating:
What is the Craigslist Middleman Blueprint?
The Craigslist Middleman is a relatively new course that I came across via a Facebook advertisement that states that you can make a Six Figure income using the strategies that are taught which is what encouraged me to look into this program initially.
You'll be provided step by step instructions on how to get started with the Craigslist Middleman business model, and what tools you'll need. While I'll dive into this in more detail here's the gist of how it works.
In the program you'll be working as a middleman meaning you will be both buying and selling. To make sense of this take a look at the image below.
Another good way to think about this is that when you are buying or selling a house. Who do you deal with? Typically it wouldn't be directly with the other party right... instead you normally would be working with a realtor who mediates a deal between the two parties.
The Craigslist Middleman works much in the same way. You will be a mediator that both buys and sells services using different platforms.
What is the strategy behind The Craigslist Middleman?
If you're looking to start a business that has potential to generate six figure income, this side hustle may be for you. Of course, to make this work there are 3 primary services that will be required.
#1 Fiverr Freelance Services Marketplace
To make this potentially work, you'll need to be signed up with Fiverr, it's a large marketplace where freelancers list all sorts of creative and professional services.
Whether that be for professional logo design, creating a website, etc. Simply go to Fiverr and browse through the different options and pick a service you are interested in selling for an upcharge.
The best part? Pricing for these services start at only $5! Of course, some of these services will cost more depending on what you need, and it's important to find someone that does excellent work so it's worth paying more in some cases.
#2 PayPal - Used to Invoice Your Customers
You're probably familiar with PayPal, but what you probably didn't know is that it's a great payment platform for the Middleman strategy, allowing you to send invoices to your clients for easy, secure payment.
This way, you get paid up front and don't have to worry about chasing after customers for payment.
Sounds simple enough so far, but where do you get buyers in the first place? This of course leads us to our final service that you will be using.
#3 Craigslist - Online Marketplace
Craigslist is an online marketplace that has become a go-to for businesses, freelancers, and private buyers and sellers. According to SEMrush, more than 140 million people visit Craigslist every month in the United States alone!
With so many potential customers, it would make sense to list the services you offer on Craigslist. This could range from web design and logo creation to other services you've found on Fiverr.
To get the most out of Craigslist, you'll want to post your services in high population cities, even if you don't live there! With the right ad copy, you can start winning more business from Craigslist customers who are looking for your services.
So here's a quick example on how this whole system works using the example of logo creation:
- Create an ad on Craigslist to offer logo creation services.
- Potential buyers will contact you via eMail or text, whichever you prefer.
- Negotiate a price and delivery timeframe with your client.
- Collect payment from the client by generating a PayPal invoice.
- Purchase the logo creation service from Fiverr for a fraction of the cost.
- Enjoy the profits from your successful transaction!
Overall, this system appears to have potential for generating extra income. However, there are a few advantages and disadvantages worth considering.
So what are some of the pros and cons?
Overall, this system appears to have potential for generating some extra income. However, there are a few advantages and disadvantages worth considering before you join.
Pros:
- Comprehensive Training: With the Craigslist Middleman course, you'll receive the step-by-step training and sales copy needed to succeed. From the basics of how to set up the business to advanced techniques, this course is very easy to understand.
- Budget-Friendly Startup: The beauty of starting this type of business is that you don't need to spend a fortune to get started. All it will take is a little time and effort to set up, making it accessible for almost everyone regardless of your financial situation.
- Potential Added Income: If you're looking for a side-hustle, this might be what you're looking for and could add some decent additional income to your regular job.
Cons:
- Infrequent Visibility: Craigslist may not be the first place that comes to mind when looking for a platform to buy or sell products and services.
I'll be honest I don't remember the last time I thought about using Craigslist to look for products or services. While it still has a user base, the platform's popularity has declined over the years, making it a little more challenging to reach your target audience. - Craigslist Listing Fees: In some cases, posting on Craigslist can cost you $25. If you're listing multiple services these fees can add up.
- Risk of Zero Sales: Despite your best efforts, there's a good chance that you won't receive any sales. This can be especially frustrating if you've invested a significant amount of time and resources in starting this business.
- Most People DIY: Over the years I've noticed more people going directly to Fiverr to get work done for them. The other thing I've noticed is that people are realizing that thanks to innovative drag and drop website builders such as WebWave, it's incredibly easy to gain an online presence for your business.
Why I didn't join...
- Pressured Sales Tactics:
The marketing strategy employed by the training program is to create a sense of urgency by highlighting limited spots available.
As of today, and the last 3-4 days, is that there's 1 spot left. So this left me to think that the limited availability is simply a sales tactic, or that there's not much interest among potential buyers. - Upsell adds NO added value:
Claims to have no gimmicks, but in order to get 1 on 1 access to the creator you have to pay an additional $67... even though you're the customer in the first place so shouldn't that be included? - Income claims are far flung to say the least!
"The Average student makes $1,750 within the first week". Now if this was the case wouldn't you think that there would be a lot more testimonials out in the public.
By around 3 months they claim that you could grow to almost a 5 figure monthly income and if you don't achieve this their main sales page states a "no questions asked money back guarantee".
3. Refund Guarantee - Isn't really guaranteed...
From what I could gather in my research and based on the language used in the company's privacy policy, it seems like getting a refund may not be a straightforward process.
Yet simply looking at the Terms of Service page it literally says simply email us proof of implementation and we will refund you... is that no questions asked?
None the less, I can't say with 100% certainty that this won't work. If you're still interested read on.
My experience with Craigslist...
After reading about this strategy I was excited to try to duplicate what's taught in the course myself.
I spent time researching what services people are searching for today, and crafted images and solid sales copy for my ad to post on the site.
However, I was disappointed to find that I received very few responses, and most of them turned out to be spam messages.
The fact of the matter is that posting on Craigslist doesn't hold the value that it once did.
What's included for the $97?
The primary benefit of this program of course is the fact that step-by-step instructions are provided. This includes over 36+ video class lessons.
This includes providing the top niches that supposedly sell on Craigslist. Along with the headlines and sales copy.
And ooh I just read that he gives you exactly how he posts his Craigslist ads for success and scales them to the moon! (To infinity and beyond I guess is what he's saying).
Finally he provides you a list of the cities he's found to work best for this strategy. So you too can post where everyone else that has bought this course also posts their ads.
Doesn't exactly sound like a recipe for success to me.
Is the Craigslist Middleman Blueprint Legit?
This is a tough one to answer but I will say it does provide video training, and walks you through the process of posting ads on Craigslist.
But I have a hard time believing that anyone is making well over a thousand dollars in their first week, let alone a 5 figure income.
If this was true you'd be finding more testimonials posted online on how this course has changed peoples lives and really that's what this program is claiming to do.
Lastly, I find it odd that the owner of The Craigslist Middleman program isn't ever named or seen on camera.
Transparency is an important aspect of any business, and the anonymity of the owner raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of the program.
The Craigslist Middleman is a no from me...
Based on my personal experience testing this strategy on my own, and doing research on this company. I cannot recommend the Craigslist Middleman strategy as one that's worth trying.
While the idea of selling services on Craigslist and outsourcing the work may seem appealing. Craigslist simply isn't as popular as it used to be.
Plus, with the anonymity of the owner and the lack of testimonials outside of their own website I'm left thinking that people that have bought this course ended wasting time and money.
I hope you found this review helpful, and I'd love to hear any thoughts or experiences you've had with this program in the comments below.
P.S. If you're interested in learning how to start a legitimate business online click the button below.