168: The EASIEST digital product to create if you’re starting from scratch (and it's not an online course!)

If you've been thinking about creating passive income but feel overwhelmed by the idea of building a huge online course, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Online Business Uncovered, I'm sharing what I believe is the easiest digital product to create when you're starting from scratch and why so many entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to build too much, too soon.

You'll discover why micro offers are one of the fastest ways to turn your expertise into scalable income, validate your ideas and build confidence without spending months creating content.

If you're a coach, consultant, freelancer or service provider who wants to stop relying solely on client work and start building income that isn't tied to your time, this episode will give you a simple place to start.

Resources mentioned:

Join the Online Business Growth Summit waitlist: https://www.sellyourbrillianceonline.com

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you subscribed, left a review and shared it with another entrepreneur who's ready to build a business that creates more freedom, flexibility and scalable income.

Transcript

Karen [00:00:00]:
Hello and welcome to Online Business Uncovered. This is episode 168 and in today's episode I'm going to be talking about what I believe is the easiest digital product to create if you're starting from scratch. I'm going to be sharing why so many entrepreneurs over complicate creating passive income, the biggest mistake I see people make when creating digital products, and why a simple micro offer could be the fastest way to turn your expertise into scalable income. So let's jump right in and let's get started. Hello and welcome to another episode of Online Business Uncovered. I am your host, Karen, and I really do appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode. So today here in the UK we are currently experiencing really high temperatures. And so I'm in my podcast studio in my room upstairs in my house and I've got the windows open.

Karen [00:02:31]:
So I just want to apologize in advance if you hear any background noise. This room is absolutely sweltering and I am so hot. I think today we're recorded at being up to 36, 38 degrees, which here in the UK is considered extreme because we've never had those temperatures before. So in order to be able to record this podcast, I'm going to have to have the windows open. So I just wanted to kind of let you know in advance and so if you do hear anything, you know why. Today I want to talk about one of the easiest digital products that you can create if you're starting from scratch. Now the reason why I'm doing today's episode is because I work with so many service providers, entrepreneurs who are trapped, trading their time for money and they know their business needs a different way. They just don't know how to do it.

Karen [00:03:36]:
But also there is a belief that in order to get started, they need to create something big. I'm talking a huge course, you know, 10, 11, 12 module course with hundreds of lessons, loads of resources and I think that overwhelms them. So then they stay stuck and they don't do anything. And it's really not the case. They don't need to be starting at that point. You can start very simply, very easily. And that's what I want to talk about today. But before we dive into today's topic, I wanted to just give you an update on something that is really exciting.

Karen [00:04:19]:
So as many of you know, I'm currently preparing for the Online Business Growth Summit that's taking place in October. Now it's a free three day online event where I'm going to be bringing together more than 18 expert speakers to help entrepreneurs create scalable income streams, grow their audience, increase sales, and build a business that gives them more freedom and flexibility. Now, this has been in my head for so many years, and this year I'm celebrating my 10th anniversary anniversary in business. So I thought, this is the year. This is the year that I'm going to do this. I'm going to bring it to life and I'm going to make it happen. Now, as I've been speaking to speakers and attendees and entrepreneurs in my community, I think one theme that keeps coming up again and again is that people know they want to create additional income streams in their businesses, but they're overwhelmed as to where to start. They know they want.

Karen [00:05:21]:
They don't want to rely solely on client work forever because it's too draining, it's too exhausting, and you end up just burning out. So they'd love to create something that generates them income on repeat, but they're of course not sure where to start, how to create it, or even if somebody's going to buy it. And that's exactly why I'm inspired by today's episode, why I felt like I wanted to record this today. Because if you're starting from scratch, I believe there's one typical type of digital product that is easier, faster, and less overwhelming to create than almost anything else. And it could be the perfect first step towards building more scalable income in your business. Now, if you've ever thought about creating a digital product, but then you've immediately gone to step 10 or step 20, where you're thinking about all the things that you need, you're most likely feeling really overwhelmed by the enormity of it. The thought of building an online course, creating lots of content, learning complicated tech, can absolutely throw you off course because even the mere thought of it can just overwhelm. That's why I'm creating this episode.

