When I left banking in 2001, I started my own business consultancy called Strategic Alliance.  I also underwent training with a business consultancy called RAN One (RAN  = Results Accountants Network).

They were teaching professional firms of accountants to undertake consulting projects with their clients. One of the first things we were taught was that there are…

3 Growth Levers Every (Creator) Business Needs to Master

If you’re a digital creator selling GPT tools, courses, eBooks, or coaching, there are only three core ways to grow your income. Forget the noise—every winning business leans on these same levers:

  1. Get More Customers

  2. Increase How Much Each Customer Spends

  3. Get Customers to Buy More Often

Let’s break these down and apply them directly to our creator businesses.

1. Get More Customers (Build Your Audience + Convert)

Growth starts with reach—getting your offers in front of more of the right people. But not just any traffic. You want qualified, curious humans who are already looking for what you create.

How to do it:

  • Targeted Marketing: Define your ideal buyer persona (e.g. “coaches who hate tech” or “busy solopreneurs 45+”) and tailor your content and sales pages to speak directly to their struggles.

  • Effective Advertising: Test simple paid ads on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, or Google—especially when launching a new GPT, lead magnet, or course.

  • Referral & Affiliate Programs: Let your audience do the marketing for you. Offer commissions or perks for sharing your products.

  • Optimized Online Presence: Ensure your website is clear, fast, and mobile-friendly. Your homepage should pass the 3-second test: What is it? Who is it for? What should I do next?

Creator Tip: Promote your GPTs one-by-one with short demo videos. Consistency + clarity = traction.

2. Increase Average Order Value (AOV)

Once someone says “yes” to you, they’re far more likely to say “yes” again immediately. Don’t leave money on the table—make the next step obvious.

How to do it:

  • Upsells & Cross-sells: Just sold your “AI Content Machine” GPT? Offer the “Sales Angle Generator” or “Lead Magnet Builder” as perfect next steps.

  • Premium Tiers: Offer “Done-With-You” or “VIP” versions of your digital products for those who want speed and support.

  • Bundles: Group related GPTs or mini-courses into value-packed bundles (e.g., “The Creator Automation Stack”).

  • Price Anchoring & Dynamic Offers: Show higher-priced options to anchor perceived value, or offer time-sensitive discounts for first-time buyers.

Creator Tip: Your checkout page should offer at least one logical next step—make it a no-brainer.

3. Increase Purchase Frequency

The creator goldmine isn’t one-time buyers. It’s loyal fans who come back again and again. Turn customers into community—and community into recurring revenue.

How to do it:

  • Loyalty Programs: Reward returning customers with exclusive access, discount codes, or sneak previews.

  • Subscriptions: Offer ongoing content, tools, or coaching. Think: monthly prompt packs, weekly content strategies, or “creator office hours.”

  • Email Marketing: Send weekly tips, behind-the-scenes stories, or offers based on previous purchases.

  • Exceptional Service: Be human. Be helpful. A kind reply or fast support ticket can turn a one-off sale into a lifelong fan.

Creator Tip: Use email automation to re-engage buyers 7, 30, and 90 days after their purchase.

Stack These Levers

Most creators focus on just one lever (usually “get more customers”), but real business growth comes when you stack all three.

Here’s the game plan:

  • Acquire with content + simple funnels

  • Maximize value with bundles + upsells

  • Boost frequency with automation + community

If you’re building a one-person system with GPTs, guides, and scalable products, keep these growth levers in mind as you optimize. They’re simple—but powerful.

But this is not all – we were taught that there is a 4th growth lever…

4. Improve Systems & Processes (Your Silent Growth Engine)

There’s a hidden lever most creators overlook: tightening the backend. Streamlining your systems doesn’t just save time—it multiplies your impact, consistency, and sanity.

Think of it like this: the more you automate, template, and delegate to AI, the more you can focus on creating, connecting, and selling.

How to do it:

  • Build Repeatable Systems: Create checklists and workflows for tasks you do weekly—content publishing, product launches, email campaigns. Turn chaos into clarity.

  • Automate with GPTs: Use custom GPTs to generate content, rewrite emails, create sales pages, or even plan product launches.

  • Templates & SOPs: Systemize success. Use swipe files, prompt stacks, and plug-and-play templates so you’re never starting from scratch.

  • Track What Matters: Set up simple dashboards (e.g., Notion, Airtable, Google Sheets) to monitor traffic, conversions, revenue, and engagement at a glance.

Creator Tip: Every time you repeat a task, ask: Can this be automated, templated, or outsourced to a GPT?

When your systems are solid, everything becomes easier: launching is faster, customers are better served, and growth becomes a byproduct of good operations.

When your business is systemised you can delegate tasks.  Also, a businesses value often resides in it’s systems and processes because it makes it sellable to a potential buyer.

Recap: Stack These 4 Growth Levers

Let’s summarize your new One-Person Creator Growth Stack:

  1. Get More Customers (marketing + visibility)

  2. Increase Average Order Value (bundles + upsells)

  3. Increase Purchase Frequency (email + subscriptions)

  4. Improve Systems & Processes (automation + scale)

Small teams don’t scale with hustle. They scale with systems.

If you want to know more about the importance of systems and processes, then please read these two posts:

Work the System: Build a Business That Works Without You

Think Like a System: How to Build a Business That Runs Without You