5 Reasons Selling Digital Products is the Perfect First Income Stream for Busy Moms

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Start an Online Business

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Picture this: you're rushing between work and picking up the kids... you know, trying to maintain your sanity. You're daydreaming of a more flexible lifestyle that doesn't leave you feeling like a hamster on a wheel. Sound familiar?

Well, let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time, I was in your shoes. I was juggling the demands of motherhood and work, desperate for a change. Then I discovered the magic of digital products, and my life transformed! Now, I'm sharing my love of selling digital products with you to save you time on trial and error... and probably a lot of frustration and money too.

So, why are digital products the ultimate business model for busy moms like us? Grab a cup of coffee (or wine, I won't judge), and let's dive in!

Why is a Digital Product and/or Course Business the Best Option?

Digital products are the perfect first online income stream for busy moms who want to pivot from a demanding (or stagnant) job or add an income stream and create a more flexible lifestyle in the process. This doesn't mean you can't add other income streams later...but why start with a digital product?

Here are 5 fabulous reasons why:

Flexibility - Want to work at 2 am or 2 pm? No problem! With digital products, you choose when and where you work, giving you the freedom to prioritize your family without sacrificing your business. Plus, your customers can access your products anytime, anywhere.
- Flexible for you:
  - Work where and when you want to. You can prioritize your family and your life by making informed, intentional business choices
  - On your time: If your family is your priority, as mine is to me, that's great. A digital product business allows you to never be on someone else's schedule or at their beck and call. You can prioritize your family and start a profitable business. I'll show you how to do it in about an hour a day, 4-5 days a week.
- Flexible for your customers:
  - Always available & Instantly delivered - Your customers can download or access your digital product whenever, wherever they need and want it. That's a huge plus for digital products! People want results when they're ready. They don’t want to wait until you're available, and they don’t have to with evergreen digital products.
  - Saves time, money, and risk - Digital products help your customer do something quicker, for less money, and/or with less risk than they could do alone. This is why they buy it. The more intuitive it is to use and easy it is to consume, the better
- Flexible ways to distribute:
  - Depending on your business model, you can create and sell digital products that are downloaded once, or you can have monthly subscriptions for access to exclusive content, or you can sell a license to use it.
  - Always up-to-date - You can update your digital product anytime and make it available again in the same location. That helps you stay relevant and your customers always have access to the most recent, relevant information.
Automatable: (Is that a word? It should be...) Automation can make your dreams of time freedom come true. Set up systems once, and let them run on autopilot giving you more precious time for your customers, your family, and growing your business. And don't worry - automation shouldn't be impersonal.
- What is automation?
  - With the help of software, you create your products and set up your systems once and it runs continually. You can automate the entire process of marketing and selling your digital product, giving you more time to spend time with your family, work with your new customers who've purchased your product, and work on building your business.
  - Automation is the best mitigation strategy to overcome the challenge parents face of not having enough time to grow their businesses.
- What automation is not:
  - It's not "passive income." You still have to get people to opt into the automation you've set up. I show you how to do that through content marketing.
- How does automation work?
  - You create your digital product, marketing materials, and landing and sales pages ahead of time.
  - Your emails and products are automatically delivered to your customer.
- Benefits of automation: Automating your marketing, sales, and your essential and repetitive tasks, provides:
  - a continuous stream of customers for you
  - a consistent customer journey and customer experience for them
- Is automation impersonal? This is one of the biggest myths I hear, and to be honest, I think it's because people don't understand automation.
  - Automation, when it's done well, is not impersonal. You can create an exceptional customer experience that takes your ideal customer from where they are to where they want to be on their own time. 🙌
  - Automation helps you stay top of mind and build relationships with your ideal customers. So, when they're ready to buy, they think of you.
Low Cost: Starting an online business with digital products won't break the bank. No inventory, no postage, no pricey storage – just you, your laptop, and your unstoppable ambition.
- Low cost doesn't mean "no cost." It costs money to start an online business, but it costs less and reduces financial risks compared to other types of businesses that require you to purchase and store inventory or have a physical location.
- No inventory to buy or store.
- No postage to buy or trips to the post office, as you do with physical products.
- It's important to keep costs as low as you can when you're trying to pivot in your career and eventually leave your full-time job.
Scalable: Unlike services, digital products let you help more people without adding hours to your workday. You can increase your profit (grow your business, help more people) without significantly increasing the time or resources you put into it.
- How do you scale? Choose income streams that allow you to increase the number of people you help over time, without greatly increasing the number of hours you work. Digital products are scalable.
- How does it work? You create a product that people can access when they want/need it. Any number of people can buy your digital product, you just have to direct them to it and offer it to the right people. How do you know they're the right people? Because they believe what you believe about your topic area, so they read/watch your content and they want to learn more.
- If you choose to work only 1-on-1 with customers (offer a service), then you won't be able to scale your business without putting in more time or hiring people to help.
Digital Products Compliment Other Income Streams - If you already offer a service or a physical product, or you know you want to, digital products are an excellent complementary income stream.
- Want to offer a service? You can create a digital product that helps your potential customer be more prepared to work with you. It could also be a high-value takeaway they receive after working with you, which will set you apart from other service providers.
- Want to sell physical products? Digital products increase the perceived value of your physical products. Whether you're selling a product you created or a product someone else created (dropshipping, direct sales, or affiliate marketing), a complimentary digital product enhances your perceived value as a salesperson and helps you stand out and stay top of mind.
- Want to be a content creator? Digital products are highly sought after. They'll help you move people from social media to your own platforms (email, newsletter, etc.) so you can monetize your platforms through sponsorships, partnerships, etc.

