A Case Against The Membership Business Model for HSP’s
Having a membership program is often hailed as the holy grail of online business. And on the surface, what’s not to love about being able to contribute to more people, while having regular recurring income?
Look a little deeper though, and we start to see that the membership model is not a right fit for all of us, especially if you are a highly sensitive soul.
The allure however is real!
Especially when you see colleagues you admire launching their membership program, and the buzz that is created around that. The last time that happened for me I found myself saying, “Maybe I should create a membership too!”
But when I played the whole tape through, that idea quickly evaporated. In this article we’ll explore why you might want to think twice about the ‘membership business model’ if you are a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), like me.
— In this article —
What is a membership program?
Typically a membership offering has a monthly subscription fee which gives you access to:
A private community forum.
Fresh monthly curriculum and resources
Live group calls where you can interact with the coach.
As a participant there is no ‘end date’ to a membership program; you just keep paying your monthly fee it until you decide to email the facilitator about leaving and cancelling your payments — which can feel super awkward.
Why the membership model might not be right for you
It took a little time for me to articulate why the membership model just didn’t sit well in my body. Now I’m pretty clear on my reasons, and here they are:
I like things to have ‘bookends'. A start date and finish time, both business-wise and socially.
For me there is a heaviness associated with facilitating programs that are open ended. I love (and need) to be able to withdraw my energy at the end of a program – and not be accessible again until the next offering opens.
As a participant I avoid signing up for group offerings that have no end date — I need a bookend!
The idea of people coming and going and the additional financial administration of following up missed payments doesn’t rock my boat..
To me it feels way more satisfying and meaningful to have a container of time with the same people, who pay in full at the beginning.
I think I’d also feel the pressure to show up in the community forum regularly – when really I just want to show up live in real time and have verbal conversations.
I know there are potential workarounds to many of these reasons, but I have no interest in exploring them. This way of contributing to others is simply a big 'no' for me.
What I do instead of the membership model:
I create tiny self study courses that people can purchase as the need arises.
Where someone knows they would benefit from business mentoring with me they can apply to join The Tea Room, my 3-month (bookended) group mentorship.
It’s this way of contributing to others that feels most calming to my sensitive nervous system.
Have you been thinking of starting a membership program? Or are you already running one and feeling like you need to be ‘on’ all the time?
Let’s chat in the comments.
Dani x
