Whether you want to sell your business one day or not, build for success from the very beginning. And success means leverage. In other words, if one-on-one dollars-for-hours transactions is your primary business activity, it’s impossible to grow your business.

To achieve leverage, you must stop selling time and productize your service. Turn your service into something you can deliver without actually doing the work: information products, membership sites, software, etc.

How do you begin?

Dr. Anita Campbell, the founder of Small Business Trends, writes in her “5 Steps to Turning a Service Into a Product - So You Can Sell Your Business” article:

Here are 5 steps to turn services into products:

1. Identify something you can replicate repeatedly (what do you keep doing over and over?)

2.  Document it (steps and processes)

3.  Put limits around your offering (don’t leave it open-ended)

4.  Incorporate technology (automate some steps)

5.  Build an organization (build a team)

Even if you don’t want to create a big business, productizing your services and knowledge will help you achieve a lot more freedom, profits, and fun in your business!

I go into much more detail in my product (coming soon!), but I thought I’d share my process for creating information products fast. I have been called “the product queen” (have about 30+ after 9 years in business), and find that it comes naturally to me. Here’s the process I use:

1) survey (survey your list to find out their biggest problems)

2) discover (identify the biggest problem or need)

3) brainstorm (come up with a list of points to cover in your info-product)

4) organize (create a table of contents or come up with questions if it’s Q&A format)

5) record (get on the phone or microphone and record yourself discussing each point)

6) transcribe (have a transcript completed from your recording)

7) polish (turn it into a “book” or “ebook”)

That’s it!

I just came back from D.C., where I was speaking to a room full of savvy entrepreneurs on membership sites, membership-based mentoring  programs, and coaching clubs.

The audience was so COMPLETELY fascinated with these ideas, that I wanted to share them with you!

First things first - WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

Here are the TOP seven reasons why you absolutely need to start your own membership-based program without any further delay:

1. Predictable cashflow creates a stress-free space and peace of mind.

2. No more “slow months” or “seasonal income.”

3. Freedom to build any kind of business, while your basics are covered.

4. Works is optional. You don’t have to show up to generate revenue. You don’t have to work every minute of every day.

5. Best way to create stability in any economy.

6. Easiest way to accumulate cash and wealth.

7. You position yourself at the top of the “herd” in your niche market.

I then demonstrated how running a SINGLE membership- based program will create a six-figure income for you…

… EVEN IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE!

More details are at:

http://www.CoachingClubProfits.com

So, how do you come up with a great membership-based program, web site, or tool, that will keep members subscribed for months or even years?

Here are a few questions to help you brainstorm a winning idea:

- What would simplify people’s lives in your niche?

- What do they constantly complain about?

- What do they find annoying?

- What do they have to deal with on a regular basis?

- What would save them a lot of time?

- What biggest problems do they constantly try to solve?

- What type of information are they always looking for?

- What kind of goals do they constantly try to reach?

HOT TIP: If you have no idea where to start…

… SURVEY!

My favorite type of a membership-based program is a “coaching club.” A very quick definition for you:

“A coaching club is a niche-specific membership-based mentoring program, where participants gain access to a community of peers, content, models, tools, inspiration and implementation support to advance their most important goals.”

More details are at:

http://www.CoachingClubProfits.com

I’ve seen many coaching clubs and membership programs launch and die within just a few months (including a few of my own!). There are three reasons it happens.

“3 Biggest Coaching Club & Membership Site Mistakes”

- Choosing the Wrong Topic (solve a problem, PLEASE!)

- Giving Too Much Content or Adding Too Many “Bells and Whistles” (do people know what your CORE OFFER is?)

- Trying to Create All Content At Once or Waiting Too Long to Start (nobody wants your content all at once, anyway, so no need to do that!)

If you’d like to start your own membership-based program, service, tool, or a coaching club, then I highly suggest this comprehensive everything-you-ever-need-to-know guide:

http://www.CoachingClubProfits.com

Hope you found this e-mail useful!