Karen [00:06:45]:
I'm going to be breaking it down, because today I want to talk about what I genuinely believe is the easiest digital product to create when you are starting from scratch. In fact, it's the product that I actually recommend a lot of my clients and my members who want to create their first scalable income stream, but they don't know where to begin. So I talk about this a lot, and it's really interesting to me because I've been having more and more conversations around this. Now, before I go any further, I just want to ask you a question. Have you ever found yourself saying something like, I would love to Create passive income in my business, or I know I have expertise and I know I can package it up, I just don't know how. Or I'd love to create an online course. So maybe you've already been thinking about ways in which you can start to monetize what you know. But then because of that overwhelm, six months later, you've.

Karen [00:07:52]:
You've still not started. I was talking to somebody in my community last week who's been sitting on an idea for years and she has got loads of notes. She knows what she wants to create, she's got loads of notes. She's just never taken action to bring it together. And I was talking to her about her idea and her idea was brilliant. It was like, wow, that, that really could do really well. But as she said, she just doesn't know where to start and she doesn't know how to pull it together. She doesn't know how to build it, she doesn't know how to launch it and even to get people to buy it.

Karen [00:08:31]:
And I come across that a lot. So if you've been thinking, I'd like to get started with this, but you haven't started, then I want to assure you, you really not alone. Honestly, I speak to so many entrepreneurs about this. It's. It's really common. Many entrepreneurs, I think, jump straight into thinking that they need to create something big, but they don't. They don't. They, they think they need to do something huge in order for it to create impact or for it to make money, but they don't.

Karen [00:09:04]:
They can start something really small, they can start at a more entry level which is going to be easier, more simply simpler to create and you're going to get more of a quick win. So today I want to introduce you really to that, that option one that where you can start generating income online without spending months building something first. And what I'm talking about is creating a micro offer. Now in episode 166, I dived into this where I introduced what a micro offer is. So if you haven't listened to that episode, then I do encourage you to go and listen to it because I break it all down. I talk about why micro offers are really powerful, how to get started with them, and the kind of micro offers that you could create in your business. I'm gonna just reflect on that now and share what it is. But I really do encourage you to go and listen to that episode.

Karen [00:10:17]:
Now. Why I love micro offers is they're the fastest route from idea to income because they Allow you to start small, test demand and then build confidence before you start creating a larger offer. I think what a lot of people do is they instantly go to that place of building out something big, whether it's an online course, a program, whatever, and they're just stuck in the content stage because they don't know it's too much, they've got too much work to do. A micro offer is so small, it's focused and it's designed to solve one specific problem for one specific audience and that's why it's so powerful. You're not trying to do everything for everybody, it's just one thing for one person and you're going to get them a quick win. It's not a huge transformation, it's not a 12 week program, it's not a membership with hundreds of resources. It's simply a solution to a specific challenge. So think templates, checklists, workbooks, mini trainings, planners, swipe files, quick start guides, frameworks, short workshops.

Karen [00:11:29]:
These products are usually lower priced and designed to help somebody achieve a quick win. That's why when somebody puts out a workshop with a specific result, people sign up for it because they know what they're getting and they know what they're going to walk away with. It becomes really effective and really powerful because they're focused on solving just one problem. So they're much easier to create than a really big online course. Now one of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs make is trying to build the final version of their business straight away. So they immediately start planning that thousand pounds course or a large group program before they've even sold their first digital product. Which is crazy really when you think about it. Because if you've never been in the online space where you've sold and made money from your offers, then how do you know that that big course is going to sell? So what I tend to encourage, sort of my members inclined to do is take a piece of it, take a piece of their idea and build that out.

Karen [00:12:39]:
And that can be a micro offer because. Because it allows you to test your ideas really quickly and validate demand. And it also helps you to understand what your audience actually wants. So you could be sitting there making assumptions, thinking that you know what your audience wants, but actually you might create something that is, is completely off the mark. So then you've wasted a ton of time trying to create something that just doesn't serve, it doesn't meet the needs of the audience that you're trying. And it's also you're most Likely if you do this, you're not necessarily going to have that confidence at the front. Whereas if you create something small and you sell it and you get your first sale, it'll change everything. It will enhance your confidence because you know that you've created something for somebody and that person wants what you have.

