By Rohi Shetty
(Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.)
Do you introduce yourself as a freelance writer? What response do you get? (Don’t tell me; I know.) What if you said you are a creative entrepreneur or the owner of a freelance writing business? Sounds much more impressive, right? And it’s true.
However, we may not have the confidence to do this just yet. I recently got an invitation to connect on LinkedIn from a young writer who described himself as a “Pro-Blogger, Digital Marketing Consultant & Budding Entrepreneur.” I wrote to him suggesting that he delete the “budding” and simply call himself an entrepreneur. He replied, “I’m not an entrepreneur yet. I’m still in the initial stage of becoming a successful entrepreneur.”
This proves it can be daunting to make the transition from freelancer to entrepreneur. I know this from my own experience. Fortunately, one of my writing mentors, Mridu Khullar, recommended Fizzle, and finally after months of procrastination, I joined it last month.
My biggest regret is that I didn’t join Fizzle earlier. I don’t want you to have the same regret. So I’m passing on an incredibly generous offer from the Fizzle team. You can try Fizzle for five weeks absolutely free (more details at the end of this post).
Here are five reasons why I joined Fizzle (and you should, too):
- Video Course Library
The library has more than a dozen courses on all aspects of online business (and more courses are added regularly). Each course consists of several bite-sized videos and includes downloadable workbooks and checklists. Some of my favorite courses are:
- Start A Blog That Matters (With Corbett Barr)
- How to Create Effective and Engaging Content (with Leo Babauta of Zen Habits)
- Affiliate Marketing The Smart Way (With Pat Flynn Of Smart Passive Income)
- Founder’s Stories
These are in-depth video interviews with top entrepreneurs revealing their biggest struggles, their best tips, how they make money, and what they would do if they were starting over today. My favorites are:
- Jamie Tworkowski (To Write Love on Her Arms)
- John Jantsch (Duct Tape Marketing)
- Natalie Sisson (Suitcase Entrepreneur)
- Fizzle Community
The Fizzle forum has more than 2000 creative and entrepreneur-members offering support and accountability using mastermind groups, challenges, and shared experiences. It is easy to make friends here.
- Office Hours
Live Q&A sessions with the Fizzle team every month where you can ask any questions.
- Fizzle Fridays
Every Friday, you can ask specific questions and get individual advice from the Fizzle team.
- The Fizzle Small Business Roadmap
The roadmap is like a virtual one-on-one business coach that will show you exactly where you are right now and what’s next in your business. It will help you to stay motivated and to take the immediate next step on your own unique journey from clueless newbie to successful creative entrepreneur.
The roadmap is divided into three phases:
Phase 1: Find and develop your business idea and build a solid foundation
- Choose your business topic and define your audience
- Leverage community tools for support, friendship and accountability
- Define the problem and create a smart plan for your business
- Name, establish and launch your business
Phase 2: Launch your business and earn enough to support yourself
- Choose an audience
- Channel and grow your audience base
- Plan and build your first small product to test your audience interest
- Launch your product and grow revenue to support yourself
Phase 3: Optimize growth to increase profitability and sustainability
- Increase reach and revenue.
- Accelerate your business growth and make it last.
I think the roadmap is the most valuable component of Fizzle and this is the main reason why I joined Fizzle.
- Special 5-Week Free Trial
Fizzle offers an unbelievable generous trial offer:
Access to every course in the library (over 100 hours of video training), live coaching sessions every week, the Fizzle forum of over 2000 independent entrepreneurs and the Fizzle Small Business Roadmap—a step-by-step plan for what comes next in your business. This special trial is completely free for those referred by other Fizzle members, no hidden fees, or upsells.
If you choose to continue after the trial, the monthly membership is just $35/month, which gives you access to the courses, roadmap, community and coaching.
- The Fizzle Team
Corbett Barr is Fizzle’s fearless leader and CEO.
Chase Reeves is Fizzle’s Creative Director and co-founder.
Steph Crowder is Fizzle’s Head of Member Success.
Bonus benefit: Free Fizzle Life Membership
Fizzle has a generous affiliate referral program that enables you to save up to 100% of your membership fee.
You can earn a 10% discount for life for each person you refer. Send your friend your link to Fizzle and get 10% off for life when they join. And you get a 10% bonus discount for your first referral!
Alternatives to Fizzle:
Annual fee: $259 (no monthly fee option).
Currently closed to new members.
No free trial and you have to pay $10 to join the waiting list!
No refund and no affiliate program.
Currently closed to new members.
Membership fees and free trial not mentioned.
Three payments of $197 for lifetime access.
No free trial.
Action Step:
Start your Special 5-Week Free Fizzle Trial
You need to have a credit card or Paypal account to join the free trial.
(I quit Fizzle a few days ago because I take my annual vacation during this period. My membership was immediately cancelled and my credit card was not charged. So Fizzle is like a club that you can join and leave any time—there are no long-term commitments.)
Join the conversation:
Are you a member of Fizzle or some other membership site or club?
Would you recommend it to your friends?
Let us know in the comments below.
(31 August 2016)
Rohi Shetty has published nine Kindle books and blogs about writing and digital publication at rohishetty.com. You can download all his books for free here.
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