Be More with Less

simplicity is love

10 Steps to Build a Smalltopia (and how I built my own tiny business)

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This blog started almost a year ago, but my desire to run a little business, and have the ability to run it from anywhere, has been growing for years.

Even though I didn’t fully realize it, minimalism and building a business that is part of my heart and soul has appealed to me for a long time.

Until I read Smalltopia by Tammy Strobel, I never had a word for my little business. When I dreamt about what I wanted to do when I grew up, Photographer was always on the top of the list, and then Artist, Writer, Wanderer. I wanted to create a business that gives back. I wanted a business that I could run, not a business that would run me.

How to Build a Smalltopia

  1. Become debt free and stay that way, even while starting your business.
  2. Jot down all the things you enjoy doing, regardless of your history or education.
  3. Figure out what you need to make every day. (Need, not want…that comes later)
  4. Allow double or triple the time you anticipate to start earning. An emergency fund or 2nd job will help ease the anticipation of when.
  5. Create multiple revenue streams. This advice is ancient, but more relevant now than ever before.
  6. Prepare to work more before you work less.
  7. Connect and talk about your ideas. A dream becomes reality when you take the time to build it the right way.
  8. Don’t be afraid to charge for what you do. Give, give, give and when appropriate, charge. Your work is valuable.
  9. Read Tammy’s book and other books about small business. I know you’ve heard it before, but knowledge is power.
  10. Act. If you don’t do this, your dream will be just a dream.

Tammy’s little book about a tiny business was one of the most important books I read last year. The reason it was so important is because I read it, and then I put it into action. You might notice that I don’t blog for dollars. There are no ads on this site and I don’t accept any pay for play. Any links to other blogs or sites are because I recommend them. I write about what I care about, what moves me and what I think will move you.

I followed the steps above and here is what I built:

My Smalltopia  (tiny business with multiple revenue streams built to serve and give back)

  • Amazon Affiliate Sales. Occasionally I’ll review a book with an affiliate link and I created my own Amazon Bookstore, to let you know what I recommend.
  • Affiliate Sales from e-books and digital products. Sometimes links to these products will appear in a post with a review or interview, but mostly they live on my I Love page. I think this is a softer, more genuine way to make recommendations. I will never link to a product that I haven’t used and enjoyed or trick you into clicking something spammy.
  • Sales of my e-book. After 10 months of blogging, I launched Simple Ways to be More with Less. I love having a product that readers can enjoy and other bloggers can use as an affiliate tool.
  • Consulting/Mentoring. Based on the volume of e-mail that I receive from readers, I know there is a need for more customized advice, delivered simply. While I can solve problems in a blog post, I can be much more helpful in a 1:1 setting.

Each element is accessible on it’s own or through courtneycarver.com, my virtual headquarters. I know headquarters is a fancy word for a tiny business, but that is the beauty of running your own Smalltopia. You can use silly words, have fun, and be yourself.

Reading Material

I’ve said before that you don’t have to quit your job to be more with less, and I stand by that. That said, if you have an opportunity to do something you love everyday and make money for it, do that. Start dreaming. Start acting. What does your Smalltopia look like? Can I help you build it?

 

Comments

  1. Hey Courtney. Your story is such an inspiration. You’ve done a great job building your Smalltopia! I’ve read and enjoyed two out of the three books you listed above, so it sounds like I’ll need to check out the third book (Smalltopia) soon.

    My dream is similar to yours, I think. I would like to earn a living by writing words that inspire, help and free people. I want to be able to work from anywhere, and I want my work and service to be both sustainable and meaningful.

    P.S. I’m going to be getting in touch with you later this week about your book! 🙂

  3. I really appreciate the softer approach you’ve taken to recommending resources, not only for your approach, but also for the value of those resources.

    Congratulations on your growing smalltopia. Here’s to your continued success.

    • Thanks Jason. I think when a blog starts to become about selling instead of educating or entertaining and inspiring, focus starts to shift and it shows in the writing.

  4. Than you for being such an encourager. Today you put into words what I have been trying to formulate in my mind and relay to my family for years. God bless you! May you reach that sandy beach sooner rather than later.

    • Laura, having a clear vision that you can explain to family really helps in terms of asking for support.

  5. This is just wonderful. I don’t have another word for it. Courtney, whenever I come over and visit you, I feel something very interesting. It’s like “ok, listen to this. This counts. This is important.” I dunno. I kind of realize reading this that I have also kind of created my own Smalltopia with the B&B and I, like you, want art and writing to help sustain me. My art does already, but my writing is where I want to focus. I like (no love) the way you think. I am a huge fan of Tammy’s. You know, it was last July/August that I was sitting, exhausted between guests, reading the NYT on line, and came across the article about her. That led to a click on her website, that led to A list, and that led to everything, including you. It’s so interesting, you know? Now I cannot imagine life without the wonderful blogs I met through her.

