The hardest dollar you'll EVER make in your business is the first.
It's the one wrapped up in all your self-doubt, fears, indecision and insecurities - and should be wrapped in gold-leaf and hung on your wall!
Start a business. Do what you love. Make pots of cash. Do more of what you love. make more money. Retire young.
Sounds simple right?
But... the hardest dollar you'll ever have to make is that first one. Just one dollar - and I'm going to really go out on a limb here and say it HAS to be FROM A STRANGER!
A friend's dollar doesn't count.
Your mum's dollar doesn't count. 
It needs to be a dollar from someone you couldn't pick out of a line-up.
OK, so you've got your business idea, you're putting everything together and you're smart enough to know it's going to evolve. You've poured blood, sweat, tears and probably a fair amount of the green yourself - into this plan of yours.
And you put together your services... and you market... and you SELL like you REALLY FUCKING MEAN it... and you KEEP ON marketing... and you wait.
And then a stranger buys - and that's when you are VALIDATED.
When someone you've never heard of decides that YOU are the one with ALL THE ANSWERS and they hand over real, live cash for you to deliver a solution.
... and then? Then you have to follow through and deliver what you've promised to deliver.
And that can be scary as fuck! Because it's all good and well saying "yeh I can do this" and "I can do that" - but now, someone's put their dollar(s) and their trust in you - and then you're going to question whether you're under-delivering, over-delivering or just running away with a passport, new identity and brushing up your Welsh language skills for a new life in Patagnonian Argentina. (Hey, we've all been there... )
Now although I 100% believe that you do not dictate your customer's buying journey - it's not YOUR decision what they do with their money or what they feel they need - a good way to gain trust with your audience and a new customer is by offering a bite-sized digital product for a small investment that they can download and use.
That first dollar.
Once your customer has bought once from you, the chances they'll buy again (and again) are far greater.
The easiest way to introduce this bite-sized offer is by using a tripwire optin after someone signs up for your freebie - this means that once they've clicked the "confirm email", they'll be redirected to your SALES PAGE for this bite-sized offer.
I don't like to do a redirect directly from the newsletter sign up BEFORE they've confirmed their email - because 1) hang on a minute! They've not even confirmed they're "IN" for your freebie - that's a bit strong! - and 2) here there be gremlins and you might accidentally process an incorrect email address if it's not been entered correctly - and nobody likes superfluous customer service!
TLDR; Create and implement (aka SET IT AND FORGET IT!) a Bite-Sized Offer for your customers which helps solve ONE problem and demonstrates that you know your stuff. 
This is really good information for newbies. I remember the exact amount I was paid for my first commission online. Everyone is as exciting as the first, it never gets old making money as you sleep! Following your steps is a great way to do it all. Have a great day.
Lisa.
SUCH a good feeling isn’t it!? I was sat in the garden when my phone pinged that I made a sale (2013?) – I just about fell off my chair with excitement! 😂