Escape the Pyramid Trap: Why Affiliate Marketing is the breakthrough 'home business' success model for time strapped parents (who don't want to 'recruit their friends' or splash themselves all over social media!)

How many people do you avoid in the playground, at the bar, or in a coffee shop because you know that any conversation with them will always lead into a pitch for their Multi-level Marketing (MLM) products? Maybe you’re that 'MLM partner' who feels they can never have a regular conversation because they should ‘always be selling’. I’ve been on both sides of that fence. I’m still on the ‘being sold too’ side, but let’s face it, neither is comfortable.  Affiliate Marketing, is the secret that BLEW MY MIND, when I discovered how simple it was (and it all started with a free course) I'm now building 2 awesome businesses I absolutely LOVE and am really proud of.

I’ve got some wonderful friends (and family members) who represent a multitude of MLM businesses (Forever, Scentsy, Tropic, Arbonne, Herbalife, etc.) whose products, to be fair, are generally really lovely, and I do sometimes buy them, but conversations with those people always feel different. Whether it’s the subtle excuse for a coffee that leads into a “you’d be so great at this business” trap or an invite into a Facebook group designed to flog products, to use a popular ‘down with kids’ term right now – it all just gives me ‘the ick’!!

In a rush?

THIS is the Best Bit!

Click to the other good bits....

1. My Story
2. What is MLM
3. What is Affiliate Marketing
4. Affiliate Marketing - the Good, the Bad & the Ugly
5. MLM -the Good, the Bad & the Ugly
6. Get Educated
7. Why affiliate marketing makes sense (esp as a parent)
8. The 7 Day Fast Start

After leaving a 22 year career in the military....

I was determined to work from home so I could finally be there to be the mum my girls deserved. MLM seemed like the obvious choice to make some money alongside a Post-Natal Bootcamp business I was also trying to run. I was quickly 'recruited' in the playground and was so excited to start my first business. If I’m honest, the personal development training most of these companies provide is brilliant and that alone has been worth the experience, but for me, that's where the upside ended. I’m a sucker for punishment and ultimately tried 3 MLM businesses, but I guess I should have realised after the first one, that this pyramid system just it wasn’t for me! The thing is, I was so desperate to work from home, had some very persuasive friends, and I just didn't know there was another way.

Affiliate Marketing - How I began

My eyes were opened to Affiliate Marketing after I saw someone on YouTube offering the same intro course you could access in the button below. It walks you through all the different types of Online Businesses you could start from home with just a laptop and internet connection. However, like me, you may think it looks too good to be true. I ignored it initially (it doesn't get much more sceptical than ex military!) but A YEAR LATER, after another MLM business had worn me down, I decided to investigate further and soon wished I hadn't left it so long! I went on to invest in some world class education and have never looked back.

Read on for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of MLM and Affiliate Marketing or hit the button below to learn more about all the ways you can make a living online.

https://start.laptopmums.com/find-out-more?utm_source=mlm-AM-blog&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Org

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So, what exactly is MLM?

The Multi-Level Marketing business model (also known as MLM, Network Marketing, Referral Marketing or Direct Selling) involves you selling products and services and recruiting other people into your team to do the same. You earn commissions on your sales and as a recruiter, you earn a commission on the sales made by your recruits; you may also earn bonuses and other incentives based on your team's performance. Generally, it involves you buying in stock yourself and you will often see people selling such stock at market stalls, school fairs, events and of course direct to friends every time you meet!

OK, but what on earth is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a different approach to earning income from home, and it’s very much the stomping ground of successful online entrepreneurs known as the 'Modern Wealthy’. In this business model, you promote other people's products or services (as many as you like) and earn a commission on the sales you generate. There’s no stock to buy, no selling to friends, and no ‘pyramid style’ commission structure or team building. Affiliate marketing is a way to leverage the unlimited power of the online world promoting highly desirable and relevant products you love.

AND - once you've set up the systems, you'll have an automated income generator, bringing in sales 24/7.

High ticket affiliate marketing can lead to commissions in their hundred or thousands.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Affiliate Marketing – The Good

• Low Risk, High Reward: With affiliate marketing, there's no need to invest in expensive inventory or recruit others to join your team. You simply promote products that you believe in, using Authority Marketing (this could be as simple as writing a blog post) and earn a commission on any sales that result. This makes it a low-risk, high-reward opportunity.

