In 2008, the economy was in a downward spiral and Pat was called into his supervisor’s office. He was told that although he was one of the brightest and best architects in the firm, they would have to let him go. Pat returned to his desk in a daze, and called everyone he knew in the field, pleading for another job. No one was hiring.
In desperation, Pat moved to his parent’s home in another city. He was commuting by train to his job, and dreading the rapidly approaching termination date. During the commute, he listened to a business podcast. One episode was about a business owner who was earning a six figure income by selling a study guide he had designed for contractors.
Pat remembered that he had set up a website to study for the LEED exam, a particularly difficult certification exam for architects. Although he had already passed the LEED exam, the website was still up, and was being used by other architects to prepare for the exam. Pat wrote a study guide to organize and summarize the content on his website, and offered it for sale at $19.95. In the first month, he earned more money from the sale of his study guide than he had ever earned as an architect. In the months that followed, his income continued to increase.
Pat eventually created the Smart Passive Income blog to show others what is possible with online business. He produces a high-quality blog, a weekly podcast that features online entrepreneurs, and numerous “how-to” videos.
Today, Pat earns more than $100,000 per month through blogging, podcasting, affiliate marketing, and product sales. He has always posted monthly income statements on his site, explaining how he earns income from his online business ventures. He is the best-selling author of two business books, and a highly sought after keynote speaker for conferences.
You can learn more about Pat Flynn’s business model at SmartPassiveIncome.com.
Have you ever wanted to start an online business?