Last week, I found out something that made me sad.

The AllBright – the UK’s first private members’ club for women – is going into administration.

What a shock – particularly because I was one of the founding members of this organisation!

When it launched back in 2017, with much fanfare and excitement, it was promising to be a space where women could connect, network, and grow their businesses in a supportive environment.

It was something that was missing and long overdue.

And I loved it.

Thanks to AllBright, I’ve met some brilliant people and made lifelong friends.

I’ve also had many conversations that have sparked exciting new ideas and business opportunities I’d never have otherwise come across.

So, when I heard the news, my first thought was:

“Why couldn’t they make it work?”

It was such a good idea, so surely it should have been a roaring success?

But then I thought about a similar business that shares a similar problem…

The Soho House Paradox

My husband is a member of arguably the most well-known private members’ club in the world: Soho House.

You’ve probably heard of it?

It’s very fashionable with artists, fashionistas and entrepreneurs, with multiple premises across Europe, North

America and Asia, including club houses, restaurants, workspaces and spas.

But here’s something that might surprise you…

For the last 30 years, it has run at a loss.

In fact, in 2023 alone, it reported £92 million in losses.

Staggering isn’t it?

Yes, Soho House is iconic and world-famous.

Yes, it’s full of fascinating, successful people.

And yes, they keep opening new locations.

But from a purely business perspective it has never been truly profitable.

Which reminded me of an important truth that a lot of people in the public find hard to understand.

The Hidden Cost of ‘Traditional’ Business

The problem that both The AllBright and Soho House struggle with is high fixed costs.

These include…

• Expensive venues in prime locations
• Huge payrolls
• Skyrocketing rent, maintenance and operational costs
• The burden of managing a physical space, with all the unpredictability that brings

When I think about how businesses need to grapple with all of these factors…
… I feel lucky.

Because I don’t have to deal with any of that.

And if you’re thinking of starting or growing an online business right now, then neither do you.

Because you don’t need massive capital investment to get started if you go the digital route.

You don’t need to hire, manage and maintain a physical space like a shop, club or restaurant.

You don’t have to sign a lease or commit to staff overheads before you even know if your business will work.

What’s more, you can reach an audience instantly using social media without expensive advertising and PR campaigns, or hoping for footfall and local media buzz.

And you don’t need to take months, even years, forming elaborate business plans, seeking investment and spending capital upfront on tools, premises and physical products…

Instead, you can start almost instantly from home, in your spare time, using basic free or inexpensive tools to create digital products.

In fact…

Starting an online business might be one of the only kinds of business left where you can get up and running with almost zero financial risk.

Just think about it:

• Creating products – If you create a digital product (like an online course – my favourite), there’s no stock, no warehouse, no supply chain headaches. You can publish everything simply and cheaply on a ready made platform without needing to pay for designers and tech help.
• Finding customers – you can do free organic marketing through a social media network like Instagram or Tiktok, and create low cost Facebook ads targeted at your ideal buyer.
• Email marketing – Most platforms like Brevo or Mailchimp offer free email plans or you can get email marketing integrated into publishing platforms to keep things automated.
• – it’s now easier than ever to get landing pages set up for free reports, webinars, courses and other products, which will do all your selling for you online.

For a digital product creator in 2025, the old rules of ‘traditional’ business (upfront investment, high overheads, years of building interest) don’t apply anymore.

✔ You can start small without taking a financial hit
✔ You don’t need a physical location
✔ You can test and tweak before investing too much time or money
✔ You have freedom and flexibility to work when you like.

So you could get started on an online business today and have something up and running within a month or two at very little cost and risk.

As you’d expect, my recommendation is to try your hand at course creation, because it ticks all the above boxes!

If you’d like my help to set something up, then please make sure you are on the waitlist HERE for my Course Creation Academy (there’s no obligation) – once a waitlist place comes up I’ll be in touch and introduce you to a way you can build an online business that has none of the headaches of a traditional business!