• Freedom & Flexibility: This is why most people, including me, find their way to Affiliate Marketing – for the unparalleled opportunity to live the life of a ‘digital nomad’. Whether you are young free and single, or a busy parent, you get to choose your hours. All you need is a laptop and internet connection.

• Passive Income Potential: Earn in your sleep! This is why I LOVE this life. Once you have set up your marketing systems you can earn an income on AUTOPILOT - 24/7! I got my first sale whilst I was open water swimming Even better than that, with the right guidance, once you have established your systems and you see things working, you can scale things up for uncapped income potential.

• No previous Experience or Special Skills: This is what surprises so many people (and what they don’t believe!) is that the right course and mentors will take you literally from where you are now, today even, with no online skills to launching a profitable business in as little as a few months (no, not overnight to 6 figures!!).

• No need to put your face all over Social Media: I thought I'd have to plaster myself all over social media every day, but along with most people in our community I was happy to see that's not the case! You can, but as an Authority Marketer, there are other ways to build an audience that trust you.

• No Pressure to Recruit: With affiliate marketing, there's no pressure to recruit others to join your team. You can focus on promoting products that you believe in and building your own authority brand.

• No Inventory: Since you don't need to purchase inventory, there's no risk of being stuck with unsold products or products going out of date.

• More Control: As an affiliate marketer, you have more control over the products you promote, with the option to focus on High Ticket offers that will give you the biggest returns. You also get to use the marketing strategies you prefer from free options like blogging, social media and influencing to paid ad placement.

• The Digital Goldrush: With an estimated 2.14 billions shoppers online in 2021 alone, there has never been a better time to upskill, step out of mediocrity and leverage the digital boom.

• Skillset: The online skills you’ll learn can be used in multiple ways and digital skills are more desirable than ever in the market place. You’ll be highly employable if you chose to enter the workplace or go freelance.

• Digital Nomad: If you have a laptop – you can work from literally ANYWHERE with an internet connection. I love that I can head to my parents in Scotland whenever I feel like it, and dip in and out of some work if I want, knowing that all the while I have income being generated on Autopilot.

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Affiliate Marketing – The Bad

• Competition: Affiliate marketing is becoming a very popular way to earn income from home, which means that there can be a lot of competition in some niches. This can make it difficult to stand out and make sales, but with the right training, it is easier than you'd think (I'm living proof!)

• No Control over the Product: As an affiliate marketer, you don't have control over the product or service you're promoting. This means that if the product doesn't meet the customer's expectations, it can reflect poorly on you as the affiliate marketer. It’s therefore important to pick your products and companies carefully and even better - set up multiple income streams!

• Commission Cuts: Some companies may reduce the commission rate for their affiliate marketers over time, which can impact your earnings potential. Again, it's all about doing your research and promoting companies you have used, that you love and that you trust.

• Fluctuating Income: Your income as an affiliate marketer can fluctuate depending on the performance of the product you're promoting, changes in the market, and other factors.

Affiliate Marketing - The Ugly

Many businesses offer poor returns, no resources for their affiliates, no community, and no support. Affiliate Marketing is a booming opportunity, and because of that there are many scams promising that you can get rich quick or make money overnight; spoiler - you can’t!

Multi-Level Marketing - The Good

• Flexibility: MLM offers a flexible schedule, allowing individuals to work on their own terms and choose their own hours, making it a great option for people who want to work part-time or as a side hustle.

• Low start-up costs: MLM typically requires low start-up costs compared to other business opportunities, making it accessible for people who cannot afford to invest in a traditional business.

• Potential for high income: MLM offers the potential to earn high income, as earnings are not limited to the commissions on personal sales, but also from the commissions on the sales made by the people in your downline.

• Personal development: MLM often provides training and support for personal development and entrepreneurship, allowing individuals to develop their skills and knowledge in marketing, sales, and business.

• Social networking: MLM provides opportunities for social networking, allowing individuals to meet new people and build relationships.

MLM – The Bad

• Over promise, under deliver: MLM’s are notorious for promising big rewards but delivering little in the way of actual earnings. In fact, most people who join MLMs end up losing money rather than making it (me!) The vast majority of people who join MLMs make little or no money, and those who do earn something often earn very little.

