The Best Online Business Model to Build Your Freedom (While Juggling a Demanding 9‐to‐5).

CONTENTS:

A – The Problem I Want to Contribute to Solving
(In case you care—my vision is to help thousands get out of the system if they so wish and be free to make a living based on what they care about… I wish I had less ambitious visions.)
B – The Solution: Brief + Detailed Plans for this Business Model
C – The Choices You Have

🛑 The Problem: You Are Far from Living to Your Full Potential
You’re smart, capable, and ambitious—but every day, you sit at your desk feeling like you’re running on a treadmill: moving, but going nowhere.
You wake up, check emails, sit through meetings, update reports, answer messages, then go home… exhausted, uninspired, and wondering, “Is this it?”
Somewhere along the way, you traded excitement for stability. The golden promise of a steady paycheck, career growth, and security has turned into a loop of uninspiring tasks and soul‑sucking activities.

• Your creativity is wasted. Instead of solving interesting problems, a lot of your work implies bureaucracy.

• Your growth is capped. Promotions are slow, and office politics dictate who moves up.

• Your time isn’t your own. Sometimes office work bleeds into nights and weekends. The dream of "work-life balance"? A myth.

• You crave more meaning, freedom, and autonomy. But where do you even start?

Here's the wake‑up call: Nobody is coming to save you. The system is designed to keep you just comfortable enough so you don’t leave.
Yet, there’s no doubt YOU can break free from all of the above… How? Read on.

💭 Is There Any Solution?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
—Socrates (or so they say, just before his death sentence)

Take a look at yourself… Have you solved at least one problem well throughout your life? Do you feel passion about a certain topic / topics? Do you care about making progress and improving your life? Are you inspired by people who built something that led them to more freedom—succeeding despite all odds?
(going a bit deeper)
Are you still dreaming? Daydreaming, and even nightdreaming (by the way, if you aren’t nightdreaming in color—as the book SuperIntestine suggests, it may be related to your microbiome—talk about weird connections, right? I recommend this book)

It’s impossible to have answered “no” to all of the above… I’m sure you gave at least one “yes,” right?
Now, let me guide you to even more good news that may change your whole perspective…
If you’ve solved even one problem in your life, if you have interests and passions, then this is for you.

✅ First Important Truth/Answer
If you have skills, interests, and some kind of expertise you can package them into a product that you can sell around the clock, while you sleep.
Yes, it’s the internet that allows you to do this, and yes, it’s possible for absolutely everyone.

No, it’s not possible without learning a few things—but it is possible to allocate very little time to it and see outstanding results in only a few months if you’re a good learner or diligently follow instructions.
We are living in times that allow you to do this- so don’t miss the opportunity. Our ancestors couldn’t do this.
I personally think the opportunity is huge. There’s no need to have an office, employees, take risks to produce things, own stocks, or find investors.

There’s is also no need to box yourself into a certain industry, whether online or not.
Finally, there’s no need—and it isn’t wise—to depend on a specific platform either. You may use them, but you shouldn’t depend on them.
I call the above a considerable opportunity.

What can you do? Take that skill, interest, or expertise (in solving one specific problem) and start talking to others about it.

So, yes there are many solutions if you happen to experience the problem outlined above. I’m going to detail the one that is by far the easiest as well as the most ethical, below.

 ✅ Build Your One-Person Business Around Your Knowledge and Interest

Instead of waiting years for a promotion or hoping for a better job, why not build something—something around what you already know: your skills, interests, and unique insights?
A business?! “No way—I’m not the type; too scared…”
Until you start making money, let’s not even call it a business so you won’t get scared. Let’s call it building your little internet world—a small online corner where an audience interested in the same things as you gathers. You talk to this audience, package your knowledge in ways that help them, and test your ideas. (That’s the simple start for this business model—the easiest, least risky model. But you can call it a business only after you’ve made your first sale; until then, don’t worry about legal stuff, accounting, etc.)

Why Knowledge? Why Not a Physical Product or Software?
Because educational products—ebooks, templates, worksheets, courses, communities, cohorts—are, in my opinion, still the best and easiest way to start an online business.

They are considered good and add real value if they:
✔️ Solve a specific pain point
✔️ Provide a system that delivers results
✔️ Offer clarity on everything involved in executing that system

They’re highly profitable (often 90–100% profit), scalable, and, most importantly, if they’re good, they can be life-changing (far more than a physical product or even software).
Creators are the new educators, essentially teaching what schools can’t keep up with.
People still buy books, so they’ll continue to buy knowledge.
The best teachers share what they’ve mastered—that’s exactly what people want.

