Why bother? I have such a small audience I can't enroll anyone...

A common, very understandable fear when thinking about creating courses is:

"What if I pour my heart and soul into creating this course, launch it, and no one (or almost no one) signs up? Especially if I have a small audience?"

This fear stops many talented creators before they even start... That's why I practice and recommend a "Launch Lightly" approach – essentially, launching your course offer before you've created all the course content.

The Strategy: Launch First, Create Content Week-by-Week

Instead of spending weeks or months creating all the modules of your course upfront, focus first on:

1. Defining the Offer: Get clear on the topic, draft an outline (like we'll do later, in Modules 2 and 3), write the description, choose a title, set a price.
   
   
2. Setting up the Launch: Create the registration page for your FTA webinar (we'll talk about this strategy later in this module) and the sales page for the full course.
   
   
3. Launching Gently: Announce your FTA webinar and open registration for the full course. We'll work on this in Modules 3 and 4.

You only need to have the introductory content of your course -- your FTA webinar -- ready before that first session. You then create the content for Modules 2, 3, 4, etc., week-by-week, after you've confirmed you have enough enrollment to run the course.

Why This "Launch Light" Strategy Works Wonders:

• It forces you to organize your ideas: Every time you attempt to launch a course, you will create an outline and description, which requires you to structure your expertise into a presentable package. This is valuable work in itself!
  
  
• It instantly boosts your credibility: Simply announcing a planned course will help to position you as an expert who has something valuable to offer. Even if this specific launch doesn't result in a course running this time, your audience sees you developing and offering valuable knowledge. (And honestly, social media moves so fast, few will remember the specifics if you launch something different a few weeks later!)
  
  
• You practice gentle launching: Every time you put an offer out there, you practice the skills of authentic marketing and communication. You build resilience and speed in your actions for the next launch.
  
  
• It minimizes wasted effort: This is key! You avoid spending potentially dozens of hours creating content for Modules 2-6 before validating that there's enough market interest right now.

Handling Low Enrollment Gracefully (It's Okay!)

So, what do you do if only one or two people sign up, or not enough to create the group dynamic you envisioned? It's simple, low-stress, and builds trust:

• Option 1: Offer Alternatives: Reach out personally to the few who enrolled. Explain honestly that enrollment didn't meet the minimum for the group experience you intended. Offer to convert their payment into credit towards 1:1 coaching/consulting with you, or perhaps credit towards a different offering. You could also mention that if you run the course in the future, they'll get access then. Most people are very understanding.
  
  
• Option 2: Offer Full Refunds: Simply thank them for their interest, explain the situation, and issue a prompt, full refund. No harm done! People respect honesty and clear communication.

In either case, the "failed" launch isn't a failure at all – it's valuable market feedback, gathered with minimal risk to your time and energy.

Embrace the Experiment!

This "launch lightly" approach removes one of the biggest mental barriers to getting started. It allows you to test ideas, practice launching, and build momentum without the fear of wasting huge amounts of effort upfront.

Reflection:

Take a moment to consider: How does knowing you don't have to create all the content before launching change your feelings about creating your first (or next) course? Does it feel lighter or more doable? Feel free to share a brief reflection in the comments if you like.