• Pressure to Recruit: To make money in an MLM, you need to recruit others to join your team. This can create a lot of pressure to constantly sell the opportunity to others, which can put a strain on your personal relationships. It can also lead to a focus on recruitment over product sales, which can be damaging to the reputation of the company.

• Costly Inventory: Many MLMs require you to purchase inventory in order to sell products. This can be expensive, and it's often difficult to sell all the inventory you've purchased.

• Limited Control: As an MLM distributor, you are at the mercy of the company's decisions. You have little control over the products, the marketing, or the pricing. This can be frustrating if you have a vision for how you want to run your business.

• Reputation: MLM has a negative reputation due to the history of some companies engaging in fraudulent practices, making it difficult for some people to trust the legitimacy of MLM businesses.

• Drop Out: MLM has a high attrition rate, with many participants dropping out after a short time due to the difficulty of making sales or recruiting new participants. You will have to constantly train, support, motivate and recruit team members to stay profitable.
• Pyramid structure: MLM has a pyramid style structure, with only a few people at the top earning significant income, while the majority of participants earn little or nothing.

MLM - The Ugly

For me, the biggest ‘ugly’ was just the constant pressure to meet targets, to ‘compete’, to recruit, and to ‘sell’ to my personal network of friends and family over and over

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I’ve been lucky....

I fell on my feet being introduced to Affiliate Marketing the way you are now — by someone who invested in a World-Class Digital Education.  This education will walk you through how to 'Prepare, Launch, then Grow your dream online business - an actual business, not just an affiliate account.  A business where you can set up systems once, and earn a High Ticket Affiliate Rewards on Autopliot around the clock (I made my first sale when I was open water swimming!).  This education is not just another online course, it's joining a whole community of likeminded people around the world who will support you as you learn.

To wrap it up…

Your time life is valuable.  You want to be there for your family, you want personal growth and satisfaction, and you want to make the most of your opportunities.  It’s really important you weigh these Pros and Cons carefully.  Hopefully this article has helped you towards making an informed decision.  You may have guessed that since jumping ship from the MLM model, I am now a HUGE fan of Affiliate Marketing; I made far more money, far quicker and have found my dream business model (without building a list of everyone I know and badgering them to buy my stuff or join my team!!)  Using the skills I’ve learned through the courses I’ve invested in, I’ve also built my own online fitness coaching business that I'm SO proud of.

In case you were wondering, my favourite product is the one where it all started for me.  From here I've connected with a world-wide community of likeminded souls who've invested in further education to build their own dream businesses. Everything from coaching just about anything, selling just about everything via Amazon and other online stores, copywriting, running online marketing companies and of course keeping it simple and selling other companies products via Affiliate Marketing.

The education offers a full picture step-by-step approach with numerous options that go way beyond the bog standard ‘how to’ training you get everywhere else.

Your Next Steps...

For me, this amazing adventure all started with the FREE Intro course I mentioned previously and it can for you too.  Full disclosure, it's very unlikely you could build a profitable online business (or any kind of business!) from a free course.  Yes, you'll be able to go out and find affiliate links and maybe earn a little, but for those go-getters among you with bigger dreams like me, let's get real.  This is your research!

On the Intro course you’ll get an inside view of how all online business works, not just Affiliate Marketing.  You’ll get a feel for the community (that includes me) of amazing people around the world who are also on this journey.  And hopefully you’ll a gut feeling that you are in the right place, before you invest any time or money into a paid programme or mentorship.  Success for me came with the best resources, the best training and the best mentoring and that's what you'll learn more about.

During the Free Course, you'll see an option to check out the basic '7 Day Fast Start Course' which is a brilliant risk free/refundable way to learn more about getting started, and what you personally could offer online.  You'll also see an offer for the Step-by-Step Foundational Business Building course, this is where the 'rubber hits the road' for those are ready to get to work to 'Prepare' 'Launch' then 'Grow' their business.  If you chose to invest in this course, you'll be walked through every step of the way from that first rung on the ladder when you have NO IDEA what to do, no digital skills and no experience to having a website and business that could be earning you 6 to 7 figures like many of our members (not me yet, but I’ve never been closer!)