Warmly, Milana Leshinsky

P.S. Please, note that I only have 8 copies of the “Coaching Club Profits” system in stock at this time, and I don’t know when I will be re-ordering more. I’ve added $568 worth of bonuses to give you TRULY EVERYTHING you need to be up and running with your own coaching club or membership-based program in less than 30 days!

P.P.S. I am now on Twitter! Want to follow me? http://twitter.com/milanaleshinsky

Every May I get a little anxious…

I think it has to do with my anticipation of the kids being out of school, the heat, and the ants migrating into my kitchen to cool off.

Over the years I learned to prepare for summer time by NOT starting any “heavy” projects and keeping my schedule as open as possible.

I also like to catch up on my reading…In fact, I’ve got an embarrassing confession to make.

You know how you go to events and someone always asks, “How many people have read ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill?”

Most people raise their hands…Of course, I raise my hand, too. I have the book and I started reading it…

…about 17 times!

Maybe it’s because English is not my first language, or I simply wasn’t ready for it, but until last week I never ACTUALLY read this classic!

It’s truly amazing! I keep turning back to the first page to check if it really was written in 1937 - it might as well have been written TODAY!

Here are my favorite quotes so far:

“The accumulation of great fortunes calls for power, and power is acquired through highly organized and intelligently directed specialized knowledge, but that knowledge does not necessarily have to be in the possession of the person who accumulates the fortune.”

Get it?

It’s about creating a team!

Another one:

“Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the result of hard work!”

YES! I guess that’s where “Work smart, not hard” came from…

On leadership:

“There are two types of people in the world, leaders and followers. Decide at the outset whether you intend to become a leader in your chosen calling or remain a follower.
The difference in compensation is vast.”

Isn’t this what Seth Godin writes about in “Tribes?” Everything truly stems from Napoleon Hill’s masterpiece!

I connect the next one to the major problem in the coaching industry:

“The world does not pay for what people ‘know’. It pays them for what they do, or induce others to do.”

In other words, coach on what you already succeed in, and “riches will follow.” Most coach on what they wish they had themselves, and this lack of authenticity hurts their business.

Is Napoleon Hill really the grandfather of all self-help?

I don’t know for certain…But it does seem like all the books written since then, and all the coaching programs created in the last 20 years, are based on his principles.

I am still chugging along - reading chapter 10 right now…

I even skipped watching my favorite “Friends” episode to read it…and in my world it says a lot

Milana

Do you ever panic when you lose a client?

Are you constantly worried about getting new clients, selling more products, closing more sales?

Whether you are making $30K or $250K a year…

… what does it REALLY take you to maintain your income level?

On my third year in business, I discovered a solution that literally changed my life. It began an exciting process of eliminating my cash flow problem once and for all.

I couldn’t believe it!

I was also really mad that I didn’t discover this sooner! Hundreds of internet entrepreneurs already had their membership and automated income streams set up, while I was trying to support my family selling a $30 e-book and designing web sites for $250 a pop!

If you don’t have a membership-based program, right now, here’s what you’re missing out on:

- Peace of mind knowing that you have predictable revenue stream month after month regardless of the economic conditions.

- Plenty of free time to create new income streams, write a book, or take time off to enjoy your family.

- Building a relationship with members who will invest into your other products and services over time.

- Enjoying a growing stream of passive and residual income that doesn’t take a lot of time to run.

- Creating an amazing leverage and a platform for yourself as the “gatekeeper” of a community in your niche market, making it much easier to market the rest of your business.

I believe that membership-based income streams are so important and so LIBERATING, that I will spend the entire second day of The Bliss Factor helping you design yours!

http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

Here’s how:

#1. We’ll begin by defining the 5 types of membership income types could set up in your business (I have all five in my own business!)

#2. We’ll then identify how each automated income stream fits into your business model and “product funnel” (you don’t want to end up with several stand-alone businesses to market).

#3. Finally, we’ll design your entire “product matrix” together to maximize your membership-based revenue streams and to make sure one income streams flows into the next organically.

In fact, you’ll walk away with at least ONE membership- based program idea designed, outlined, and ready to roll (you may actually be sitting on a continuity program right now and not know it!)

