#014 "Make Money Online" Vs Start an Online Business (Why the difference matters)

TSFF #014

"Make Money Online" Vs Start an Online Business (Why the difference matters)

Should your focus be to "make money online" or to start an online business?

I think the difference between these two things is actually really important.

I've built a multiple six-figure online business, and I can tell you there are massive benefits to starting a legitimate online business versus just trying to "make money online."

And I've tried both. When I first got into this, I was just trying to make money online, so I researched tactics and strategies, and I tried a lot of different things.

But when I discovered the power of building an online business, it actually changed everything, in a good way. I made more money, I was more fulfilled, I helped more people, and it was better aligned with my actual goals in life.

I want to give you the full scope of what is possible when you start an online business versus just trying to make money online. By the end of this post, you're going to have a clear picture of what you could do if you were to decide you want to start an online business.

Where this all started for me

Way back in 2014, I started what, at that time, was basically just a blog. I would write about a topic that I cared about, which was preaching. I was a pastor at the time, and I wanted to start a resource to help preachers communicate better. It was called Preaching Donkey, and I never really considered it to be a business as much as it was just a resource that I was providing.

Eventually, I wrote my first book, and it actually did really well. It was a number one bestseller in its category on Amazon. It got me thinking, "If I can write a book and it can make money, then what other things could I do online to make money?"

I was ignoring the goldmine I was sitting on

What I didn't realize is that I had a goldmine sitting under my feet with Preaching Donkey. I just hadn't tapped into it yet because in my mind, it wasn't a business, it was just a blog, a podcast and a book.

I thought I had to go somewhere else to find a way to make good money. So, I went online and I researched all these ways that I can make money online.

There are plenty of things you could try

If you research enough, you'll find all kinds of different things that people say to do:

take surveys and get paid 10 cents a survey,
do drop shipping,
try e-commerce,
set up a fulfillment by Amazon product.

Some of those things are legit, some of those things are a big waste of time. But I was willing to dig into and try anything that I thought might make me money because like most people, I was stuck in a 9-to-5 job that I didn't really like. (I liked the work. I didn't like having to go to work, I didn't like having to have a job, I didn't like the fact that I had to ask someone else for permission to take time off, all of the things that came with the job. I didn't like, and I still don't like.)

And so I went on journey to try to figure out how do I make money online.

I only ended up frustrated because all those paths led to meh results, things that didn't really fire me up, things that honestly were not things that I was actually passionate about. It was just things that I was doing because I thought maybe it would make me money.

I turned my focus into growing Preaching Donkey

But then, I realized that Preaching Donkey was the beginnings of an online business. When I finally stopped to think about it, I thought, "I've got a topic that I teach about, I have an audience of people who are targeted, who want to learn about that topic from me, I've already had proof of concept because I'm selling a book. Is there a path where maybe this could become a business?"

And so, I went down that path and very quickly gained clarity around this idea. I ended up building my first online course with that brand. It sold very well. I ended up making a membership site, which I ran for a year. I built another course and then another course. I did coaching and consulting, and it became a full-fledged online business.

And because it was in line with my experience, my talents, and I was passionate about it, it actually worked!

I use my experience to help people like you start businesses

I had so many people asking, "Okay, how are you making money doing this hobby of yours called Preaching Donkey? How is this enough for you to leave your job and pursue it full-time?" So, I started the Lane Sebring brand that you're interacting with where I started teaching people how to build businesses around their unique skills, experiences, knowledge, and passions.

I started helping people build these businesses and structure them in a way that would actually build an audience, create products, and make money, and do it around something that they actually care about.

And it turned into what it is now, which is a multiple six-figure business where I help people start and grow online businesses.

There is a path for you

I say all that to say this: You can pursue all kinds of different ways to make money online, but if there is something inside of you, if you have a topic, a passion, a niche, a set of experiences, a type of knowledge that is unique to you, there is a path for you to build a legit business that also happens to make you life-changing passive income.

But most importantly, you can do something that is fulfilling, which means you'll stick with it, you'll enjoy it, and it won't feel like a job. 

If you're reading  this and you're like, "I just want to make a few hundred on the side a month, or a few thousand, or I want to replace my entire income," there is a path for any goal you have if you want to start an online business.

I want to show you how to do it. Here's how I can help:

1) Keep reading these posts each week because I plan to bring even more value to you every week.

2) Sign up for the Six Figure Fastlane course waitlist below.

3) Execute on what you already know! Take your first step, whatever it is.

Cheering you on as always.
Lane

Here's two ways I can help you:

#1 Get on the Waitlist for my upcoming course, Six-Figure Online Business Fastlane, a complete, end-to-end system to equip you to start and grow an online business that makes life-changing passive income.

#2 Jumpstart your business on the best all-in-one online business platform there is: Kajabi. Get it free for 30 days with my link plus exclusive bonuses from me. Find out more: LaneSebring.com/Kajabi