Online & AI · business kit

Digital Products (Templates, Ebooks, Courses)

Digital products are files or programs people download or access online: templates, planners, ebooks, presets, spreadsheets, printables and courses. There is no inventory or shipping, margins are very high, and the same product can sell thousands of times.

Start costUnder $100tools + store
MarginVery highafter platform fees
LadderEntry > Core > Premiumproduct ladder
TrafficContent + emailmain engines
The business, explained

How a digital products business really works.

What this business is

You package knowledge or design into a product that solves a specific problem, then sell it through a store (for example Gumroad, Stan, Payhip, Shopify, Etsy or Whop) and drive traffic with content, email and ads.

  • Templates: Canva, Notion, spreadsheets, resumes, social media packs.
  • Planners and printables.
  • Ebooks and guides.
  • Presets, fonts, graphics, stock assets.
  • Online courses, workshops and memberships.
  • Bundles and business-in-a-box kits (like this one).

How the money works

Most of each sale is profit after platform and payment fees. Revenue grows with traffic, conversion rate and product ladder: a low-price entry product, a core product and a premium product or membership.

  • One-time product sales.
  • Bundles and upgrades.
  • Memberships and subscriptions.
  • Licences (personal vs commercial).
  • Affiliate partners selling for you.

What it costs to start

Often under $100: a design tool, a store platform (many start free) and your time. Your real investment is making something genuinely useful and building an audience.

Legal and practical

Only sell what you have rights to (fonts, images, templates, AI outputs where allowed), write clear licence terms and refund policies, and collect sales tax/VAT where required (many platforms handle this).

Honest pros and cons

  • Pro: no inventory, very high margins.
  • Pro: sells while you sleep once traffic exists.
  • Con: easy to copy, so brand and quality matter.
  • Con: needs consistent marketing; products do not sell themselves.

Example math (illustration, not a promise)

A $27 template bundle with a 2% conversion rate needs about 1,850 visitors to make 37 sales ($999). A $97 upgrade bought by 10% of buyers adds about $360.

No money? Start anyway

How to fund a digital products business with little or no money.

Most of the tools have free plans. Sell a service first, get paid, then pay for better tools and build products from what clients buy.

1. Start lean with what you already have

Use your phone, laptop, car and basic tools. Offer one service or product first and buy only what your first few customers need.

2. Pre-sell and take deposits

Let customers fund your start: founding-member offers, pre-orders and deposits pay for kit and stock before you spend your own money. Always set a real start date and offer refunds if you can't deliver.

3. Keep your job and start on the side

Evenings and weekends first. Your salary pays the bills while the business proves itself, so you never have to borrow to live.

4. Government-backed start-up loans

Small loans with support, made for new businesses.

  • US: SBA microloans: up to $50,000 through local nonprofit lenders, often with free business coaching.
  • UK: Start Up Loans (British Business Bank): £500 to £25,000 per person at a fixed 6% a year over 1 to 5 years, with free mentoring.

www.sba.gov www.startuploans.co.uk

5. Free advice and mentoring

Free help with business plans, loan applications and pricing.

  • US: SCORE mentors and your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are free.
  • UK: Your local Growth Hub is free, and The King's Trust supports 18 to 30 year olds starting a business.

www.score.org www.kingstrust.org.uk

6. Grants and competitions

Grants for starting a for-profit business are rare and competitive, but local and sector grants and start-up competitions do exist. Real grants never ask you to pay a fee.

  • US: Check your state and city economic development office. Grants.gov is mostly for non-profits and research.
  • UK: Check your local council and Growth Hub for current schemes.

7. Crowdfunding

Rewards crowdfunding (Kickstarter-style pre-orders) suits products. Equity crowdfunding suits businesses that can grow big.

  • US: Rewards: Kickstarter, Indiegogo. Equity: regulated crowdfunding portals such as Wefunder and Republic.
  • UK: Rewards: Kickstarter, Crowdfunder UK. Equity: platforms such as Crowdcube.

8. Friends and family

Put every amount in writing: loan or share, repayment plan, and what happens if it doesn't work. Only take money people can afford to lose.

9. Equipment finance, leasing and buying used

Spread the cost of kit, vans or machines, or buy second-hand. Compare the total amount repayable, not just the monthly payment.

10. Angel investors and partners

Only for businesses that can grow big. Investors take a share of your business in return.

  • UK: UK investors may get tax relief through SEIS and EIS if your company qualifies.

www.gov.uk

Borrowing is a risk. Only borrow for things that clearly earn money back, never to cover living costs, and read the full terms. Avoid high-interest credit cards and payday loans for start-up costs. This is general information, not financial advice. The kit includes a funding video module and ready-to-use funding templates (pre-sale offers, loan summaries, grant answers, crowdfunding copy).

6-month example

What 6 months could look like if you show up every day.

An example built from this kit's own digital products prices, with the business set up properly and the daily plan followed. Pick a scenario or change any number to match your plans.

