In partnership with

When I left my six-figure job, I wanted freedom.

I wanted to build something lean.
And I wanted to work with clients all over the world 🌎

I learned quickly that not all people and companies pay when they should.

Cash flow is oxygen to a business.
Most founders leak it without noticing.

Here are 6 things I’ve learned building a lean, profitable online business.

↓ ↓ ↓

1. Get Paid Before You Work

If you deliver digitally or work globally:

Charge upfront.

I decided early:

• I don’t chase invoices.

• I don’t delay paying my team.

• I don’t run after money already earned.

No one should have to chase payments. It’s a total waste of time and energy.

If you can, you should charge upfront.

You’re not a bank.

This edition is sponsored by Hubspot

How can AI power your income?

Ready to transform artificial intelligence from a buzzword into your personal revenue generator

HubSpot’s groundbreaking guide "200+ AI-Powered Income Ideas" is your gateway to financial innovation in the digital age.

Inside you'll discover:

• A curated collection of 200+ profitable opportunities spanning content creation, e-commerce, gaming, and emerging digital markets—each vetted for real-world potential

• Step-by-step implementation guides designed for beginners, making AI accessible regardless of your technical background

• Cutting-edge strategies aligned with current market trends, ensuring your ventures stay ahead of the curve

Download your guide today and unlock a future where artificial intelligence powers your success. Your next income stream is waiting.

Get Your Guide

2. Don’t Hire Too Fast

You don’t need full-time employees in the beginning.

Some businesses will never need full-time employees.

You need:

→ Contractors
→ Specialists
→ People who already run their own business

When you're ready to scale the business, if you want to, consider micro-outsourcing instead.
And see what AI can solve for you before adding fixed costs.

You want to aim for 3 things in the beginning:

1. Building a profitable business

2. Spending time with customers

3. Building distribution

3. Don’t Work With Assholes

If a client disrespects you or your team, pays late, refuses to listen, creates chaos, or drains energy, let them go.

I’ve quit clients who paid well but cost too much emotionally.

It’s exhausting.
It spreads tension internally.
It distracts you from better opportunities.

High revenue with low respect is not profitable.

It’s very hard to say no to a client that looks good on paper, but behaves like sh*t. I’m telling you, you’ll regret taking them on.

It’s just not worth it.

Protect your standards.

4. Build Brutally Lean

Most founders overspend on tools.

CRM.
Slack.
Automation stacks.
Fancy software.

We still don’t use most of it.

Instead, you should go all in on:

• Clear documentation

• Playbooks

• Async workflows

• Focus on sales and distribution

Slack feels productive.
Sales ARE productive.

Big difference.

5. Build a Value Ladder

Never let someone leave because you only sell one thing.

You need a proper value ladder:

Free → trust (give so much value that it becomes a no-brainer to buy your stuff)
Low ticket → scale (not tied to your time)
Mid ticket → leverage
High ticket → depth

✅ Let people enter at their level.

Window shopping leads to buying. Don’t gatekeep.

This changed everything in my business.

6. Grow With Your Clients

Almost 100% of our business comes from inbound.

From:

• LinkedIn

• My newsletters

• Referrals

No cold outreach.

Take care of your clients.
Plan upsells.
Grow together.
Enable smart growth.
Be easy to work with.

Retention beats acquisition.

You don’t need more tech or funding.

You need:

1. Upfront payments

2. Lean cost structure

3. Clear offers

4. Strong client experience

5. Distribution

Protect your cash flow.

It protects your freedom.

Talk soon,
Hanna

PS. Several of my clients love this guy, so I interviewed him (if you’re a founder you should read it)

📌 Here is how I can help you right now:

1. Download one of my guides and start today: https://hannalarsson.gumroad.com/

2. Work 1:1 with me: https://hannalarsson.me/

3. Me and my team build for you: https://hunt.rs/

4. Use my link and get 20 % off your first 3 months of your paid plan with Beehiiv after a complimentary 30-day free trial. (https://www.beehiiv.com/?via=hanna-larsson)