How to turn what you know into a webinar

The knowledge you use with clients every day can become a semi-passive income stream. In our latest webinar I shared how I did it with Future Proof Accountants and I thought I would share some tips on getting started.

The biggest question is whether anyone will actually pay for what you know and this was a big one for me but the answer is yes… people do! That was six or seven years ago and we're still running strong.

Don't overthink it

Our industry loves planning, budgeting and forecasting and that instinct can stop us starting. If we kept waiting for the perfect time, it's probably not going to happen. My first webinar used Eventbrite, Mailchimp and a Dropbox link for the replay. I had bookings. You don't need a studio, a logo or a big audience either. I started in a small bedroom converted into an office, using the same desk, chair and computer I did my accounting work on. Use your practice name to begin with and build the logo and branding when you're ready.

Start with a basic topic

Write down the questions your colleagues ask you again and again. That's probably what people want you to teach. Our webinars on financial statements and tax planning templates have sold better than the fancier topics. A repeated mistake you see, like GST entered incorrectly on a journal, is a topic too. I once noticed a practice returning journals with GST on income entered as its own chart of account line, instead of using a GST-inclusive sales code. The BAS didn't calculate correctly. I now cover it every time I run a webinar on journals.

Sell it before you build it

Write the offer: the problem, the outcome and the date. Put it out there and if it sells, create it. We email on Monday and again on Thursday and some topics sell nothing on Monday and 20 on Thursday. If it doesn't sell, try the next topic.

Pick a niche

A course for "all small business owners" doesn't make anyone feel special. One for medical practices does. In my own testing, lawyers and architects were happy to pay for education, but trades weren't. Ideas we've talked about include payroll and super for medical and dental practices, board-ready reports for not-for-profits and TPAR and job costing for tradies.

Let Claude help, but keep your voice

I use Claude for slides, emails and even setting up offers in Kajabi. But I still start with paper and pen. It is SO IMPORTANT to not lose your creativity. If you kept using AI, it's not going to teach people what you want to teach people. Review everything it gives you, because it does make mistakes.

One of my tricks is to get Claude to draft something, run it through ChatGPT for a second opinion and then check it myself. You can also ask Claude to turn a topic into LinkedIn posts and then use Descript it can help cut short video snippets to promote your next session.

What to charge

When I started I believed that if I didn't put a price on it, people wouldn't value it and that has proven true again and again. Free webinars brought bookings, but fewer people turned up. Even if it's just a dollar, you want them to get the credit card out whenever they need something from you. You are worth it!

Want the full walkthrough?

In the session I show Claude building a Kajabi offer and email campaign live, the platforms I use at each stage and pricing ideas. Watch the recording for $99.