I got a really moving email from a reader this week…

I’ve changed the details to protect her identity, but I think her story could resonate with you.

Angela, a 57-year old woman, recently came across an advert for my newsletter on Facebook.

She says that she normally ignores ads for free services because she worries about getting too much junk in her inbox….

However, this time around she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be missing out on a genuine way to make money…

So she signed up to What Really Makes Money.

(THANK YOU, Angela!)

But here’s the problem she shared with me.

For the past 10 years, Angela has been a full-time carer for her elderly mother, who lived with dementia.

To look after her Mum, Angela gave up her job, her social life, and any ambitions she might have had in life.

But now she’s free again, she’s not sure what she could do.

“I’ve been out of the loop for so many years, I feel like my life is really only beginning aged 57,” she writes. “But

I’ve got very few skills in business or marketing. I’m pretty rubbish with computers and IT stuff, too.”

Angela worries that the only skill she has is caring for others.

“Yet would anyone really pay me money for that?!” she wonders.

Now, I understand her concerns…

It can sometimes seem like you don’t have a high-enough level of skill and expertise to base a business on what you already know.

But this probably isn’t the case.

Why You Might Be Undervaluing Yourself

If, like Angela, you’ve lived through something – and learned from it – then you already have something others might pay for.

After all, it means that you have a personal experience in solving a problem or achieving a goal.

And yes, that includes all your mistakes, miss-steps and dead ends.

It might even have been that you struggled more than most other people in your endeavours because you suffered other challenges…

Perhaps you also had to cope with physical challenges… financial problems… mental health issues… lack of education… language difficulties… or faced prejudice and bias….

Yet while it might seem like you ‘messed up’… took longer than necessary… or were constantly wading through carnage… don’t be put off.

These struggles only make your lived experience MORE valuable.

And they are certainly something you can use as the basis of a business.

You see, it doesn’t have to be that your business is based on the precise life challenges that you faced… (for example, sharing your knowledge of caring for elderly people.)

It might not be that there’s a hungry enough target market in that niche… or it might be that you want to branch out into something new…

However, you could apply your lived experience to other subjects and to other goals.

After all, you’ve faced a problem, endured challenges, worked out solutions, and come out the other end – albeit a bit battered and bruised!

This could become an inspirational backstory that gives you huge credibility in lots of other areas of life.

For example, your story might chime with people who are:

• Struggling with children who have physical or educational difficulties
• Overcoming divorce or bereavement
• Recovering from addictions or major illnesses that have put them out of action.
• Stuck in unfulfilling jobs, relationships or lifestyles
• Starting a new career or home business in their middle age.
• Feeling trapped by their past and wanting a fresh direction in their older age.
• Juggling family commitments with personal ambitions or a need to raise their income.

People in these situations are looking for advice, shortcuts, resources and support…

But they don’t necessarily want to be lectured by some academic or professional author who has studied the subject from an ivory tower…

Or a millionaire guru with a massive house, a gorgeous family and perfect teeth.

Or a young YouTuber who’s barely out of school…

Or a faceless publishing company with slick videos, clever copywriting and artfully designed marketing materials.

They’d much prefer to meet someone real, who’s been in a similar situation, with similar challenges, and come through the other end.

This is why you don’t need to be a polished guru, a qualified expert, a creative writer or an IT whizz to run a successful information-based home business.

If you can show people that it’s possible to rebuild or change their lives – even from a disadvantaged situation – you’ll have more appeal than most so-called experts.

And yes, this is true EVEN if you have a clunky writing style, wobbly YouTube videos, poor website colour scheme and a lack of social media followers.

If anything, those flaws can make you more human, more relatable and more trustworthy.

How to turn a lived experience into a profitable home business

Okay, so let’s imagine that, like Angela, you’ve had a tough life experience and you’re looking for a way to channel it into a meaningful, profitable home business.

As I’ve already said, you COULD base your business on your exact experience – for example, caring for the elderly, or understanding dementia.

However, you could also transfer your inspirational personal story to other areas.

For instance, you could help people get organised…. get fit… simplify their lives… start again in midlife… rebuild confidence… save money… learn a new skill…

But in practical terms, how could you do this?

Well, here are some recommended options (and if you want to know more about any of these, please let me know!)

• Email newsletters – you could share weekly tips, strategies, motivation and recommendations around a core theme. These would be personal messages in an everyday style (with AI to help you structure and edit if you lack writing confidence).
• Digital Courses – you could create a step-by-step roadmap for a special life goal. These could be quick-start guides that give essential basic information…. spotlight courses that take one specific step and go deep into it… or signature courses where you give detailed advice on all the different steps.
• eBooks or guides – Share what you’ve learned, organised into a useful little package. This could become a ‘micro-manual’ (a basic PDF you sell for £10-£50), an eBook you sell on Amazon Kindle, or a ‘how to’ guide you market directly yourself (these can go for as much as £97).
• Communities or groups – You could host a safe, friendly group (free or paid) where like-minded people connect around a shared interest. These could include a membership site, a private forum or Facebook Group.
• Webinars, workshops or live coaching – you can offer in-person coaching over an app like Zoom, either one-to-one or in larger groups. If doing it live sounds intimidating, you can also pre-record webinars.
• Digital printables – you could create low priced resources that you can sell on Etsy, specifically tailored for certain goals and challenges. These could include goal-trackers, recipe cards, diaries and planners.

It is possible to grow a business that – eventually – incorporates most of the above elements.

For example, you might create a micro-manual that helps promote an email newsletter… which then pushes people to a digital course that includes a private Facebook group… to whom you offer the opportunity for private online coaching.

However, you don’t need to worry about the big picture at this point.

Just choose one simple format to start with:

• A 5-day email mini-course
• A PDF guide
• A short weekly newsletter

Keep it simple and see how you get on before you consider taking it up a notch.

And try not to feel embarrassed about what you perceive to be a lack of skills or qualifications.

No ‘Guru’ Required!

You don’t have to position yourself as a ‘guru’ who knows everything about a subject.

Instead, you can make it clear in your backstory that you’re simply a person who has walked the path.

You’re effectively saying, “I’ve been in a situation much like yours and here’s what helped me.”

That’s all!

It means you can be honest and upfront about your strengths and your weaknesses.

And if you’re worried about sharing the details of your private life, it’s also okay to work under a pseudonym and keep your real identity under wraps.

As always, if you have any questions or want more advice about this, you can email me directly!