Launching a “Productized Business Model” was the worst thing I ever did.
In the summer of 2023, I hopped on the “productized service” train. It almost ruined my business.
Bit dramatic.
First, some context.
I didn’t create an unlimited model like Brett (Design Joy) b/c there’s no possible way to run an operations agency without a strategy, auditing, or consistent communication.
And no company needs endless amounts of Notion templates… let’s be real.
My model was built in three phases — strategy, build, and train.
90 days, 1 flat rate.
At first, it was beautiful. Remember back in August when I landed a client without a sales call?
After running a productized model for 7 months, here is why they don’t work for consultants or low-code builders.
You have zero control of your client base. Anyone can book you at any time — whether they’re a good fit or not. All they need is cash.
Time vs work. Doing great consulting work in this model is hard to achieve. You’re on a clock to complete in-depth work before the next invoice, and clients expect results immediately.
Newsflash: you can’t cut corners. And boy did I have several sleepless nights.Virtually no long-term commitment. In the model I created, there was no easy way to sell continued support at the same rate. With everything done up front, ad-hoc management was not one bit sexy or needed.
All of my clients were offboarded at 90 days and are on their own now.
In retrospect, that’s how it should be. As consultants, we problem-solve, implement, and move on.
We don’t outstay our welcome.
This is why the current trendy X model isn’t sustainable as a long-term business plan for the majority of us.
Unless you dumb it down…
This is why the model works.
You make it so ridiculously easy to understand and maintain that upkeep is next to nothing.
In my next six months that’s exactly what I’m testing.
A strategy-first productized model.
One deliverable.
One price.
One-month.
One client at a time.
Period.
Final thought, I will never not have a productized model now that I’ve gotten a taste of freedom from proposals, payment plans, etc.
I will however continue to A/B test and refine until I have the perfect operations product offer for brands excited to scale.
P.S. If that’s you, grab some time on my calendar.
Written By: Sara Loretta
👋🏼 Sara Loretta is the Chief Digital Architect & Founder @ SYSTMS™ — she’s also the 10th US Certified Notion Consultant, and 1st Certified Paperform Expert. Through her work and creatorship, Sara is focused on connecting and educating teams on tech, workflows, and all the ways they can optimize their business to scale.
