business plan for online education

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8 steps to building an online course business (+ business plan template), share this article.

There has never been a better time to build a business selling online courses . By 2027, the global e-learning market is estimated to reach an enormous $521.8 billion ( Research and Markets ), signalling an enormous potential.  Millions of people are purchasing online courses, inside and outside of the traditional education system, in order to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

Skip ahead:

Step 1: Decide what to teach

Step 2: create a business plan for your online training business, step 3: validate market demand, step 4: create a compelling and unique brand, step 5: build your audience, step 6: create an online course, step 7: focus on customer success, step 8: scale your business.

It comes as no surprise that in response to this demand, entrepreneurs and subject matter experts from all over the world have started creating and selling online courses to share their knowledge with others.

At Thinkific, we’ve felt the effects of this demand first hand as thousands of individuals and organizations have started using our platform to create online courses .

Creating an online course is just one part of building an online course business. Building a business is the other part.

But let’s be real here. If you ask ANY type of business owner if it was easy for them to build their business, they will tell you that it wasn’t.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is an online course business

At the beginning of 2017, I watched a close friend of mine open his own barbershop. It took him 3 months of renovations and tens of thousands of dollars just to get his barbershop ready for him to welcome his first customer through the front door. (I was his second customer, by the way. Someone else beat me to the grand opening by about 5 minutes!)

For my friend, those 3 months of preparation work was just the beginning. During the next 6 months after his grand opening, he worked 7 days per week to build up his clientele and recoup his startup costs before he started hiring more barbers. Why did he do this? Because that’s what it took to start his own barbershop. 

What does this have to do with building an online course business?

The point of this story is that it takes a lot of work upfront to build a business . It doesn’t happen overnight and building an online course business is no exception. There is a lot of work you will have to do, both before and after you create your course, in order to be successful.

Unfortunately, most course creators give up on their business before putting in the work required to ensure they will be successful. They stop digging for gold before they experience the big payoff that makes all the hard work worth it.

Even though it takes a lot of work to build a successful online course business, there are plenty of other people that have done it before (check out our customer stories to see some examples). 

With that in mind, we reached out to more than 40 successful entrepreneurs and online course creators. These people have literally built their careers by sharing their knowledge with others, many of them selling millions of dollars worth of training programs and online courses throughout their careers.

After reviewing all of the valuable insights these online course creation experts and entrepreneurs shared with us, we managed to distill the process of building a successful online course business into 8 specific steps (well, more like phases, since each one of these phases has several steps involved).

In this guide to building an online course business, we’ll be sharing these 8 steps with you.

8 Steps to Building a Successful Online Course Business

Before we jump into Step 1, there is something very important that you need to understand:

By itself, an online course is NOT a business

Without an online course to sell, you can’t exactly build an online course business. But creating your online course is just one part of building your business . Your online course is your product. It’s not your entire business.

As you can see from the graphic below, a typical online course business has many other parts as well:

This may surprise you, but creating an online course isn’t even the first step in the process of building an online course business. Out of the 8 steps we’re about to go through, creating a course is Step #6.

You’re welcome to skip steps 1-5 if you want to, but I would advise against it and here’s why:

If you jump straight to creating a course without strategically choosing a topic to teach (Step 1), creating a business model (Step 2), and validating demand for that topic (Step 3), you could end up creating a course that no one wants to sign up for.

Secondly, if you don’t build your brand (Step 4) and audience (Step 5) before you launch your course, you won’t have a way to stand out among your competition or have an audience to promote your course to.

Even if you have the “perfect” course created today, without a compelling brand and an audience to promote it to, it will be very difficult to generate sales. No sales = no business.

So to save yourself many hours of effort and (potentially) thousands of dollars in course creation and marketing costs, don’t skip these steps.

Okay, let’s dive in…

The first step in building an online course business is deciding what you will teach. What topic do you want to become known for? What topic are you expert enough to teach to others?

To be an expert at something, you just have to know more about your topic than the person you are teaching. That’s it. To that person, you’re an expert. Don’t overthink this.

Choose your course topic

Between the combination of your life experience and your professional experience, there are likely several topics that you know enough about to create a course on.

To help narrow down a specific course topic , we recommend completing the following exercise:

On a piece of paper, draw 2 vertical lines to create 3 columns. Label the first column Passions & Interests . Label the second column Skills . Label the third column Experience & Achievements .

Next, start adding as many things as you can think of to each column (aim for at least 20 per column).

Once you’ve done this, identify the top 2-3 topics where your passions/interests, your skills, and your experience/achievements intersect.

