In 2005, Robert Allen launched a movement with the publication of his book, "Multiple Streams of Income." In it, he laid out the principle that to rely on only one stream of revenue - e.g., a paycheck - was incredibly risky. If that stream dried up, your entire life could be thrown out of kilter.

This principle applies to business as well. Yes, there's incredible power provided by focusing on that one thing you do that creates the most massive value for your customers. But learning how to slice and dice the ways you provide that value - and the ways in which customers compensate you in return - is incredibly important to overcoming the many risks your business faces.

One income stream often overlooked is some kind of continuity program - i.e., an agreement between consumer and merchant, so that the merchant automatically dings the consumer's credit card each month (or whatever), and fulfills goods or services.

You'll find continuity models in businesses most people wouldn't expect to find it in. I've seen it used in auto repair shops, dental offices, accounting offices and many more.

A good example of adding continuity is BabbaCo, a company which sells products related to babies and young children like play mats and burping cloths, via an e-commerce site. From that a continuity program was born, BabbaBox. They send a monthly package of kid friendly activities and story books for parents to use with their children.

The program includes an "online community" where customers share parenting tips and post photos of their kids at the company's Facebook site. Now BabbaBox isn't huge, but it does have thousands of subscribers at $29.95 a month and they're growing.
Imagine:

2,000 subscribers at $29.95 = $59,900 PER MONTH!
3,000 subscribers at $29.95 = $89,850 PER MONTH!
4,000 subscribers at $29.95 = $119,800 PER MONTH!

Would those kinds of numbers help your business?