As a solopreneur we all start somewhere. Sometimes we start with a topic we know a lot about, sometimes we see an opening and we go for it, learning along the way. Our guest for today saw an opening to serve his audience in a simpler, more effective way than email: a membership site.

Chris Farrell of Help My Business joins us for episode 383 of The Solopreneur Hour, live from Traffic and Conversion in San Diego.

On this show we chat about why he chose to build a membership site, how he got into online marketing in the first place and whether or not he’s always been unemployable.

More About Chris Farrell

As you’ll hear on this episode Chris is a Londoner. He was born and raised in East London – hence the cockney accent! Until his early 30s he worked in radio and wasn’t the least bit entrepreneurial. He had always had a good job and was working for “the man”. By 32 he was the mid-morning DJ on the #1 radio station in London.

But there was always something he couldn’t wrap his mind around: how did people make money online, travel the world and run successful businesses? Was it actually legitimate or was it smoke and mirrors?

So in 2008 he got started in the online marketing world to see for himself. He knew nothing about that world, and knew no one! So initially he tried to do it all himself, and learned everything he could.

You’ll Also Hear:

* Was Chris always unemployable?

* Why it’s important to say yes.

* The power of gratitude in shifting your mindset.

* How do you know if you truly understand something?

* What is his take on the level of professionalism in podcasting today?

* And so much more!

Since then of course he’s realized people can and do make good money online through legitimate businesses, his being one of them. Even though it is fairly simple to do so, it isn’t easy. His advice to get started making money online boils down to three simple steps:

1. Find a profitable niche.

Figure out where people are already spending money and then choose one area to focus on.

2. Build a list of people interested in that area.

Simple: find people who are interested in what you are selling, and get them on your email list.

3. Market to them with products related to their interests.

Contact them with offers and opportunities about products they are interested in, or related to their interests.

Those are the steps Chris took to get started. He created his own products because he couldn’t find many products he was passionate about. While doing so he built his list, and then marketed to them with offers on those products.

But he also realized it would be more valuable to people if he built a membership site where he could continue to create products and add content, rather than emailing them constantly. So that’s what he did. He built a membership site all about internet marketing. He shared with his members what he was learning firsthand, what he loved and what he was passionate about. His success has continued to grow from there.

On today’s episode we cover many other topics from men’s fashion to music to podcasting. In particular Chris shares his view on the state of professionalism in podcasting today. He explains more on the show, including why just having the equipment doesn’t make you a professional podcaster any more than having a bicycle makes you an Olympic cyclist.

He is a definitive source on what it takes to succeed behind the mic and in the online world. Listen in to hear his wit and wisdom on the 383rd edition of The Solopreneur Hour!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What could you build a membership site about? Let us know in the comments below!

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