This is how to create a ‘set-and forget’ startup today
If you want to create a startup that allows you to grow quickly and maintain a ‘hands off’ approach as its owner, then you need to automate your business from the ground up.
This is rarely as simple as it sounds because if you take your hands off the wheel too soon, your business may wither and die. Indeed, every business, no matter how simple, requires a huge amount of work to get going – both because you need to put these automated processes in place and because you need to source or develop the products or services you wish to sell.
However, despite the difficulty of creating a ‘set and forget’ startup, it can certainly be done.
There are many industries that thrive off of this model, such as online teaching or coaching (as well as other forms of info products). Using this industry as an example, you would need to create a video, audio, or text product up front and then sell it via a platform of your choice (usually a website or email list). As long as you continue to cultivate your customer base, this type of business can continue to serve you well for a number of years.
This is how to create a ‘set and forget’ startup today:
Make sure you have an effective SEO strategy
If you want to create a business that attracts potential customers consistently over time, then you need to make sure your business is SEO-friendly. To do this, you need to research key terms that your target audience are searching for regularly. Once you have these keywords, you need to create a consistent flow of content that weaves these terms into it – most commonly, this is blog content, but landing pages also work.
If you are struggling to incorporate SEO into your startup, then you should consult an SEO specialist like YEAH! Local.
Train your customers to be responsive
The aim of a set and forget startup is that it requires minimal input on your part once the core elements of the business have been set up. To do this, you need to ensure your customers are eager to buy and don’t require much else other than persuasive copy that you crafted using SEO techniques and other persuasion principles (such as social proof) to buy your products.
However, this does not happen overnight. You need to actively train your customers to become more responsive, but there is no one set approach to achieving it. You may want to only offer certain products for a limited amount of time (thus creating a time impetus) or offer time-sensitive discounts to spur action from your customers.
Keep your offering simple
If you want to be able to own a company that requires little active input, then you need to keep it as simple as possible. Most crucially, you only want to offer a select few products, and make them as simple and easy to manage as possible.
This is why info product businesses are so often used as a way of generating passive income because you don’t have to deal with producers, but equally, it doesn’t take much else other than your existing expertise to create and distribute.
Of course, this minimalist attitude can also be extended to how many staff members you employ or how many online platforms you are active on.