Karen [00:13:36]:
And if you can sell one, you can sell a million. So you, you've, you've proved that. But you also, your confidence is going to increase because you know that person wants to pay for your knowledge. So then you stop wondering whether people will buy because you've, you've proved it, you've proved that, that somebody wants what you are offering. And going forward that will feed in to the energy that you're going to be putting out there when it comes to selling your product going forward. Now I often say that your first digital product isn't necessarily about making thousands of pounds and I want to get that really clear. There is so much rubbish online where they're making over inflated promises about a micro offer. So you might see somebody sell something for like $17 or $27 or $47 and then they position it with a belief that by doing the same you can become a six figure entreprene night.

Karen [00:14:39]:
It's not true. It's not true. It really makes me cross because you're leading people down a path that is, is not true. I'm not saying you cannot, you know, make really good money with this, I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is that it needs to be realistic in order to have a successful online business where you have products that you're selling, there's work to be done. So yes, it is passive because once you have the things in place, people can then buy and then you get passive income. However, as with anything, you need to set it up in advance. And then once you've set it up, you then need a simple sales system that will help you sell it.

Karen [00:15:25]:
And that takes time, it takes energy, it takes effort. And then once you find your perfect formula, because there will be one and you have to test things, you have to test, you have to refine, you have to repeat in order to figure out what the best way to get those sales are. Once you have that, you can automate and you can create a system that makes you money on demand. What that money is, is going to be down to the energy and the effort that you're going to put into it. So I just wanted to really talk about that because I had again I had somebody speak to me a couple of weeks ago and their first thing to me was, I want an online course business. I want to make 300k and I want to do that, you know, in the next six months. And you know, it's like my heart just sinks because of the unrealistic expectations. Now don't get me wrong, if this person put everything they had into it and really worked hard and focused and over the next six months really applied themselves, yeah, of course they could, they could probably make a lot of money.

Karen [00:16:36]:
But I also know realistically that it takes time and that kind of money comes when you have things in your business set up running on auto with a simple system in place to help you sell it. And often that will take time to build out. But also you've got to think about the mindset piece as well because somebody might be ready to, you know, make money from what they know. But then when you introduce them to the tech, there could be mindset blocks there or limited beliefs as to their capabilities and what they're able to do and that could slow it down. So whilst I would love to stand here and say by, by creating micro offers and online courses and programs and all of that, you're going to get your six, seven figure business, I know it's possible, but I also know that it's going to take time, energy and effort to make that happen. However, what I will say, and I speak from my own experience, what I talk about today is a game changer. So if you are trapped in time for money, where you can only make money when you give your time by delivering client work or being that person that is at the helm doing everything, then this is a game changer. This is your path to freedom.

Karen [00:18:02]:
Because this allows you to start baking in products that bring, bring in that time, that give you that time back, but equally help you to make, generate income. So whilst I want to be realistic about what it takes to, to do this, I also want to say that yes, whatever you're thinking is possible. And that's why I love this, because this type of business, this type of business model leads to unlimitless possibilities. And this is where you're gonna bring freedom, financial freedom, time freedom, creative freedom into your business and you can serve at a bigger level because you can create more impact by serving more people. So I just, I just, as I said, I tend to deliver these episodes based on what's going on in my world and often my episodes are influenced by that. And because of conversations that I've recently had, I just Feel like it's important to be realistic. Now, if you're a coach, consultant, freelancer, designer, marketer or a service provider, then you have the knowledge. You are sitting on gold.

Karen [00:19:28]:
The challenge isn't going to be expertise, it's going to be packaging it up. Every day you are solving problems for your clients, you're answering questions, you're helping people achieve results. What a micro offer does is simply takes one of those problems and it turns it into a repeatable solution. So, for example, a social media manager could create a content planning template, or a business coach could create a goal setting workbook, or a web designer could create a website planning guide. I have a workbook called the Course Creators Planner and I've sold it many times over. I've even offered it in my membership and my programs and all of that. It is a great start. Starting point.

Karen [00:20:13]:
If somebody wants to create an online course or a product, get the online course planner. Because, because it's a micro offer. It was easy for me to create because it didn't take as much time as what courses and programs take. But also it's, it's something that people need, it's of high value, so people will buy it and then I get to sell it on repeat. So it's about choosing one thing, not 10, just one, and then creating it and then selling it. Now, if you're wondering what your first offer should be, I want you to think about what you're solving already. So what is the problem people come to you for? It's not going to be about the biggest problem. And it's not your signature framework and it's definitely not your entire process.

