Month 1: E1-E5 So you want to start an online business
Information for potential guests
These episodes will explore different online business models. If you have tried one or more of these business models and have advice for budding solopreneurs please leave your short tips, stories, or advice. I am particularly interested in the pros/cons and things people should consider before starting one of these businesses.
- Blogging
- Self-Publishing
- Digital Products/Courses
- E-commerce (can include drop shipping or print on demand)
- Affiliate Marketing/Influencer (without a blog–e.g. from an email list or a social media account)
Questions:
How long did it take to see success? Discuss how easy/hard it is to get started and a realistic expectation of income potential.
What are some the advantages and disadvantages of this business model?
If you had to start over again, what would you do the same, what would you do differently?
What level of involvement is required in this sort of business? How many hours did you spend in the beginning and how many do you spend now? What level of customer service is required?
What is one thing you wish you knew when starting out? OR What one piece of advice would you give to someone considering this business model?
Want to submit an answer? Here’s what to prepare and what you should know.
- Decide which episode is the best fit for your story.
- Think about your answers to the above questions. You may write your responses out, but please try to record your answers in a conversational tone (i.e. doesn’t sound like you are reading). You may re-record your answers if you’re not happy with them. Answers can be up to 5 minutes but I reserve the right to edit for time or clarity. Recommended length is 1-3 minutes per answer.
- You will need to submit a profile photo of you or your business logo (600 x 600 px) for the show notes page, a URL where people can connect with you, and a short business elevator pitch.
- You may optionally include an offer for the BizSnacks listeners such as a freebie opt-in or a special discount on a product. You should select an offer than is evergreen. Since this podcast is designed to be a step-by-step audio course new listeners may start at the beginning with episode 1 more frequently than with other podcasts.
- Prepare a short pitch to record for the episode. This should be your business elevator pitch (e.g. Hi, I’m ____your name__ from __your business name__ and I help __who do you help__ with __what your business does__ ).
- If you have an offer, you can record a short clip (15-20 seconds so be concise!) describing your offer. You will record your pitch during the submission process. Be sure to have the URL to your offer handy (there is a maximum of 64 characters in the form, so use a link shortener if needed).
- My goal is provide as many mentions and links as is reasonable for my guests. At minimum all selected guests will get a feature box on the show notes page with a link to your business. If you include an offer, I will link to that as well. I may create audiograms, reels, shorts or other promotional content for the podcast from your submissions. Where possible, we will include a live link back to you. I may quote your answers in other publications such as future books or posts. Books will have a static (text) attribution, but will send readers to a book page with live links to your site. You will need to consent to your content being used in this manner. The podcast guest release can be found here.
- I make no guarantees that if you submit an answer it will be included in an episode. Selection is dependent on: number of submissions received, quality and relevance of the answer, audio quality, and if you have been a previous guest (preference given to those who have not been selected in the recent past).
- The format of this podcast will be narrative, with guest responses woven into the content. You don’t need to answer every question if you don’t have a helpful answer, and I reserve the right to select the most appropriate answers. In other words, I may not use every answer you provide.
Okay, ready? Let’s record.
- Record your answers
- Submit a photo of you or your logo
- Have a brief business description ready
- Have a brief pitch about your offer ready
- Read through the podcast release and be sure you agree with the terms