From $5 Edits to 6-Figure Profits: Bootstrapping Tips for Launching an Online Course (with Jono Petrohilos)

💡 Guest bio

Jono is the founder and director of fitness education online, an online course business that offers a variety of courses for personal trainers and fitness trainers. He got into this business after realizing that he wanted to monetize his knowledge and generate revenue without solely relying on training clients. In 2014, Jono discovered the potential of online courses and decided to create his own. With a frugal mindset, he used a Microsoft Word document saved as a PDF as his first course, spending only $5 to have it edited professionally. Although he initially didn't invest much in advertising, Jono's course gained traction, and he started making significant sales. To bootstrap his business, he spent minimal upfront costs, utilized free software, manually emailed course materials to customers, and reinvested profits into sales and marketing. As his revenue grew, Jono tightened up his operations and now helps others create and sell online courses. He provides resources through his podcast, the Course Creator Community, and a Facebook group of the same name. Jono believes online courses are an excellent way to bootstrap a business due to their low upfront costs and potential for passive income.

ℹ️ Introduction

Welcome to another episode of Frugalpreneur! I'm your host, Sarah St John, and today we have a special guest joining us. Get ready to take notes and be inspired by the incredible story of Jono, the founder and director of Fitness Education Online. Jono is here to share his journey of bootstrapping his online course business and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. From struggling with course formatting to finding affordable editing solutions, Jono's experience is packed with practical tips for keeping costs low and generating passive income. Join us as we dive into the world of online courses and uncover the secrets of a successful frugalpreneur. Stay tuned for Jono's insights, strategies, and some amazing tools he's discovered. It's going to be a show full of takeaways you won't want to miss. Plus, don't forget to visit our website and share your own bootstrap business journey with us. So sit back, relax, and let's dive into the inspiring story of a true frugalpreneur. Welcome, Jono!

❇️ Key topics and bullets

- Introduction to Jono, Founder and Director of Fitness Education Online

- The range of courses offered by Fitness Education Online

- Jono's motivation for starting an online course business

- Jono's early experiences with creating and selling courses

- Overcoming challenges and finding affordable resources for course creation

- The importance of investing in advertising and marketing

- Tips for bootstrapping a business, including keeping costs low and reinvesting profits

- The potential of online courses for generating passive income

- Jono's current role in helping others create and sell their courses

- Promotion of the platform being used by the listeners

- Staying connected with the audience

- Encouraging listeners to share their own stories on the show's website

- Wrapping up the episode and expressing gratitude to the listeners

Takeaways:

- Insights into starting an online course business with limited capital

- Tips and tricks for course creation and marketing

- Lessons learned from Jono's successes and failures

- Inspiration for those looking to bootstrap their own business

Remember to visit our website to share your own stories and stay connected with us. Thank you for tuning into this showcase episode of Frugalpreneur.

🧞‍♂️ Discussion questions

1. How did Jono transition from being a fitness trainer to starting his own online course business?

2. What were some of the challenges Jono faced when creating and formatting his initial courses?

3. How did Jono overcome those challenges and find someone to edit his courses at such a low cost?

4. What were some of the key lessons Jono learned about investing in advertising and marketing his online courses?

5. How does Jono recommend keeping initial costs low when starting a bootstrap business?

6. What are the advantages of online courses as a means of generating passive income and bootstrapping a business?

7. How did Jono expand his business to help others create and sell their own online courses?

8. What are some of the tips, tricks, tactics, techniques, and tools that Jono shared to help listeners bootstrap their own businesses?

9. How does Jono stay connected with his audience and why is that important for a podcast host or entrepreneur?

10. How can listeners share their own bootstrap business stories on the show's website and why is it valuable to do so?

Relevant Resources

Course Creator Community

Course Creator Community Podcast

Fitness Education Online

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