This is a group for people who would go to online business/marketing meetups, but hate dealing with recruiters, assholes trying to sell their products, total newbies, pointless conversation, or an overall lack of regard for the value of your time.

We're not bitter, we just know that we can do better.

We care very deeply about the signal-to-noise ratio of the meetup. We're full time internet marketing entrepreneurs. We couldn't believe it, but we could not find a single meetup on the LA westside that wasn't filled with complete idiots. So we're fixing that.

We're tired of seeing aspiring business owners being led down the wrong path, thinking that getting 1,000 Twitter followers is all they have to do while their companies bleed money.

We think everyone should make money like a gangster, and this is how we believe you should do it:

1. Focus on Profit.

Your Facebook fans, Twitter followers, or even Revenue numbers don't mean anything unless you have Profit to back it up. Focus your every move on putting cash in the bank.

2. Test.

Split-test everything. Constantly try new pricing strategies, marketing methods, headlines, follow-ups, advertising media, etc. If you haven't tested something, you do not know if you're doing it right.

3. Copy From Your Competitors.

They've already fumbled around and found a working system, so when in doubt, copy! If you're starting a Pizza Delivery business, you will be doing yourself a real favor by copying all of Domino's most successful tactics. Steal wholesale, then add your own spin to it.

4. Diversify.

You become a better businessperson by learning many different kinds of businesses. So don't just start one business, start several.

5. Outsource and Automate.

We can only achieve the next level in business once the current level is systematized to the point where we no longer work within it. Automating tasks with scripts and macros is our preferred solution, and if a computer really can't do it, hire an outsourcer. If you can't find a way to remove yourself, then it's a bad business.

6. Bootstrap.

We try to make money in our businesses right from day one. We also generally spend less than $1000 while launching any new business. This keeps our risk to a minimum and allows us to spread our money across multiple projects. It also forces us to solve problems creatively and learn new skills instead of hiring out.

These ideas come from the Gangster Manifesto, which is a part of our podcast at GangsterProfit.com.

So, back to the meetup.

We want people who can add to the conversation, not subtract from it. Mainly, this means we want to fill our meetup with people who know what they're talking about. (It also means you should ALREADY have a highly profitable online business.)

What will we focus on?

- Outsourcing and automation
- Split testing
- Content generation and acquisition
- SEO: indexing, linkbuilding, tools
- Tracking your results
- Analyzing competition
- Finding niches/determining niche difficulty
- Reputation building
- Playing defense
- Domain buying
- Joint ventures
- List building/management
- Direct mail
- Myth-busting
- Common mistakes in business
- ... and more.

This is an ADVANCED group. You should be making a full-time living online in order to apply for this group. If you think you can add something to this group, then please show up, but if you don't add value, you WILL get kicked out.

Btw, when you get here, be sure to pay for your own food, drink heavily, and please tip generously.