The team sit down to discuss the most fundamental aspects of starting an online business.   The Episode: How To Build An Online Business When You're Tech Illiterate   One of the most powerful tenets of what we teach at the Online Trainer Academy is to keep everything as simple as possible. The First Principles framework can help a lot with building a strong foundation on which you can grow, and by removing what is unnecessary you can focus more time and energy on what is! All of this can be applied to the tech side of your training business. We want you to ask yourself, 'What would it look like if this was easy?' And to also address the areas where you might be able to cut costs. This message rings true for us all, but in the beginning, when you probably do not have a lot of income, or any at all, you definitely want to focus on minimizing expenditure that is not absolutely essential. There are so many useful technologies that are available to you that you are already familiar with, from text messages and email to PayPal and beyond, so why start paying for and learning new systems, when you and your audience are already accustomed to others?    In This Episode The power of simplification and using First Principles [0:06:02] How unnecessary complexity can stifle your business [0:14:53] The basics of building an online business [0:19:40] Utilizing existent and appropriate content and platforms early on [0:26:22] Automation and technology is not always the answer [0:33:11] When to consider leveling up your tech [0:35:01]   “To login and figure out what you don't need, is often a bigger job than figuring out what you do need.” — Jonathan Goodman   Simplification and First Principles One of the best indications of a good understanding of something is the ability to keep it simple! On top of this, adding complexity to your business can hold it back, so all you need to do, especially in the beginning, is cover the important bases. For an online training business starting out this means having a way to communicate with your audience, a method of accepting payment from clients, and a program through which you can serve your people.    Shortening the Road to Execution As we have underlined before on the podcast, there is so much useful online content that can be utilized for your business. The last thing you want to do is roadblock your progress by trying to create your own videos for routines and programs, that in all likelihood won't do more for your clients. Remember, you want to be spending the least amount of time and money on this before you start actually making money. The other guiding star should be how you can make things as easy as possible for your prospective clients.   The Downside of Automation Starting an online business will mean that you have plenty of learning to do, you will be engaging with many new things, and so you do not want to compound this by opting into unnecessary technologies and platforms. We have seen how automation and technology that is aimed at convenience can actually add barriers, so be wary of this! Automation works when it works, but can also be a pain to get familiar with.   Already at $1,000/month online and want to scale? Apply for OTA 2 here: www.thePTDC.com/OTA2   SPONSORS Get started TODAY with the world leading certification and business development program for personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and gym owners – The Online Trainer Academy:http://onlinetrainer.com/ota   Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feed/id1468193055 Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jon-goodman/its-possible-conversations-with-successful-online-trainers Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/20veRnzFOvUn6fTy9ud8jm?si=zMWTLmtISMm1XrU-4Q8oxA YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JonGoodmanPTDC