In my email yesterday, I asked for my readers’ help for a sticky way to illustrate the distinction between a “predictable income biz” and an “uncertain cash grab biz.”
My best idea was “Rolls-Royce business” vs “DeLorean business.” I thought it was clever. The people who replied almost uniformly thought it was unclear and ineffective.
Fine. Have it your way.
Fortunately, I also got some good suggestions from readers about better analogies than the the unlucky Rolls-Royce/DeLorean thing. A few of my favorites:
A vase of cut flowers versus a potted plant that keeps blooming…
… a deli business (which just has a bunch of expenses on the first of the month) versus the water company (which has a bunch of income on the first of the month)…
… and foraging for food in the wild versus picking fruit in your orchard.
I got other kindsa help, too.
One reader (not sure he wants me to share his name), wrote in to challenge the very premise I was writing about yesterday.
He wrote me a reasoned argument why continuity offers, which provide predictable income for a business, are overrated. He focused on paid newsletters and raised the following points:
1. Paid newsletters have to keep delivering a lot of value or people will unsubscribe, defeating the point of the continuity offer
2. People are more reluctant to sign up for a subscription like a paid newsletter, and are unwilling to pay as high of a price as they might for a one-time purchase
3. It takes a good amount of work to produce a decent paid newsletter every month, and you can’t take any month off
I agree with this, particularly part 3.
Yes, some people make paid newsletters work. But many people, including myself in the past (I had a paid newsletter that I killed after 2 months), fail or give up on them because a lot of work or simply the ongoing commitment gets grating.
BUT—
Paid newsletters — or really personal access to you in whatever form — is not the only kind of recurring/subscription/continuity offer you can make.
They are certainly not the only way to have the equivalent of your own orchard you can pick a ripe peach in whenever you like… instead of having to head out into the dark forest with a little basket, in search of wild turnips and maybe a rutabaga.
But I’m not sure if this is of interest to you?
Maybe you can tell me. I’ve got a little poll below. If you like, tell me your attitudes and experience with continuity recurring offers:
#1. Recurring is a major part of what I do and the money I make each month
#2. I tried selling recurring offers but people on my list don’t want ’em
#3. I am reluctant to promote recurring offers because I don’t want to commit to delivering month after month
#4. I prefer the thrill of going to the woods to forage for roots and tubers rather than picking fruit from my orchard
If you can spare the energy to hit three keys — reply, your choice above, and send — you can tell me whether it’s worth me talking more about continuity income that requires ZERO ONGOING DELIVERY from you.
Of course, if you wanna elaborate on your answer in more words, that’s very welcome also. Thanks in advance.