Click the link below for the free course that convinced me to finally ditch MLM - it'll blow your mind!

What have you got to lose? (except perhaps that pile of products you were going to buy!)

https://start.laptopmums.com/find-out-more?utm_source=mlm-AM-blog&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Org

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The future depends on what you do TODAY

Mahatma Ghandi

The post The Game-Changing Truth – Affiliate vs. Multi-Level Marketing in 2025 first appeared on Laptopmums.

The post How to Make Money as a Student first appeared on Laptopmums.

If you’ve found this blog, that tells me you are someone who wants more out of life. You’re someone who wants to spend more time with family and not have to ask a boss for time off. It tells me you have dreams, but don’t know how to make them a reality and it tells me you know enough to Google ‘How to Start Affiliate Marketing’, but are not sure how to actually get started or what’s involved? And if you are anything like I was, you’re probably (and quite legitimately) super sceptical of scams and all the BS you hear about affiliate marketing.

I’d never actually heard of it, when I stumbled across the concept a few years ago. I needed to find a way to work from home so I could spend more time with my kids, and be the mum I’d promised to be when I left the Military. You’re about to discover not only the steps involved in getting started, but I’m going to share the exact same free training, that I stumbled on, which ultimately led me to creating a life where I don’t have to ask anyone for time off to spend with my family.

So……… when was the last time you watched a great movie or had a brilliant meal out?

Did you recommend that movie or restaurant to a friend?

You did?

Fab – you’re almost there!  This is how to start affiliate marketing. Find a product you love, tell others about it, and get paid if someone buys it.  Clearly, there are a few more working parts in between, but in a nutshell, this is how to start affiliate marketing.

Back to the restaurant….. (this is my Mum & Dad at our fave pizza place in Carlsbad, CA.)

Now imagine you’ve had that brilliant meal, and you ask the owner for a code-word that you could tell your friends.  Now every time your friends have a meal and use that code-word when they book, the owner will give you a % of their bill, and it won’t cost your friend any extra money at all.  This commission-based business is how affiliate marketing works.  The owner is reaching new clientele through you, that they have not had to market to (I think Pizza Port owes me a few $$ !! (not an affiliate link!))

This example above is clearly a basic one, so how do we start to make the big bucks and turn this income generator into a business that could ultimately give you time and financial freedom?  It’s time to jump online friends. The place where billions of people are hanging out and spending trillions of $£$£$£$£

It’s exactly the same: find products and companies you love and get paid when you refer people to them.  More and more businesses are setting up affiliate programmes to enable their products to be seen by a wider group of people. How do you think the top influencers earn so much? When you click a link on their social media or website, they’ll be getting paid (if you actually buy the product!). If like me, you have absolutely no tech skills, and the thought of setting all the ‘stuff’ up is scary, then investing in the education to learn how to do it right from the start will save you a whole ton of time and money!

In this article, we are going to look at the First 7 Steps I believe are essential when you want to know How to Start Affiliate Marketing, including how I started (I’m now a ‘top 3’ earner for my fave High Ticket Affiliate Marketing product)

How to Start Affiliate Marketing – Step 1: Be a Product of the Product

My biggest tip has to be to only market things you have bought and LOVE!  Maybe it’s my Military background (23 years in the Royal Air Force), but Integrity is a cornerstone of my life.  I will only ever recommend a product, that I am a product of – something I have used and that has made my life better!

Many people start an Affiliate Marketing Business searching for and marketing High Ticket Affiliate Products that they haven’t even used themselves, just because they’ll earn more. However, if you haven’t learned how to set up the right systems first or if that company doesn’t have a good affiliate programme and if you haven’t bough the product itself, you could be wasting a lot of time and money before you make it work. Personally, I want to have a relationship with my prospects and be able to honestly chat with them about the product if they reach out with questions.  I became a product of THIS PRODUCT as it was the one that started to show me how to become a successful affiliate marketer.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing – Step 2: What do you LOVE?

Before you even start to think about the how, why, where, what, and when, of starting an affiliate business, I want you to think about the things you love doing.  Are you a keen cyclist, runner, reader, photographer, cook, entrepreneur, swimmer, moviegoer, knitter, or animal lover?  Are you passionate about the environment, politics, community, travel, the outdoors, charity, or family? 

