From the desk of Russ Henneberry:

Where to start when building an information business?

Great question. Here’s the answer:

»» Start closest to the money.

If you’ve got investors or are otherwise able to burn cash, you can start by building a huge audience on a blog or a podcast or something.

For the rest of us (living in the REAL world!), we need sales. We need customers. We need cash.

So… start in the Monetization stage (where the money is!) and more specifically start by building an online course.   

Why begin with an online course?

First, as we’ve discussed, it’s kinda important to start making some money.  Online courses in the Monetization stage sell for anywhere from $300 to $10,000 — depending on your niche.

Secondly, building your big online course first will give you everything you need to create lead magnets, webinars, in-person events, podcasts, blog posts and anything else you want to create.

We call it Product Splintering.

Product Splintering is when you “peel” a small piece of content out of a larger piece and use it at an earlier stage in the Business Growth Framework.

For example, if you use a checklist or a cheat sheet you created for an online course (MONETIZATION) as a lead magnet (SUBSCRIPTION), you have used Product Splintering.

Or, if you create a $19 online class (ACQUISITION) from a few lessons contained in your $295 online course (MONETIZATION), you have used Product Splintering.

Once you’ve created your big online course, you’re in business… literally.  You’ve got a product to sell and plenty of content to use for building an audience, growing a list and acquiring customers.

I’ve built (and helped others build) hundreds of courses accounting for 100’s of millions of dollars in sales. 

I don’t say that to brag but so you’ll know that I’m not just some chucklehead with no experience.  I’ve done it and I can teach you how to do it.  

If you’ve read this far, it’s because you want to start or grow an information product business.  You want to do it right the first time.  You’re willing to commit time and energy to build this business.

I want to help you.

I’ve created a workshop called 28 Days to Your First Profitable Online Course.

If you’re interested in learning how to make money with information products, this is the ideal place to start.  You’ll build and sell your online course and I’ll be right there with you — making sure you succeed!  

Here’s how the workshop works:

• Week 1 – Planning – No need to guess. Use our Online Course Builder Canvas to plan a course that is all but guaranteed to sell.  
• Week 2 – Producing – Use our B.I.B.S. Course Creation Process to design and build a high-quality training you’ll be proud of and your customers will love.
• Weeks 3 & 4- Selling  – Copy our 4-Phase Course Launch process so you know you’re doing it right the first time.

If you want more details, click here to visit the workshop page.

~ Russ Henneberry
Founder, Modern Publisher