Which is why I’m dedicating this article to showing you the exact steps to turn your knowledge into an offer. It contains both a (business) plan in brief first, then in details for those ready to take action.

A- The Plan in Brief

1. Identify Your Topic(s) Then Start Writing Consistently on Social Media and Become an Authority on Chosen Topic(s)
     – Learn simple writing techniques
     – Implement systems to be consistent and save time with your writing and posting

   – Do the above for at least 6 months.

2. Build an Audience as a Free and High‑Leverage Traffic Source
     – Post all three forms of content: long form, medium form, and short form, while focusing on just 2–3 platforms.
     – Reach out to people and interact.
     – Offer something valuable for free in exchange for keeping in touch via email.

3. Start Selling Your Knowledge and Expertise with 1–2 Digital Products That You Can Test Quickly
     – (If you are more courageous) add one-on-one help; start by offering assistance to one person for free to see if you can get them results.
     – Dedicate 2 hours a day, 5 days a week (choose morning or evening, but plan for this) for at least 6 months, then evaluate.

4. Evaluate
     – After 6 months, assess your results.
     – Do you have at least 200–300 followers? (in case you started from zero)

   – Have you helped at least one person achieve the desired results? Have you made any sales?

   If your answer is “yes” to any of the above, I don’t think I’ll have to convince you that it’s worth continuing for another 6 months.

5. Persist and Iterate Until You Reach $100,000+

6. Now You Can Quit Your Job If You Feel Like It

7. Finally, Since You Have So Much Data and Results, Turn Your System Into Something Even More Valuable (like software, a course, or a physical product)

Now for those of you who want more, the exact steps to follow are below.

B- The Plan in Details

Step 1 : Identify What You Can Sell

You don’t need to be a genius or a guru; you just need to be a few steps ahead of someone else. Here’s how to find your niche:
  • What problems have you solved in your job? Have you built efficient systems, learned a valuable skill, or discovered shortcuts that save time?
  • What do colleagues always ask you for advice on? This is a sign that people already see you as an expert.
  • What interests you enough that you’d talk about it for hours? Your energy and enthusiasm will be key to your success.
  • What skills do you want to double down on? Instead of being a replaceable corporate worker, you can become an authority in a field you love.

Here’s a list of topics to help you get started: writing, video editing, speaking, social dynamics, relationships and dating, productivity, web design or development, artificial intelligence, mental health, weightlifting, running, nutrition, learning faster, knowledge management, managing finances, landing job interviews, etc, etc…

Pick one thing you’re above average at and write it down.

If you have more than one topic and they are quite different, use a free framework like mine. For those who are certain they want to sell an online course, I use my OSCAR framework—which delves into an IKIGAI system and includes quick assessments about scalability, profitability, and a couple of other business criteria -see PS at the end of this article.

But there are simpler exercises to help you identify your topic/s. If you need help here reach out to me for another free tool, an easier, faster version of OSCAR, that can guide you in this process.

The process is the same and it can be done in many ways. My framework is for those who like to go a bit deeper and be sure they choose a good topic from the start.

When ready choose your top two, maximum three topics and decide which one you want to test first. You can still write about all three during the first six months, even if they aren’t directly related.

Research

Next, do a bit of research on products and ideas within your first topic to find out what works.

Buy a course or book from someone who is already making money in the niche/topic selected. Look at how they package their knowledge—this will give you some more tips for your own product.

Look at courses on sites like Masterclass, Udemy, and Skillshare. Search Reddit for course reviews in your niche. Check what products creators in your space sell by following their accounts and joining their email lists. Revisit products you’ve purchased before. Look at X (former Twitter) and YouTube, and filter posts/videos by popularity to note trending subtopics that could become a product.

Write down 10-20 solid ideas for such products.

(How does it sound so far? Complicated?? I'm hoping not…)

Step 2 : Build an Audience Before You Sell Anything

Now it's time to talk to others about your topic/s and see if it resonates.

Let's bust some myths though.

You don’t need thousands of followers. You just need the right people to see what you have to offer. You also need to offer value consistently. The good thing is that you like your niche and are inspired by it.