Your unfair advantage

How to stand out and grow faster.

Most people copy what everyone else does. These are the moves that make customers choose you.

Solve one painful problem'Wedding budget spreadsheet' beats 'planner'. Specific sells.
Show the insideVideo walkthroughs and previews convert far better than cover images.
Product ladderFree lead magnet > $9-$29 entry > $49-$199 core > premium or membership.
Built-in resultsInclude examples, filled-in versions and quick-start guides so buyers get a win fast.
BundlesBundles raise order value and feel like a better deal.
Commercial licenceOffer a higher-priced licence for creators and agencies.
Update and announceUpdates give you reasons to email and re-launch.
AffiliatesLet creators sell your product for a commission.
Short-form demos15-second 'watch this template do the work' videos sell.
Honest proofReal reviews and screenshots; never fake sales numbers.
Success stories

The people who made it, and what they say to do.

ConvertKit (Kit) · Founder

Nathan Barry

Sold design ebooks to his audience, then built an email platform for creators.
Barry wrote and sold design ebooks, documenting the launches publicly, then founded ConvertKit in 2013, an email marketing company for creators.
  • Build an audience by teaching.
  • Launch to your email list.
  • Share numbers transparently.
Source 1
Smart Passive Income · Founder

Pat Flynn

Turned an exam study guide into an online business.
After being laid off in 2008, Flynn sold a study guide ebook for an architecture exam, then built a business around digital products and teaching.
  • Serve a specific audience deeply.
  • Start small and improve with feedback.
Source 1
A-Z video course

82 lessons. 9 modules. Zero fluff.

Hand-picked class-style lessons from people who run a digital products business, in the order you need them. The first lessons of every module are free to watch right here.

1Start here: the business model20 lessons
2Legal, tools & setup6 lessons
3Pricing, profit & money2 lessons
4Funding: start with little or no money15 lessons
5Getting clients (as many as you can handle)15 lessons
6Operations, content & systems9 lessons
7Inside real businesses1 lessons
8Mistakes to avoid8 lessons
9Success stories & interviews6 lessons
Unlock all 82 lessons with progress tracking, plus the roadmap that tells you which lesson to watch at each step.See plans
Step-by-step roadmap

Where to start, and what comes next.

18 steps in six phases. Phase one is open below; every step has a checklist, and members get the linked lessons, templates and tools.

1. Choose your niche and model

Week 1

Pick a niche with demand, money and a format you can repeat.

Understand the business model

You create a product once and sell it many times. Income depends on traffic, conversion and a product ladder. Content and email bring buyers; previews and proof convert them.

  • Watch the 'Start here' module
  • Write how this business earns money in one sentence
  • Decide how many hours a week you can give it
Choose your niche

Pick an audience you understand and a specific painful problem you can solve with a template, guide or course. Check that people already buy similar products.

  • List 10 niche ideas
  • Score each on demand, money and how long you could stay in it
  • Pick one
Validate before you build

Search marketplaces (Etsy, Gumroad, Whop) for similar products and read reviews. Pre-sell or collect waitlist sign-ups before building the full product.

  • Find 5 competitors doing well
  • Save their best-performing work
  • Write what you will do better or differently
Write your one-page plan

Niche, audience, format, schedule, how you will earn and your 90-day goal. One page, the Blueprint template walks you through it.

  • Fill in the one-page plan
  • Set a 90-day goal you control (output, not income)
  • Block time in your calendar

2. Set up properly

Week 2

Accounts, tools, brand and basic business admin in place.

Accounts and tools
Name, branding and profiles
Business admin and taxes

3. Build your engine

Weeks 3-6

Make your first 10 pieces and a process you can repeat.

Design your production system
Create your first 10
Quality check against the best

4. Get attention

Months 2-4

Get your first real audience, traffic or customers.

Your main growth channel
Follow the content plan
Read your numbers

5. Make money

Months 2-6

Turn attention into income.

Your first income streams
Build an email list

6. Systemise and scale

Months 6-24

Grow beyond your own hours.

Write SOPs for every repeat task
Outsource and hire
Expand
Content plan

What to post to grow this business.

Your five content pillars and a weekly rhythm. Members get the full 365-day calendar with the platform and time for every post, plus hooks, captions, scripts, carousels and ads to fill it.

DemosShow the product doing the work.
TipsFree advice in your niche that the product solves.
ProofCustomer results and reviews.
Behind the scenesHow you make products, launch numbers.
OffersLaunches, bundles, updates.
MonDemo

Template walkthrough in 30s

TueTip

Free tip + free download

WedBefore/after

Messy vs organised with the product

ThuProof

Customer review

FriOffer

Bundle deal

SatBTS

Making the next product

SunEmail

Weekly newsletter

Free tool · Viral Score

Will your post go viral? Check it first.

Add your video, photo or text post for your digital products business. See a score for each platform, what is working, what to fix, and hooks and captions from the kit that make it stronger.

