Author: SmallBiz

Starting a business is hard. Relly hard. Most (sucessfull) people don’t talk about this because they want to make money by teling you how easy it is to do the same as them. But it isn’t.

Maybe you’ve created an etsy shop, created a listing, and now nobody wnat’s to buy it. Thats the reallity for everyone who starts from scratch. Im in the beginning of my journey too, and I won’t tell you the “secret” of making thousands a month, because thet isn’t realistic for most of us, not in the beginning. So let’s do this togehter: Here are some tips for you to create and sell your first products, and what it needs in order for it to sell.

1. Choose the Right Digital Product

Pick a product that plays to your strengths and has demand. You can look up websites like erank or marmelade to find out what products sell good at the moment (for Etsy). You can do similar things for other platforms to, even if you have your own website. I made a list with 5 amazing digital & creative products wo can help you make a lot of money. You can find the list here:

Pro Tip: Focus on solving a specific problem for a specific audience. For me, Notion templates are the non plus ultra, because of many reasons: You can cover many niches, or rather, have many niches to choose from. Notion templates appear high-quality, which speaks volumes. They’re also easily customizable by the customer and easy to use. That’s the reason why I sell them too

2. Validate Your Idea Before You Build

You don’t want to create something nobody wants. Ways to validate:

• Ask your audience (socials, newsletter)
• Research forums (Reddit, Facebook groups, Quora)
• Check platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, or Creative Market for similar products
• Run a quick survey or start a waitlist

Pro Tip: Note specific keywords other sellers use in their titles. You’ll need them later when it comes to selling it on the platform like Etsy.

🛠️ 3. Create the Product

Use the right tools depending on the type:

• Ebooks/Guides: Google Docs, Canva, or Adobe InDesign
• Templates: Figma, Canva, Notion, Excel
• Courses: Loom, Teachable, Gumroad, Kajabi
• Printables: Canva, Affinity, Illustrator

Creating a good product can be really hard. Focus on high quallity and unique styles. If you’ve chosen Notion templates as your Product to go, you’ll have a good chance of high sales figures in the future. I’ve created a course where I explain how to create good Notion templates and market them without social media! Because marketing is where most people fail. Check it out if you want:

4. Set Up Your Sales System

You’ll need a platform to sell & deliver the product:

• Gumroad&Etsy – beginner-friendly, easy checkout, digital delivery
• Shopify – if you want to scale into ecommerce
• Payhip, Ko-fi, or Podia – also great for creators

Bonus: Create a simple landing page with the product benefits, previews, testimonials (if any), and FAQs.

5. Market Like Crazy

The product itself could be the best product on earth, but without good marketing, nobody would buy it: Why? Because nobody knows it exists. Nobody knows that they need THIS product. So tell people about your stuff, and why they need it. Tell them a story!

You have several options to do so, for example:

• Content marketing – teach or talk about the problem you solve (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram). With viral conent, you could receive a lot of new customers, but it is a lot of work until then…
• Email list – build it early, offer freebies or sneak peeks, collect Emails in return. This allows you to write emails to people who are interested in your nieche, because they wanted your freebie (which contains informations about solving a problem, containing your nieche) You can write about other problems, your products, sales and more and leads to repeating sales
• Social proof – testimonials, reviews, success stories. Focus on high quality, customer relationship and fast problem solving. It will show in your reviews.
• Launch strategy – build hype with countdowns, pre-orders, behind-the-scenes
• Marketing without Social-Media – You want to reach thousands of people within the first month? Without a thon of work and stress because of creating content or writing emails? I got you. this strategy works best for me, and I’ve reached over 6000 people in my first month, without being good at what I’ve done, and with a lot of need for improvement. Steal my strategy and take a look at my Notion creator course, where I’ll tell you how to create a good product, and market it without social media, on a SEO Platform.

6. Test, Tweak, Repeat

• Get feedback from early buyers
• A/B test your product page headlines, thumbnails, or pricing
• Don’t be afraid to iterate and relaunch with improvements

That’s it! I hope you found this post interesting and learned something. If you’d like more useful tips on making money online, starting a business, or selling digital products, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to receive useful tips. You’ll also get a free checklist on how to improve your business in a few easy steps. Take a look here:

You want to make money online with your own online business but don’t know what to sell? I got you!

In this article you’ll find 5 pigital products you can sell to make money online!

But why digital products? If you sell digital product, you sell files other people can use on their technical devices, and are available immediately. Another advantage is that you only have to create the product once, and can sell it infinitely.

So here are 5 Products-Ideas you can use for your business!

1. Notion-Templates

Notion-Templates are perfect for productivity, self-management, or business workflows. They’re easily adaptable for different target groups (e.g., freelancers, entrepreneurs, students)

How do I start?

• Identify a gap in the market: Are there specific needs that aren’t yet met?
• Create a high-quality Notion template with a clear structure and helpful features.
• Optimize the user interface so buyers can easily use the template.
• Provide an attractive product page with screenshots and a demo video.
• Sell your template via Gumroad, Etsy, or your own website

2. E-Books & Guides

E-Books are Beginner-friendly, because no prior technical knowledge is required. It’s ideal for expert knowledge (e.g., productivity, finance, self-employment), but that’s also a reason why not everybody can sell them. You need some high quality knowledge to write down.

How do I start?

• Choose a relevant topic with high demand in your niche.
• Structure your knowledge in an easy-to-read format.
• Use Canva or Scrivener to create a professional layout.
• Export your eBook as a PDF or EPUB and offer it through platforms like Amazon KDP, Gumroad, or Payhip.
• Promote your eBook through social media, email marketing, and content marketing.

3. Online-Courses

Selling Online-Courses, such as Mini-Courses for Notion, are highly profitable, as buyers pay for knowledge. They can be offered as a video course or interactive course.

How do I start?

• Decide on a topic that interests your target audience.
• Create an outline and plan the lessons.
• Produce your content using simple tools (e.g., Loom, Screenflow, or Canva for presentations).
• Upload the content to a platform like Teachable, Kajabi, or Podia.

Because I sell Notion templates and absolutely love the platform, I sell my Online-Courses via Notion. The advantage: it’s free! AND: if you sell Notion templates or Notion courses, it creates a certain basis of trust and stays true to your niche!

If you’re interested on how I create the Course Dashboard, take a look:

• Market the course through social media, a free mini-workshop, or a freebie.

4. Digital Printables & Worksheets

Digital Printables & Worksheets are popular for organization, self-reflection and business planning. They’re easy to create with Canva or Adobe Illustrator

How do I start?

• Choose a topic that interests your target audience (e.g., weekly planner, financial tracker, mindset worksheet).
• Create stylish templates with easy-to-understand content.
• Export the designs as PDF or PNG.
• Upload them to Etsy, Gumroad, or your website.
• Market your products via Pinterest, Instagram, or a blog.

5. Royalty-free stock photos or icons

Royalty-free stock photos are perfect for designers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs. It’s a good source of income through repeat sales, beacause the demand for high-quality, themed images is high!

How do I start?

• Take professional photos or create icons using tools like Figma or Adobe Illustrator.
• Create sets (e.g., “Minimalist Office Photos” or “Flat Design Icons for Social Media”).
• Upload your files to platforms like Creative Market, Adobe Stock, or your own website.
• Use targeted marketing on Instagram and Pinterest to find buyers.

That’s it! Thank you for reading untill the end! I hope you’ll find the perfect product for you and your business! If you search for something to improve and grow your business, you may take a look on my free Checklist with 4 things to improve your business!