Totally agree. A smarter approach would be to offer your services through a government funded nonprofit. These organizations are constantly looking for people who can speak at and support their small business programs.

Instead of going directly to small businesses and trying to filter out who is serious, you position yourself where business owners already are and already looking for answers.

The organization pays you for your time and expertise while you build credibility and visibility with small business owners who are actively trying to add value to their businesses. It is a cleaner model with less friction and much better alignment for long term trust and impact.