The PDF Empire Builder course by Ewan Davies teaches you how to create, market, and sell your PDFs. It offers a step-by-step system for creating PDFs, sales pages, and faceless TikTok ads. Using this, Ewan claims you can earn $3.5K weekly by providing valuable content to audiences.
Online reviews for The PDF Empire Builder are generally negative. Many positive testimonials on The PDF Empire Builder's site praise its effectiveness. It's outnumbered by the negative reviews from external sites like TrustPilot and YouTube. These comments claim poor customer support, had upsells, and provided no refunds.
I've been making money online since 2014 and have tried various niches like SMMA and Amazon FBA. I understand the difficulties of selling your own products online and what it takes to make it. In this post, I'll talk about Ewan Davies and his The PDF Empire Builder course. I'll also discuss its pros and cons, how it makes money, if it's worth it, and other ways of making money online.
The PDF Empire Builder Pros and Cons
Pros
Provides an easy way to create and sell your own PDF products.
Aims to market to and leverage TikTok’s traffic base.
Provides plug-and-play templates to speed up content and ad creation.
Leverages AI tools to simplify content creation and workflows.
Cons
The templates and sales pages provided can only load through InfoEngine.ai, a mandatory upsell at $47 monthly, but has a 14-day free trial. You’ll also need to pay $10-$15 yearly to host your sales pages on InfoEngine.ai.
The course’s methods rely on using Claude to create content. Overreliance on AI tools to create content and ads, resulting in generic output.
Many online reviews on platforms like YouTube and TrustPilot are negative. These question the course’s effectiveness and Ewan Davies’s legitimacy.
Many of the course methods involve using AI to generate PDFs and testimonials to show your expertise and knowledge on the subject. Another involves downloading niche-relevant TikToks and using tools to remove its metadata, so you can present it as your own. This may be unethical and misleading to customers.
Price
The PDF Empire Builder costs $247 or $97 for 3 months. It includes upsells of $47 monthly for InfoEngine.ai.
Training
Self-paced
Group
The PDF Empire Builder includes a private group.
Refund Policy
The PDF Empire Builder’s page lists a 30-day money back guarantee. Their ToS contradicts this as it lists a conditional refund policy. You need to file refunds within 30 days, provide proof of purchase, setup one sales page, and either do 40 PDF promotional posts or spend $50 on ads.
Origin
The PDF Empire Builder’s creation date is not listed online. However, InfoEngine.ai, which is one of the required upsells for the course was created in 2023.
Reputation
The PDF Builder, PDF Method, and InfoEngine.ai have poor reviews on TrustPilot and YouTube. Many claim it’s a scam that provides no customer support or refunds.
This website appears to be part of a larger scheme known as the PDF Empire Builder. After customers pay for the so-called PDF builder, they’re directed to a vague subscription-based tool that creates sales pages for a monthly fee.
The owner of app.infoengine.ai is unclear, but it’s likely the same individual behind the PDF Empire Builder, given that this tool is embedded in their site. It even claims to outperform established platforms like Shopify and WordPress, despite having no known track record. Such baseless claims only reinforce the suspicion surrounding this operation.
A recent investigation has revealed a consistent pattern of deceit associated with this online platform. Although it claims to offer extensive resources and support, it’s nothing more than a carefully orchestrated scam. The platform’s owner, who publicly vouches for these so-called “services,” tends to disappear once customers have paid, leaving them without the assistance they were promised.
The advertised money-back guarantee is completely bogus. Any attempt to secure a refund is met with silence, and customers quickly discover hidden fees and unexpected requirements linked to obscure websites after they’ve subscribed.
Approach this platform with extreme caution. The owner frequently manipulates pricing to attract more victims. One day, the cost might be listed at $997, then suddenly “discounted” to $247, and eventually dropped to a mere $27—all under the pretense of a limited-time offer. These tactics are clearly designed to exploit unsuspecting users.