I’m passionate about all the things above, except maybe knitting & politics!

Do me a favour – stop reading and write your passions down now… I’ll wait!

Now think about the ‘things’ associated with those passions.  Courses, events, holidays, gadgets, gizmos, clothing and accessories; these are the products you could build an affiliate business around.  Wouldn’t you rather build a website, blog, YT channel, Pinterest board, Instagram account or FB group around the things you love?  It’s so easy to see the insincerity of marketers who are just looking at the bottom line. When you love what you do, people start to know, like, and trust you, and are then more likely to buy anything you recommend (quick caveat – you do not need to be posting on social media all day/or at all, if that’s not your thing (in the free training you’ll find out how to market without the need to put your face all over socials)).

How to Start Affiliate Marketing – Step 3: Who are you talking to?

When you start affiliate marketing, it’s important to think about who you are trying to reach.  One of the first exercises you should consider is figuring out who your ideal customer is.  This activity forms the foundation of the course I started with.  If you try to market to everyone, your message will be too generic.  Most people start with themselves.  If you are a middle-aged parent, my messaging is working!  If you’re not, it just shows you how effective a good message can be outside of your target ‘demographic’ – after all, most products can be used by most people!

How to Start Affiliate Marketing – Step 4: What do they need?

Your job is to be a problem solver.  People ask friends or family and jump online when they are looking for a solution.  With this step it’s your job to communicate how the problem they have, can be solved with the product you are marketing.  Again, with complete integrity.  I would not market anything I wouldn’t give to my mum!  Through placing an ad or through the list you have started to build with people who know, like, and trust you, you can put the solution in front of them.

How you communicate that problem and solution—with knowledge, empathy, and sincerity—will ultimately lead to your prospect ignoring or buying! 

And don’t forget, the best thing about affiliate marketing is the fact that YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A PRODUCT – no stock to buy and post, no course to build, no buildings to maintain, no staff to worry about, all you are doing is putting a solution (in the form of an affiliate hyperlink) in front of the person with a problem to solve (for more pro’s & cons of Affiliate Marketing – check out this blog post).

How to Start Affiliate Marketing – Step 5: How are you going to reach them?

The next thing to consider is, how are you actually going to ‘get in front’ of the people you want to help.  This is why the power of the internet is so incredible.  You have access to just about THE WHOLE WORD online.  But, you might as well be stuck in the desert if you don’t get your message right.  This is why it’s so important to learn how to do it the right way! (click the button below if you want to learn more about how to get started the right way – these workshops were exactly how I got started).

You can have multiple ‘outlets’, but when you are starting out, KISS (Keep It Stupidly Simple!).  Choose something you are happy with and start there. 

Love Instagram? Start a <<insert thing you love to do>> channel.

Already got a ton of Facebook friends?  Perfect, set up a page on there.

Love to write? Brilliant, start a blog.

Love creating videos?  Awesome, jump onto YouTube.

I’m always all about “How would this look if it was easy” so pick something you love and pick a platform you are comfortable with.

“How would this look if it was EASY?”

Affiliate Marketing – Step 6: How quickly do you want to grow?

This step is important.  Clearly, without an audience, you will not have a business, and we are here to build a business, yes?  If you have read this far, I’m assuming this is something you are interested in!  There are 2 routes to take at this point. 

Organic and Paid

Organic means that you start putting your content out on your chosen platform and basically rely on ‘the universe’ (otherwise known as the algorithms!) to show your stuff to the people you are hoping to reach.  If you already have a good following, this could be enough to get started and even sustain your business.  This is basically free, and whilst most people would love for their stuff to go viral or be able to market at no cost, even the biggest ‘stars’ struggle to get consistent results. And to be honest most people just don’t have the time or the inclination to be putting themselves ‘out there’ all day!

Paid is just that.  You pay the platform to show your content to an audience you choose.  How many people see that content will depend on how well you have chosen your audience and how much you are willing to pay.  This is quite an art to get right (which is why I invested in the training to get me there quicker!) But when you do get it right, it’s magic!  It’s very easy to scale and quickly be earning an income 24/7 from whatever content you have an ‘ad’ attached to. And the best part – no need to be putting yourself out all over social media!

