How Online Programs Changed My Life

Guest Post by Donna Ashton

Early on, I discovered that homeschooling was my family’s path. We loved it! My twin girls were blossoming and I was enjoying doing activities with them and watching them learn. Then the 2009 recession hit our family- my husband was laid off his job in the building industry. We couldn’t make it on his unemployment, and luckily we had a bit of savings to hold us for a few months. But as our account quickly drained, we were in trouble.

If I took a job, we would have to put the girls in school and that was not an option for me. Suddenly, the security we had was gone and I was scared. We live in a tourist resort town, so I began cleaning beach houses on the weekends. My husband did odd jobs and helped me clean Saturday mornings.

The bills kept coming in and I knew we needed something more. My entrepreneurial spirit reared up and without knowing what I was doing, I started a homeschool coaching business. I stumbled, had little successes and slowly began making a bit of money, but it was dribbling in inconsistently.

The problem was I had no time to work on my business. With two 7-year olds to homeschool plus the usual household chores and weekend cleaning jobs, I was exhausted.

We were still falling further and further behind on our bills, but especially our mortgage. When an appraiser showed up one day to “take pictures” of our house, we realized the bank was starting the foreclosure process.

I cried and felt helpless. Then, I felt a surge of determination swell up in me. It was time to take serious action. I borrowed $500 from a friend to invest in an online training program that would teach me how to create a teleseminar series. The odds might have been against me, but I was betting it all that this would work. I didn’t have another choice.

It paid off.

I created an online 6-week program and generated close to $9,000. You can probably imagine what that money meant to me and my family.

It was at that point I realized how powerful courses and eClasses could be. I launched this course again 4 months later and made another $10,000. That might not seem huge to you (or maybe it does!), but to me, it meant we could keep our home.

Fast forward 7 years, my homeschool business has over a dozen successful and profitable programs. I “auto-pilot” my launches every quarter helping families learn to homeschool and helping my own family financially. This leveraged business model has created time enough that now I am teaching others how to create their very own online course, using their passions and expertise.

Want to add online courses to your business? You don’t have to wait until next year when you’ll have more time. You don’t have to be techy. And you don’t have to have it all figured out.

Start here with my FREE 5-Day Online Course Idea Challenge to get your online course idea ready! That’s the first step and I’ll walk you through it step-by-step in less than 15 minutes per day.

Or join me for a complimentary live training where you’ll discover the “5 Steps to Creating a Profitable Online Course (even if you have a tiny email list)”. Click here to reserve your seat.

Thinking of creating an online course and aren’t sure where to start? Let me know your questions in the comments below!

Donna Ashton is a speaker, author, mompreneur and digital product expert. She built her lifestyle business while homeschooling her daughters using the power of online programs and a leveraged business model. She teaches others how to create profitable online programs that allow time for family, travel and that impact the world.

She happily thrives in a seaside town in Coastal South Carolina with her husband, twin daughters, twin dogs and black cat.

To learn more about Donna connect with her at www.Donna-Ashton.com