Word of Caution

Many new solopreneurs start an online business by offering a service. But, if you're a busy mom who's looking for more time and freedom to enjoy your life and your family, services aren't the best choice.

Services require you to trade time for money (work an hour to get paid for an hour). Digital products don't - you create it once and sell it over and over again.
When you provide the service, the client pays you for your time, whether you're coaching/consulting with them or offering your time as a freelancer.
If you're still working a traditional job and trying to prioritize your family, services quickly become overwhelming.
It's also difficult to scale (grow and make enough money) services without hiring a team of people to support you. Managing people only adds to the stress.

Offering a service does allow you to get to know your ideal customer, which is essential to your success. However, you can get to know your ideal customer without offering a service. You just have to take the time to do market research and validate your ideas before you create a digital product. That's what you do in my 5-Day Challenge. Together, we'll ditch the overwhelm and embrace the freedom of a flexible, profitable business that celebrates your unique strengths.

If you want an online business that doesn't make you feel overwhelmed and stressed, consider a digital product that you can create once and sell over and over again.

With that said, the only "right way" to start an online business is the one that feels authentic to YOU. As an entrepreneur, you get to decide which income streams and business and marketing strategies to implement. Digital products were exactly what I needed to create more flexibility for my family. But, there's no right or wrong way to start an online business. It's what feels authentic to you that matters. It's my mission to help you start and grow a unique and profitable online business that works for you and highlights your strengths.

How I can help:

Ready to embark your exciting entrepreneurial journey?
Start by taking my free quiz to discover the Best Online Business Type for You.
Kickstart your online business with confidence:
Join my Start an Online Business 5-Day Challenge. During this transformative experience, you'll develop your niche, handpick your ideal customers, and conduct market research to create a blueprint for your online digital product business. By the end of the challenge, you'll have invaluable insights and a robust database to guide you as you lay the foundation for your thriving online empire.
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Erin Gibbens

Online Business & Marketing Strategist

I was an overworked, busy mom 🤹‍♀️ who wanted more time with my kids when they were little. It took years of trial and error to find the right business model for the flexibility I wanted, but I didn't give up. If you want to start an online business and prioritize your life much faster, you're in the right place. I'll show you exactly how to do it without all the trial and error. NO HUSTLE needed.

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