At 22 years old, I make over $1.3 million annually with a one-person business, working just 4 hours per day. No full-time staff, no regular team meetings, and I never have to work weekends. This has given me complete time freedom to travel, go on spontaneous holidays, and spend quality time with my family—luxuries that would be impossible if I were running a traditional business.
The most incredible part of my journey? I started from zero, building this one-person business to $10,000 per month using just my iPhone and very little business knowledge. I know that many new creators or aspiring entrepreneurs often see confusing advice online, so in this article, I’ll share the exact three simple steps that helped me achieve success.
Let’s break down how you can do the same!
Step 1: Pick Your Million-Dollar Niche – Pain Targeting
You’ve probably heard countless people say, “Choose a niche you’re passionate about” or “Pick a trending topic.” While those suggestions are important, they aren’t the key to building a profitable business. Instead, I suggest focusing on something I call pain targeting.
What is pain targeting?
Pain targeting means choosing a niche that focuses on solving a big, specific pain point that millions of people are experiencing. In business, you get paid based on the size of the problem you solve. The bigger the problem, the more money you make. That’s why CEOs get paid $150 per hour, while regular employees only make $20 per hour. The CEO is solving much bigger problems for the company.
When I chose my niche in 2020, I went with finance. While I had a genuine interest in the subject, I also knew that young people desperately wanted to learn how to make more money. It was a huge pain point for millions of people, and I knew that if I could offer honest, valuable information on how I made money, I could build an audience that would eventually purchase my products.
By targeting this pain point, I was able to scale my one-person business to $10,000 per month in just 12 months.
How to Find Your Pain-Solving Niche
- Start by listing things you’re passionate about or skilled in. Think about areas like playing the guitar, fitness, video games, or baking.
- Narrow down the list. Go through your list and remove any niches that don’t solve a big problem for millions of people. For example, while origami is cool, it doesn’t solve a significant problem for most people. On the other hand, fitness solves major problems like weight loss, better energy, and confidence—making it a great niche to target.
- Check Google Trends. Compare the popularity of the niches you’re considering. For example, if I compare guitar, fitness, and gardening, I see that fitness and guitar are much more popular, with gardening lagging behind. That would indicate that fitness is a highly profitable niche that also has a lot of interest.
By focusing on a pain point, you not only increase your chances of making money but also make content creation much easier. When people are actively looking for solutions to their problems, your content will resonate with them.
Step 2: Start Posting Value and Build an Audience
Once you’ve selected your pain-solving niche, the next step is to build a loyal audience. In today’s digital age, growing an audience has never been easier—and it’s one of the best opportunities of our generation.
Why is this a golden opportunity?
Thanks to the internet and social media, the barrier to entry for starting a business is practically zero. Just 15 years ago, you would have needed tens of thousands of dollars to even think about starting a business. But today, anyone can create viral content and build an audience with minimal investment.
Here’s what I did:
- I started by posting valuable content on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
- I created content that was directly tied to the pain point I was solving. For example, I shared tips and advice on how to make money, including how I went from broke to $10,000 per month.
- I focused on making my content valuable, honest, and helpful so people would come back for more.
As my audience grew, I started to see engagement and people reaching out to learn more about my services.
Bonus Tip: Be consistent and post regularly. Even though you’re a one-person business, consistency is key to building a loyal following.
Step 3: Monetize and Scale Your Business
Now that you’ve built an audience, it’s time to start monetizing and scaling your business. You can begin by offering:
- Products: Digital products like eBooks, courses, or coaching programs.
- Affiliate marketing: Promoting products you believe in and earning a commission for sales.
- Consulting: Offering personalized advice for a premium price.
As your business grows, you can reinvest the profits to scale further. With my own business, I invested in creating more high-quality content and building relationships with brands to offer affiliate partnerships. Over time, these efforts allowed me to scale my income exponentially without needing to hire full-time staff or work weekends.
Conclusion: Why This Approach Works
The reason why this approach works is simple: it focuses on solving big problems for a large number of people, which ensures demand. By choosing a pain-driven niche, creating valuable content, and building a loyal audience, you can create a sustainable business that generates significant income.
This process is straightforward and scalable, and you can do it all as a one-person business without needing a large team or a hefty budget. Time freedom is possible, and the financial rewards can be significant. If I can make over $1.3 million per year at 22, there’s no reason you can’t replicate this success with the right strategy and consistency.
Remember: It all starts with choosing the right niche and targeting a pain point that millions of people are dealing with. If you follow these three simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to building your own successful one-person business.