Affiliate Marketing -Step 7: Do it RIGHT from the START!

Affiliate Marketing is a growing business model and to that end, there are countless courses out there and numerous ‘get rich quick’ scams too.  Like most things in life, you get what you pay for!  If I’m honest, I was quick to chase shiny objects with empty promises, and I wasted a ton of money and time.  Eventually (and with some skepticism—my ex-military BS detector is always on high alert!) I decided to check out some free training recommended through a YouTube ad I saw.  I don’t know what made me go for it, but it just seemed to ‘stand apart’ from everything else I was seeing.  Through the free training, I was able to see all the different opportunities to work online (not just Affiliate Marketing) and from there, it really was a no-brainer to check out the programmes on offer.

I’d love to send you the free training too.  If nothing else, it will answer all your questions about what is possible.  If you are here, you want to know how to start affiliate marketing, and hopefully this post has given you some pointers.  If you now want to know how this is possible for you even if you are rubbish on computers, are not a fan of Social Media or have NO IDEA about anything online (much like I was), you could not find a better next step than to click on the button below and check these workshops out.

Having learned how to be an affiliate, I also set up my own e-commerce online business around another passion of mine, all using the coaching and education available.  It’s not just education though, there’s a world-wide community of amazing go-getters who are building businesses around their passions, from spirituality to motor biking!

I’d urge you to watch these workshops as they will answer a ton of questions, not just how to start affiliate marketing, but also you will learn about other online income opportunities. I’m here too if you want to reach out to me; just drop me a line to jennie@laptopmums.com or comment below.

I promise to reply, although sometimes it might take a few days! I built my businesses so I could spend more time with my family and the passions I have, so I may be out wild swimming, walking the dog, mountain biking, baking cakes with Holly, or driving Rosie to her next party!!

Hope to see you soon!

The post How to Start Affiliate Marketing in 2025 – Your First 7 Essential Steps first appeared on Laptopmums.

Of course there is, in fact, I reckon it’s over 40 that life starts getting better.  We tend to worry less about pleasing others, about conforming or about so much of the trivia that seemed to dog earlier years.  Like so many things in life, it’s never too late and it’s certainly not too late to be starting a new career at 40 and beyond!.  If you still haven’t found that thing that makes you leap out of bed in the morning, then don’t stop until you do.  There are thousands of ideas and resources to help you, so I implore you, stop ‘settling’ for life; get out there and find your purpose. (This is who and what inspired me).

I know it all sounds a bit ‘happy clappy‘ this ‘purpose’ thing, but I so believe each one of us has something to offer this amazing world, to make it a better place, to make others happy or to pay something forward.  By 40 and beyond, you will have a mountain of experience to draw upon, to share, to guide and to learn from and you can earn an income from this! Discovering your purpose might be something that will take a good bit of ‘work’ to do or it might be something you’ve known all along.  It might even be something you discover by accident when you take a different path, talk to someone new, go somewhere different, catch a later train (did you ever watch Sliding Doors?) or discover in a blog!

When you discover your purpose, it is your responsibility (to yourself and to others that care for you) to follow it, no matter what your age and starting a new career with that purpose driving you is easier than you might think.

Your current situation

It might be that you fell in to something when you left school, college or Uni and you have just remained in your comfort zone ever since – but that does not mean that that is where you should stay, in fact, if you are ‘comfortable’ you will never be growing (and for my money, if I’m not growing, I’m not happy).  It might be that you have been raising and running a family, getting temporary work or never had to work, but whatever your current situation, if you are thinking about starting a new career at 40, 50 and beyond, you must not settle for anything that does not inspire you.

Starting a new career sounds pretty daunting at any age, let alone past 40, but it is rapidly becoming a normal progression in this ever changing world for someone to have several jobs throughout their working life or even at the same time – multiple income streams is definitely a more secure option! As traditional jobs fall by the wayside, people that don’t keep up will be out of work quicker than you can say “Dole Queue” (would have been fun to be in this one though!).  It’s crazy, but there are hundreds of jobs around today that didn’t even exist 20, 10 or even 5 years ago.

Here’s a few jobs that never or barely existed 10 years ago….