For example, if you like science fiction ( passion/interest ), you’re a great writer ( skill ), and you’ve written several science fiction novels ( experience/achievement ), then “how to write a science fiction novel” is a viable topic to consider teaching to others.

“You’ve been given a talent, you’ve been given a gift, you’ve been given experiences in your life that are here to serve others.” – Alexi Panos

Identify a specific target audience

Once you’ve identified a specific topic to teach, the next step is to identify a specific target audience (aka a target market) that is interested in that topic.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your topic (and therefore your course) will appeal to everyone. If you try to create a course that appeals to everyone, it will likely appeal to no one. I know it’s counter-intuitive, but trust me on this.

To give you an example, one of our customers ( Lizzie Lasater ) is a yoga practitioner and instructor. When she decided to create online courses , naturally, she decided to start teaching yoga online  

Instead of creating courses to teach people how to practice yoga (a very broad and highly competitive topic) she decided to narrow her target audience to other yoga instructors (more specific). With other yoga instructors as her target audience, she created courses that are specifically about how to become a better yoga teacher.

Once you have decided on what to teach and have sufficient clarity about your course topic, it is time to get your business plan ready. 

A business plan or business model is a formal blueprint describing how you will structure, manage and market your online course business. It is important to create one as it helps to ensure that your online course business will remain competitive and financially successful in the long term. 

You can choose one of the many software tools to create a standard business plan or use a regular spreadsheet or word processing software.

Now, as every business is different, their business models can vary drastically. However, certain aspects remain common to most companies. 

Here, we have laid out what you must include in your business plan:

Describe your business

A business description is needed to clearly state the purpose of your business, your target audience, and how you plan to deliver your products and services. 

When drafting it, you must be as objective and concise as possible regarding the nature of your online course and how it intends to help the target audience. 

Make sure to highlight if you will deliver your courses only online or offline. It also helps to state if your courses will be instructor-led or delivered through other e-learning methods. 

Identify your marketing strategy

Once you describe the nature of your business, the next step is to put together a marketing and sales strategy. 

Describe the strategies you will use to market your online course and how you plan to implement your email marketing, social media marketing, and other organic methods. 

In addition, you need to plan to allocate a budget for your paid advertisements and online marketing if you decide to opt for pay-per-click ad programs. 

Hiring and team management

While many online course creators choose to run their own shows, many opt to hire virtual assistants or full-time employees for help. Others choose to delegate tasks to freelancers or third-party vendors. 

Make sure to describe how you plan to delegate the tasks you cannot do. It is always a good idea to outsource tasks that do not require your intervention to save time for those that require your expertise.

Business operations

This section of the b-plan states how your day-to-day business activities will be structured and managed. 

You can include your course content, operational hours, telecom and IT-related necessities, insurance, etc. The more concise your operations section, the better ground it makes for you to validate your plan later. 

Every business requires money to run, and online businesses are no exception. In addition to the marketing and advertising expenses mentioned above, you will also need to factor in infrastructure, technology, hiring, etc. Remember to also describe what you plan to sell and how you plan to monetize your business. 

With this, make sure to have a detailed budget plan and allocate your resources to different expenses fairly. However, be careful to ensure that your budget is within what you can commit to and it does not make you feel overstretched. 

Please note that in addition to your online business course, you may also add other income streams such as selling ebooks, offering paid talks, etc. 

Two financial calculations you should consider initially are:

Gross Profit Margin: This is the number of courses you sell minus the cost of running your online course. It can be represented as a percentage. 

Gross Profit Margin = (Net course sale revenues – cost of running your online course) / net course sales x 100

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Ratio : This figure tells you the percentage of your online course sales revenue used to cover your operational expenses. 

SGA = [Selling + General + Operational (Administrative) expenses] / Net online course sales revenue

While we have described the essential aspects of a business plan, it also helps to follow the structure of a formal Business Model Canvas .  This concept was popularized by Alexander Osterwalder in 2005 and consisted of nine building blocks. These include key partners, activities, resources, cost structure, revenue streams, value propositions, customer relationships, channels, and customer segments.

Once you’ve identified a specific topic to teach and have your basic business plan blueprint in place, the next step is to validate the demand for that topic.

As a course creator it sucks to spend several weeks, maybe even months (or years?!), creating an online course about a topic that you find out there is no demand for.

It’s a lot more efficient to validate demand for your course upfront before you invest time, effort and money creating a course.

Here are 2 ways you can validate the demand for your course topic:

Research your competition

See if you can find other people or companies that are selling courses and other forms of training about your topic (or a similar one), or who serve your target audience.

