The Biggest Mistake People Make When They Try to License Their Business

If you’re anything like me, you get a great idea and you’re all in.  You want to license your content. You start mapping out every piece. You want to organize it, package it, and get the whole thing ready.

And I get it — the creator brain kicks in and you start thinking about every aspect.

But here’s the thing:

The biggest mistake you can make is trying to license everything at once.

It feels like the “right” way to do it. But licensing isn’t about volume — it’s about creating a simple, repeatable process.

This is where one of my favorite principles comes in:

KISS — Keep it simple, silly ;)
(Because I only talk to myself with kindness… but that’s a story for another day.)

The simpler your starting point, the stronger your licensing foundation becomes.

Start with one asset — your simplest, strongest, most consistent method.

Not the 12-step signature program you’ve been refining for years. Not the entire universe of PDFs, videos, worksheets, and tools.

Just the one method you use over and over because it works, it’s concise and someone else could follow it without you standing next to them.

That one asset becomes the foundation, simple and scalable.

1. It’s protected.

If you’re going to license something, start with the piece that’s legally solid. It’s either already trademarked or you can get one filed easily.  It should have a copyright notice, or be simple to update with one.

 2.  It’s clean and fast to package.

One method is easy to document and turn into training. It gets you momentum instead of overwhelm.

3. It gives you a clear proof of concept.

You can show:
“This is the method. These are the outcomes. Here’s how others use it.”
No confusion. No scope creep.

4. It sets your partners up to win.

They don’t need everything.
They need the thing that solves a real problem consistently.

5. It keeps your business expandable — not chaotic.

Once your core method is licensed and running smoothly, then you layer on more assets.

This is the KISS principle in action: Start simple. Let it work. Build from there.

Simplicity is not a downgrade — it’s a multiplier.

We creators tend to complicate things because we can see the whole vision at once.
But licensing rewards simplicity, clarity, and focus.

Start with one asset.
Package it well.
Let it prove itself.

And remember:
KISS — Keep it simple, silly.

It’s the strategy that will actually get your licensing model off the ground — without burning you out or breaking the bank.

If you’re not sure if you have that one scalable asset, drop me a line and we can discuss it.