Start Smart with AI: Your 5-Step Path to Online Income

Brought to you by Kim Nelson Online

Welcome to Start Smart with AI

Your free 5-lesson mini-course is designed to help you take your first steps toward earning income online, using simple digital products and the power of AI.

This was created for adults who are ready to build something of their own, without needing a website, big budget, or years of experience.

You’ll learn how to:

• Use AI to turn your ideas into simple, sellable products
• Create fast, low-risk offers that help others and generate income
• Skip the tech headaches and start without a website
• Build confidence by starting small and taking real action

Whether you’re thinking about leaving your job, exploring a side hustle, or finally building that business you’ve been dreaming about, this is a practical, beginner-friendly place to start.

How It Works

This is a short, self-paced course. Each lesson gives you:

• A quick insight or strategy
• A simple action step you can take today
• A reflection prompt or AI prompt to move you forward

Here’s what we’ll cover together in this mini-course:

Lesson 1: Why Now Is the Best Time to Start

• What makes this the perfect moment to begin—especially with AI at your side
• Why waiting doesn’t create change (and what to do instead)
• What a digital product actually is—and how simple it can be to create one
• How to start taking action, even if you’re not ready yet
• One simple mindset shift to help you move forward

Lesson 2: What AI Actually Does for You (And What It Doesn’t)

• What AI is really good at (and where you still matter most)
• How to avoid getting stuck with generic output
• Action step: Ask AI for help on something small and specific

Lesson 3: 3 Digital Products You Can Create with AI (No Tech Headaches)

• Examples of simple, profitable products you can make—even as a beginner
• How to use AI to generate, outline, and format your first product
• Action step: Choose one product path to explore this week

Lesson 4: The Fastest Way to Start (Even Without a Website)

• How to sell your first product using simple, free tools
• How AI can help you write your sales copy, create mockups, and more
• Action step: Create a no-website sales plan in 3 easy steps

Lesson 5: The Key to Long-Term Success—Start Before You’re Ready

• Why your first imperfect step matters more than waiting for perfection
• How to turn a single idea into a repeatable income stream
• Action step: Commit to your next step (and choose what to build next)

Let’s Get Started!

And remember, you don’t need to be techy, trendy, or totally ready. You just need to begin.

Lesson 1: Why Now Is the Best Time to Start (Even If You’re Still at Your Job)

Let’s Take the First Step—No Big Leap Required

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.

You’re about to learn how to use free AI tools and simple digital products to begin building income online, at your own pace, from wherever you are right now.

You don’t need to quit your job, spend a bunch of money, or build a big business overnight.

You just need to start small and keep going.

If you’ve been thinking, “I want to do something new, but I’m not ready yet…”—take a deep breath. You’re not behind. You’re right on time.

Why This Moment Matters

I used to think I had to wait until everything was perfectly in place before I could try something new.

More time.
More money.
More certainty.
More know-how.

But here’s what I learned:
Waiting doesn’t create change. Starting does.

And now, starting is simpler than ever.

With tools like AI, you can take one step today, even a small one, and be further along than most people who are still stuck waiting for “someday.”

Why This 5-Step Path Works

This mini-course isn’t about pressure or hustle.
It’s about giving yourself permission to begin.

You don’t need to:

• Quit your job
• Build a massive business
• Learn everything up front

You just need to take the first step, and let AI make it faster, easier, and way less overwhelming than you might expect.

If you’ve been feeling a pull… an idea you keep thinking about… a craving for more flexibility or purpose…
this is your sign to explore it.

Over the next few lessons, I’ll show you how everyday people, many of them just starting out, are using AI to create digital products and income streams that are simple, sustainable, and all their own.

You don’t have to know everything.
You just have to begin.

What Is a Digital Product?

A digital product is anything you can create once and sell over and over—like a printable, a guide, a checklist, or a set of prompts.

Think of things like:

• A one-page budget planner
• A 5-day self-care journal
• A checklist for beginners in your favorite hobby
• A small collection of AI prompts for a specific task

These are quick to make, easy to share, and valuable to the right person.

And when you use AI to brainstorm, write, and organize them?
That’s when things start to move fast.

Reflect & Apply

• What’s been tugging at you lately? A business idea, a creative project, or a desire for more freedom? Write it down. Don’t judge it, just notice it.
• What’s one small step you could take this week to move closer to that vision?
  Maybe it’s reading this course.
  Maybe it’s opening a blank doc.
  Maybe it’s just asking, “What if I tried?”