There’s a complete lack of transparency regarding the owner or the organization behind this website. No company details or profile are provided, which raises serious questions about its credibility. Without any verifiable information or assurances, it’s difficult to trust this site. Do you feel safe using it? Given the absence of any evidence to support its legitimacy, I certainly have my doubts.
How The PDF Empire Builder Help You Generate $3.5k Per Week?
The PDF Empire Builder gives you the tools to sell your own digital products. You'll get Ewan's Viral Video Formula, which teaches you how to make your own TikTok videos. This aims to convince viewers to buy your PDFs that solve their specific problem.
The course aims to leverage TikTok's huge user base and propensity to buy products. eMarketer estimates TikTok to have 1.04B monthly active users globally. They add that 71.2% of TikTok users globally buy something after seeing it on the platform. Business Wire says 78% of small businesses cite TikTok ads drive profits within 6 months.
The program teaches organic TikTok strategies. You can start without spending money on ads. As you grow, you can reinvest profits to scale faster. You will receive step-by-step guidance on finding untapped niches and setting up campaigns on InfoEngine.ai. The goal is to help you reach $3.5K in weekly sales.
What Can You Get from The PDF Empire Builder?
The PDF Empire Builder includes the following:
Who Is The PDF Empire Builder For?
The PDF Empire Builder is for beginners who want to start an online business but don't know where to start. It's great for people with actual expertise in the niches they want to sell PDFs in. If you're shy and don't want to show your face, their faceless TikTok marketing methods can be helpful.
Are you short on time? This course gives you ready-made PDFs to sell, so you don't need to create products from scratch. It also shows you how to set up your business step-by-step so you can manage it from home.
What Does YouTube Say About The PDF Empire Builder?
eBiz Facts' Niall Doherty says The PDF Empire Builder's theory is solid. However, Niall questions several methods taught in the course. Niall says Ewan's TikTok marketing ideas are well-explained and showed results from students. The course teaches you to use AI to create PDFs, fake expert profiles, and testimonials. This raises ethical concerns and can mislead buyers who are looking for help.
This sales template from the course sells an ADHD e-book. It suggests posing as Marko Juhant, a renowned Slovenian behavioral therapist. While this can lead to sales, it raises ethical concerns and can be harmful to customers.
Niall thinks that PDF Empire Builder can help you make good money if you follow the training. He warns that the program uses some questionable methods that might hurt your business in the long run.
What Does Trustpilot Say About The PDF Empire Builder?
Most of the Trustpilot reviews for The PDF Empire Builder are negative. I looked into the reviews of The PDF Method, The Empire Builder, and InfoEngine.ai, as these upsells interconnect.
For example, this commenter says Ewan overpromises, and customer support is non-existent. They add that the course has hidden fees and uses price-anchoring tactics to lure people in. The course costs from $997 to $247.
This commenter says InfoEngine double-charged their credit card in October and that they cannot get any support. Despite canceling their account on their website, they got charged again for November. They contacted PDF Method, as they recommend students use InfoEngine.ai, but they deny any connections.
Another commenter says The PDF Method did not mention subscribing to InfoEngine was crucial in making it work. The app costs $47 monthly, and in October, they asked for a refund but did not get any answers.
Are The Clients of The PDF Empire Builder Getting Results?
Yes, many of the student testimonials featured on The PDF Empire Builder show results. For example, this commenter says he made $235 in sales in 40 hours using $88 in ads.
Another commenter says they made $284 in sales on the first day of their content being live.
Some commenters within the course's group question Ewan's methods. For example, this commenter says they're getting flagged for using the faceless TikTok strategy.
Another commenter feels uneasy about using fake and AI-made content to persuade buyers.
Is The PDF Empire Builder Worth It?
The PDF Empire Builder is worth it if you have expertise in the niches you want to sell PDFs in and have no idea how to do it. The methods taught in the course can help you market your products using TikTok. Additionally, their sales page templates and hosting on InfoEngine.ai help reduce overhead.
