How to Build Semi-Passive Income in Your Business (Without the Burnout!)
Feb 18, 2025
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the constant cycle of launching, working long hours, and feeling like you’re always chasing the next big revenue goal, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, too.
For years, I believed success meant doing more—more launches, more hustle, more hours. But after one particularly exhausting launch, I looked at my calendar and had a realization: I can’t keep doing this. That moment led me to rethink my entire business model and explore semi-passive income. Let me tell you—it changed everything.
Semi-passive income isn’t a magic trick. It’s not about doing less; it’s about working smarter. It’s about creating systems that allow revenue to flow consistently between launches so that you’re not constantly in “sell mode.”
So, grab your hot chocolate (it’s 22 degrees here!), and let’s dive into the strategies that can help you scale your business without exhaustion.
What is Semi-Passive Income?
Semi-passive income is revenue that doesn’t require your constant, hands-on involvement. Notice I said semi-passive—because nothing in business is ever completely passive. You have to put in work upfront to set up these revenue streams, but once they’re in place, they continue generating income with minimal ongoing effort. (Read about how I created a $50K passive income stream here!)
Think of it like planting a garden. You invest time and effort in planting and nurturing the seeds, but once they grow, they flourish with occasional maintenance. In business, this might look like digital courses, memberships, templates, or evergreen offers—products that work for you, even when you’re not actively promoting them.
Semi-passive income strategies, such as digital product revenue, affiliate marketing opportunities, and evergreen sales funnels, allow business owners to move away from trading time for money and build sustainable income streams that work for them in the background.
The Role of Launches in Your Business
Let’s be clear—launching is still an incredible way to bring in revenue. It creates excitement, builds connection with your audience, and generates sales. However, relying solely on launches can be exhausting. That’s why I recommend launching 1 to 2 times a year or once a quarter, depending on your revenue goals and capacity.
The key to financial stability and scalability is what you do between launches. Semi-passive income strategies allow you to maintain cash flow without always being in sales mode, giving you a sustainable online business income stream year-round.
So, let’s talk about how to create that revenue in between launches.
How to Generate Income Between Launches
1. Turn Your Live Launch into Evergreen Sales
One of the simplest ways to create semi-passive income is by repurposing what you’ve already built. If you’ve put in the work to develop a course, workshop, or program, don’t let it collect dust until the next live launch—turn it into an evergreen offer.
Here’s how:
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Make Your Course Evergreen: Set up an automated income generation funnel so new people can enroll year-round. Add an email sequence that nurtures leads and directs them to the course.
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Offer a Post-Launch Downsell: After a big launch, offer a “lite” version of your program without live coaching calls. This keeps the momentum going for those who weren’t ready to invest in the full version.
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Sell Masterclass Replays: If you hosted a live training or webinar, package it as a paid replay. People love the flexibility of learning on their own time.
I did this recently with a content planning workshop inside our Crush the Rush Club. It was one of our most popular trainings, so I pulled it out, created a quick offer page, and now it’s available as a standalone purchase. This simple move generated revenue without requiring extra effort on my part.
2. Diversify Your Income Streams
Relying on a single income stream can feel risky. Expanding your revenue sources can help stabilize your income and give you more flexibility in your business.
Here are a few ways to do it:
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Affiliate Income: Recommend tools and services you genuinely love. Whether it’s a project management tool, software, or a coaching program, you can earn commissions by sharing affiliate links. I make over $2k a month just from sharing my favorite business tools!
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Low-Ticket Add-Ons: Offer quick-win products like $27 planners, $47 workbooks, or $9 checklists. These add up over time and can be an easy upsell after a freebie.
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VIP Upgrades for Existing Clients: Between launches, offer your current clients additional support through one-on-one coaching calls, bonus workshops, or customized services.
One of the easiest affiliate marketing opportunities? Create a “Resources” page on your website with all your favorite tools and links. Then, anytime someone asks what you use, you can send them directly to that page.
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3. Optimize and Repurpose What You Already Have
Chances are, you already have valuable content sitting in your business—you just need to package it in a way that creates income.
Here’s what that might look like:
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Workshop Bundles: If you’ve hosted multiple workshops, sell them as a bundle at a discounted rate.
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Digital Templates: Have templates you use in your own business? Package them up for others to use! Canva templates, email swipe files, and planning tools are all great for monetizing digital content opportunities.
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Repurpose Content into Products: Turn blog posts, podcast episodes, or social media content into a digital guide or workbook. Learn more about our content repurposing strategy here!
I once took a series of podcast episodes, transcribed them, and turned them into a structured guide. That guide became a paid resource—created entirely from content I had already made!
4. Lean Into Relationships and Community
Some of the best income opportunities come from simply connecting with your audience and peers. Here’s what that could look like:
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Client Check-Ins: Reach out to past clients to see how they’re doing. A simple conversation often leads to repeat business or referrals.
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Collaborations: Partner with other entrepreneurs for joint workshops, bundle offers, or affiliate promos. One of the best collaborations I did last year was a 4-week podcast series with a friend—it significantly grew both of our email lists.
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Ask Your Audience: Sometimes, the best way to create income is to ask your audience what they need. A quick poll or survey can spark ideas for new offers.
The Data Behind Semi-Passive Income
To give you some real numbers, formal launches make up about 50% of our revenue. The rest? Comes from these smaller, strategic semi-passive income strategies. That means I’ve doubled my income simply by focusing on 1-2 of these passive income strategies at a time.
And the best part? These strategies allow me to spend more time doing what I love—connecting with my audience, growing my business, and being present with my family.
Start Small, Scale Smart
Your business doesn’t have to feel like an endless grind. By combining intentional launches with semi-passive income, you create a model that offers both stability and financial freedom through passive income.
So, what’s one step you can take today? Could you repurpose a past launch? Set up an evergreen funnel? Lean into affiliate opportunities? Whatever it is—start small, but start somewhere.
And if you’re looking for support, Crush the Rush Club is the perfect place to brainstorm, get feedback, and find resources to help you implement these ideas.
Let’s build businesses that support our lives—not ones that take over them.
About the author
Holly Haynes is a business strategist who loves a good plan and flow chart. She is crazy passionate about teaching women like you how to build your dream job and scale to 6-figures without sacrificing your weekends or priorities.
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