I suggest for anyone doing consulting or building an app that they build into the price a monthly maintenance fee as a residual. We have an app that was written for us about 6 years ago (+-$65000) and we pay $6000 per year just to have the developer make minor changes and answer emails quickly. Very little work on his part but it gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling. (He originally asked for $1000/month). We'll probably negotiate this down when we get around to it.
"hundreds of small checks over the next six years, even though the small checks"
Hundreds of small checks are also "forced savings". You can't spend them before you receive them. You tend to keep your finances inline this way.
I do this on many non-coding consulting gigs - and I know other folk do too. More because walking in then walking away means that clients often don't get the full benefit (since they fall back into old habits or have questions) so they need some ongoing support. Unless you get successful improvements you don't get the referrals - so it's not just about getting extra money on an ongoing basis ;-)
So, for example, an engagement might look like
* 5 days onsite
* four weeks of being available one day a week remotely/onsite during set hours
* N weeks of some number of remote hours / onsite visits depending on client/location.
AR is something that will provide residuals that will continue for quite some time. During that time you will have to improve the product (at your leisure) and basically keep the infrastructure running. In return you will collect $29 to $199 per month, every month. No need to resell those that are already paying you money. You just have to keep them happy. Although I have some issues with the price points you have chosen (I know you have probably blogged about this and know much about it I would have taken a different strategy) leaving that aside for now I see the other things you are doing as simply distractions (as you realized) from spending time on the thing that will pay off long term.
I had an opportunity, way way back, to get in on the ground floor of the PC business but didn't have the capital. Instead of getting others involved I started another business to earn money which I sold profitably after 10 years but it was no way as successful as fulfilling the thing that I started out would have been. It was just a distraction. You stand the chance at getting sucked into the "success" of the consulting and the courses because they are making you money. And what will happen is that instead of creating things with residuals (like AR) you will constantly have to work to keep that up with new ideas and materials. Rather than just being able to have a residual business, which, from my opinion and experience, is much better. My advice is therefore to bite the bullet and take money from others that will allow you to grow the SAAS (and then create other SAAS).
My quick idea would be to setup a network of college students to sell the white label version walking literally door to door in office parks signing up professionals (doctors dentists) to use this product by giving them 3 months for free or something like that.