I will also show you how to design EVERY product or program with a continuity component - this is the single best idea I discovered last year!

Ready to design your unlimited growing membership-based automated income streams?

Reserve your spot today by going to:

http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

P.S. Most membership-based programs quickly die out; I’ve seen this happen to even some of the most well- known entrepreneurs. I’ll show you how to design yours so it’s a part of a self-driven system AND so it fits your own natural ability for maximum growth.

P.P.S. Next week The Bliss Factor will be made open to thousands of entrepreneurs, and since only 50 spots are open be sure to register now: http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

I finally cracked the code!

After nine years of people telling me that I couldn’t build a million-dollar company working 4-5 hours a day, while raising two small children, I proved them wrong.

(I only wish I would’ve known about this business model sooner and not listened to those who slave over their businesses into the night!)

• Do you feel stuck at your current income level?
• Do you constantly worry about getting things done and keeping your cashflow going?
• Do you feel like the only way to grow your business is to work more hours or to add more clients?

I found an amazing business model that allows you to cut your work time in half and still experience massive growth in your business.

I call it “The BLISS Factor” and this April I’ll be personally coaching a select group of entrepreneurs in creating a high- income business with unlimited growth potential using the same model.

“The BLISS Factor” is designed specifically for coaches, consultants, authors, speakers, trainers, and other expertise- based business owners who are tired of being chained to their business and ready to break free from it, while creating a highly profitable company.

REGISTRATION for this unique and highly experiential 3-day live event will open next Wednesday, February 18 at 1:00 pm EST and will accept people on a “first-come-first-serve basis” (watch for more details soon).

In the mean time, get a copy of “The BLISS Factor” business model outlined in my “Unlock Your Business Growth” toolkit:

=====================================================
F R E E   T O O L K I T   D O W N L O A D
=====================================================

“UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH: Do Less, Make More,

and Turn Your Natural Ability Into a Million-Dollar Company”

http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

***Available in PDF and MP3 format***

If you’ve been frustrated with your business lately, feeling tired and discouraged, what I reveal inside this toolkit may transform your business and change your life.

Don’t let any “gurus” out there tell you that you need to put more hours in, do more public speaking, attend networking events, work harder etc. You can create an amazing company on YOUR terms, and I show you exactly how to do this inside.

Be sure to watch the video on the page above! I share two specific mindshifts I had to make before I could implement “The BLISS Factor” business model and create a business full of complete personal freedom of time and money: http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

Let me ask you:

- Do you feel like you’re stuck at your current revenue, but couldn’t possibly fit any more clients or projects?

- Do you wish you could create more free time to work on new and exciting projects, or just to cut your work week in half?

Dan Finley, a successful entrepreneur with a six-figure coaching and consulting business in the financial advisor industry, has found himself chained to his phone 5-6 hours a day working with 10 groups and 20 private clients, doing all of his own marketing, administrative, and even web work.

Dan maxed out at 100 clients. He wants to go to the next level of in-come, but there’s no room for more! Dan needed a strategic overhaul of his business model.

I’ve just recorded a strategy session with Dan, where we found at least half a dozen ways to give him back control of his time, leverage his expertise, re-shuffle his programs, and make room for creative work he truly loves.

After you listen to this, be sure to post any questions or comments here - I WILL BE ANSWERING THESE PERSONALLY.

Dan allowed me to record and share our conversation for the benefit of other entrepreneurs who might be in a similar situation. You can download it here:

Create More Free Time and Increase Your Income - mp3 Download (right-click and choose “Save Target As”)

..

Remember the back-and-forth between Donny Deutch and Tim Ferris on MSNBC?

Donny - old school business building; and Tim - modern “outsource your life” type entrepreneur - headbutted about what it takes to build a successful business. Donny pretty much ridiculed the idea of a four-hour workweek, saying that it takes hard work and long hours to build a truly profitable company.

I heard a similar point of view during Joe Polish’s interview with Keith Cunningham, the author of “Keys to the Vault” - the idea of passive income is absolutely ridiculous, Keith was saying. There is no such thing.

