Once your business is up and running, the next question is how to grow it. This chapter is about increasing your income without necessarily working more hours. The key strategies are tweaking, upselling, cross-selling, and finding ways to deliver more value to existing customers.
The Growth Mindset
Growth does not have to mean building a huge company. For micro-entrepreneurs, growth often means earning more from the same amount of work, serving your existing customers better, or finding smart ways to increase the value of every transaction.
“You don’t always need more customers. Sometimes you just need to get more value from the customers you already have.”
— Chris Guillebeau
Two Paths to More Revenue
There are fundamentally two ways to increase revenue:
- Get more customers: Expand your reach and attract new buyers
- Get more from existing customers: Increase the value of each transaction through upsells, cross-sells, and repeat purchases
Both matter, but option two is almost always easier, cheaper, and faster. It costs far less to sell to someone who already trusts you than to convince a stranger to buy for the first time.
The Power of Small Tweaks
Sometimes the biggest gains come from the smallest changes. A slightly better headline, a more prominent call to action, or a small price increase can dramatically improve your results.
High-Impact Tweaks
- Raise your price by 10-20%: Most customers will not notice or care
- Add an upsell at checkout: “Would you also like…?”
- Improve your sales page copy: Better words = more conversions
- Send follow-up emails to past customers: Remind them you exist
- Remove friction from the buying process: Fewer steps = more sales
These tweaks are low-effort and low-risk, but their cumulative effect can be substantial.
Upselling and Cross-Selling
Upselling means offering a more premium version of what the customer is already buying. Cross-selling means offering a complementary product or service. Both increase the average transaction value without requiring new customers.
Upsell and Cross-Sell Examples
- Upsell: A basic course for $49 with a premium version including coaching calls for $149
- Cross-sell: A yoga mat seller who also offers a carrying bag and cleaning spray
- Bundle: Combining multiple products at a slight discount compared to buying them separately
- Subscription: Turning a one-time purchase into a recurring revenue model
“The best upsells feel like a natural extension of what the customer already wants, not a pushy add-on.”
— Chris Guillebeau
Increasing Prices Strategically
Raising prices is one of the simplest ways to increase revenue, yet many entrepreneurs resist it out of fear. Guillebeau argues that regular, strategic price increases are not only acceptable but expected as your skills and reputation improve.
When and How to Raise Prices
- When you are overbooked: High demand signals your prices are too low
- When you improve your offering: Better product = higher price
- When you gain experience or credentials: Your expertise has increased
- How to do it: Announce the increase in advance, explain the added value, and grandfather existing customers if appropriate
- How often: At least once per year, even if only a small increase
Creating Recurring Revenue
One-time sales are fine, but recurring revenue (subscriptions, memberships, retainers) creates predictable income and long-term stability. If you can turn even a small portion of your revenue into recurring income, your business becomes much more resilient.
Recurring Revenue Models
- Membership sites: Ongoing access to content or community for a monthly fee
- Subscription boxes: Curated products delivered regularly
- Retainer agreements: Ongoing services for a fixed monthly rate
- Software as a service: Tools or platforms with monthly subscriptions
- Maintenance plans: Ongoing support or updates after an initial purchase
Key Takeaways
- Growing revenue does not always mean finding new customers; increasing value per customer is often easier
- Small tweaks like price increases, better copy, and upsells can significantly boost income
- Upselling and cross-selling increase transaction value without requiring new customers
- Raise your prices regularly as your skills and offerings improve
- Recurring revenue models create predictable income and business stability
- The easiest customer to sell to is one who has already bought from you