From Idea to Income: Simplify Your Online Business Blueprint
A Step-by-Step Guide to Defining Your Niche, Offer, and Strategy
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Let's be honest—the idea of making money online is exciting. Our minds fill with possibilities, and we're constantly reading stories of successful entrepreneurs earning six or seven figures, sometimes even more.
When I started my first blog, my goal from the outset was to create an income online.
I was drawn to the freedom of having my own business, being able to work from anywhere, and incorporating my passions—writing, creating, talking, helping, and connecting with others.
I was inspired by the stories of successful bloggers I followed. I wasn’t jealous; instead, I believed I could achieve the same.
So, I launched my first blog, which has since grown into a thriving online business with steadily increasing revenue, now making five figures and on the way to six.
But it didn’t start out that way.
Beyond the Glamour: Navigating the Reality of the Online Business World
As exciting as the idea of starting an online business can be, it can also feel overwhelming and intimidating—especially as a beginner.
We see all these successful entrepreneurs promising quick and passive ways to make money online.
Quick side note: The term "passive" isn't one I use in my online business vocabulary, but that’s a story for another time.
With so many ideas and strategies out there, it’s easy to fall into the trap of endlessly reading and learning instead of actually creating, which ultimately leads to no real results—no revenue or income.
Another pitfall is the urge to try and adopt every strategy at once, as if we’re racing against the clock to grow our business.
In the beginning, I made the mistake of trying to mimic the success of others instead of creating my own path. I spread myself too thin by trying to be on every platform and focused too much on making my blog look as polished as the ones I admired.
In short, I focused on all the wrong things as a beginner.
Fortunately, I realized I was working hard without seeing results, and I decided to change course.
I invested in a course, and in it, I learned two crucial lessons:
Maintain a healthy balance between learning and applying what you've learned. Our brains love to consume, but it’s action that leads to success.
Focus on one course, learn, apply, implement, and complete it. The key isn’t the course itself, but how well you apply what you've learned, no matter how long it takes—even if it takes a year to complete.
And that’s exactly what I did.
A Simple Approach to Start an Online Business from Scratch: The Who, The What, and The How
The Who
Identify who you want to serve. I've already discussed finding your ideal niche, customer, or audience. This is a crucial step, as it's the foundation of your business.
Here’s how to define it:
The “Who” is who they are: This refers to your niche, the specific group of people you’re targeting.
The “Who” is who you are: This is about your positioning and how you connect with your niche.
Both must align: Your target audience and your positioning should complement each other perfectly.
Consider how you present yourself to your audience—your “who”—and your niche. Make sure your niche not only has the financial means but is also willing to spend.
Rather than spending too much time trying to pinpoint your ideal audience, start broad—for example, healthy eating for women.
You can narrow down your niche over time as you gain more clarity and receive feedback from your readers.
My Who
Who They Are: Working women 35-45 who have their own income but aspire to to simplify their finances and build wealth.
Who I Am: I simplified our finances through a working budget and automations so that I automatically save and invest and have more time to do what I want like working on my blog.
The What
The "What" is what you want to offer—simply put, what you plan to sell to make money. It’s about the kind of product you want to create, tailored to your niche.
Do you want to write a book?
Create a course?
Offer a paid membership or newsletter?
Provide coaching?
There are many options for making money, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed or feel like you’re falling behind. But the key is to start simple and test what works.
For instance, before diving into writing a full book, you could offer a smaller ebook that covers just a few key steps of your main book idea.
Before developing a full course, consider offering a webinar on the topic.
Begin by thinking about what you want to offer. It’s fine to have big aspirations and a future vision, but then plan backwards and start with a small product. This allows you to test your idea and learn about the process of selling.
Another important aspect of your "What" is your free offer—something you can provide in advance at no cost that relates to your paid product. This approach helps you test the idea and ensures you’re attracting the right customers.
My What:
Free Offer: FREE 5-Step Minimalist Money Plan
Paid Offer: Paid Newsletter, still in progress
The How
You can probably guess what the "How" involves, right? It’s about the methods you use to make money, build your business, and sell your offer.
For this step, it’s crucial to start with a simple approach to avoid burnout and ensure you can work on your business consistently.
The "How" consists of four main parts: Content, Traffic, Email, and Launches.
Content: This is how you showcase your knowledge and expertise in your niche. It’s your chance to provide value and demonstrate why you’re the one to help solve your audience's problems. You can create content through a blog, Substack articles, podcasts, or videos.
Traffic: This involves attracting visitors to your main platform, whether it’s your blog, website, Substack publication, YouTube channel, etc. How will you draw in new readers? Consider using SEO, social media channels, and other strategies.
Email: This is your personal way to connect with potential customers. Will you start a newsletter? How often will you send it, and through what platform?
Launches: How will you sell your offer? Will you use one-time launches, an evergreen funnel, or another method?
By focusing on these four key areas and starting with a straightforward approach, you’ll build a solid foundation for your business and increase your chances of long-term success.
My How
Content: Substack, website
Traffic: SEO, Pinterest
Email: Weekly newsletter
Launches: Free offer leads into a funnel for a paid offer
Conclusion
Did you catch it? The key is to avoid striving for perfection from the start, to begin with something simple and small—what I like to call "meeting you where you are"—and to focus on creating rather than just reading or watching.
You'll learn and improve as you go.
Keep it simple, not just with your content but also with the platforms and tools you use. One of the great things about starting an online business is that you don't need a huge upfront investment. Use what you already have, and add more as needed.
And now it’s your turn. I’ve openly shared a simple process for defining your business model and shown you my Who, What, and How.
I’m curious about yours. Share it in the comments below 👇, and let’s learn together.
Thank you so much. I do my best. Maybe I should consider expanding my audience :)... Yes, as you mentioned, passive income doesn't actually exist in the purest sense. There's always work involved initially, and even after that, you still need to promote your product.
This is such good advice, Katja! We need to choose an idea and take action, rather than researching a million ideas (which I'm definitely guilty of doing!)