This 5-step path is here to help you figure it out, one simple move at a time.

Lesson 2: What AI Actually Does for You (And What It Doesn’t)

Let’s clear something up right away:
AI isn’t here to replace you.

It’s here to support you, especially if you’re trying to start a business or earn money online and feel like you’re already behind.

Here’s the truth: AI won’t give you a million-dollar business overnight.
But it can take what’s in your head, your ideas, your voice, your creativity, and help you turn it into something you can sell.

Think of it like a smart assistant that’s always ready to help brainstorm, organize, write, outline, or polish—without judgment, without delay.

Here are a few things AI can do for you:

• Help you come up with digital product ideas based on your interests or experience
• Draft your product descriptions, emails, or blog posts (no blinking cursor!)
• Help you create mockups, worksheets, or content outlines in seconds
• Build checklists, outlines, and templates to speed up your workflow

And here’s what it doesn’t do:

• It doesn’t magically build a business for you while you sleep
• It doesn’t replace your decisions, your judgment, or your personal story
• It doesn’t care about what matters to you, you have to guide it

This is where so many people get stuck.

They try AI once, it spits out something generic, and they decide it’s not for them.

But AI is a tool, and like any tool, it works best when you learn how to direct it. The better your questions and prompts, the better your results.

And once you get the hang of it?
You’ll wonder how you ever got things done without it.

Reflect & Apply

Take a moment to think about these:

• What’s one task you’ve been avoiding because it feels too hard or time-consuming?
  Could AI help you get it started—or even finish it faster?
• If AI could save you 5 hours a week, what would you spend that extra time on?
  More rest? More creation? More freedom?

You don’t need to do everything at once.
But a little clarity today can go a long way tomorrow.

Open your favorite AI tool (like ChatGPT) and enter this:

I’m new to creating digital products. Based on my interests in [insert your interests], can you give me 3 product ideas I could create and sell online with your help?

Swap out the bracketed part with anything you enjoy, gardening, journaling, organization, parenting, wellness, etc.

You’ll be surprised what ideas it sparks.

Lesson 3: 3 Digital Products You Can Create with AI (No Tech Headaches)

When most people think of “starting an online business,” they picture complicated websites, endless content creation, or needing to be an expert in something.

That’s not what we’re doing here.

The goal isn’t to build an empire overnight.
The goal is to create something small, helpful, and sellable—something that makes your first dollar online without burning you out.

Thanks to AI, that’s more doable than ever.
Here are three types of simple digital products you can create—even if you don’t consider yourself “techy” or creative.

1. One-Page Guides or Checklists

Think of something you know or have learned that could help someone else.

• “5 Simple Veggie Recipes for Busy Families”
• “Checklist: What to Do Before You Quit Your Job”
• “How to Start a Gratitude Journal in 10 Minutes a Day”

These are short, practical, and perfect for AI assistance.
You give the idea → AI helps you outline, write, and polish it.

2. Printables or Planners

If you enjoy organizing information, journaling, or goal setting, this is for you.

• Daily routines
• Budgeting sheets
• Planting trackers
• Meal prep calendars
• Reflection prompts

Use AI to come up with content ideas and copy, then drop it into a simple Canva template (no design degree required).

3. Prompt Packs or Templates

This one’s especially great if you’re starting to explore AI yourself.

Create a themed collection of prompts someone else could use in ChatGPT or Canva:

• AI prompts for bloggers
• Journal prompts for confidence
• Canva prompt pack for lead magnets
• Business naming or product creation prompts

You don’t need to invent anything complicated—just organize helpful input in a way someone else can use it. You’re selling clarity, not code.

Keep It Simple

You don’t need all three.
Just one product. One topic. One starting point.

And if you’re thinking, “But who would buy something like that from me?”
Remember:
People don’t buy because you’re famous. They buy because you help them solve a small problem quickly and clearly.

Reflect & Apply

• Which of these three product types feels most doable for you right now?
• What’s a topic, experience, or interest you have that could be turned into a product someone else would find helpful?

Try This Prompt:

Based on my interest in [topic], can you help me outline a simple one-page guide, printable, or prompt pack that I could sell as a digital product?

Swap in your interest, like retirement planning, travel, gardening, time-saving tips, journaling, mindset, parenting, or faith.

