When you’re starting out in web design, the first instinct is to chase big projects.
It’s easy to see why. A $1,500–$3,000 job lands, you get the buzz of a large invoice, you deliver the work, and the bank account looks healthy for a moment. The trouble is, you wake up the next month with nothing booked, so you’re straight back into the sales grind.
There’s another way to build a web design business. Instead of selling individual projects, you can create a system where you’re stacking small payments every month from dozens, then hundreds, of customers. That’s the idea behind Project Genesis. It runs more like a mobile phone contract. A fixed monthly fee, a minimum term, and a simple product that’s easy to deliver. Over time, this approach changes the shape of your income and, more importantly, the value of your business.
I’m going to walk through both approaches, compare them over ten years, and explain why one builds a far higher valuation even if the early numbers look smaller.
Two Models, Two Mindsets
Before we get into the numbers, let’s define the two models we’re comparing.
Project Genesis
- 5–10 page brochure websites
- Delivered in one day
- $30/month, minimum 24-month contract
- No admin access, no training
- Minimal maintenance
- Average retention: 3 years (36 months)
- Overhead: $1/month per site
- Starting capacity: 8 sites per month
- Capacity increases by 30% at year 3 and again at year 6
Workshops
- 5–15 page websites with full admin access
- Built on Squarespace, hosting paid by client
- $1,500 average project price
- Includes training for the client
- Higher maintenance needs
- Starting capacity: 4 sites per month
- Capacity increases by 20% at year 3 and again at year 6
Price Growth Over Time
Prices do not stay the same forever. Inflation and experience will push rates up. In this example, we’re applying an average annual price rise of 2.5% to both models. By year 10, Genesis is charging $37.50 per month per site. Workshops have risen to $1,875 per project.
The First Two Years
The first thing you’ll notice is that Workshops start with more income. Four builds at $1,500 each is $6,000 per month right away. Genesis starts at 8 sites a month at $30 each, so you’re adding $240 per month in recurring income.
At first glance, Genesis looks tiny in comparison. By the end of month three you’re on $720 per month. By month twelve it’s $2,880. By the end of the second year, assuming no churn before the 24-month mark, you’re at $5,760 per month.
Workshops still outpace that in raw cash flow, but Genesis has something important that Workshops do not. It starts every new month with booked recurring income. Workshops begin every month at zero.
Year 3: Early Compounding
At year 3, you’ve improved your processes. You know where the time goes, what slows you down, and how to avoid it. Genesis capacity rises by 30% to 11 sites per month. Workshops rise by 20% to 5 builds per month.
Here’s where we stand at the 3-year mark:
Genesis
- Monthly Income: $8,482.67
- Annual EBITDA: $79,601.37
- Valuation (3.5× EBITDA): $278,604.78
Workshops
- Monthly Income: $6,303.75
- Annual EBITDA: $47,656.35
- Valuation (2× EBITDA): $95,312.70
Even at this early stage, Genesis has already overtaken Workshops in monthly income. That’s the compounding effect showing itself.
Year 6: Mid-Career Scaling
By year 6, you’re experienced. The systems are slick, templates are faster, and your delivery is predictable. Genesis capacity rises again by 30% to 14 sites per month. Workshops rise another 20% to 6 builds per month.
Year 6 results:
Genesis
- Monthly Income: $19,085.33
- Annual EBITDA: $179,096.73
- Valuation (3.5× EBITDA): $626,838.57
Workshops
- Monthly Income: $8,485.56
- Annual EBITDA: $64,150.85
- Valuation (2× EBITDA): $128,301.69
The income gap is widening. Genesis is bringing in more than twice the monthly income of Workshops and has built a far higher valuation.
Year 10: Maturity
By the ten-year mark, Genesis has a huge customer base. Even with an 8% annual churn rate after the 24-month contract period, retention is strong enough to keep the base growing. Workshops continue to deliver good money for booked work, but they always start from zero.
Year 10 results:
Genesis
- Monthly Income: $38,277.50
- Annual EBITDA: $359,196.09
- Valuation (3.5× EBITDA): $1,257,186.32
Workshops
- Monthly Income: $9,366.47
- Annual EBITDA: $70,810.53
- Valuation (2× EBITDA): $141,621.06
At this point, the valuation difference is huge. Genesis is worth over $1.25M. Workshops is worth around $142K.
Why the Valuation Gap Exists
The difference in multiples — 3.5× for Genesis and 2× for Workshops — is not arbitrary. Buyers value predictable revenue more highly than project-based income.
- Recurring income is more valuable. Genesis has a contracted customer base. A buyer can take over and know that a big part of next year’s revenue is already guaranteed. Workshops do not have that.
- Larger customer base reduces risk. With hundreds of active customers, losing a few does not dent the numbers. In Workshops, losing a single large project can have an immediate impact.
- Easier to hand over. Genesis is process-driven. Workshops require higher-touch, custom delivery. That means they are more dependent on the original owner.
- Market appetite. Investors and banks love recurring revenue. It’s easier to finance, easier to scale, and more predictable.
- Owner dependency. Genesis can run with a sales team and delivery process. Workshops rely more heavily on the founder’s personal involvement.
What We’re Not Including
This model is intentionally simplified so we can focus on the cleanest comparison. It does not include:
- Returning customers (which would reduce sales overhead for both models)
- Customers acquired through free, time-heavy marketing such as YouTube or social media
- The influence of AI on build time or client expectations
All of these could change the balance in practice, but here we’re working with the base case.
Sales Overhead
Both models use an outsourced lead generation agency in this example. Genesis is at 8% of revenue, Workshops at 10%. The reason Genesis is lower is that it’s an easier sell — a smaller monthly commitment, faster delivery, and a much larger potential client pool. Workshops are higher-ticket sales that typically require more contact before closing.
Hourly Income Comparison
By year 10:
- Genesis: 64 build hours per month, around $312/hour
- Workshops: 96 build hours per month, around $112/hour
Genesis is more efficient because the income is stacked. You’re not rebuilding your earnings from scratch every month.
Wrap Up
If you need money fast, Workshops deliver larger sums early. If you want a business that grows steadily and becomes a valuable asset, Genesis wins over time.
A smart approach is to run both. Use Genesis to build your income foundation and Workshops to add seasonal or opportunistic bursts of revenue. That way, you get stability without losing the flexibility to take on more creative or high-paying work.
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