Karen [00:21:05]:
It's just one problem. What, what questions do people ask you all the time? What do clients struggle with before you work with them, meet them where they're at, go to where they've experienced that pain and create something that solves it. A great something that I think is a really good idea is for health and wellness professionals creating maybe a really lovely journal that they can sell to their clients. Because often it might be that they have to track stuff. So within the journal they can have a tracker or they can create a tracker separately and then bundle it with a journal. These things are really easy to create. And Canva has so many templates where you can go and pick a template and then plug and play your details and add your branding and you're good to go. So it's just about thinking outside of what you're doing, but also creating something that you know you're audience are going to want.

Karen [00:22:09]:
And the reality is you probably have something already. Templates are really great because they save time, swipe files and copy templates and stuff like that. They save time. People are time poor so they want to save time. So create something that saves time. Now something I love about micro offers is they often become the foundation for bigger products. So it might become a workshop or a mini course or it could even be part of a full online course. It could be something that you include in your membership program or your group coaching program, or it could be part of your high ticket offer.

Karen [00:22:49]:
Many successful entrepreneurs start with a small offer that gradually evolves over time. And that's exactly what I did. I had an idea, I did coaching, I turned that coaching into a group program. But I, whilst I did my coaching, I created resources and then I packaged up my resources so my workbooks and then I sold them separately. And then when I delivered my group program passion to launch a few years ago, I then included all of those resources. So not only did they become the foundation of my coaching program, the things that I would give my clients, but they also became standalone products that I then sold and then incorporated into other things that I created. And even today they are, a lot of them are in my membership. So I have a membership portal, I have loads of resources my members can go in and access and download.

Karen [00:23:49]:
And a lot of those resources I sold on Etsy and I made quite a bit of money on there. So it just goes to show micro offers can be really powerful. You don't need to necessarily create everything today, but you can take the first step and that is just about thinking about what do your audience need, what can you help them solve very quickly? And do you have anything in your business currently that you can package up? And once you have that, then you're good to go. Now this is why I'm putting together the Online Business Growth Summit, because this is what I wanna talk about. This is what we're gonna dive into more detail on. So the three that I'm pulling together with the speakers, we're going to be, it's almost like a roadmap. So if you are at the start and you haven't got an offer, or maybe you don't even have clarity about what your offer is, then you need to attend day one, because day one is all about clarity and offer, day two goes into messaging and sales and then day three is about visibility. So by the end of the three day event, not only do you have an idea that you can start to build out.

Karen [00:25:12]:
You also have the insight and the clarity around how you're going to position it, how you're gonna sell it and how you're gonna get that income on repeat. So if this is something that you know will work really well in your business, then I would love for you to attend the Online Business Growth Summit. And at the moment I'm running a wait list. So just sign up for the wait list for free, head on over to my website, www.sell your brillian and there will be a banner on there and you can sign up for the summit and get on the wait list. Now I am offering an all Access Pass where you can get access to all the recordings for lifetime, plus additional bonuses from the speakers. And I'm thinking I might even include one of my courses as well, my Passive Profit Accelerator, because I think that will be, I think that'll be a great start. It's only 20 at the moment. Now the event, I'm going to be selling this for 197.

Karen [00:26:22]:
So if you know this is something you want to do, then sign up and get the 27 pound offer because it's going to be amazing. This is something that I'm putting everything into because I know it's going to make such a difference. It's going to create impact and it's going to start giving people what they need to do, what they need to do to start building a business that works for them and not the other way around. And after all, that's why you started your business in the first place. So sign up for the Online Business Growth Summit. It's happening on the 6th to the 8th of October. They're three full days. I've got amazing speakers.

Karen [00:27:03]:
The website's going to be launched, I suspect probably end of July, beginning of August. But sign up and get the 27 pound offer all Access Pass and I hope to see you there because this is going to be a game changer. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. I hope this has given you some clarity and sparked some new ideas for your business. Now if you found this helpful, then please do share it with a friend or a fellow entrepreneur who is building their business online because it might be exactly what they need to hear today. And if this episode has you thinking that you're ready to start turning your expertise into income, then I would love for you to sign up for the Online Business Growth Summit. Head on over to my website, www.sellyourbrillianceonline.com where you can click the link and sign up to the wait list for free. I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a wonderful week.

Karen [00:28:05]:
If you're in a heat wave as well, look after yourself. Take care and I look forward to delivering the next episode.