Hey Dadpreneurs,
Starting your own business is overwhelming.
What should you sell?
Who should you sell to?
What type of business should you have?
When starting out I had NO IDEA how many different ways you could build a business.
Today I thought I'd take one idea and demonstrate how you could build a business using the 8 most popular business model.
REQUIREMENTS: Solve the same problem for the same customer, and solution. Only the model changes.
Shout out to my good friends Shrey and Tyler Graham as I'm using a market/customer close to theirs as my 2 examples, hope it helps give you some ideas, but this is NOT their answers, these are all mine, just using a market other than my own to demonstrate.
CUSTOMER:
#1 23 year old college graduate who is figuring out "life"
#2 30 year old busy dad with 3 kids
PROBLEM:
#1 Struggling to make major life decisions
#2: Trying to balance career and family
SOLUTION:
#1 Journaling
#2 Being an intentional dad
Here are the 8 SIMPLE business models for dadpreneurs ready to expand their online empire. (examples BELOW image, scroll down)
𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲: Selling physical products online directly to customers.
#1: Selling a custom journal, called "Journal Your Heart Out" with templated prompts to guide someone through journalling tough decisions or emotional days. (this could EASILY be done through Amazong for $0 down)
#2: Selling Family Planner Calendars or downloadable/printable Family Board Game. (the calendar could be done as a large workbook through Amazon for $0 down)
𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 (Content Creation): Building audience and influence through content.
#1: Post content about how to journal (Framework), stories of you and others journaling and why, curate the best journaling posts for the week.
#2. Post inspiring dad stories from history, how to manage a busy schedule and make time for family (Framework), curate the best dad/time management advice each week
𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Funding projects through collective supporter contributions.
#1: Crowdfund the "Journal Your Heart Out"
#2: Crowdfund a full blown calendar or board game for families.
𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀: Selling courses or downloadable goods online.
#1: Downloadable/printable journal pages and video tutorials, Ebook about the framework of journaling
#2: Video course on managing a budding career and protecting family time titled, "Burn Untamed: How to keep the fire of you marriage, family, and career burning bright"
𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Recurring revenue from content or services.
#1: Weekly journal prompts delivered to your inbox that inspire creativity and reflection $5/mo.
#2: Monthly ideas and challenges of how you could be a great dad, called the Fun Dad in a Box. Creative ways to be a "fun" dad, so you don't have to do any thinking. $15/mo. (I like this one!) Deluxe version includes a new family board game each month. $50/mo.
𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Earning commissions promoting others’ products. (works great with influencer model)
#1: Promote other journaling methods and their products to your audience in posts, emails etc.
#2: Promote other dad products from shaving, to family calendars, books, etc. in your posts, emails etc.
𝗦𝗔𝗔𝗦 (Software as a Service): Subscription-based software solutions.
#1: Journal app prompts that lock your screen until your dismiss or type out your journal. Includes an easy to use mic record feature that transcribes the responses to the questions that pop up and a community of other heart journalers. $12/mo.
#2: Fun Dad in 5 Minutes of Less, app that pops up a fun idea for you when you are done with work that takes less than 5 minutes to execute. Always come home as a fun dad. $5/mo. Community for dads built on would be nice as well.
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: Providing specialized skills or coaching online.
#1: Accountability for journaling and executing on the persons action items and a safe place to connect. Could be a group coaching (10 to a group) $30/mo. (5 groups = $1500 for 1 day of work!)
#1: Coach dads how to be fun. Give them weekly challenges, ask them how it went, and hold them accountable to getting into "fun dad" shape.
Here’s my piece of advice:
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽, 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳:
Does this solve a genuine problem?
Your business model isn’t just a revenue stream.
It’s a solution to someone’s challenge.
Find that challenge, and you’ve found your path to true growth.
𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀.
I’ve seen many jump at every opportunity to monetize, from e-commerce to coaching, without a clear focus.
Don’t dilute your efforts trying to do it all.
If coding isn’t your forte, maybe an app or SAAS isn’t for you.
Stick to what you know best.
Specialize, don’t generalize.
Design your business around your lifestyle.
Remember, your online business should empower you, not constrain you.
Because at the end of the day, designing a business that fits your life is the ultimate success.
Thoughts?
P.S. You can combine different models together to come up with truly unique offers, but start with one clear model in mind. Hit the comment button and say “simple” if you want help creating your SIMPLE Online Business Plan.