• Bestselling books on Amazon
• Other online courses
• Popular blogs and forums
• Top podcasts on iTunes
• In-person seminars, conferences, workshops
• Online events (virtual summits, webinars )
• Networking groups on Meetup
• Coaches and consultants

If you can’t find anyone that is profitably teaching your topic to others, that is a red flag that there isn’t enough market demand for that topic to justify creating an online course (or building a business). Competition is usually a proof of market demand.

What if there is no competition?!

On the rare occasion that you can’t find any competing products or services about your topic, that could mean one of two things:

• There is demand, but no one is serving that market yet (rare), or
• There is no demand, and you should pick a different topic

Either way, there are still two more steps you should take before you pull the trigger and decide to create (or not create) your course.

A great way to gauge demand for your topic is to use Google’s Keyword Planner to see how many people are searching for your topic per month. The higher the search volume, the higher the demand.

“Do not be afraid of competition. Their very existence validates that there is demand for the problem you’re trying to solve or for a solution to it.” – Greg Smith, CEO of Thinkific

Ask your target audience what they want to learn

If you have access to your target audience, whether online or offline, the best way to find out what they want to learn (and would be willing to pay to learn) is to ask them directly!

Here are a few ways you can ask your audience what they want to learn:

• Ask your list of email subscribers
• Ask your fans/followers on social media
• Ask your past and/or existing clients

With each of these options, you can send people a link to a survey, ask them open-ended questions directly, or ask them to have a quick call with you.

Another way is direct outreach (aka cold calling) to your target audience by phone, email or social media. Do this in a polite, non-spammy way of course.

See how many people are searching for your course idea on google

Engaging in keyword research is a great way to identify a course topic that can possibly sell like hotcakes, without directly asking your audience., keyword research essentially helps you to understand what people are looking for online by keying in terms on google or other search engines. , to conduct keyword research on topics that may interest your audience, you can use specialised tools such as semrush or ahrefs . , irrespective of the tool you choose to use, here is the basic framework to engage in keyword research:, identify your seed term, which would be an umbrella term for your course topic. , type in “course” + your seed term., get specific and find a niche area that has not been covered by other course creators but has a high search volume. check out this tool to identify search volume, continue to search and eliminate topics that are not feasible or interesting. , for example, if you wish to start an online course on gardening, type “gardening course” in the keyword search tool. you will see multiple results with different search volumes. these results will help you get more specific. for example, you may find that “gardening courses in semi-arid regions” is a possible course topic with a decent search volume. , alternatively, you can also use our search volume too l to discover popular course topic ideas. .

Remember: If you can’t find anyone that wants to learn the topic that you’re thinking of teaching, you should probably move on to another topic.

If you can’t find buyers before you create your course, you probably won’t find any after either!

The ideal scenario is you choose a topic that there is obviously a demand for (proven by competing products and services about that topic), but nothing that is for your specific target audience.

Facebook marketing , for example, is a broad topic with strong market demand (proven by all of the blogs, books, courses, consultants, seminars, etc. about this topic).

Now, assuming we want to create a course about Facebook marketing, let’s see what topics we come up with as we hone in on a specific target audience:

• Topic 1: Facebook marketing 101 (very broad)
• Topic 2: Facebook marketing for business owners (more specific, still pretty broad)
• Topic 3: Facebook marketing for local businesses (not bad)
• Topic 4: Facebook marketing for real estate agents (very specific)
• Topic 5: Facebook marketing strategies to get more listings (ding ding ding, we have a winner!)

If you are a real estate agent and you want to learn how to use Facebook to get more listings, which course topic is going to appeal to you the most? Which topic would you pay the most money for? Probably #5, because it is the most specific. It is exactly what you want to learn.

“The easiest way to know what to do is listen to what people are asking for and then give that to them.” – JJ Virgin , Celebrity Nutritionist & Fitness Expert

Once you’ve decided on a specific topic to teach, it’s time to start building your brand.

Don’t jump straight to getting your logo, website, and business cards designed. Those things do play a role in representing your brand, but they are not the starting point.

The starting point to creating a compelling and unique brand is making a conscious decision about how you want to be positioned in your industry. Branding is about positioning .

Your brand should position you as the go-to expert on your topic. Unless you’re positioned as an expert and a trusted authority on your topic, it will be hard to convince someone to buy a course (or any product or service) from you.

Even though we’re told not to, we do judge a book by its cover. Think of your brand as the “book cover” for your business.

Be strategic with your positioning

The biggest mistake that people (and organizations) make with their branding is trying to appeal to everyone. Don’t do that. Be strategic with your positioning.

Build a brand that appeals to your specific target audience. Don’t try to appeal to everyone, because everyone is not your ideal customer/client.

