“Time For Money”. Is it a Bad Thing?

In the world of “online business”, there is this negative vibe given to the idea of performing service work.

I’m talking good, ol-fashioned client work. Performing services.

Some “gurus” will tell you to avoid it. It is “time for money”. It is like having a regular job. Blah blah blah.

But, I’m here to tell you…

Don’t avoid it.

In fact, it is the most direct and easiest way to spin up an online business.

Just find people’s problem(s) and then offer to directly help them solve it by doing it for them. And charging accordingly.

Here’s the thing…

As long as I have been in business now, and all the online courses I’ve created, and the whole membership site I’ve got…

I’ve been doing more client work lately. And I like it. 

The service credit system inside the LAB has been getting used a lot lately. And I’ve been doing strategy session calls and a lot of tech service work. Helping people build membership sites, set up marketing automations, and more.

And I like it.

You know what I like about it?

It’s tangible. It is a direct solution to a problem. It really doesn’t get any more direct than me going in and building a person’s site for them. And, frankly, I’m good at it. I have a lot of tech experience… especially with WordPress.

And the work I’ve done on Blog Marketing Academy has built a lot of goodwill. People trust me with their projects. And I’m very appreciative of that.

The thing is…

In the “guru” world, this could be considered a bad thing. It is “time for money”. What I’m SUPPOSED to do is create online courses or sell high-ticket coaching.

I’ve done those things.

Truth is, online courses aren’t all that direct. People love ’em, but most people don’t get results with them. They don’t follow through and DO the stuff talked about in the course, so they don’t get the result.

There’s also a lot of inflation when it comes to online courses.

Everybody’s got them. It doesn’t have the ring to it that it used to. Sure, with the right structure and marketing, you can still make it a thing. But, if you’re thinking that creating an online course is some kind of a path to riches, think again. There’s more to it.

And high-ticket coaching? Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a little imposter syndrome about it. Plus, truthfully…

Most of those coaching programs aren’t worth it. Trust me, I’ve worked with enough people over the years to know that most coaches are themselves rather clueless. Some are really good, but most are not good enough at what they do to justify their prices.

Anyway…

I’ve seen the “gurus” who decry “time for money” and the evils of doing direct services.

Screw ’em.

Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that having a business that relies exclusively on your TIME would be a bad design. And charging by the hour does bring a set of problems and can artificially cap your income.

All true.

But…

Done correctly and as part of a more cohesive business strategy that also includes income sources NOT tied directly to time…

It can be very rewarding and profitable.

It can deliver real results.

It can build a lot of goodwill.

It can also make you WAY better at your work and help make you a way better coach and course creator.

Never shy away from doing direct service work for clients.

It isn’t always sexy.

But, it is effective.

Tech Talk

WordPress just turned 18 years old. Kinda crazy when you think about it. I'm still one of those rare birds that remembers what it was like not having WordPress. I'm going on 23... freakin'... years.... in this business.You may know I'm a MASSIVE fan of Thrive Themes. They've been on the move lately... and I love it.They recently posted an update on their Project Lightspeed. This is their answer to the new Google Core Web Vitals... and the concerns over platforms like Thrive negatively impacting site speed.Also, after a lot of time with Shapeshift being the only "skin" in the Theme Builder platform, they've finally released a new one called Ommi. It looks nice. Keep in mind, though, that unlike normal themes where you either just need to like the look or not, Theme Builder allows you to turn it into anything you want using a visual builder.Honestly, I've never used a better, easier theme platform than Thrive Theme Builder. It continues to impress me.Another tool I've been using is Easy Digital Downloads. In fact, I'm converting portions of the LAB to it. It is like WooCommerce, but without the massive footprint. And, just easier to use. Been around awhile and it is quite a mature platform for processing sales through your WordPress site. A review is forthcoming.