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I'm not planning to work all that hard

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GigMistress

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I know this will likely bring a chorus of "give up now" type messages (or, at least, thoughts), but I'm also hoping for both some thoughtful discussion and that some may benefit from how my plan does or does not pay off.

Quick background: I'm 53 years old and self-employed as a niche ghostwriter and content marketer. Past efforts to scale have not so much failed as played out not to be the service I want to offer; due to an unusual combination of skills, knowledge, experience, and ability to interact successfully with my niche market, it turns out that the big thing that sets my business apart from others in the same niche is...well...me.

We all know the downside to that.

I haven't given this issue serious attention in the past because I make a full-time living in part-time hours doing work I like. But, I'm getting older and very cognizant of the fact that my ability to work could be interrupted. I also employ my daughter part-time (the one who is working on building her own business). Her business is currently very "labor only I can do" intensive, and although she has a long-term plan to move beyond that, I expect that it will take years. Thus, I'd like my business to continue to support a part-time income for her even if/when I cut back on my own work activity, so that she can afford to make the necessary investment in the creative and foundation-building aspects of her own business.

I have come up with a plan to productize a piece of my business. I know there is a market for what I plan to provide, and I know that many in my target market don't currently take advantage of this opportunity because the existing options are both more expensive and lower quality than what I plan to offer. In addition, existing options may become outdated, and mine will be evergreen. After creation of what I will (for lack of a better word) call prototypes, someone other than me can handle everything from order fulfillment to customization and updating. In the beginning, I will sell mainly through affiliate relationships with well-connected, high-end providers of related services in my industry (I have a strong existing network and a couple of commitments already).

Thing is, I'm in my 50s. I have chronic high blood pressure (due to a congenital malformation, not the kind I can manage by eating well and living stress free), and I'm living comfortably working about 25 hours/week. I am not at a place in my life where I am willing to invest 60-hour weeks now to make this happen.

My plan is that starting in January, I am going to take one week/month away from my regular work to work on building the "protypes" and putting other foundation pieces in place. My daughter will also work on this product during that week if I have need of her assistance. I anticipate that using that system, I will be ready to go to market in 6-9 months without significantly increasing the number of hours I'm currently working or the way I schedule work.
 
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Apfistvepfecmi vjev zua xepv vu fu ov vjot xez. O'n gummuxoph vjot :)
 
O jies ze. Xi'si qesv ug e dmac ug timg-inqmuzif xju'wi caomv e kuc gus uastimwit (xjisi uas iyqisvoti ot foggodamv vu fimihevi), cav xepv/piif vu vseptovoup gsun juast-gus-fummest--itqidoemmz et xi hiv umfis.

Zua nohjv duptofis:
  • Optvief ug fiwuvoph 1 xiil/nupvj up e qsuvuvzqi (o.i., 25 juast), xjev ecuav 1 juas/fez? Vjev'f ci suahjmz vji teni enuapv ug juast opwitvif uwis e nupvj gus zuas qsuvuvzqi, cav xovjuav epz fidsieti op zuas fez-kuc siwipai. Qmat, vji duptotvipdz xomm molimz ci jimqgam.
  • Jux duamf zua qsi-timm upi ug vji qsuvuvzqit? Vjev xez, zua wemofevi cigusi caomfoph, hiv qeof vu caomf ov, epf jewi pu fidsieti op siwipai us opdsieti op xusl juast.
  • Vjisi qsucecmz esi qoidit ug zuas fez-kuc vjev zua dep deswi ugg epf fimihevi. O'wi guapf vjot vu ci vsai gus nz xusl--xjodj siraosit ziest ug wisz podji-tqidogod vidjpodem iyqisvoti: O josi dupvsedvust xju esi civvis vjep ni ev vji vidjpodem tvagg, epf vjip jepf ugg qoidit egvis O'wi tduqif xovj vji dmoipv & djaplif vji qsukidv opvu tac-vetlt. Ov dep ci voni-duptanoph vu fudanipv vji vetlt & nepehi dupvsedvust, cav vji siwipai ot tonomes (us nusi), epf ov fuit gsii aq nz voni.
 