As someone who is always willing to learn and grasp new ideas and concepts, I paused. Is this really so? How did I build my business? Certainly not by being passive…and certainly not by taking it easy and enjoying my lifestyle.

So why am I teaching the principles of building a lifestyle business?

Because most entrepreneurs work, work, and work…and never see the end of their work. No matter what they do or how they do it or how much, the amount of work never shrinks. So, even after being in business for 10 years, their lifestyle is exactly as it was before they started their business, and sometimes worse.

Lifestyle entrepreneurs are also working hard at the beginning; but since their goal is to have a better lifestyle and achieve personal freedom of time, money, people, location, etc. they operate from a different mindset.

I used to work much harder up until 2 years ago. As my team expanded and my continuity income picked up, I was able to work less, make more, and enjoy a complete personal freedom in my business.

Keith, I agree - you can’t build a Fortune 500 company as a lifestyle entrepreneur (although some will argue to say that Richard Branson has done just that!) But most lifestyle entrepreneurs don’t have that as their goal.

I just returned from a 3-day private beach house retreat with 10 other women, and the experience was truly amazing! The biggest thing I got out of leading it is that people don’t want “another program” - they really want to just have someone look at their business and help them strategize and make the best decisions about their next direction.

Here’s one photo we took inside the beach house’s living room:

Business Transformation Retreat with Milana Leshinsky, Myrtle Beach SC, December 3-5 2008, beach house headquarters, day 3...

Funny thing…

I just looked up “personal freedom” on Google and came up with 1,290,000 results. I then looked up “personal business freedom” and came up with just 11 (milana.com being at the very top).

Perhaps no one is talking about it. Or perhaps no one calls it that way.

While personal freedom to most people means financial freedom (you’ll also find many references to religious and political freedom), I am talking about entrepreneurial freedom.

What many business owners experience I would call becoming a victim of “entrepreneurial mirage”.

Quoting  “Business Week” at Entrepreneurial “Freedom” Equals “Enslavement…

People start their own businesses and become entrepreneurs because they dream of having the freedom and rewards that can come from being their own boss. However, after observing thousands of entrepreneurs over the years, I’ve found the rule—not the exception—is that, after a period of time, businesses become enslaving rather than freedom-giving!

Most [entrepreneurs] loved the jobs they were doing and thought they would be happier, healthier, and wealthier if they did it on their own. What happens over time, however, is that they begin to be swallowed up by all of the hundreds of details associated with running a business, and the parts of the business they truly loved when they started get put on the back burner in favor of all the urgent and necessary tasks that have to be done.

While it’s often a badge of honor for businessmen to brag about how many hours they work per week, in the long run no one can truly work at peak efficiency and enjoy long-term health and life balance working such a grueling and stressful schedule. “Enslavement” by your business is ultimately a choice. If you choose to be free again, you can do it.

Free…

What does it really mean to be free from the chains of your business?

Here are just a couple of examples of entrepreneurs changing their business models and their mindset to achieve personal business freedom:

• Letting go half of her clients to create more time and do less travel. She used this time to create a subscription-based program and can now enjoy new revenue stream without doing hourly work or leaving her home. This required a serious mind shift (heck, most people would say, “Let go half of my clients? Are you nuts?!”) and a true desire to change her lifestyle.

• Creating a certification program and passing off some of his clients to the consultants he certified. This required an important mind shift - accepting that he is not the only one who can deliver value to his clients in his company, and being willing to let go some of the income to create more free time and improve his lifestyle.

• Partnering with another company to deliver services she could offer herself. Some might think, “But aren’t I leaving money on the table? Aren’t I giving business away??” She decided that it’s not the best investment of her time AND that someone else can do it much better.

ACTION WANTED - PLEASE, POST YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION:

What have you done in the last 12 months to create more “personal business freedom?”

Please, please, share! I’d love more examples, because it seems that a great majority of entrepreneurs just work, work, work… and have become slaves to their income!

And  I don’t mean “being your own boss”, or “being able to work from home”, etc. I am talking about creating ways for your business to exist and thrive without you being chained to it…or, ideally, without you even being there!