Digital products & licensing / Remote
Spreadsheet templates
Sell an original reusable worksheet for a specific operational task with documented assumptions.
What to price before starting
Price development tools, test environments, distribution and support provision.
Use your own written quotes, including recurring costs and the cash you could lose. Owning equipment does not establish customer demand.
Skills you must be able to demonstrate
Spreadsheet design, edge-case testing and clear instructions.
Before the first payment
Complete a usable product, establish license terms and find an actual buyer.
Keep the deliverable, exclusions, approvals and payment responsibility in writing. Do not treat a lead, an invoice or a promised reimbursement as money received.
Where this can go wrong
Compatibility faults, hidden formula errors and support demands can exceed expectations.
Requirements and refusal boundaries
Use original or licensed components and avoid regulated advice or claims of universal suitability.
Confirm the exact activity with the relevant authority and insurer. The references below explain general issues; they do not approve this individual service in your jurisdiction.
A lower-risk validation step
Test a fictional-use template in the versions you intend to support.
Set a stop condition before spending: what evidence would make you decline, change scope or stop? A practice sample should never expose another person's confidential material.
Primary checks
- SBA: licenses and permits
Activity and location determine permits; contact the issuing authority.
- IRS: self-employed tax center
US self-employment tax, return and recordkeeping guidance; no tax calculation is supplied here.
- US Copyright Office: copyright basics
Original works and ownership rights. Access to a file is not a license to sell it.
References reviewed for this publication in November 2026. Rules can change. This entry contains no earnings estimate and makes no assurance of demand.