Here are some questions to consider as you create your brand:

How do you want to be positioned and perceived in your marketplace? What do you want people to think of when they think of you? Who do you want to attract? Who do you NOT want to attract? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? Why do you do what you do?

When your target audience is searching for information about your topic, you want them to find you and immediately feel like they’ve come to the right place. They should feel like they’ve found the exact person (or company) that can help them overcome a specific problem or achieve a specific outcome.

“A great brand starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for, understanding your marketplace and understanding your positioning.” – Re Perez, CEO of Branding For The People

Identify your Unique Value Proposition

An exercise that we recommend all course creators complete is creating a Unique Value Proposition (UVP). Your UVP is what will help you differentiate yourself from your competition.

To create your UVP, answer these questions:

• Who do you help?
• What do you help them do?
• Why is that beneficial for them?

Once you have the answers to these questions, tie them together in a single sentence.

To give you an example, one of our customers Ellie Diop aka Ellie Talks Money , is a business coach with a proven track record that helps you scale your business and have financial success. Pretty good UVP right?

Here is a screenshot of her website’s homepage:

As you can see, anyone who visits her website will be able to instantly figure out who she is, what she does, and who her target audience is. She has a clear and compelling personal brand . If you’re someone who wants to improve your business and reach financial success, it’s obvious you’ve come to the right place. 

Good branding makes your target audience feel like they’ve come to the right place.

Once you’ve decided how you want to be positioned in your market, it’s time to start building your audience.

Your audience is the sum total of all the people that you have the ability to communicate with through various distribution channels (your blog, social media, email list , personal network, etc.).

Why is it important to build an audience?

Without an audience that knows, likes, and trusts you, it will be very difficult to sell your course for the simple reason that you don’t have anyone to sell it to!

So the sooner you start building your audience, the better.

“Online courses are the wave of the future. They can help expand my content and message into places and countries that I have yet to physically visit. Online courses have boosted my income and helped me share my message with a much larger audience.” – Andrea Beaman , Health Educator & Author

Related: How to Create Epic Content Your Customers Will Love

How to define your target audience

It helps if you follow a systematic framework to define your target audience . Some useful steps to that end include: 

• Ask your current customers
• Get details on demographics like age, gender, location, etc.
•  Understand their needs and pain points
• Analyze the solution they’re hoping for
• Create a customer avatar

Download our detailed step-by-step guide for audience research

Size is important (but not the most important)

The size of your audience is important, but not as important as you might think. The obvious benefit of having a large audience is the ability to reach more people. If you have 10,000 fans on Facebook, for example, your posts will probably be seen by more people than if you had 1,000 fans (all else being equal).

But the size of your audience is not as important as the relationship you build with your audience.

It’s more valuable to have 100 people on your email list that open and read every email you send them than it is to have 1,000 followers on Twitter who rarely see your Tweets or engage with you in any way.

When it comes to building an audience, loyalty and engagement are the most important.

Here are some of the most common ways that online course creators are building their audience:

• Social media

Set up profiles and/or pages on the social network networks that your target audience spends time on. You don’t need a presence on every social media network. Choose the top 2-3 that make the most sense for you and focus your efforts there. Share your content, join relevant groups, start your own Facebook group , and engage in conversations. The goal here is to build real relationships with other people that are interested in your course topic.

Read More: Social Media Marketing Guide: Uncracking the Code for Course Creators

• Content marketing

Publish free content about your course topic as often as you can. Free content helps you build trust and authority in your industry. Common types of content that you can create are articles, videos, podcast episodes, images, and infographics. All of these help to increase traffic to your website and exposure for your business.

The more content you publish on your website and other platforms (like YouTube ), the more likely your target audience will find you as they are searching for information about your topic.

• How To Generate Leads With Content Marketing (6 Simple Steps)
• The Complete Content Marketing Guide: Organic Growth Toolkit
• Publicity & PR

One of the quickest ways to build your audience is to get in front of existing audiences. Writing articles for popular publications in your industry, getting interviewed on podcasts , and getting featured in traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, print magazines, etc.) are all great ways to increase your exposure and build authority in your industry.

• Networking & joint ventures

Build relationships with other experts and influencers in your industry. It doesn’t happen overnight, but building mutually beneficial relationships with others can lead to a number of opportunities including guest blogging, interviews, joint ventures , partnerships, and customer referrals.

• Public speaking

Reach out to event hosts and organizers of conferences and seminars that your target audience attends. Offer to give a presentation on your topic. Some events will even let you sell your course directly to their audience, in exchange for a percentage of your sales. A major advantage of public speaking is you have the undivided attention of everyone in the room during your presentation, and that can be very hard to get online.

