From Zero to £470/Month: How a Mum of 3 Built a Thriving Membership Business
“It has changed my life. I can't emphasise it enough. It's a game-changer! Now I'm not in hunting mode. I wake up and it's like, I've earned £47 again and again from different people”.
In this inspiring interview, we'll hear the story of Felicia, a mum of 3 who hated the stress of her job in social work and made a career move to start her own business.
However, starting the business meant that she struggled to find clients for her brand strategy business.
After months of making no money, she launched a successful membership website that now brings in a relatable £470 per month in recurring income and growing.
Learn how she overcame the challenges and found the path to recurring income through a membership-based business model.
🔍 Felicia's Backstory: From Social Worker to Brand Strategist
Before Felicia started her membership business, she was a social worker who decided to completely change her career.
She went back to university, did a master's, and decided to go into the route of brand strategy (an area of passion).
Felicia worked as a brand strategist, doing brand audits and strategy for people.
However, she found herself always in hunting mode, struggling to find clients and make consistent income.
Despite the challenges, Felicia decided to take a leap of faith and transitioned from social work to brand strategy.
This career change was not without its difficulties, but she persisted and eventually found a path to recurring through her membership-based business model.
Now, Felicia runs the Beauty Brand Inner Circle, a membership designed to help female beauty entrepreneurs grow their businesses beyond social media.
The membership offers opportunities for networking, group coaching, and a wealth of resources to support business growth.
Let's hear from Felica herself about what it took to go from zero recurring income in a side hustle to launching with 10 members paying her £47 each per month.
😅 The Struggle to Find Clients and Accumulate Debt
As I transitioned from social work to brand strategy, I found myself in a constant state of hunting for clients.
Despite offering premium services, I struggled to find people willing to pay for them.
This constant struggle led me to accumulate significant business debt, making it challenging to maintain financial stability.
Living paycheck to paycheck, I struggled to make ends meet after transitioning from a traditional job to starting my own business.
I reached a breaking point and confided in Ken at The Humble Penny about my challenges.
It was during this open conversation that I received the support and guidance I desperately needed.
One thing he pointed out within 5 minutes of speaking with me is that I needed to make my services accessible to a broader group of people at an accessible price point.
This way, I can demonstrate my expertise and if people want to work with me at a premium level, they also have that option.
On top of that, if I did it as a membership model, not only would it lead to more customers, but I would generate recurring income each month in advance.
This was a light bulb moment and I was sold!
But now, I needed to make it all a reality. Where do I start? 🤔
🤑 Embracing the Membership Model: A Pathway to Recurring Income
So what is a membership business?
A membership business is a type of business model where customers pay a regular fee to belong to a community or gain access to products, services, or exclusive content.
It's like joining a club or subscription where members receive ongoing benefits or priviledges in return for their membership dues.
Transitioning to a membership model can provide a sustainable pathway to recurring income.
This model allows you to leverage your existing skills and expertise to create a community of like-minded individuals who are willing to pay for access to your knowledge and resources.
When building a membership business from scratch, it's important to recognise that the initial stages can be challenging. Not gonna lie! 😅
However, perseverance and commitment are key to overcoming the hurdles and achieving long-term success.
Despite the guaranteed difficulties at the start, the membership model offers a light at the end of the tunnel.
😊 My 14-Week Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success
It took me 14 weeks to go from struggling to find clients for my brand strategy business to launching a successful membership website that now brings in £470 per month in recurring income and growing.
Let's dive into the key moments that defined my journey:
1. Get Help From Those Who Have Been There
Having followed Ken and Mary for years, I took the leap to work with Ken on their premium Architect Programme over 14 weeks!
Doing this meant that I stopped guessing and focused on a plan that actually works because I'd seen the results he'd helped others to achieve.
If you are considering going on a similar journey but are unsure about your idea or even where to start, I'd recommend doing the 5-day free membership challenge first.
2. Staying Focused and Building Rapport
I can't over-emphasise the importance of perseverance and staying focused on the end result.
