Looking back, the evolution of my business, Gym Launch, feels like a series of accidental discoveries that led to a powerful system. It all started with a simple Decoy Offer. I gave away free courses and training on how to grow a gym, each one coming with a free call. On that call, I presented two options: take the free plan and do it yourself, or pay for a premium service where we’d help you implement everything.

People started buying, and within three months, we hit $476,000 a month. But I knew that with only one thing to sell, we’d plateau. I needed a better Sales and Marketing Strategy. So, I created an upsell for more advanced clients, followed by a payment plan downsell for those who hesitated. That took us to $1.5 million a month. Still, some people said no, so I developed a menu of options with different service levels. That pushed us to $2.3 million a month, all within 14 months.

What I had unintentionally built was a Money Model—a deliberate sequence of offers. It’s what you offer, when you offer it, and how you offer it to maximize your revenue as efficiently as possible. This approach became the core of our Business Development and growth.

What Exactly is a Money Model?

A Money Model is a framework for your offers designed to do one thing: make enough profit from a single customer to acquire and service at least two more within 30 days. It's a Financial Strategy that removes cash flow as a roadblock to scaling your business.

This system generally evolves through three distinct stages that mirror a company's growth:

• Stage I: Get Cash. This is all about Attraction Offers that turn strangers into paying customers.
• Stage II: Get More Cash. Here, you introduce Upsell and Downsell Offers to increase the immediate value of each customer.
• Stage III: Get The Most Cash. Finally, you add Continuity Offers to maximize the total lifetime value of each customer.

It’s crucial to understand that you don't build this all at once. My businesses always start at Stage I. You get customers reliably, then you make sure they pay for themselves, and then you ensure they pay for other customers. Each stage has to pay for the next one. Proper Entrepreneurial Execution means focusing on one stage until it's solid before moving on.

Examples of Money Models in Action

This isn't just theory; this framework is a flexible Sales and Marketing Strategy that can be adapted to almost any industry.

A Service Business (Gym Launch)

• Attraction: A free do-it-yourself plan vs. a premium done-with-you service.
• Upsell: An advanced yearly program for successful clients.
• Downsell: A flexible payment plan for the upsell.
• Continuity: A menu of recurring services like advertising or sales training.

A Local Business (Micro Gym)

• Attraction: A fitness challenge where you can win your money back by hitting your goals.
• Upsell: A menu of supplement bundles to get better results.
• Downsell: If they reject the big bundle, offer a smaller one or a monthly subscription.
• Continuity: A rollover upsell offering a lifetime discount for a 12-month commitment.

A Digital Product (Newsletter)

• Attraction: A free 30-day trial that converts to a monthly subscription.
• Upsell + Continuity: Offer a discounted rate for life if they pay for a full year upfront.

A Physical Product (Dog Food)

• Attraction: Buy four months of food, get two months free.
• Upsell: Offer add-ons like dog toys or vitamins.
• Continuity: After the initial six-month period, automatically renew into a month-to-month subscription.

How to Build Your Own Money Model

Building out this system is a methodical process. Successful Entrepreneurial Execution involves perfecting one step at a time.

1. Start With An Attraction Offer. Your first goal is to turn strangers into customers while covering your costs. Pick an offer designed to attract people, whether it’s a giveaway, a buy-one-get-one deal, or a decoy offer. Test and refine it until it reliably brings in customers.
2. Add An Upsell Offer. Once you’re acquiring customers, the next step is to increase your 30-day profit. An upsell solves the next problem your customer will have. This could be a classic upsell (offering the logical next step), a menu of options, or an anchor upsell (starting high and offering a cheaper alternative).
3. Create A Downsell Offer. To capture customers who say no to your upsell, you need a downsell. This helps you make more money from the same number of leads. You can either change how they pay (payment plans, trials) or change what they get (fewer features for a lower price).
4. Introduce A Continuity Offer. The final piece is about generating recurring revenue. You can add a continuity bonus for signing up today, offer a discount on a long-term plan, or waive a setup fee in exchange for a commitment. This solidifies your long-term Financial Strategy.

Key Principles for Success

As you implement this framework, keep a few core ideas in mind. This is where thoughtful Business Development makes all the difference.

• Perfect One Offer at a Time. Don't try to roll out the entire model at once. Get one offer working reliably and automatically before moving to the next stage. Building it right the first time is faster than building it again.
• Raise Prices in Stages. Start with new offers priced low to get feedback and testimonials. As the offer improves and proves itself, gradually increase the price until you find the sweet spot where revenue is maximized.
• Simplicity Scales. It's better to have 100 ways to offer one product than to have 100 different products. Think about how you can package the same core service into multiple offers (e.g., one, two, or three personal training sessions per week).
• Use Affiliates to Fill Gaps. If you don't have an upsell or continuity product, you don't have to build one. You can sell someone else's product for a commission. This allows you to fill gaps in your Money Model without taking on the operational headache of creating and delivering something new.