• Email marketing

When it comes to marketing your online course (or any product or service online for that matter), email marketing is hands down the most effective way to generate sales. An email list of people that have expressed interest in your course topic and have given you permission to communicate with them will likely be your most valuable asset as an online course creator.

Start building your email list as soon as possible. Stay in touch with your subscribers by sending them helpful emails and links to your content on a regular basis. This is a great way to earn their trust before you ask them to buy from you.

• Paid advertising

Even with a modest budget, paid advertising can be a great way to grow your audience. By utilizing advertising platforms such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can target people based on specific criteria including demographics, interests, search terms, job titles, and more. In fact, many of Thinkific’s most successful customers have been using Facebook ads to grow their audience and generate consistent leads and sales for their online courses.

“Consistency is what did it for us. Doing something every week, at least once a week, helped us get better really, really fast because we were putting in the time and putting in the practice.”

– Jordan Harbinger , Author & Podcast Host

Creating an online course is definitely one of the more exciting steps in this entire process, but it can also be the most time consuming one if you’re not careful.

Most people spend several weeks (or months, depending on the course) creating their online course. Other, more experienced course creators have perfected this process and can create an entire online course in one weekend .

But regardless of how long it takes you to create your course, the process that you go through will most likely look a lot like this:

• Choose your course title and subtitle. 
• Ensure that your topic has high demand in the market
• Ensure that the learning outcomes are stellar
• Gather material for your online course content
• Create a lesson plan (aka course outline) and choose your lesson types (audio, video, text, etc.)
• Identify the best ways to deliver each of your course modules
• Film, record, and edit your online course
• Set up your online course, including a website
• Choose a price for your course
• Create a sales page and focus on marketing your course

Instead of going through each of these steps in more detail right here in this article (which would make it way longer than it already is!), I’m going to share a few of the most important lessons we’ve learned about course creation from the experts we interviewed.

Want to create an online course business, but unsure of where to start? Use Thinkific for free and get free training !

Or sign up for our free mini series that will teach you how to profitably create and sell an online course in just a week.

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Create a “Minimum Viable Course”

A concept that has been popularized by American writer and entrepreneur Eric Ries in his book Lean Startup is the concept of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) .

An MVP is a development technique used by organizations (especially startups) in which a new product is developed with sufficient features to satisfy early adopters. The final, complete set of features is only designed and developed after considering feedback from the product’s initial users.

Applying this concept to creating online courses, that means that you should not try to create the perfect course the first time. Instead, create a Minimum Viable Course (MVC).

Here’s why…

The problem with trying to create the “perfect” course before you show it or sell it to anyone is that “perfect” is a very subjective term. What you think is perfect is probably not the same as what your customers/students think is perfect. Even if it is, your course does not have to be perfect in order to be valuable .

Perfectionism has stopped more people from creating and launching their online courses than anything else. Don’t let this happen to you. If your course (imperfect as it may be) is good enough to help someone, then it is good enough to publish. Done is better than perfect.

Create your MVC as quickly as possible so you can publish it and get real feedback from real students. Based on their feedback and other important data (such as course completion and engagement rates ) you can remove training, add training, and make revisions to your course to make it better.

“Don’t be a perfectionist because the world can’t wait for perfect. Get it done, get it out and get it sold. It’s not a book so you can always revisit it periodically but your number one priority is creating a transformation in your clients, so keep your focus there.” – Shazzie Love , Business Strategist

Course length ≠ course value

Read More: How to decide on the ideal course length ?

Another big mistake to avoid is trying to teach everything that you know about your topic in a single course. Doing this will most likely result in a super long course that your students won’t complete and that takes a ridiculous amount of time to create in the first place. Wrong approach!!

Your online course is the shortcut

The purpose of your course is to teach your student how to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and as efficiently as possible. It’s the shortcut.

Your online course is the shortcut. Help your students get from A to B as quickly as possible.

You absolutely should not overwhelm your students by brain-dumping everything that you know about your topic into your course. Your course should be as short as possible without sacrificing the key concepts in your training.

Don’t create 8 hours of training if you can teach your students what they need to know with 3 hours of training. As long as they learn what you promised to teach them, they won’t complain that your course was “too short”. Instead, they’ll probably thank you for not wasting their time with fluff or filler content.

Launch to a small test group first

Another important lesson we learned from the experts we interviewed is not to launch the first version of your course (your MVC!) to your entire audience.

Instead, you should promote your course to a small segment of your audience at a lower price than what you eventually want to charge for your course. If you do promote your course to your entire audience, consider imposing a limit on the number of students that can enroll in it. Once you hit your goal, you temporarily close enrollment for your course.