Visualising that end result is so important because not everyone (including even your partner) will be able to relate to what you're trying to create.
Despite my struggles, I challenged myself to remain committed to my plan and saw it as something that must work without a backup plan B!
It was difficult focusing on that vision, whilst doing married life, raising three children and also trying to stay on top of my debt and bills whilst working on the membership business.
Making friends with others going through a similar journeys played a pivotal role in keeping me motivated and focused on my goals.
In fact, without the accountability that Ken and Mary offered by pairing me with someone else on the same journey, I literally wouldn't have launched my business.
2. Understanding Your Ideal Customer
One of the critical turning points for me was gaining a deep understanding of my ideal customer.
By recognising that my target audience consisted of women in the beauty business who primarily operated in physical spaces, I was able to tailor my launch approach accordingly.
This insight directly influenced the success of my in-person launch event as traditionally, most people launch mainly online.
3. Transitioning to Recurring Income
My decision to embrace the membership model from a mindset perspective marked a significant shift towards creating recurring income.
By converting ten paying customers at £47 per month during my launch event, I achieved a monthly recurring income of £470.
I never forget that moment when my phone kept pinging at the in-person launch event with notifications that I'd earned £47, followed by repeated notifications for £47 each.
At that moment I realised that although I was starting small, I had created something that people truly wanted.
This validation provided me with the confidence and a sustainable source of income that I've continued to grow over time.
4. Embracing New Skills and Overcoming Challenges
One of the most significant highlights for me was the realisation that I could learn and master new skills, such as using WordPress and understanding the importance of email marketing.
This newfound knowledge empowered me to overcome challenges and build a website that I initially thought was beyond my capabilities.
5. Perseverance and Self-Discovery
Through my journey, I discovered my capacity for perseverance and resilience, traits that I hadn't fully recognised within myself before.
Despite facing daunting obstacles (especially as someone who didn't have a lot of digital skills), I found the inner strength to push forward and overcome the challenges that came my way, ultimately leading to my personal growth and self-discovery.
6. Moment of Realisation and Validation
As I witnessed the gradual progress of my website and shared glimpses of my journey on social media, I received encouraging feedback that validated my efforts.
This moment of realisation instilled a newfound sense of confidence and belief in the viability of my membership business.
Conclusion
As I reflect on the future, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of optimism and excitement.
What excites me the most is the unforeseen directions in which my business is progressing.
The launch of my membership business has created a path to sustainable income and a growing lifeline for my family and new career.
I wish I started this journey years ago and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a side hustle they can do with 5 to 7 hours a week alongside their day job with the potential to grow without needing to do more work.
It's a complete no-brainer, but be prepared to work to get it going 😀.
Recommended: Join the Free 5-day Start Your Membership Business Challenge
More to read on starting a membership business:
- Get coached by Ken & Mary to launch your membership business
- How Andy makes £4,596 per month from his membership
- Pippa made £10k in 7 months. Here is what she did
FAQ
Here are some common questions and answers about building a membership business:
1. How long does it take to build a successful membership website?
Building a successful membership website can vary in time, but with the right guidance and commitment, it's possible to see significant progress within a few months.
2. What skills do I need to start a membership business?
Starting a membership business requires a combination of skills such as understanding your target audience, creating valuable content, and implementing effective marketing strategies to launch your business.
3. Can I start a membership business with no prior experience?
Absolutely!
Many successful membership business owners started with little to no prior experience.
It's all about learning and implementing the right strategies whilst avoiding mistakes.
4. How much can I make from a membership business?
This type of business is completely scalable with the potential for income growth without costs rising equally.
If you had a membership business where you charged £30 per month, 100 or 200 paying members will lead to income of £3,000 or £6,000 respectively.
You can also price your membership in any currency e.g. USD ($), Euro, etc, and you can have paying customers from anywhere in the world, whilst also having the freedom to run your membership from anywhere in the world.
What to watch next about starting a membership website:
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