Smart From Scratch

Our FREE course will help you plan out your business from scratch using our SMART method.

Smart From Scratch free course logo with a lightbulb in the center

Will your business idea work?

These questions keep aspiring business owners up at night: “Will my idea work? Are there enough customers? How do I know there isn’t a better idea out there?”

Smart From Scratch® is designed for action-takers who are ready to move past the overwhelming flood of information and start making real progress. This course is all about lean learning—taking action, learning from the process, and adjusting as you go.

By the end, you’ll have:

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A clear understanding of your target audience

Also known as who you are serving with your business

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Ideas on how to serve your audience

The products or services you can create, provide, or offer to your audience

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Your roadmap forward

Your plan — the actionable next steps to build your business

Enroll now — access to the course is completely FREE

Smart From Scratch® is a part of the SPI Community. Access the free course and start your entrepreneurial journey today!

Smart From Scratch logo with a light bulb in the center
    Pat Flynn standing outside

    Meet your course instructor

    Hi, I’m Pat Flynn.

    I run several successful businesses, including Smart Passive Income, Switchpod, and Green Business Academy. Over the last decade, I’ve conceived of and developed dozens of products and new businesses. I’ve both succeeded and failed, and all the while I’ve charted my progress to find what works and what doesn’t. My interviews with hundreds of other business owners for The Smart Passive Income Podcast have also taught me valuable lessons about business longevity.

    Aspiring entrepreneurs share the same struggles with me time and again: “I don’t know how to find a business idea,” “I don’t know if my idea will work,” or the biggest one, “I’m afraid I will fail.”

    I want you to learn from my successes and failures. I’ve poured these experiences into the Smart From Scratch® course to give you insight into the business strategies that truly work from start to finish. I’m here to help you find your idea, figure out if it will work, and teach you how to fail early rather than down the road after investing countless hours in your idea. I’m here to help you — let’s get started!

    Smart From Scratch Course Outline

    Welcome, Students!
    • Welcome! Watch This First
    • Office Hours
    • Course Downloads
    Stage 1: Spark Your Idea
    • Lesson 01: Uncovering Your Unique Spark
    • Lesson 02: Market Map Exercise
    • Lesson 03: Understanding Your Audience
    • Lesson 04: Finding Your Idea’s Sweet Spot
    Stage 2: Test the Waters
    • Lesson 01: Join the Conversations
    • Lesson 02: Create a Powerful Post
    • Lesson 03: Send a Direct Message
    Stage 3: Align Your Platform
    • Lesson 01: Crafting Your Brand Positioning
    • Lesson 02: Choosing the Right Platform
    • Lesson 03: Setting Up Your Platform
    Stage 4: Reach and Grow
    • Lesson 01: How Growth Actually Happens Online
    • Lesson 02: Levels of Engagement (and Your First Product)
    Stage 5: Trust Building
    • Lesson 01: Consistency Is Key
    • Lesson 02: Show, Don’t Tell
    • Lesson 03: Listen and Adapt
    Conclusion
    • Start to SMART
    • What’s Next?

    Learn how to find your business idea

    You’ve been wanting to start a business for a while now. Smart From Scratch is the completely free way to work through your ideas to and find what will work. All it takes is a few hours of investment from you.

    Don’t you owe it to yourself to try?