You’ll be amazed how quickly a vague idea becomes a product outline.

Lesson 4: The Fastest Way to Start (Even Without a Website)

A lot of people stop before they ever start, because they think they need a full website, a blog, or a storefront to sell something online.

You don’t.

Not at the beginning.

What you really need is:

1. A product (even a tiny one)
2. A way for someone to pay you
3. A way to deliver it automatically

That’s it.

Use a “No-Website” Selling Platform

There are free and simple tools that let you sell without tech headaches. A few of my favorites:

• ThriveCart Learn (free with ThriveCart—perfect if you already own it)
• Payhip (great for beginners, includes a storefront and sales pages)
• Gumroad (simple and free to start)
• Canva or Google Drive (host your file and manually email it after someone pays)

Most of these tools give you a direct product link and a way to accept payment without needing your own domain or website.

AI Can Help You Set It Up Fast

Once you’ve chosen a product idea, here’s how AI can help you get it ready to sell:

• Write your product description (Ask: “Write a product description for my [type of product] that’s friendly, clear, and encourages people to take action.”)
• Create a product image with Canva and AI-powered mockups
• Write your checkout thank-you message
• Create a short social post or email to announce it

You’re not stuck staring at a blank screen anymore. You’ve got a co-pilot.

Reflect & Apply

• Which platform do you want to explore first: Payhip, Gumroad, or ThriveCart?
• What would it feel like to make your first sale without needing a website?

Try This Prompt:

Can you help me write a friendly and clear product description for a [printable / checklist / prompt pack] that helps [target audience] solve [specific problem]?

Example:
“a printable that helps busy moms plan dinner in 10 minutes or less.”

Try it. It works.

Keep This in Mind

You’re not building your forever-business today.
You’re building your first small success.

Once you make one sale, the fog starts to lift. You get a burst of confidence, and suddenly, everything feels more possible.

Lesson 5: The Key to Long-Term Success—Start Before You’re Ready

Here’s something no one tells you:

Most successful digital creators didn’t start because they were fully ready.
They started because they couldn’t wait any longer to keep living the same way.

They didn’t have a perfect product, or a polished brand, or a big audience.
They had an idea, a little time, and a willingness to try.

That’s it.

Building as You Go Is Normal

You don’t need to know exactly where this path will take you.
You just need to take the next right step.

One product.
One sale.
One win.

And suddenly… you’re doing it.

You’re not “planning to start.” You’re in motion.

Here’s How to Keep Going

You already know more than most people who stay stuck.

So before you leave this lesson, let’s make it real:

• Choose one product idea from Lesson 3
• Pick a tool from Lesson 4 to list it for sale
• Ask AI to help you fill in the blanks—description, image, title, etc.
• Share it with 5 people (email, text, post—whatever feels doable)

That’s it. That’s the leap.

Reflect & Apply

• What’s one small thing I can do today to move forward—even if it’s just a draft, a signup, or a test post?
• What would change for me if I gave myself permission to begin… before I felt ready?

Try This Prompt:

Help me create a 3-day action plan to launch my first digital product, using tools that don’t require a website.

AI can organize your next steps, keep you focused, and even cheer you on.
But you are the one who makes it real.

You Made It Through the 5-Step Path!

This was never about doing it perfectly.
It was about starting with clarity, support, and simplicity, so you could build something that works for you.

If this path sparked something inside you, a product idea, a vision, a sense of “I can do this,” then let’s keep going.

Because this is just the beginning.

Want to keep going?

If you’re ready to turn what you’ve learned into real results, I’ve created something just for you:

Quick Cash with AI Toolkit

This toolkit gives you step-by-step guidance to:

• Create and launch your first product fast
• Use AI to save time on writing, planning, and setup
• Choose low-effort, high-impact ideas that can start earning quickly
• Build income without needing a full business or website

It’s designed to help you move from “I think I can do this” to “I actually did.”

(Use code SAVE20 to save 20% until July 31st.)

You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need a way forward, and this toolkit can help you take that next step with confidence.

Stay Connected

Be sure to explore the rest of the site, subscribe to updates if you haven’t already, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support. I’m here to help. You can find my contact information on my LinkTree at https://LinkTr.ee/KimNelsonOnline.

Let’s keep building. Let’s keep growing.

Building income by creating digital products using AI is real, and now, it’s yours to make.