    Keep going, Courtney, you are such a bright illuminating light.

    • Diana, it is really crazy how we find each other. I’ve connected with so many people that I know will be life long friends, including you.

  6. I will share to my little group on Twitter. I loved that your post was so honest-it was not kind of super self-promotional like some of the guy bloggers! Yes we all have a right to be paid for what we do, so we can support our precious lives-and continue to share. Tiny business are a wave of the future-also local/regional that fits the specific needs of our nearby beings. Thanks for sharing, the ideas and the inspiration. I”m blogging about reinventing ourselves and doing what we love, as our form of service, and modeling that in my life. After 18 months of intense work 6dys week hours a day, researching website design and blogging, I”m finally taking my fine art background digital.
    Yoginigeek, signing off,
    Namasate

    • Tanks Kala, There is a fine line between promoting your services and even a blog and becoming spammy and a turn off to the very people that you want to work with. Congrats on taking your fine art to the digital world. That is a huge accomplishment!

  7. I normally read most blog posts in my feed reader but clicked across here specially to leave a comment. I just wanted to say what an interesting and inspiring piece of writing I found this – and I wanted to thank you for that. Interestingly I added one of the print books you recommended to my Amazon wishlist yesterday so I’m just now taking a look at the other. Thanks for the heads up 🙂

    • Thanks Richard! Not sure which book it was, but let me know what you think. They are both great!

  8. Courtney, what an inspirational post! I love how your honesty comes through in your writing with such ease!

    I especially relate to this sentence but certainly haven’t been able to articulate my feelings this clearly:
    “Even though I didn’t fully realize it, minimalism and building a business that is part of my heart and soul has appealed to me for a long time.”

    Thanks for the great “how to” summary and review of your interpretation and success with your own Smalltopia. It never ceases to amaze me how many great ideas are spread through word of mouth in this incredible online community. Thanks for providing such an inspiring example for others to appreciate, enjoy, and follow.

    Marta

    • Thanks Marta, I think practical steps are important but it always helps me to see how someone else actually applied the lessons.

  9. This was a lovely post. You have such a sincere, gentle way of writing, as though you are tending to a little garden of ideas. Your writing tends to plant little seeds of thought in my mind that continue to grow the more I reflect on your posts (like today – I read this post this morning but haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all day). I, too, would like to create some type of smalltopia. I’ve read Tammy’s book as well and found it to be quite inspirational. Congrats on achieving some of your goals (which gives you the impetus to keep working on the rest of your goals!) and creating a successful tiny business! 🙂

    • Thanks Clara, Now, if only I could grow an actual garden as well. – Ideas: yes Veggies: not so much. I try every year, but was not blessed with a green thumb. I’d love to hear more about your Smalltopia.

  10. Hi Courtney, love to hear how your life has changed over this past year. I guess you could say that you’ve enjoyed quite some success so far. Keep enjoying what you love doing and keep loving and doing what you enjoy.

    • Thanks David, It has been a great year. I know I still have growing and learning to do, but that it makes it even more exciting.

  11. Hi Courtney,

    I love your steps…and it is very true. I was where you are now about 15 years ago. And all you say are absolutely correct. The only thing I would add…is not to see a goal as a destination. Your dream is a pathway to yet another dream that you have not even imagined yet. Our lives are like curved pathways. We can only see so far up the road, surprises wait around the corner-that you will not be ready for until you move forward on the path you can see. And you are right-dreams will just be dreams if you do not act on them. I love the word “smalltopia”. I loved knitting. I started off teaching in my home and hand spinning yarn to sell. It led to a yarn shop. I sold that after 4 years and started a wholesale line of hand dyed yarn and patterns. I now have the 20 acre farm raising sheep and cashmere goats. I dye in my “dye barn” on my property and now my yarn and patterns are in over 130 yarn shops. I am a company of one with some sales reps in the field. At the beginning, dyeing yarn was never on my radar-and who knows what is next. If we are true to our hearts-and we work hard-are dreams emerge into our lives. Thanks for your blog-I enjoy it.

    • This story is inspiring and exciting. I love how one dream reveals another and expect more of that moving forward. Please stay in touch. I look forward to hearing what is around the corner for you and congrats on your amazing success.

