Let me be honest with you. It took me 4 months to make $147.
I sold two spreadsheets and a template bundle. That was it.
No fireworks. No sold-out launch. Just a Stripe notification that barely covered my Canva Pro subscription and one overpriced matcha latte. And the wildest part? I was still out here calling it a “business.”
For a minute, I felt like a fraud.
How could I take myself seriously when my bank account clearly wasn’t?
But then something clicked.
What if I acted like this was already a 6-figure business?
What if I built the backend, the mindset, the systems as if money wasn’t the thing proving my legitimacy?
That tiny shift changed everything.
The $147 Month That Almost Made Me Quit
When people talk about their “humble beginnings,” they always do it with hindsight. They already know the plot twist.
I didn’t.
In real time, that $147 felt discouraging. I was burnt out from a full-time job, mum life, and putting hours into this thing that was supposed to be my ticket to freedom. Instead, I was refreshing my Stan Store like it owed me rent.
Every Instagram reel told me, “Your digital product can make money while you sleep!”
Cool. I was wide awake and still broke.
It’s so easy to think small when the money is small.
To delay the systems. Avoid the finances. Stay stuck in “I’m just experimenting” mode.
But here’s the truth:
If you don’t treat your $147 like a business, your $10k month won’t feel like one either.
Why Mindset ≠ Manifesting
When I decided to stop calling my sales “just a little side income” and started tracking them like an actual CFO, that’s when things shifted.
I built out a proper money tracker in Google Sheets.
Categorised my expenses.
Started naming my goals instead of just “see what happens.”
I even built a mini dashboard that showed how much I made, what I spent, and what I actually kept. (Spoiler: it wasn’t a lot at first, but that’s not the point.)
The point is: I finally knew my numbers.
And when you know your numbers, you stop guessing. You start leading.
Going From Small Sales to Big Income Starts With This
Most people think the journey from $147 to six-figures looks like:
- Bigger audience
- Better marketing
- More offers
- Ads, maybe?
- More launches?
But what actually moves the needle, sustainably, is this:
Building a business that’s structured for growth before the growth shows up.
That means:
- Tracking your digital product income from day one
- Separating business and personal finances (yes, even if it’s just a few sales a month)
- Getting clear on profit goals instead of winging it
- Knowing which offers are actually working, not just guessing based on likes
- And building repeatable systems that can scale
Big income is not built on vibes.
It’s built on boring, beautiful backend clarity.
Don’t Let “Tiny” Sales Trick You Into Playing Small
I know it’s tempting to wait and it may not seem all that important now.
To say, “I’ll start tracking this properly when I hit $1k/month.”
Or, “I’ll get serious about this when people actually start buying.”
But that’s backwards.
You’re not pretending to be a business owner. You already are one.
Even if your monthly income is currently less than your weekly Woolies shop.
And honestly? The earlier you treat it like a legit business, the less headache you’ll have when your sales start stacking.
(Ask anyone who hit 5-figures and had to retroactively organise their money. It’s hell. Trust me.)
This Is Your Reminder
You don’t need to prove your business is “real” to start treating it like it is.
Those small sales? That’s data. Proof of concept. The very first drops of momentum.
And momentum multiplies when you stop second-guessing and start building like you mean it.
So if you’re sitting there with a $147 month and wondering if it’s even worth it?
Here’s your answer:
Yes.
And also, let’s get your backend set up like you’re already making $10k.
Because when it happens (and it will), you’ll be so glad you did.
TL;DR – If You Want to Go From Small Sales to Big Income:
- Don’t wait for “real” money to get serious about your systems
- Track your income, expenses, and profit from day one
- Build offers and workflows that can scale, not just sell once
- Treat every single sale, even a $9 template, like it’s a stepping stone to six figures
- Act like the CEO you want to be, not the side hustler you feel like now
