Business Made Simple University

What Business Made Simple University does

Business Made Simple University (legally operated as Donald Miller Words, LLC) is a private online education and certification business headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Its core product is an annual subscription platform priced at $275 per year (or per seat for teams) that delivers on-demand video courses organized around a proprietary six-step business growth framework — known as the Flight Plan — covering leadership/mission, marketing (the StoryBrand Messaging Framework), sales, products, operations, and cash flow. The platform additionally exposes a Digital Flight Plan worksheet builder, member-exclusive webinars, and a community forum moderated by Business Made Simple Certified Coaches, with content delivered through a cloud-based learning management system using Vimeo video streaming.

The company monetizes across three tiers of price points: a low-cost recurring subscription for SMB owners, premium mid-market certifications (StoryBrand Guide at $10,000 and Coach Builder at $11,500, both sold via sales-assisted funnels and supported by Klarna financing), and live/standalone offerings such as the Small Business Flight School, the $995 How to Write a Book workshop, and the standalone StoryBrand Soundbite Strategy course. Related sub-brands include StoryBrand (messaging and certification), Coach Builder (coach training with Keap CRM templates), storybrand.ai (a generative AI messaging tool bundled with select courses), and ancillary digital products (Flight Plan playbook, SalesScript tool, Hero on a Mission planner).

The company is privately held, described on its own careers page as a 'small but wildly profitable' organization with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public ticker. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and global, relying on Donald Miller's personal brand from bestselling business books, a multi-platform social presence, and inclusion in the HubSpot podcast network for top-of-funnel demand; mid-funnel conversion is supported by the community and live coaching events, while enterprise-tier certifications rely on sales-assisted enrollment.

Name

Business Made Simple University

Legal name

Donald Miller Words, LLC

Website

https://businessmadesimple.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Business Made Simple University is a privately held online education and certification platform that teaches small business owners a proprietary six-step growth framework through a $275/year subscription, high-fee coach and marketing certifications, live workshops, and an AI messaging tool, operating globally under the Donald Miller Words, LLC entity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Business Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Online business courses
• Business coaching certification
• Small business education
• Marketing framework training
• Leadership training courses

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. BMS Annual Subscription: Annual subscription providing access to all on-demand courses, member-exclusive webinars, community forum, and Digital Flight Plan tools. Individual plan at $275/year or $275/seat/year for teams.
2. StoryBrand Guide Certification: One-time certification program ($10,000) for marketing professionals to become certified StoryBrand Guides. Includes 3-day training, growth groups, ongoing education, and community access. Payment plans available.
3. Coach Builder Certification: One-time certification program ($11,500) for business coaches. Includes training, membership, and additional certifications (Unreasonable Hospitality, Full Focus Planner). Payment plans available.
4. StoryBrand Soundbite Strategy Course: One-time purchase course for creating business soundbites with lifetime access. Includes workbook materials and free year of StoryBrand.ai.
5. Small Business Flight School: Intensive 6-month program designed to double revenue, with quarterly Q&A sessions with Donald Miller. Separate pricing from standard BMS subscription.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Business Made Simple University operates an annual subscription learning platform ($275/year) that delivers on-demand video courses teaching a proprietary six-step business growth framework ("Flight Plan") covering leadership/mission, marketing, sales, products, operations, and cash flow. The platform also offers premium certifications (StoryBrand Guide at $10,000, Coach Builder at $11,500), standalone courses, live workshops, and a community forum for small business owners and coaches.

Product overview

Business Made Simple University operates a multi-product education and certification ecosystem centered on Donald Miller's business growth methodology. The core offering is the Business Made Simple annual subscription platform ($275/year), which provides on-demand courses covering six business growth steps (leadership/mission, marketing/StoryBrand, sales, products, operations, cash flow). The ecosystem includes the Small Business Flight School premium program, professional certifications (StoryBrand Guide at $10,000 and Coach Builder at $11,500), standalone courses (StoryBrand Soundbite Strategy), live workshops (How to Write a Book), the Hero on a Mission digital planner, and supplementary tools (Flight Plan, SalesScript). Related brands include Coach Builder for coaching business scaling and storybrand.ai for AI-powered messaging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StoryBrand: A brand focused on clarifying business messages using a proven framework to help customers listen and buy.
• Coach Builder

Products and services

• Business Made Simple Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% monthly revenue growth reported by Reelarc Studios after implementing BMS frameworks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HubSpotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast hosting network for Business Made Simple and Marketing Made Simple podcasts. The podcasts are part of the HubSpot network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MasterClass: Subscription-based, premium creator-led video courses featuring renowned experts. Closely comparable business model to BMS ($275/yr annual subscription to branded expert content), though MasterClass spans many categories beyond business.
• Skillshare: Subscription-based online learning marketplace with creator-led courses across business, marketing, and creative categories. Comparable as a digital course subscription platform targeting individual learners and small business owners.
• Mindvalley: Creator-led online learning platform offering subscription and premium programs in personal growth, business, and transformation. Highly comparable to BMS in model (single charismatic founder brand, recurring + high-ticket products) and SMB/professional learner audience.

Others

• SCORE: U.S. Small Business Administration resource partner providing free mentoring, workshops, and courses to small business owners. Comparable target audience (U.S. SMBs seeking education) but offers services for free, funded by government partnerships.
• Kajabi: Platform enabling creators and coaches to build, market, and sell digital courses, memberships, and certifications. Comparable ecosystem (creator-led courses, paid certifications, community features) and partially overlapping customer base of coaches who could also be BMS competitors or distribution partners.

Emerging players

• Tony Robbins Business Mastery: High-ticket business and personal development events, coaching, and programs built around the Tony Robbins personal brand. Highly comparable to BMS in founder-led, high-touch, premium-priced business education targeting entrepreneurs.
• Ramit Sethi – I Will Teach You To Be Rich: Creator-led business and personal finance education platform with courses, books, and premium programs. Comparable founder-led brand model, recurring + premium offerings, and SMB/professional learner audience.

Broad incumbents

• HubSpot Academy: Free and paid certifications in marketing, sales, and customer service owned by HubSpot. Directly comparable curriculum overlap (marketing, sales, business growth) and shares distribution through the HubSpot podcast network that carries BMS podcasts.
• Coursera: Large-scale online learning platform offering courses, specializations, and certificates from universities and companies. Comparable as a digital learning subscription/certificate provider to professionals, though Coursera spans degree programs and broader categories.
• LinkedIn Learning: Subscription video learning library owned by Microsoft, focused on business, technology, and creative skills. Comparable to BMS in delivering business and marketing skill content to professionals, with broader portfolio reach and stronger enterprise distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BusMadeSimple
• Facebookfacebook.com/BusinessMadeSimplePro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zendesk
• Instagraminstagram.com/businessmadesimple

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business Made Simple University