Here’s how to start building your audience:

• Start sharing your knowledge online—Twitter, LinkedIn, or a blog are great starting points. Progressively you will need to think of long form content that can be repurposed and advertised via short form and medium form content- again a clear system that helps save a lot of time and makes you consistent

• Keep learning and document your learning journey. Show what you're experimenting with, not just polished expertise.

• Engage in online communities where your ideal customers hang out. Provide value, answer questions, build trust.

• Comment and engage with bigger accounts in your niche while always offering value

• The key word here is consistency- for at least 6 months.

Tip: Instead of trying to "be everywhere," - a big trap for beginners- follow the system to write and post consistently and start with 2-3 platforms max. Without a good system, it’s not easy to keep your time investment to just 2 hours a day—especially as a beginner. If you can’t afford guidance here, use trial and error. It may take longer but you will get there if you keep at it.

• Offer a small slice of your expertise for free in exchange for your audience’s email address. This is called a lead magnet. And yes—it needs to be genuinely valuable and help your audience achieve a specific outcome.

  I recommend starting with no more than three. But honestly, if you create one great one (and you should), that’s more than enough.

• Include a link to your lead magnet on all social media platforms you are active on. Make sure to share a link to your lead magnet on every social platform where you're active. Visibility matters—your audience can't sign up for what they can't see.

Step 3 : Develop Your “Irresistible” Offer

People don’t just buy information—they buy information that helps them achieve results i.e., transformation. Information that is packaged as a system and a path that guides them in solving a specific problem effectively.

Six sub-steps (these would be the same steps I teach people who want an online course business)

 3.1 Identify the Big Problem
  Find the main pain point your audience struggles with. A strong problem should be:
   – Relatable: They must feel it in their daily life.
   – Relevant: It has to be important enough to solve.
   – Research‑backed: It should be a real issue, not just an assumption.

For example, your topic could be weightlifting, networking and career growth, menopause weight, loneliness, house cleaning, public speaking, language learning, meal prep, writing, Excel mastery, pet grooming, mental health, meditation, grocery planning, etc etc
Behind all of these topics are deeper issues that you need to identify. They will make the problem stronger and allow you to highlight the long‑term negative effects.

 3.2 Define the Desired Outcome
  If the big problem is the starting point, the desired outcome is obviously the finish line.
  For example, if the problem is low confidence due to being out of shape, the outcome could be:
   – Men: Visible abs, a strong jawline, broad shoulders, and confidence.
   – Women: An hourglass figure, toned abs, and a feeling of attractiveness.
This outcome should be tied to bigger benefits (e.g., “Men want abs because it makes them feel respected”).

Ask yourself “Why does my audience want to overcome the problem?”. Tip: Ask the “why” question at least 3–5 times to uncover these deeper benefits.

 3.3 Set a Believable Timeframe
  Another essential criterion for a good offer is a timeframe to achieve the desired outcome. People want clear timelines for results.
  Timelines make your product feel tangible and serve as a great reference for your marketing.
  Examples: 30 days, 6 weeks, 3 months, etc.
  A strong timeframe avoids overwhelming buyers and helps you focus on what’s necessary instead of overloading your product with info.

 3.4 Develop Your Unique “Personal System”
  Your personal system is what makes your offer stand out. Based on your specific knowledge, experience, and expertise, what can you recommend?
  – Break down the exact steps people need to follow.
  – Structure your educational content by outlining the steps, skills, and fundamentals they need to succeed.
  – Ensure they understand why your system works—not just what to do.
  – Test the system on someone for free and refine it.
  – Keep improving it until it guarantees results.
  – Give it a name. Examples: “Passion to Profession Post‑40: 8‑Week Roadmap for a Career Shift,” “StrongLifts 5x5,” “Well‑Being Warrior: Self‑Care Routines for Females Over 50,” etc.
  If you’re creating an educational product, people need a clear roadmap.

 3.5 Highlight Features & Benefits
  Remember, people don’t buy information—they buy transformation. They don’t buy products (with features); they buy outcomes (benefits).
  – Features describe what a course includes—the structure, lessons, tools etc
  – Benefits show the real-life impact and transformation those features deliver.

Examples:
Passion to Profession Post‑40: 8‑Week Roadmap for a Career Shift
  – Features: Step‑by‑step guidance on identifying your strengths and transitioning into a fulfilling career; how‑to guides for resumes, interviews, etc.
  – Benefits: Gain clarity, confidence, and a practical 8‑week plan and tools to leave unfulfilling work behind and start fresh.