Scores for 9 platforms 25+ checks Your file stays on your device
What's inside

Choose your Digital Products kit.

Everything below is included. Want more than one business? All-Access gives you every kit.

Starter Kit

One business of your choice
$67 one-time

Everything you need to understand the business and launch it, step by step.

Get Starter Kit
  • A-Z video course: 82 hand-picked class-style lessons in 9 modules, played right inside your member area
  • Funding module: 15 lessons on starting with little or no money, plus US and UK funding options (microloans, grants, pre-sales, crowdfunding)
  • The business explained: Digital Products business models, how the money works, startup costs, pricing, US & UK legal checklist, honest pros and cons and example numbers
  • Success stories playbook: 2 famous founders and what they say you should do
  • How to stand out: 10 strategies to grow faster than competitors
  • Step-by-step launch roadmap: 18 steps in 6 phases, each with a checklist and linked lessons
  • Manage my business app (Business Hub, member area): enter your business details once, then run everything from one place:
  • Dashboard: today's task, today's post, money against your goal, your 6-month plan, pipeline, follow-ups and your daily streak
  • Client pipeline board: leads, booked, active and past, with follow-up reminders (drag and drop)
  • Prices & profit calculator: your price, cost and time for every service in this kit, profit per sale and per hour, and how many sales reach your goal
  • 6-month plan: an example built from this kit's prices, month by month, with your real sales shown alongside
  • Quotes & invoices: made from your services in seconds, printed or saved as PDF; paid invoices go straight into Money
  • Goals that track themselves, plus money, weekly numbers and backup
  • Viral Score tool, expert report: upload a video or photo, or paste a post, and get a score for 9 platforms, the viral formula (hook, retention, value, shareability, discovery), every mistake one by one with the fix, where to find it in your kit, rewritten hooks and ready-to-post versions for each platform
  • 6-month example calculator: see what the first 6 months could look like for this business with consistent work (an example to plan with, not a promise)
  • Business Manager spreadsheet, Starter edition (Excel / Google Sheets): 90-day daily plan, 30-day content calendar, client tracker, money tracker, weekly numbers, prices & margins and funding options
  • 90-day daily planner: one small task a day with other options to choose from
  • 30-day social media plan: what to post, on which platform, and at what time
  • Starter content pack: 100 hooks, 60 captions, 20 short-video scripts, 10 carousels and 30 hashtag sets
  • Member area access and free updates to this kit
Most chosen

Complete Business Kit

One business of your choice
$167 one-time

The full kit for one business: the entire content library, every template and the 3-year planner.

Get Complete Business Kit
  • Everything in the Starter Kit, plus:
  • The full Growth Library: 31,868+ ready-to-use items for Digital Products
  • 4,000 scroll-stopping hooks
  • 6,000 ready-to-post captions
  • 1,500 short-video ideas with shot lists
  • 100 shot-by-shot flagship video storyboards
  • 2,000 slide-by-slide carousels
  • 1,000 story sequences with stickers
  • 1,500 Facebook and LinkedIn posts
  • 100 hashtag and keyword sets
  • 300 profile bios
  • 1,200 video ad scripts (15s, 30s, UGC)
  • 800 DM and outreach messages
  • 1,500 emails and sequences
  • 17 hiring kit items
  • 50 business lessons
  • 50 content creation lessons
  • 3,500 AI prompts
  • 3,000 content ideas with angles and formats
  • 91 funding templates (pre-sales, loan summaries, grant answers, crowdfunding copy)
  • 3-year daily planner: 1,095 days, one small task a day with options
  • 365-day content calendar: a post for every day with the platform, format and best time to post
  • Business Manager spreadsheet, full edition: 1,095-day plan, 365-day content calendar, money dashboard with monthly chart, client tracker and weekly KPI tracker
  • Video ad scripts and ad copy
  • Sales scripts, DM scripts and objection handling
  • Email and SMS/WhatsApp sequences: welcome, follow-up, rebooking, win-back
  • SOPs, checklists, policies and client forms
  • Hiring kit: job ads, interview questions and a training plan
  • AI prompt library for content, ads, emails and planning
  • Vivid Studio Lite: a video editor with auto captions from your voice (99 spoken languages, including Roman Urdu, Roman English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, French, US and UK English), a multi-clip timeline (split, trim, reorder, 0.5× to 2× speed), 8 animated caption styles, 3 transitions, 10 looks and basic colour, MP4 export up to 1080p
  • Vivid Studio Lite library: 1,400+ motion templates, all 1,907 Google Fonts, 17 trending text styles, 10 text effects and 6 text animations, 1,914 emoji, 6,220 icons, 160+ backgrounds, every video size (18 aspect ratios plus custom), add any music or audio file and record voiceovers. Installs on iPhone and iPad (from Safari), Android (app download), Windows and Mac, works offline and saves videos to your gallery
14-day refund window · Secure checkout by Whop · Instant access
Digital Products kit

Start your digital products business the right way.