This strategy is often called a beta launch (similar to pre-selling ). The goal of this type of launch is to get your course into the hands of a small number of students who will “test” your course. In exchange for accessing your course at a reduced price, you ask your students to provide you with feedback to help you improve the course and testimonials to use in your future marketing.

Based on the feedback from your students, you can make changes to improve your course. When you have a revised version of your course that is better than the first and positive student testimonials to use in your marketing, you re-open enrollment for your course and sell it a higher price.

If you’re ready to start marketing your course, check out these 55 online course marketing ideas here .

Okay, let’s pretend that you’ve already completed Steps 1 to 5.

• You’ve decided what topic you’re going to teach. It’s not too broad, and it appeals to a specific target audience.
• You’ve validated market demand for your topic. Thousands of people around the world are interested in it, and they’re already spending money to learn it.
• You’ve crafted a compelling brand. You are known in your industry as an expert on your topic. When your target audience finds you, they trust that you can help them.
• You’ve built an audience. You have followers on social media. You have people on your email list. You have relationships with other experts in your industry. You’ve been featured in other publications, podcasts, and media outlets.
• You’ve created an online course. And after promoting your course to your audience, you are proud to say that you have customers. Your business is generating revenue.

Even though it is a HUGE accomplishment to get this far (and yes, you deserve to celebrate at this point!), there is still work to be done.

Acquiring customers is just the beginning. Now your job is to deliver on the promise you made to your customers.

Think of any local business you are a customer of. A restaurant. A nail salon. A coffee shop. A convenience store.

These businesses don’t stay in business because they are constantly attracting new customers. They stay in business because their existing customers come back more than once, often bringing their friends and family with them. This same rule applies to your online course business.

“We’re not in this business just to get people to buy our stuff. We want them to see the change and the impact and create the success stories.” – Nick Unsworth, CEO of Life on Fire

It’s a lot cheaper to keep a customer than acquire a new one

If you are constantly investing in marketing and promotion to attract new customers, but you’re doing nothing to ensure the success of those customers, it will be very difficult (and expensive!) for you to build a profitable and sustainable business.

When a customer purchases your online course, this should not be the end of your relationship with them. This should be the beginning.

Your customers should be so thrilled with the training and overall experience that you provide to them that they purchase additional courses from you in the future, and they tell others about your courses too.

Related: The Top Customer Success Strategies Used By Successful Companies

Here are a few ways you can increase your student engagement and retention rates:

• Gamify the learning experience

Create incentives and offer rewards to your students for achieving specific milestones in your course.

Related: Gamification in Training: The Complete Guide to E-Learning Gamification [2022]

• Help your students be accountable

Pair them up with an accountability partner, offer 1-on-1 or group coaching calls with your students, or create a private group or discussion board for them to interact with each other.

• Appeal to different learning styles

Don’t create training that appeals to just one learning style. Utilize different media types to deliver your content (text, video, audio, worksheets, quizzes, etc.).

• Create small, bite-sized lessons

Shorter lessons are more likely to be completed by students than longer ones. If it takes you a while to teach a specific concept, try breaking up the concept into several shorter lessons.

• Bite Sized Learning: A New Strategy For Teaching (How It Works & Tips)
• What Is Microlearning? The Case For Shorter, Bite Sized Learning
• Send reminder emails to your students

If you notice that a student isn’t accessing or completing the training in your course, send them a polite reminder email to re-engage them. Show them that you care.

The final step in building a successful online course business is to scale your business by creating systems and/or hiring people to ensure that it continues to grow.

According to Greg Smith, CEO of Thinkific , you should only scale something that works.

The 76 steps that came before this one are your chance to do just that. To prove that your online course business works. Once you have a business that works, it’s time to shift from spending the majority of your time working in your business to working on it.

This is accomplished by creating systems and hiring people to handle the repetitive, day-to-day tasks involved in running your business. The goal is to free yourself up to focus the majority of your time on activities that move your business forward, such as:

• Building your audience
• Building your network
• Creating sales funnels to acquire new customers
• Creating additional courses and/or services to sell to your customers

Here are a few of the key lessons we learned about scaling an online course business from the expert we interviewed:

1. Automate repetitive tasks

Identify the tasks in your business that are highly repetitive and not the best use of your time as an entrepreneur. Document the process for those tasks and delegate them to someone else, or use technology/software to automate that task for you. Every repetitive task that you automate today buys you more time to focus on other activities tomorrow.

