Is It Possible To Have a Successful Online Business If You Don’t Teach Online Business?

Successful online business
Is it possible to build a successful online business if you’re not selling to other online business owners?

I’m going to broach this topic head on because it’s something I see coming up a lot with people who discover the wonderful world of online business.

Is it possible to have a successful online business if you don’t teach people how to create an online business?

If you look around, it seems like all the popular and wealthy business owners are those who teach others how to start a business. Right? Or is there more to the story?

A lot of people who get into the online business world see that people who teach business tend to do well.

But then they start to doubt their ability to do well if they’re not marketing to other business owners online.
Successful Businesses that aren't business-related? Yes, please!

A Look Outside the Business Bubble

Does that mean that if you have interests and talents outside of the business world, you’re doomed to earning a small income for ever and ever? Nope. It’s just time to look outside of the bubble, so let’s do it!

I’ve met business owners in a variety of different fields who have built thriving six figure plus companies in:

  • Tarot and spirituality
  • Green smoothies
  • Dance training
  • Jewelry
  • Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Martial arts
  • Dog training

Now one thing that I will say is that if you want to grow a business as someone who teaches and trains on a specific topic, you need to be so freaking passionate about that topic that you could talk about it for years. Because you’ll have to.

With any business it takes time to build up an audience and a customer base, and if your only price point is a $30 product, then you’re going to need scale to make it profitable.

In each industry there is a place for premium pricing and choosing where you want to position yourself in the marketplace. You can be the high-end super exclusive private dance instructor. Or you can be the smaller priced DVD teacher available on every shelf.

You can sell inexpensive jewelry to thousands, or be a high-end custom jewelry designer. You could also have a middle of the road nutrition program that’s a stretch for some people, but totally worth it.

Successful Online Business: Does B2B Win?

Now I want to address why it feels like the only examples of success we see are in the business-to-business realm.

First, I’ve noticed that when you’re in business you understand that you need to invest in things in order to make more revenue. So you might be willing to hire a copywriter, a designer, or a coach and pay top dollar.

There’s also the idea that if you can “sell money” then you can charge more for your offerings.

For example, if you’re selling someone a method, shortcut, or idea that can make someone more money, then that information is worth investing in.

It’s like saying “pay me 5 dollars and I’ll show you how to make 10”. It’s no wonder these types of offerings do well, especially if you have a lot of case studies where people got their 10 dollars back easily.

But you know there are many other aspects of life beyond money.

The online business space is also like a huge bubble. If you’re learning about online business, then the only examples you tend to see are from other business trainers.

People who run businesses that don’t rely on business owners as clients have no incentive to advertise how successful their business is. They also don’t have any reason to tell anyone how much income their business generates, or to become known in the business training circles, either.

So this is definitely another reason that we can start to feel like we’re in the business to business echo chamber.

Three Main Business Categories

The main categories that most businesses fall under are: getting laid, getting paid, and not dying. I like to throw spirituality in there too.

There are many ways to pick a niche, but most businesses fall under these major umbrellas.

If you have a business that ultimately helps people with anything in these categories, you can make a successful go at it!

Some of the biggest and most successful companies aren’t in the “getting paid” category at all. Think about all the informercials for P90X and Insanity… Or Proactiv and the Ronco Dehydrator machines. These are all hugely successful companies and products.

So please don’t let the fact that you’re in a different category stop you from pursuing a business you’re passionate about.

What I’ve noticed is that people who fall in love with online business end up becoming trainers in the online business field because they found success themselves and want to share it with others. It’s what becomes their passion.

That’s what happened to me, with my Real Foods Witch business turning into this digital strategy company you see today. I’m passionate about business, health, and people living life through their own conscious decisions.

Inspiration Outside The Business Teaching Realm

Here are some success stories of people who started successful companies outside of the “business training” realm. These are some of my friends, colleagues, clients, and random strangers too!

In no particular order they are: Natalia Gabrea, Briana Borten, Dr. Samantha, Tone It Up, HoopGirl, Shake Your Booty, Simple Green Smoothies, Tracy Matthews, Andrea Nakayama, Blueberry Diapers, Paws and Possibilities

You can also take a look at the local businesses near you – even though they’re not necessarily eligible to be counted as a successful online business, you can definitely learn from them and use them as inspiration.

I Want to Hear Your Opinion!

I know this is a hot topic, so please share it with your friends and let’s keep the discussion going! What business category are you in, and have you ever felt that niggle of doubt that you might not make it big because you don’t teach business?

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I’m the founder of a tech startup called AccessAlly, a powerful course and membership platform for coaching industry leaders.

I’m also the creator of the free 30 Day List Building Challenge:

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