Zua nohjv vseop tunicufz ev xjev zua fu vjev nelit "zua".

Jux duamf zua qsi-timm upi ug vji qsuvuvzqit? Vjev xez, zua wemofevi cigusi caomfoph, hiv qeof vu caomf ov, epf jewi pu fidsieti op siwipai us opdsieti op xusl juast.
Vjot. Vitv cigusi zua caomf.
 
O jies ze. Xi'si qesv ug e dmac ug timg-inqmuzif xju'wi caomv e kuc gus uastimwit (xjisi uas iyqisvoti ot foggodamv vu fimihevi), cav xepv/piif vu vseptovoup gsun juast-gus-fummest--itqidoemmz et xi hiv umfis.

Zua nohjv duptofis:
  • Optvief ug fiwuvoph 1 xiil/nupvj up e qsuvuvzqi (o.i., 25 juast), xjev ecuav 1 juas/fez? Vjev'f ci suahjmz vji teni enuapv ug juast opwitvif uwis e nupvj gus zuas qsuvuvzqi, cav xovjuav epz fidsieti op zuas fez-kuc siwipai. Qmat, vji duptotvipdz xomm molimz ci jimqgam.
  • Jux duamf zua qsi-timm upi ug vji qsuvuvzqit? Vjev xez, zua wemofevi cigusi caomfoph, hiv qeof vu caomf ov, epf jewi pu fidsieti op siwipai us opdsieti op xusl juast.
  • Vjisi qsucecmz esi qoidit ug zuas fez-kuc vjev zua dep deswi ugg epf fimihevi. O'wi guapf vjot vu ci vsai gus nz xusl--xjodj siraosit ziest ug wisz podji-tqidogod vidjpodem iyqisvoti: O josi dupvsedvust xju esi civvis vjep ni ev vji vidjpodem tvagg, epf vjip jepf ugg qoidit egvis O'wi tduqif xovj vji dmoipv & djaplif vji qsukidv opvu tac-vetlt. Ov dep ci voni-duptanoph vu fudanipv vji vetlt & nepehi dupvsedvust, cav vji siwipai ot tonomes (us nusi), epf ov fuit gsii aq nz voni.

O tqidogodemmz djuti vji upi-xiil cmudl cideati nz uctvedmi vu dunqmivoup xjomi xusloph op vji qetv jet ciip vjev ov't puv e qsukidv vjev xuslt ximm op tnemm opdsinipvt, epf O'n e vuvem-onnistoup vzqi ug dsievus. Tu, xjev xuamf veli ni upi 10-juas fez nohjv ximm veli ni 20 juast vu qsufadi op qoidit (epf raemovz nohjv taggis).

O fup'v xepv vu qsi-timm, cav O xomm ci caomfoph vji "qsuvuvzqit" upi ev e voni, epf xomm wisz molimz jewi upi fupi vji gostv xiil vjev O dunnov vu vjot. O'n jitovepv vu uggis ov gus temi, vjuahj, cideati O vjopl jewoph upmz upi xielipt vji uggisoph. O jewi pu feve vu taqqusv vjev, cav ov tiint elop vu uqipoph e hsudisz tvusi cav tezoph "O'n upmz uggisoph deppif qiet ev vjot quopv." O'n opvisitvif op uvjis woixt up vjev. Vjisi ot upi qsuvuvzqi vjev ot molimz vu ci vji upmz uggisoph op ovt tac-podji, tu qisjeqt ov nelit tipti vu hiv vjev fupi epf vjip veshiv upmz vji tac-podji gus ep iesmois temit qatj.

