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Break Free from the Time-for-Money Trap

2-minute read

indecollective

At Simply Business, we’re committed to helping small businesses thrive. That’s why we’re partnering with IndeCollective — a modern MBA-style program designed to help independent professionals unlock more income, impact, and flexibility.

IndeCollective’s Founder and CEO, Sam Lee, recently held a free workshop designed to show you how to break free from the time-for-money trap and start building a better business. Here are some valuable takeaways on the topic:

What Is Productization and Why It Matters

IndeCollective has helped over 650 independent professionals turn their expertise into thriving businesses. In this webinar, CEO Sam Lee talked about IndeCollective’s three-step productization framework — a path to move beyond the linear “billable hours” model.

1. Niche down to your ideal client set.

When you serve everyone, you’re an expert to no one.

The first step is to focus on clients who benefit from you most — the group who values your expertise and is willing to pay for it.

A well-defined niche becomes the foundation for expert positioning, higher-value work, and word-of-mouth referrals.

2. Target “Painkiller” problems.

In today’s economy, people don’t invest in “nice-to-haves” — they invest in solutions to urgent, expensive, mission-critical problems. IndeCollective calls these painkiller problems.

By focusing on the problems that matter most to your ideal clients, you can build a business that’s both sustainable and in demand.

Here are some steps on how to get started:

  • Identify your clients’ top priorities.
  • Build offerings around solving their top 1 or 2 “must-fix” problems.
  • Create lasting client relationships and a referral engine.

3. Build a balanced, scalable portfolio.

Once you’ve clarified who you serve and the problems you solve, the next step is designing how to deliver your expertise.

Scaling doesn’t mean sacrificing the work that energizes you. The goal is a balanced business model that blends:

  • Work you love doing with your highest-value clients.
  • 1 or 2 scalable offers such as diagnostics, group programs, or digital toolkits.
  • Systems and processes that allow you to deliver results without trading more time for money.

With scalable solutions in your portfolio, you can create space to grow your income and reclaim your time. 

To learn more about IndeCollective or this topic, sign up to access the on-demand webinar today.

Written by

Courtney Hayes

Born and raised in the fishing port of Gloucester, MA, I grew up listening to the sea stories of local fishermen. My first job was “chum girl” on my dad’s tuna boat, where I spent my formative years covered in fish guts. Since then, I’ve worked as a researcher, blogger, and writer for documentary films. When not at work, you can find me surfing the cold waters of the North Atlantic or searching for warmer waves around the world.

Courtney writes on a number of topics such as risk assessment, starting a small business, and financial resources.

This content is for general, informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. Please obtain expert advice from industry-specific professionals who may better understand your business’s needs. Read our full disclaimer