  12. Hi. Your story indeed inspiring, and I can relate to it 100%. I have only started my blog a few months ago but it feels like everything has been leading to it for well over a decade. Everything I had done, learnt, said or felt – my blog brings it all together in a cohesive place. It feels like I have been doing this for ages – instead of few short months.
    There are very bloggers who have truly inspired me to start my own blogging business – establishing a community for ‘hobby’ bloggers. Leo, Mary, Katie T. and I am happy to add you to the list. I look forward to connecting with you in the future ..
    Needless to say I am subscriber to your awesome blog! Cheers 🙂

  13. Hi Courtney,
    Thank you so much for your personalized response to my email congratulating you on the release of your book. I was thrilled to receive it. I have since completed reading it and will read it many more times I imagine. Well done.
    I also just purchased small-topia from the link on todays blog (you have kept me busy!) 😉
    LuvBFC

  14. Such an interesting and inspiring post. Altho I’ve never thought of myself as building a ‘smalltopia’..it is what I’m doing. I’ll have to get the book. Thank-you for this!

  16. I actually said “yes!” out loud as I was reading this. 🙂 You’ve articulated exactly what I want, and you’ve added some reading to my list. Thank you!

  17. A wonderful post Courtney. It seems there are a lot of us out there looking to make our own smalltopias and it is lovely to connect with others who are on similar wavelengths. The great thing I find about the whole smalltopia thing is that it slows me down, it takes the pressure off that can so often lead to procrastination. In an unusual way it sort of makes me do more because I feel I need to do less 🙂

  18. “Jot down all the things you enjoy doing, regardless of your history or education.”

    I should do that!

  19. Hi Courtney,

    I’ve been behind on visiting all my fave blogs while we’ve been working on our tiny house project. So I’m late to the news but wanted to say congratulations on your ebook release! What an exciting time for you, and what an eloquent post. You inspired me to get Tammy’s book Smalltopia. I’ve been meaning to, but haven’t yet because I’ve been so busy.

    I built my own little online Smalltopia though I don’t mention it on my blog much. It took a few years of dedication and hard work. Along the way my vision of “what I want to do for a living” has kept revising and becoming simpler. My goal this year is to bring my websites more into alignment with the principles I practice on the blog. Which means breaking my reliance on google income. Congratulations on your new book, your blog and everything!

    Cheers,
    Tanja

    • Tanja, I will always continue to revise and modify…it’s in my nature. I know what you mean about staying in alignment with the principles you live and write about. It’s so important and seems to open doors to even more opportunity. Let me know what you think of Tammy’s book. It’s really good!

  20. Awesome. I have recently started to learn about simple living & minimalism.
    So helpful & easy to ready. Way to go!!!

    • Ryan, Let me know if you every have any questions. Congrats on simplifying your life.

  21. Hi,

    Inspiring subject, but since I’ve been in the same boat as you I can say that it’s extremely hard to make money the ways you said:
    1.Blogging: too many now a days and too much time to put into it.
    2.Selling Amazon books: commission is very low and you never know when something gets sold.Your books might not sell at all.
    3. Selling your own ebook : again very difficult because you have to spend time either advertising or blogging. Also it’s not sure if you sell it.
    I think in general you are better off working for somebody else, like subcontracting, part time kind of jobs.
    Thanks you for writing this article

    • Bella, I appreciate your thoughts but have to disagree. This blog is less than 2 years old, and there were many blogs when I started too. If you have something meaningful to share that can help others, you can launch a successful blog, even now. Of course it takes time, but everything worth doing usually does.

      Amazon books might not sell at all, but if your recommendations are helpful, they probably will. As your audience grows, so do your sales and your percentage of commission. It’s not a hug chunk, but a part of the smalltopia puzzle.

      Selling your own ebooks and products is the best way to help your readers and earn a nice income. Of course you won’t be sure that it will sell, but you can never be sure that anything you do will turn out the way you like, but that shouldn’t be an excuse not to do it.

      I quit a full time job last September and am supporting myself financially doing things that I love as a direct result from starting this blog. It can be done.

  22. Hi Courtney!

    I just read your post and feel really inspired. I have recently resigned from an 8 year teaching career to raise my two daughters. I have also started a blog just for the joy of writing, if I’m able to make a small income from it in the future then great, if not, I’ll just keep enjoying myself. My husband and I are really working hard to achieve a minimalist lifestyle as we’ve just downsized our home (went from 1080 per floor to 850 per floor), we are trying to learn to live with less and stop being slaves to our things. I have never heard of creating my own account for Amazon. Do you recommend any books you read? Where can I find out more about this as I love to read and find myself recommending books to everyone I know (whether or not they ask lol!) Thanks for taking the time to write this post. I will definitely be following your blog.
    Danielle

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