If you're an experienced professional building an online business, you've probably received plenty of advice about what you should be doing. Build a website. Create an online course. Develop a sales funnel. Grow your email list.
But here's a question I encourage you to consider: Are you designing the online business you actually want, or just building things?
This week's Online Profits Prescription explores why answering a few fundamental questions before you start building can save you time, money, and frustration.
Doctor’s Notes
When I started out, like many experienced professionals, I jumped into implementation because I knew I needed a website, a course, and a marketing system. But those are components of a business, not the business itself.
Before deciding what to build, I encourage you to consider three fundamental questions.
Those decisions can make a significant difference in what you build, how you build it, and whether you end up with a business you actually enjoy operating.
Online Profits Insight
Three Questions to Answer Before You Start Building Your Online Business
Most experienced professionals know a great deal about their area of expertise. But knowing what you can offer isn't the same as knowing what kind of online business you should create.
It's tempting to start building a website, developing a course, or setting up marketing systems because those are tangible things you can accomplish.
But what if you're building the wrong things for the business you actually want?
There are three questions I believe every experienced professional should answer before investing significant time and money in building an online business.
They're not technology questions. And they're not just about what you want to sell.
They connect the people you want to help, the value you want to provide, and something that's surprisingly easy to overlook when you're starting a business.
In this week's Online Profits Insight, I explore those three questions and how your answers can guide the business you ultimately design and build.
→ Read and Watch: Three Questions to Answer Before You Start Building Your Online Business
Read the full Insight article here...
Kajabi Korner
Build Your Online Business With a Plan, Not Just a Platform
Kajabi provides tools for creating websites, landing pages, courses, coaching programs, communities, and marketing campaigns. But having all those capabilities available can feel overwhelming if you're not clear about what capabilities you need to create a specific customer experience, which is all you can do at any one time.
Start by identifying the customer experience you want to create and the offers you intend to deliver. Then select the capabilities that support your initial business design.
What online customer experience do you want to create first?
If you're interested in learning how I can help you can build Version 1 of your onilne business in 3 months for $99, let's set up a time to talk.
Let's Talk About How To Build Your Online Business 1.0 for $99
Sprint to Success!
Before You Build Something Else...
Here's a simple exercise for this week. Think about the next thing you're planning to build for your online business. Perhaps it's a new landing page, a course, an email sequence, or a marketing campaign.
Before you start, ask yourself: How will this contribute value to the business I'm trying to create?
If you can answer that clearly, you're probably making a purposeful investment of your time. If you're not sure, it may be worth spending a little more time to first reconnect with your business mission and vision of the business and life you want to create.
Community Updates
Online Experts Roundtable
Most online business advice starts with marketing. Build an audience. Generate leads. Grow your email list.
But what if the better approach is to start at the other end?
This Friday, we'll explore how to design your online business around the results you want to achieve, both for your clients and for yourself.
We'll start with delivery, then consider how your sales, marketing, content, and community can work together to support the business you want to create.
We'll explore some of those questions at this week's Online Experts Roundtable, Friday at 1:00 PM Pacific.
Join us on Friday at the
Online Experts Roundtable
October 2, 2026
1:00 pm Pacific
Design Your Online Business for the Results You Want
Start With Delivery.
Then Design Your Content, Marketing, Sales, and Community.
Join us Friday at 1:00 pm Pacific for the presentation, discussion, and Q&A. The first half hour will include the weekly topic presentation and initial takeaways, and the second half hour is the optional Q&A and discussion about any online business topics you're interested to get more information or input for things you're working on.
Design Your Online Business in Five Days
I'm preparing an upcoming Design Your Online Business Workshop
During this five-day workshop (1 hour per day), we'll work through the four essential elements of your initial online business design:
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Clients and Mission
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Signature Framework
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Customer Journey
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Business Model
The goal is to help you develop your Initial Business Design and identify the best path forward for your circumstances and goals.
Design Your Online Business Workshop
October 26-30, 2026
9:00 - 10:00 am Pacific
You can participate in the live workshop for free. Replays will be up for 24 hours each day if you can't make it live. An optional VIP experience will provide additional coaching, resources and support as well.
Learn More and Join the Workshop Notification List Here...
Thank you for being here.
I’m excited to continue building this community together.
To your online success!
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