Passive Income for Practitioners: How to Finally Get That eBook Off Your To-Do List
Let’s be real: the idea of making money while you sleep is incredibly appealing. And if you’re a naturopath or nutritionist with a thriving practice, you’ve probably thought about adding some passive income streams to your business.
One thing I hear the most with my clients is “I’ve got this idea for an eBook or course… but I just don’t have time to put it together”. And trust me, I get it
Because as dreamy as it sounds, creating passive income ~ whether it’s an eBook, online course, or downloadable resource ~ does take planning and effort up front.
But it doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it seems!
If you’ve had an idea on your list for ages but haven’t been able to make it happen, here are some simple, practical ways to help move it forward without adding more stress to your week.
1. Start Small and Clear
You don’t need to create a huge product right away.
In fact, please don’t.
Start with something small, like a PDF guide, a checklist, or a mini-workshop! These are much quicker to put together and still offer real value to your clients. Once you’ve built some momentum (and have a better feel for the process of actually delivering your product to your clients), then you can start thinking about those bigger projects.
Bonus tip: a smaller product can also be a really smart first step in your sales funnel ~ introducing new clients to your work and naturally leading them to your larger course or program later on!
2. Focus on Solving a Real Problem
This is a so important!! The best passive income products solve real problems your clients are facing right now. It’s not about what you think is interesting ~ it’s about what they need. Think about the questions you get asked over and over again in consults:
Meal plans
Symptom trackers
Best tips for gut health
Immune-boosting protocols
If one topic keeps coming up, that’s your goldmine! Before you create anything, get super clear on your clients’ pain points and ask yourself, “What would genuinely help them between consults?” That’s the kind of product that will sell itself because it’s practical, useful, and exactly what your audience needs.
3. Map Out the Bare Bones First
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when a project feels big and messy in your head. So if your idea feels overwhelming, break it right down. Start by answering these:
What’s the main goal of this product?
Who is it for?
What’s the key transformation or result?
What are the essential pieces of content?
It doesn’t have to be fancy at this point. Even bullet points are totally fine! This keeps you focused and helps you avoid going off on tangents (which, let’s face it, is easy to do).
4. Repurpose What You Already Have
This is hands-down one of the easiest ways to save time. So often, practitioners already have amazing content ~ they just don’t realise it. Go through your blog posts, client handouts, workshop notes, or even past social media captions! What can you refresh, expand, or repackage into something new?
You do not need to reinvent the wheel from scratch
5. Batch Your Time (Even in Small Chunks)
You don’t need full days of free time to make progress. Even 30-minute blocks here and there add up fast. Try blocking out one small bit of time each week to work on your product, and you’ll be surprised how much momentum you build.
6. Get Your Tech Sorted Early
This is one of those sneaky things that can throw you off at the last minute if you leave it too late. Make a quick list of what you’ll need for delivery ~ whether that’s Simple Clinic’s digital download feature, an email marketing platform, or something else ~ and set it up as early as you can! It makes the whole process so much smoother when you’re ready to launch.
7. Keep It Simple (and Get Feedback Later)
It is so easy to fall into the trap of tweaking and polishing endlessly because it’s “not quite ready.” I get it.. But waiting for perfect usually just means waiting forever. Focus on getting something useful, clear, and done. You can always gather feedback and improve it after launch
Bringing It All Together
Passive income streams are such a great way to add flexibility and diversify your business ~ but they don’t need to be a huge, stressful project! Keep it simple, focus on real problems your clients are facing, and break the process down into small, doable steps.
And of course, if you’re keen to finally tick that digital product off your list and want some extra support ~ whether that’s professional design, setting up the tech side, or just making the whole thing feel less overwhelming ~ that’s exactly what we’re here for.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat about how we can help ♡
Written by Sarah Hartford
Founder & Virtual Assistant at Hart and Herb ~ virtual assistance for holistic health practitioners