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Scott Michael Dunn is CEO and President of Costello Compliance, a division of Costello Companies, an affordable housing developer and property manager in the upper Midwest. He says, “our mission is to provide everyone with decent, safe, sanitary housing they can afford.” 

Costello Compliance is a consulting firm that provides continuing education and training to clients across the United States in the housing industry. Prior to the pandemic, Costello Compliance hosted thousands of people for in-person training sessions, but Scott Michael and his team were already looking to transition to online learning. 

Knowledge commerce with digital products offers, “the ability for us to take what we’re already doing and sell it on our site. The goal is to share our passion for our mission with more people,” according to Scott Michael.

They run on 51���� and signed up for the Idea to Income Challenge in January 2021. Making their first sale in April 2021, they’ve earned over $100,000 on 51���� as of January 2022. 

Let’s see what Scott Michael and his team have to say and what they have accomplished in their first year on 51����.

Taking the leap with 51����

Costello Compliance didn’t enter the world of knowledge commerce with the Idea to Income Challenge - instead, Scott Michael took advantage of the extra-long trial to scope out if 51���� could fulfill unmet needs he faced with an alternative online course tool. 

“I had been a chronic ‘on-the-fencer’ but the 45 day trial gave me the time I needed to really explore 51����,” he said. “That way I could see if it was worth putting my whole company in one basket and be absolutely sure before I pulled the trigger.” 

The Idea to Income Challenge also included bonus training content from experience 51���� Heroes. Scott Michael says, “While I didn’t consume as much as I would have liked, I think it was really valuable for new people just getting started selling online courses.” 

First steps

Right after starting his trial, he jumped into building out his online courses and evaluating 51����’s functionality. Since they were already experienced with knowledge commerce, they had the content ready to go.

Next came the development of the website and blog, with the first blog post going live on April 1, 2021. He also made his first sales in April, meaning he already started earning revenue in about three months after initially signing up for 51����.

Sticking with 51���� after the Idea to Income Challenge

So, why did Scott Michael choose to stick with 51���� after the Challenge and his trial was over? It comes down to a few things.

He noted that he much preferred the website templates on 51���� over those of the tool that they originally used to build Costello Compliance’s website and online training. He noted the importance of making a positive impression on his potential clients with a professional design.

Along the way, he needed support with various aspects of his 51����. “We had some small difficulties, but the chat support was amazing to get immediate help. It felt as good as in-person or call support. I found they were very responsive, and it was easy being able to send links and screenshots. Chat is one of the primary things that makes 51���� worthwhile to us because the support is 24/7, and we’ve used it at three or four in the morning.” 

The third aspect is the all in one nature of 51����. Having his online courses, payment processing, website, blog, and other tools in one login make it easier for him to run the knowledge commerce arm of his business. He also loves the 51���� Labs feature where he can access betas of the newest features to stay on top of 51����’s frequent iterations.  

“The way it all comes together in 51���� is well worth the additional cost compared to bundling together multiple tools from different services,” he said. 

2022 and beyond

Though Costello Compliance has an existing network of relationships that drive sales now, Scott Michael plans to grow their email list beyond his existing small list of very warm leads. He’s looking to expand his marketing methods and see what types of campaigns appeal to different audience members and potential customers.

In 51����, he’s planning on digging into email marketing and Pipelines to nurture leads and generate more sales. 

Scott Michael’s final thoughts

Costello Compliance’s first year of 51���� was a chance to evaluate a new platform that could meet more of their business needs.

He reflected, “there are multiple disciplines needed to be successful selling content online. For a small to medium size business, they really need a competent partner for the functions of a website, blog, and interactive online on-demand training. Having all of that in one place with 51���� helps me sleep better at night. 51���� helps make sure we can do the important thing - make sure people have decent, safe housing they can afford.”

Get started with 51����

Ready to start selling your knowledge? Build, market, and sell an online course, coaching program, membership community, or podcast all with one tool. 51���� makes it possible to run a knowledge commerce business with no integrations needed. 

Start your today!

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