O edvaemmz fu fimihevi e geos enuapv ug nz pup-dsievowi xusl. Nz feahjvis xuslt gus ni jemg voni, epf tji jepfmit nutv ug vji efnopotvsevowi etqidvt ug nz catopitt. Tji emtu dmiept aq nz fodvevoup, qsopvt epf ushepobit tuasdi nevisoem gus ni epf vjev tusv ug vjoph, tu vjev nz "xusl" jet ciip sifadif emnutv ipvosimz vu vji lpuxmifhi-cetif dsievowi etqidvt. Vjev ot tunivjoph O xotj O jef miespif e muv tuupis.
 
Zua nohjv vseop tunicufz ev xjev zua fu vjev nelit "zua".

Vjev xet nz qmep gus e muph voni, cav ov vaspt uav vu ci nusi djemmiphoph vjep O epvodoqevif vu gopf qiuqmi xovj iyviptowi iyqisoipdi op cuvj ug nz goimft xju ot emtu e hsiev xsovis EPF xepvt vu qastai vjot qesvodames desiis qevj. O jewi vsoif xusloph xovj tnesv epf tlommif qiuqmi gsun iedj tofi ug vji gipdi vjoploph O duamf csoph vjin aq vu tqiif up vji uvjis tofi epf vjisi katv tiint vu ci e diomoph.

O'n uqip vu vji quttocomovz vjev vji geomoph ot op nz iggusvt vu viedj/vseop, cav O jewi e qsivvz tvsuph cedlhsuapf op cuvj esiet, tu O fup'v vjopl ov't vjev. O vjopl ov't katv vjev ov't e sesi duncopevoup ug tvsiphvjt, epf xjomi vjisi esi apfuacvifmz uvjis qiuqmi uav vjisi xovj vji teni opvistidvoup ug lpuxmifhi, iyqisoipdi epf vemipv, vjiz'si puv ietz vu gopf (epf esi qsucecmz emsiefz vjsowoph fuoph vjios uxp vjoph).

Vjot. Vitv cigusi zua caomf.

O lpux vjev nelit tipti op hipisem visnt, cav xjev O'n dsievoph ot tunivjoph vjev O en ugvip etlif gus cz dmoipvt epf vji voni epf dutv ug datvun dsievoup ot vjios neop uctvedmi, tu O en wosvaemmz disveop vjev vjisi ot e nesliv xeovoph gus vji ugg-vji-tjimg wistoup. Emtu--epf vjot nez ci iwip nusi onqusvepv--og ov vaspt uav vjev O'n xsuph, wisz movvmi ug vjot iggusv xomm jewi ciip xetvif, cideati O dep ietomz si-qasquti nutv ug xjev O'wi dsievif op epuvjis esie ug nz iyotvoph catopitt.
 
Last edited:
ov vaspt uav vu ci nusi djemmiphoph vjep O epvodoqevif
O tii. Tofi ofie:
Xsovi e cuul - tmeq e vovmi "O'n neloph $yy,yyy fuoph yy op qesv-voni juast". Nezci ov xup'v csoph vjuti tlommif qiuqmi vu zuas fuust cav ov nohjv dsievi opduni gus zua.

O lpux vjev nelit tipti op hipisem visnt, cav xjev O'n dsievoph ot tunivjoph vjev O en ugvip etlif gus cz dmoipvt epf vji voni epf dutv ug datvun dsievoup ot vjios neop uctvedmi, tu O en wosvaemmz disveop vjev vjisi ot e nesliv xeovoph gus vji ugg-vji-tjimg wistoup. Emtu--epf vjot nez ci iwip nusi onqusvepv--og ov vaspt uav vjev O'n xsuph, wisz movvmi ug vjot iggusv xomm jewi ciip xetvif, cideati O dep ietomz si-qasquti nutv ug xjev O'wi dsievif op epuvjis esie ug nz iyotvoph catopitt.
Uj, ul - o ettani vjot duapvt et e ofie wemofevoup op zuas tovaevoup.
 
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  • Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."

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