• App developer
• Content creators
• Social media managers
• Sustainability managers
• Data scientist
• Cloud computing specialist
• Driverless car engineer
• Uber driver
• Millenial Generation expert! 
• Drone operator

The latest studies are suggesting that 2/3 of kids in primary schools today will be doing jobs we can’t even conceive of at the moment – crikey! So if you are thinking about a starting a new career, especially one that creates freedom in your life, with an untapped income potential and joining what is known as the ‘Modern Wealthy’, it’s all about not being left behind. That means getting Online!

The digital world is moving pretty fast, and it’s leaving a lot of people in it’s wake, but if you are prepared to invest some time and effort into your future by learning some new skills, it’s so much easier than you would think to start leveraging the power of the internet. You could stick your head in the sand, perhaps sign up to a soul crushing MLM ‘opportunity’ (been there!) or trawl though sites like Indeed, trying to fins a ‘job’ that still means you have to ask a boss for time off in the school holidays, or you could ‘earn while you learn’ in the online world and build something you love that could pull in cash flow every day on autopilot.

The pain of staying the same

So, if you are thinking about starting a new career at 40 and beyond, or adding an additional source of income, learning to take your passion online is the only smart choice.  Now I hadn’t planned to look for a new career; since leaving the RAF I thought I had found my purpose in Personal Training. However, as much as I love training and am hugely satisfied helping others to improve their lives through health and fitness, I’ve realised that my purpose is so much bigger than that.  To be honest, I’d really dug myself into a hole of self doubt, self criticism and unworthiness (I’ll save that story for another blog!!) before I discovered I could do what I loved without compromising my physical and mental health. I’d suffered years of pain after back to back injuries and I nearly let life crush me. I knew I had to get me a spade and dig myself out and that’s when I met Landria. Talk about INSPIRED!!!I I knew I was in the right place (despite initial scepticism) and after getting stuck in to the education I soon launched Laptopmums and then took my fitness business online.

“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change”

Tony Robbins

Remembering that pain, and having seen how others like Landria have succeeded late in life, gives me the drive to help others rise out of similar holes.  I’ve spoken to so many women who are ‘settling’, who are in pain, who are unfulfilled, who are unsatisfied or just ‘meh‘.  Women who are run ragged juggling, jobs, kids, husbands, admin, cleaning and cooking.  Women who are just ‘waiting’ for a good time to start their own business, take a training course or hire a cleaner (I wrote a bit about the perfect moment in my last blog HERE).  These women aren’t necessarily unhappy and often have a loving family, but just feel that something is missing or that they are capable of so much MORE.  So at the grand old age of 53, here I am pushing out of my comfort zone getting to grips with the Digital Age and discovering my bigger purpose. It’s not easy – nothing worth having is, but I’m laying the foundations for 2 businesses that I love , building digital assets that bring in income 24/7/365.

My purpose

I love my business GO Health and Fitness, I’m proud of it and I love my clients, but I now know I can help my people not only to lose weight, move better and get healthier, but to take it a few steps (or a giant leap) further to develop themselves personally and professionally too.  If health and fitness is your goal, I’m certainly your girl and what I have learned from my online community has driven me to serve my clients from an online platform which enables me to work with clients all over the world (from anywhere in the world!)

If you too are also feeling lost, overwhelmed, left behind or a bit ‘meh’, you should at least take a look at the FREE Training to see if there’s anything for you in the online world (even if you have NO IDEA right now or are crap on the computer).  My purpose with Laptop Mums is to introduce every woman to the same opportunity I took that really has changed my life. To develop themselves further than they ever thought possible; to never stop learning, growing, laughing and living and find their passion to share with world.

My absolute purpose is to be a force for good, a force for change, and a force to be reckoned with! 

Stop making excuses  – it’s YOUR life, get curious and don’t get left behind!

It all starts with this FREE Training. I’d say life changing, but I know how cheesy that sounds! By all means, be sceptical, I was, but if I hadn’t taken the first step, I’d still be in that hole.

Yours in health, growth and happiness,

Jennie x

PS. Here’s that link again to the Training that changed my life 

PPS.  If you have any questions at any time, please reach out to me here –  jennie@laptopmums.com – I’m happy to jump on a zoom

The post Starting a New Career first appeared on Laptopmums.