“The way you multiply time is by spending time on things today that give you more time tomorrow.” – Rory Vaden, Southwestern Consulting

2. Build a team as early as possible

To grow an online course business to 6 or even 7 figures in annual revenue and beyond, you’re going to need some help. Very few entrepreneurs are able to build successful and sustainable businesses without a team of people to help them make it happen. There is simply too much to learn and do, and not enough hours in the day for one person to do it all.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb

Hiring a virtual assistant or a personal assistant is a great starting point. From there, consider hiring help for other areas of your business including content creation and editing, marketing and advertising, branding, accounting, etc. These do not have to be full-time employees. Many course creators have teams that consist of freelancers and independent contractors from around the world.

Related: How to Hire a Virtual Assistant (An Entrepreneur’s Guide To Outsourcing)

3. Tie your business to a greater purpose

Sharing your knowledge by creating online courses is a great way to empower others through education and move humanity forward. But creating online courses is certainly not the only way to make a positive impact in the world.

There are countless organizations that are doing incredible things to make the world a better place. By partnering with other organizations and tying your business to a greater purpose, you ensure that as your business grows, so does the impact you make in the world.

“Whether you’re in the non-profit structure or the for-profit structure, you have a tremendous opportunity to use business as a force for good.” – Adam Braun, Founder of Pencils of Promise

This article was originally published May 2018, and refreshed with new information in February, 2024. 

As the Content Marketing Manager at Thinkific (2016-2019), Tyler Basu helped to create, publish, and promote content to help thousands of entrepreneurs learn how to create and sell online courses . Today, he works directly with entrepreneurs to help them create content that attracts and converts their ideal clients.

• 10 Steps To Creating A Wildly Successful Online Course
• How to Price Your Online Course (Complete Guide to Course Pricing)
• The Ultimate Online Course Launch Checklist (Free Guide + Templates)
• Best Equipment & Software For Creating Online Courses
• The Best Online Course Platforms in 2024

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How to Start an Online Course Business: A Comprehensive Guide

Deciding What to Teach: Identifying Your Niche

How to create an online course for first-timers, crafting your business plan: your blueprint for success, pricing your course: striking the perfect balance, building your brand: distinguishing your online training business, launching your course: a step-by-step guide for first-time creators, growing your business: nurturing success beyond the launch, harnessing the power of online platforms for educational success, staying ahead of trends in e-learning, maximizing profits: cost-effective strategies for online courses, mastering the art of course sales: strategies for business owners, the potential earnings: unleashing the power of online courses, tax deductions: navigating the financial aspects of online courses, embarking on a rewarding journey: the final word on starting your online course business.

Welcome to the exciting world of digital learning! If you’ve ever dreamt of channeling your expertise into a thriving online course business, this comprehensive guide is your golden ticket. Tailored for aspiring course creators, we’ll navigate through the ins and outs of launching your own online education venture.

From pinpointing your perfect course topic to marketing your digital classroom, this guide promises to equip you with all the tools you need to transform your knowledge and passion into a successful and rewarding online business. Get ready to embark on a journey that could redefine your professional landscape and connect you with eager learners across the globe!

Embarking on your quest to sell online courses starts with a pivotal decision: what will you teach? This isn’t just about picking a subject; it’s about discovering your niche, the sweet spot where your expertise meets market need.

The right choice here can set the stage for your success in the competitive world of online education. In this section, we delve into the art of identifying that perfect niche, ensuring your course not only captivates but also sells.

Understanding Market Demand

Before anything else, you need to get a grasp on market demand. But how? Here’s a simple yet effective roadmap:

Keyword Research : Start with tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. Look for keywords related to potential course topics. High search volumes with low competition are golden tickets. It indicates a hungry audience with not enough supply.

Explore Online Platforms : Dive into platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or LinkedIn Learning. What courses are trending? What topics are getting rave reviews but have limited course options? This can be a goldmine for identifying gaps in the market.

Social Media and Forums : Platforms like Reddit, Quora, and specific Facebook groups can be insightful. Look for frequently asked questions or topics that stir up a lot of engagement.

Aligning Your Interests and Expertise

Now, let’s turn the lens inward. It’s time to align market demand with your own expertise and interests. Here’s how you can approach this:

Assess Your Skills : List down your skills and expertise. What are you good at? What do people often ask for your help with? Your strongest skills are potential course topics.

Passion Matters : Passion is contagious. If you’re excited about a topic, it’ll shine through in your course, engaging your students more effectively. Choose a topic you love talking about, something that doesn’t feel like work when you delve into it.

Market Viability of Your Interests : Sometimes, our passions might be too niche. In such cases, tweak your angle. How can you make your passion more appealing to a broader audience? For example, if you’re into vintage toy collecting, consider a course on “The Art of Collecting: Building a Profitable Vintage Toy Collection.”