The PDF Empire Builder's legitimacy is questionable due to ethical concerns and reviews. One method in the course teaches you how to get 1K TikTok followers in 30 days. To do this, Ewan teaches you to download and remove metadata from other TikTok videos. Even if this method works, it is plagiarism and can harm your credibility down the line.
Your decision should depend on your goals, budget, and current skill level. If you're new to digital product sales, it could provide a useful starting point.
Who Is Ewan Davies?
Ewan Davies is the creator of The PDF Empire Builder course. Davies comes from Manchester, UK. He worked at Greggs Bakery, making £6.20 per hour, and felt trapped in an unfulfilling job. In 2016, Ewan tried other ways to make money online, like dropshipping on his site, UK Swegways. He then got a letter from Segways to close that store, forcing him to refund £16K to customers.
He came across a Forbes article on the booming e-learning market, which inspired him to sell PDFs online. His first PDF is about teaching women how to be successful, and it sold £5K in 90 days, reaching £105K in 2024.
Ewan still markets his courses on Instagram and is the director of Velo Labs, a web3 finance service. His exact net worth is not known, but in 2023, Velo Labs raised $10M in funding from DWF Labs. According to his LinkedIn, in 2023 he created InfoEngine.ai and AI eBook Revolution.
Ewan Davies Claim
Ewan Davies claims his course can help you tap into the $17.2B PDF market and use TikTok to help close sales. Using his methods, you can earn $3.5K weekly, even if you dedicate 20 minutes daily.
Ewan Davies’s Claim Debunked
Ewan's claims of making $3.5K weekly with as little as 20 minutes daily are hard to achieve. Let's run some numbers. If you make $3.5K weekly, you'd make $168K annually. The Authors Guild's 2022 survey says 25% of full-time authors make $0-$1K, 43.8% make $20K+, and only 28% make 6 figures and above. They add that the median income for full-time self-published authors is $10.2K yearly. This means that reaching a $168K yearly income with 20 minutes daily is close to impossible. You'd also have to reach the top 28% of authors and treat it as a full-time job.
Can You Use AI To Generate Passive Income with PDF Business?
Yes, you can use AI to generate passive income with a PDF business. AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can speed up the content creation process. However, AI-generated content can be ineffective in the long term, leading to low sales.
You should improve the quality of your PDF by creating content in your area of expertise. Additionally, hiring writers and editors can help you sharpen the content's quality. This leads to better content that connects with audiences, sells more, and shows your expertise.
Is a PDF Business the Best Way to Make Money Online Without Showing Your Face?
A PDF business can be a great way to make money online without showing your face. However, your content needs to be in the top 28% of full-time self-published authors to make 6 figures. For reference, The Authors Guild's 2022 survey found that the bottom 50% of full-time authors make $1.3K. If you rely on AI to create your content without any regard for quality, you will find it hard to make passive income.
Conclusion: Why Local Lead Generation Is Faster Way Than PDF Business?
Local lead gen is a faster way to generate passive income than a PDF business because it generates constant traffic and sales for clients. Venngage says writing an e-book can take several days or weeks. This depends on the topic's difficulty, design process, and editing. In contrast, creating local lead gen sites is faster and can generate income faster. For example, in 2015, I created this tree service site in 15 hours, generating $2K monthly up to now.
Local lead gen is less competitive compared to a PDF business. You'll only target specific niches and locations with 75K and 250K populations. To generate $2K monthly in PDFs, you'd need to invest more hours in writing and marketing your product.
Local lead gen requires less maintenance and is more scalable. Once your site ranks on Google and generates traffic, you can sell those leads ($5 to $500 per lead) or rent out your site to clients ($500 to $2K monthly). This also means you can make more sites in other niches and locations to generate more income.
I personally have over 50+ local lead gen sites in various niches like limo rentals and tree care. Together, these make over $52K monthly in passive income. If you're looking for a business model that generates income with less effort, try local lead gen today.