The good news is, a great copywriter is never short of work.  Pretty much everything you read on websites, adverts, brochures, mailshots, catalogues etc, was written by someone skilled in copywriting. Or so it should have been; we will explore the incredible Chat GPT AI tool in a later article. The skill of copywriting is still as valuable, if not more so, because of this new technology.

Copywriter – An Ideal Job for a Laptopmum?

As a copywriting expert, you can work from the comfort of your own home, from a great coffee shop, or from any place you choose. And of course – choose the hours to suit your schedule. A formal education is not required, but relevant training will teach you the skills you’ll need.  The only things you then need to actually work, besides your skill, are a laptop and an internet connection. I’d say that was pretty ideal!

How do you ‘Copy write’?

To drive your reader into taking action first, you must know them.  This is where a good copywriter will make the difference and potentially where AI can fail.  You are writing to a human being in order to motivate them to take action; whether that is buying something, joining something, entering their e-mail address or sharing something.  When copywriting, remember this is all about Human 2 Human (H2H) contact, so if you write as you speak and offer your reader solutions to their problems, there’s a good chance they might act on your words. Perhaps you might act on mine later?

Keep It Simple Stupid – KISS

I love this acronym and try to use it in just about every aspect of my life.  When I read an article full of long words, complicated sentences and ‘in house’ jargon, I’m gone at the first ‘multivariate’!  A skilled copywriter will know what language to speak for the audience, how to structure the piece and will often use bullet points instead of long wordy paragraphs.

The Copywriter’s Big Idea

Your copy should contain a ‘big idea’ that will run through the piece.  This idea should create an emotion for your reader, that will encourage them to do something. The human element is so important here, is the target audience likely to care about your big idea?

Enthusiasm and Integrity

When you truly love your subject, writing with enthusiasm and integrity should be easy. Again, this is where AI can let you down – it’s not your voice, your passion and your ideas. This is especially important if you are copywriting with the aim of driving your reader to take a particular action. I could not and would not ask others to do (or use) something that I had not done (or use) myself and that I did not wholeheartedly believe would help them, and neither should you.

Originality

It is so difficult to be original these days but to stand out from the crowd, you should come at your reader from an unexpected angle with a unique promise.  If you can surprise them with new and relevant content you will be in with a good chance.  Easier said than done, but after all, we are all unique, so spend some time and effort developing your style and just as importantly understanding your intended audience.

A Great Copywriter Uses Stories

Stories are a fantastic way to engage your reader.  People love to hear how others overcame problems and obstacles.  If you can show a hero, preferably yourself, who faced their fear and conquered a challenge, you will have a happy audience.  Remember though – keep it real (integrity), keep it relevant and KISS.

Where do I learn to be a Copywriter?

Whilst you do not need any formal education, you’d be lost without some sort of roadmap from the most successful copywriters in the business. I know I still have lots to improve on, but I have just completed the Copywriting Qualification that is one of 13 Advance Level, Internationally Recognised Digital Skills Certifications included in a programme I purchased recently. This certification and the other step by step training in the programme has since helped me set up this blog and revamp this entire website (not something I ever expected to be able to do in my 50’s!!) and set up my online health and wellness coaching business.

It all started when I began thinking about working online in order to support my family better. I saw an ad pointing me to some free workshops that showed me all the different types of online businesses I could start from home. I’d love to share that training with you, if you’re interested in learning more about the power and freedom of an internet lifestyle! You can get access to these eye opening workshops HERE.

 If from there, you decide to join us in this ‘modern wealthy’ lifestyle, you could dip your toe in the water with the Modern Wealthy ‘fast start’ course (or for anyone who is ready to start an Online Business now and wants immediate access to the Tools, Community and Support you need to get going head over HERE (only for action takers!)).

If you decide to join our world wide community of freedom seekers and digital nomads, Freelance copywriting is just one of many strings you may add to your bow or it might become a new career (‘copy’ is, after all, part of a $2.3 TRILLION  industry worldwide) or perhaps, like me, learning this skill will just save you from hiring a freelancer to promote your own business.

Feel free to drop me a line if you’d like to chat more about anything you’ve read here. Happy to jump on a zoom call too

Yours in health, growth and happiness,

The post How to become a Copywriter – Why you should learn this Multi-Trillion £$ skill. first appeared on Laptopmums.