Is Business By Design Worth It in 2026? My Honest Answer After £20,000 of Mistakes

By Dr Tracy Thorns | Clinical Psychologist | Digital Creator | Host of The BBD VIP Launch Studio

Partner disclosure: I am a proud affiliate for Business By Design. If you join through my link and free bonuses, I may earn a commission. As a registered, certified and ethical clinician I only review or recommend programmes I have personally experienced & genuinely believe in.

The Short Answer

Yes. Unequivocally.

But you deserve more than a one-word answer. So here is the honest, considered version - from someone who spent £20,000 on other programmes before finding this one.

Why I Am Qualified to Answer This Question

I am a Clinical Psychologist. I have been building an online business since 2020. I have invested in more courses, programmes and coaches than I care to admit - and for a long time, I had very little to show for it.

By the time I found James Wedmore in 2022, I was frustrated, financially stretched and seriously questioning whether online business was actually possible for someone like me.

I now run a six-figure digital business alongside one clinical day per week.

I did that using what BBD taught me.

So when say Business By Design is worth it – I’m saying it because I have lived and breathed it  💜

What "Worth It" Actually Means

Before I answer, it is worth being clear about what we’re talking about. As a Clinical Psychologist I like the detail!

"Worth it" does not mean "cheap." At $2,997, BBD is a significant investment for most of us.

"Worth it" also does not mean "easy." BBD requires real work, real implementation and real commitment.

"Worth it" means: does the investment - in money, time and energy - return more than it costs?

For me, the answer is yes by a very wide margin.

Here is how I think about it:

The cost of NOT having a system: Before BBD I spent £20,000 and years of my life on programmes that gave me information without implementation. The cost of that - in money, time, stress and lost opportunity - was enormous.

The cost of BBD: $2,997 - once. With lifetime access and annual updates. And payment plans if that suits.

What I got: A six-figure business. One clinical day per week. A community of over 800 professionals I have been able to support. A way of working that fits around my life as a parent of three young children rather than consuming it.

What James Wedmore Actually Teaches

This is the question that comes up constantly - "what does James Wedmore actually teach?" – I know that was my question before I joined, especially as I had been burned by other investments that taught me the what but not the HOW.

James teaches you how to build and run a digital business like a CEO rather than a solopreneur.

Specifically, BBD covers:

How to think about your business - the three phases of growth, where you are now, what to focus on at each stage, and how to stop doing everything and start doing only the 5% of activities that actually drive results.

How to create an offer people want to buy - not just "make a course" but how to design an offer around a specific transformation, nail the promise, price it properly and present it compellingly.

How to sell without feeling sleazy - this was the one that changed everything for me. BBD reframes selling as an act of service rather than manipulation. For helping professionals who carry complicated feelings about selling - this is genuinely transformative.

How to launch – 16+ complete step-by-step Launch Execution Guides covering every type of launch from webinars to challenges to membership launches to coaching packages. Every step laid out. Every template provided.

How to build a team - who to hire, when, how to write the job ad, how to interview. I followed James's exact process and had 200 applicants for my first VA role. I found someone who has been instrumental in growing my business to six figures.

How to scale - post-launch analysis, what to do when a launch doesn't go as planned, automation, and how to grow your results without growing your hours.

And woven throughout all of it - the mindset work. Because as a Clinical Psychologist who thought she had her own mindset nailed, I was genuinely surprised by how much my beliefs about money, selling and success were holding me back! (humble pie anyone!)

Is BBD Still Worth It in 2026?

Some people ask whether BBD is still relevant - whether James's methods are outdated in an AI-driven world.

The answer is that BBD has evolved with the times. New for 2026, James has added BBD-trained AI tools to the programme - think of it as having James in your pocket 24 hours a day. The fundamentals of great offers, great messaging and great launches have not changed - but the tools available to implement them have, and BBD reflects that.

The other thing worth noting is that BBD is not a static purchase. You get lifetime access and James updates the programme every year. It is an evolving ecosystem, not a course that sits on a digital shelf gathering dust. He loves adding new gifts and updates and waiting for you to find them!

When BBD Is NOT Worth It

In the interests of genuine honesty - because that is what a Clinical Psychologist who takes professional ethics seriously actually does - here is when I would say BBD is not worth it:

If you are not clear on whether you want an online business. BBD will show you how to package and launch your expertise online. It cannot give you the expertise itself. If you are still figuring out what ‘floats your boat’ as my granny would say, spend time on that first.

If you are looking for fast money. BBD is for building a real, sustainable business. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It is not bro-marketing rubbish promising you will sell twenty PDFs a day from a beach. It is a serious programme for serious people who want to build something that lasts.

If you are not ready to implement. The most beautifully designed system in the world is worthless if you do not use it. BBD requires action, however slow that is.. just keep moving towards your vision alongside others who want the same. If you are in a season of your life where you genuinely cannot commit to that - wait until you can.

If you want someone to do it all for you. BBD is comprehensive but it is not done-for-you. You will need to show up, do the work, and implement.

The Question I Get Asked Most

"Is it worth it for someone like me - a therapist / psychologist / coach / helping professional?"

Yes. Possibly more than for anyone else.

Here is why.

Most of us entered our professions because we wanted to help people. Not because we wanted to become marketers or entrepreneurs. Which means we often carry beliefs that hold us back - that selling is uncomfortable, that charging well sometimes feel ‘wrong’, that building a business is somehow at odds with our professional values.

BBD addresses all of this. The ethics are built in. The approach to selling is grounded in genuine service. The mindset work is more thorough than anything I encountered in my own clinical training when it comes to beliefs about money and business.

And the practical systems - the launch guides, the offer frameworks, the messaging tools - are just as applicable to a therapist launching a group programme as they are to a business coach launching an online course.

I have supported over 800 coaches, therapists, psychologists and helping professionals who want to build a digital product to support or replace their 1 to 1 work. The ones who do the work get results. Consistently.

What About the Cost?

$2,997 is a meaningful investment. I’ll not pretend otherwise.

Here is how I would encourage you to think about it:

One client. One course sale. One discovery call that converts. In most helping professional businesses, a single client relationship covers the cost of BBD within a few months.

The question is not whether you can afford BBD. The question is whether you can afford to keep trying to build your business without it.

I spent £20,000 finding that out the hard way. I am telling you this so you do not have to.

My Honest Verdict

Business By Design is the only business programme I return to every time I am making a change in my business. It is the only portal I open when I am planning a new launch, designing a new offer, or figuring out my next step.

That is not something I say about any other programme I have invested in.

Is it worth it in 2026?

Yes. For the right person - someone with expertise to share, people to help, and the commitment to do the work - it is absolutely worth it- I believe it is a decision you will look back on as a turning point in your business and life. 

👉 Read my full detailed BBD review: drthorns.com/blog/business-by-design-review-2026

👉 See my full BBD 2026 bonus package: drthorns.com/bbd (Bonuses revealed 19th June 2026 - cart closes Thursday 25th June 2026)

About Dr Tracy Thorns

Dr Tracy Thorns is a Clinical Psychologist, digital course creator and host of The BBD VIP Launch Studio. She runs a six-figure digital business alongside one clinical day per week, and has spent six years supporting coaches, psychologists, therapists, counsellors and helping professionals to build online businesses around their expertise.