Well‑being Warrior: Self‑Care Routines for Females Over 50
  – Features: Structured routines and plans covering nutrition, movement, and mindset for midlife wellness; worksheets, live sessions, etc.
  – Benefits: Regain energy, reduce stress, feel vibrant, strong, and in control of your well‑being.

 3.6 Choose a Delivery Method
  Your product needs a format. Consider different options such as:
  – Ebook: Quick to create and lower priced ($27–$50).
  – Email Course: Good for structured learning, though engagement may drop.
  – Regular Course: Always available, but requires traffic ($100–$300).
  – Cohort/ Group Coaching: Live sessions for premium pricing plus course content ($300/400+).
  – Community: Recurring income, but requires ongoing effort.
  – Software: High risk, big payoff (5+ years of work).

Beginner-Friendly Strategy:
Start with a low‑cost ebook (around $20+), expand it into a course with templates (around $100+), then turn it into a high‑end cohort program (around $400+).
Each step builds on the previous one, making it easier to scale your business.

❗️Note: The steps above do NOT mean you should develop the entire content of your product immediately. They simply define the elements: topic/problem, desired outcome with timeframe, structure for the solution with features and benefits, plus a potential delivery method. That’s it—no full content yet.

Step 4 : Create a simple, yet strong landing page

Now it's time to communicate your offer. Yes, you are going to communicate about it before you have it totally ready.

This method eliminates the risk of wasting time or money on a product that doesn’t work. Plus unlike traditional businesses that require manufacturing, distribution, and high upfront costs, digital products allow endless testing and pivoting.

The easiest way to start a digital product business is by following this order:

1. Create a landing page before the product is ready.

2. Launch with preorders to validate demand.

3. Build the product based on what sells and customer feedback.

Note: I use a similar approach in my Online Course SMARTtrack program, designed for those who want to build a profitable online course business. Instead of spending months creating a full course upfront, I teach them to launch with just the first module ready, then co-create the rest week by week based on real feedback from their "founding students." And no—I do not tell them to give their course away for free (unlike certain "gurus" whose students face a 90%+ failure rate…). This method ensures they build something people actually want—and get paid while doing it.

Use any free platform out there to quickly create a page that includes:

• A headline & subheadline summarizing the offer’s problem, outcome, personal system, and timeframe.

• A problem section describing their struggle and the consequences of not fixing it.

• A personal system section explaining your unique solution and why it works better than other methods.

• Testimonials (if available) showing proof of results. If not use your own results at first.

• Features & benefits listing everything included in the product and why it matters.

• A call to action comparing life before vs. after your product.

Tip: You could set a public start/release date for your upcoming digital product. This adds accountability and ensures you commit to creating the product.

Since you’re still implementing Step 2 above—writing, posting, and repurposing content—aka building your audience, simply include your offer at the end of each content piece. You might also offer an early bird discount.

Step 5: Make Your First Sales & Build the Product While Delivering It

Once your first sales come in, focus on delivering a great product. If sales don’t happen, pivot, tweak, or create something new.

Deliver your first version—keep it simple but valuable. (If it’s a course, have only your first module ready -using my Online Course SmartTrack method- and build the remaining modules week by week with your founding students).

Gather feedback and improve based on what people actually need.

Since digital products have no upfront costs, you can test and retry indefinitely—failure is nearly impossible if you persist.

Scale up: Increase prices, create more offers, or expand your audience.

Tip: One of the best ways to validate an idea is to get at least five people to pay for it before launching. If nobody buys, tweak your offer until it resonates and attracts those first buyers.

Your first product doesn’t have to be perfect. If you’re too scared, start by offering something small (a guide, a workshop, or a framework) and test the demand before moving to higher‑ticket offers.

Nevertheless, I recommend considering one‑on‑one coaching as early as possible—not only does it increase revenue, but it also provides valuable insights for your future digital products.

This isn’t about overnight success. Yet in 6–12 months, if you can indeed offer value and if you learn how to communicate it, you can build a business that brings in as much as your corporate salary (or more)—without the meetings, office politics, or rigid schedule. Here is a list of skills you do need to succeed.

🩵 Why This Business Model Works So Great

1. It’s built on your passion, expertise, and interests while allowing you to build an audience through related topics—it’s purpose‑driven.

