When I first started selling courses, I followed a lot of people who seemed to be creating new offers constantly.
A new course here.
A new program there.
Something new every few weeks.
Meanwhile, I was selling one course.
It wasn’t exploding… but it was working. And still, every time I saw someone roll out another shiny new offer, I felt that familiar knot in my stomach.
Should I be doing that too?
Am I falling behind?
Is this why I’m not making more money yet?
At the time, I was barely holding things together – running a business, raising a young daughter, and trying to keep my head above water. The idea of creating, promoting, and delivering another course felt… impossible.
And honestly? Exhausting.
So today, I want to slow this conversation way down.
Because the question isn’t “Can you create another course?”
It’s “Should you?”
In this episode, we’re talking about how to actually know when it’s time to create a new course – and when creating something new is more likely to hurt your growth than help it.
And fair warning… my answer might surprise you.
My name is Caitlin Bacher, CEO of Scale With Success®, and I’m on a mission to help course creators all over the world grow their business in a way that is profitable and scalable. I’m sharing revealing insights about what it really takes to scale an online course business to millions of dollars per year. Join me here to discover the tough decisions I’ve had to make, the biggest failures I’ve had to bounce back from, and the learnings that emerged every step of the way. I’m so grateful that I have the chance to tell you everything right here on Scale With Success®: The Podcast. Let’s get started.
Alright, let’s get into it.
When it comes to creating a new course, most people think the decision is purely strategic – Is the market ready? Is this a good idea? Will it sell?
But in my experience, the real reason course creators decide to build something new usually has very little to do with strategy… and everything to do with how they’re feeling in their business.
So before you start outlining modules, mapping bonuses, or convincing yourself that this new course will finally be the thing that changes everything, I want you to pause.
Because there are really just two reasons most people decide it’s time to create a new course – and understanding which one is driving your decision will save you a lot of time, energy, and unnecessary stress.
Reason #1: They’re bored.
Reason #2: They believe it will help them make more money.
It’s your business and your choice, but here are some things to consider first.
If you’re creating a new course because you’re bored, consider the impact of shifting your attention away from your existing course. Promoting, selling, and delivering one course takes time/money/energy and unless you have a big team – YOU are the one who’s going to be doing it.
Years ago I was creating and selling a course all about how to build an audience on Instagram, but after selling that course for a year – I was bored. But, it was more than that. I knew that deep down, I’d outgrown my topic. My clients enjoyed my course, but I didn’t enjoy teaching it. I felt a real calling to expand into a new area of interest – which was helping people start and grow free Facebook groups – and I ended up selling that course for two years before moving onto the course that I now teach all about how to sell your course on autopilot – which I’ve been selling for a long time.
It took me awhile to find a course topic I could really sink my teeth into for the long run and that’s one of the best things about running your own business – you can pivot into new areas when you feel called to do so.
Making the choice to shift my topic wasn’t something that everyone was excited about, but that was ok with me. I was willing to take a temporary loss of time/money/energy in favor of long term growth on a topic I felt was better aligned with my goals.
So, if you’re creating a new course because you feel bored – be sure to consider the impact your shift in focus will have on other areas of your business.
Now, if you’re creating a new course because you believe you’ll make more money, you may want to pump the breaks. After helping thousands of people quit launching and start selling their course on autopilot I’ve noticed a common thing – the FEWER courses you sell, the MORE money you’ll make.
I’ve seen course creators struggle to hit their first 6- or 7-figures and their product suite is huge. They’re selling 3 different ebooks, 4 different courses, and random services on the side – which is overwhelming for them AND for their audience. Their audience doesn’t know where to look or what to focus on because there is just TOO MUCH STUFF.
It’s not only possible to make 6- or 7-figures from selling your course on autopilot – it’s PROFITABLE.
That’s because all your focus is on selling ONE course through ONE automated funnel. You don’t need a big team or a big ads budget to do that. You need courage to keep doing the work until it works and conviction that your success is inevitable.
Sticking with one course and one automated funnel until I crossed the million dollar mark kept my business simple and helped me grow faster than I would have if I was launching or selling a bunch of different things at the same time.
That said, I know you’re going to just end up doing what you want anyway and that’s ok, too!
Nobody knows your business better than you and each decision you make in your business doesn’t lock you into one path forever. It’s ok to change your mind and try new things.
So let’s recap what we talked about today.
When it comes to deciding whether it’s time to create a new course, there are usually only two reasons driving that urge: boredom or the belief that a new offer will make more money.
If you’re feeling bored, that doesn’t automatically mean you need to rush out and create something new – but it does mean it’s worth getting honest about whether you’ve outgrown your current topic or you’re simply craving novelty. Sometimes a pivot is the right move. Other times, boredom is just part of the long-term process of building something meaningful.
And if you’re thinking about creating a new course because you believe it will unlock more revenue, I want you to remember this: more offers don’t equal more money. In fact, for most course creators, the opposite is true. Fewer offers, more focus, and one well-built automated funnel is often the fastest – and most profitable – path forward.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to evolve, expand, or try something new. And there’s also nothing wrong with committing to one course long enough to let it truly compound. You’re not behind. You’re not doing it wrong. And you’re definitely not locked into one decision forever.
The most important thing is that you make decisions intentionally – based on where you are right now, what you want your business to support, and what feels sustainable for the season you’re in.I appreciate you being here, and be sure to tune in next time for another episode of Scale With Success® – The Podcast.
Are you sick and tired of launching and looking for a proven method to generate consistent revenue from your online course on autopilot?
Sign up for my free masterclass, “How To Generate Launch-Sized Revenue Without Launching” and I’ll show you how our clients are making MORE money in LESS time than they ever did while launching.
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Today’s episode is brought to you by Scale With Success® Accelerator — an online course designed to help you generate launch-sized revenue without lanching. If you want to learn MORE about our proven method for success, click here to watch my free masterclass. See you in there!