2. It’s ethical: You aren’t riding an AI trend to make money by manipulating people; you truly add value.

3. It’s scalable.

4. It requires the least amount of work.

5. It’s great for pivoting if necessary.

6. It’s very low risk in all areas.

7. It helps you develop amazing skills—writing, audience building, etc.—that will be valued even if you decide to remain employed (your next job will be better when your employer sees your audience).

8. It’s one of the easiest models to follow in terms of complexity and technology.

9. It doesn’t box you into a certain industry—like Amazon, dropshipping, or Google Ads.

10. And best of all, it’s fun!

So, Why Are People Still on the Fence?

❌ Some don’t know the above. They simply don’t have the knowledge
❌ Others never make the leap because they:
  – Overthink it. They wait for their “perfect” idea instead of taking action.
  – Think they need more credentials. You don’t need a PhD to teach something—you just need to help someone get results.
  – Fear putting themselves out there. (No one truly cares until you become a great value creator—and then they will start caring.)
…and many more reasons.

What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

If you do nothing, where will you be in 5 years? Still sitting in the same office, doing the same work, wondering “what if?”
Staying in the same job for another 10 years—way scarier, if you ask me.
Or starting, failing, and then giving up.
What’s the big deal? At least you tried. At least you developed new skills that you can use—even for your employer—to help them reach their own goals, which might even earn you extra rewards.
At least you expanded your network, right? You spoke to all these new people who share the same interests.
I’d say the second worst is already a lot better than the first, don’t you think?

What’s the Best That Could Happen?

You take control, build something of your own, and create the freedom you’ve been craving.

The choice is yours.

Action Time

The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time? Right now.

If you’re serious about improving your life through building your freedom, set a deadline & commit to Step 1 & Step 2 in the next 30 days.

Do it yourself or find someone who can help you. It is smarter to get help from people who are ahead of you if you can afford the price.

If you choose to work with me,

Here is how I can help you:

1. Just Testing the Waters:
     Join me for 3 months, to learn how to build your online corner and grow your audience. It’s a simple, easy to follow, group coaching program that helps you start and remain consistent for at least 3 months- Build Your Audience.
     – Best case: You’ll have at least a few hundred followers at the end.
     – Worst case (very unlikely if you follow the instructions): You might not build a sizable audience—but you will have learned valuable skills (skills that will help you find an even better job or get a promotion).

2. Building an Online Course Business:
     If you already know you want to build an online course business, join here. This option requires a bit more work, but the process is similar to the one above.

   To learn more about what I teach inside the Online Course SMARTtrack program, get my free guide here.

Thank you for reading!

See you next time,

Diana

PS 1- Additional Ways

(from the simple spectrum)
There are additional ways to build an audience and make money online, though I don't favor them as much (some, IMO, lack purpose, even ethical integrity [dropshipping, celebrity channels etc], or genuine value, some are simply less effective):

1. Documenting Your Learning Process:
     While sharing your personal journey can definitely attract followers, it typically relies on video rather than written content and may draw an audience that isn’t composed of potential buyers. You can create videos without showing your face, which might be easier to produce, but I find this approach less impactful.

2. Testing Products and Sharing Affiliate Links:
     This method works, especially if you already have an established audience. However, I’m not a big fan of this approach—because you’re essentially building someone else’s business, and your success depends on factors you can’t control. That said, it does generate income—for example, you can use an app like ManyChat to automatically send your affiliate link to anyone who comments a specific keyword on your post, earning you a commission if they make a purchase.

3. Monetizing Through Advertising and Brand Deals:
     You can earn money through ads on your platform or via brand deals. If your topic and content add value then great. It’s still not smart to depend on the above only but you could do it.

   Still if you are using AI based videos about celebrities, rich people, whatever else, this, in my opinion is taking advantage of technology in a negative way—making money on the back of people without offering any real value. In some cases it may become profitable but it has no purpose and it is unethical too.

PS 2 – The OSCAR Framework

• O – Online, S – Scalable, C – Constant Need & Interest, A – Accessible, R – Rapid

Based on the above criteria, I came up with a simple matrix and methodology—the O.S.C.A.R. Methodology—which helps people find their best online course business idea. Its steps: An overview of the online business models, Selection of desired lifestyle objectives, Considering business ideas based on interests & expertise, Assessing/auditing business ideas with the O.S.C.A.R. Matrix, Reassessing/reviewing business ideas based on market needs- Ikigai, ideal client & market research.