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Validating Your Course Idea

Validation is key. You don’t want to invest time and resources into creating a course only to find out there’s no paying market for it. Here are a few strategies:

Surveys and Polls : Use tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create surveys. Share them in your network, social media groups, or relevant online communities. This direct feedback is invaluable.

Pilot Programs or Mini-Courses : Consider launching a mini-course or a workshop on your chosen topic. The response you get will be a strong indicator of interest in a more extensive course.

Competitor Analysis : Look at competitors who are offering similar courses. What are they doing right? Where are they lacking? This can help you position your course to fill those gaps.

Engage with Prospective Students : Use social media or blogging platforms to start discussions on topics related to your course. The engagement level can be a good indicator of interest.

Bringing It All Together

Combining market demand with your passion and expertise is an art. It’s about finding that sweet spot where your knowledge meets your audience’s needs. Remember, the most successful online course business is one that not only educates but also inspires and connects with the audience on a personal level.

So, take the leap! Your unique insights, combined with a keen understanding of market demands, can lead to an online course that not only sells but also makes a significant impact. The world of online learning is your oyster, and you’re just getting started!

Creating an online course can be an enriching experience and a lucrative business idea. If you’re considering stepping into the realm where knowledge meets digital innovation, here’s a comprehensive guide to help you create your first course.

1. Planning the Cost of Creating Your Course

Before diving into the course creation process, it’s crucial to plan your budget. Here’s what to consider:

Time Investment : The most significant investment in creating online courses is your time. Depending on the complexity and length of your course, it could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to develop quality content.

Editing Software : Quality content requires good editing. Factor in the cost of video editing, graphic design, and course authoring software. Prices vary, but there are both free and paid options available.

Additional Expenses : These might include costs for a professional microphone, camera, lighting equipment, and possibly hiring subject matter experts or voice-over artists.

2. Selecting the Best Learning Management System (LMS)

Choosing the right LMS is critical for your success in selling online courses. A few factors to consider are ease of use, customization options, integrations, and pricing. Some of the top current LMS platforms include:

• Moodle : Known for its flexibility and vast array of plugins.
• Blackboard : Popular in academic settings for its comprehensive features.
• Teachable : Ideal for beginners with its user-friendly interface.
• Thinkific : Offers great customization and marketing tools.
• Canvas : Known for its clean design and ease of use.

Why Teach.io is Ideal for First-Time Course Creators

Teach.io stands out as a great choice, especially for first-timers. Here’s why:

User-Friendly Interface : Its intuitive design makes it easy to create an online course without any technical background.

Supportive Community : Teach.io offers an amazing learning community for both creators and students, making it easier to share ideas, get feedback, and connect with paying customers.

Integrated Tools : It provides tools for content creation, marketing, and analytics, essential for online businesses.

3. Creating Your Course Content

When you create online courses , content is king. Here’s how to do it:

Define Your Objectives : Clearly outline what you want your students to learn.

Structure Your Content : Break down your course into sections or modules. This makes the content digestible and organized.

Create Engaging Materials : Use a mix of videos, text, quizzes, and interactive elements to cater to different learning styles.

Quality Production : Ensure your audio and video quality is professional. This enhances the learning experience and adds value to your course.

4. Attracting and Retaining Paying Customers

Attracting customers requires strategic marketing:

Identify Your Target Audience : Understand who your course is for and tailor your marketing efforts to this group.

Leverage Social Media : Utilize platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to promote your course.

Content Marketing : Start a blog or a YouTube channel related to your course topic to attract potential customers.

Email Marketing : Build an email list to keep your audience informed about your course offerings.

5. Launching Your Online School

Launching your online school is the culmination of your hard work. Before the launch:

Test Your Course : Ensure there are no technical glitches.

Gather Feedback : Consider offering a beta version to a select group for feedback.

Plan Your Launch : Create excitement around your launch with countdowns, teasers, and early bird discounts.

By following these steps, you can successfully create and launch your first online course. Remember, your journey in creating online courses is not just about sharing knowledge; it’s about creating an impactful learning experience that resonates with your audience.

With the right approach and tools, especially platforms like Teach.io , you’re well on your way to establishing a successful online course business.

As an online course creator, venturing into the world of digital education demands more than just subject matter expertise; it necessitates a comprehensive, strategic approach. Crafting a robust business plan is akin to charting a course through the ever-evolving terrain of online learning.

Defining Your Online Course Topic

Your course topic is the foundation of your online course creation journey. It’s imperative to choose a subject that not only showcases your expertise but also aligns with the needs and interests of your target audience . Here’s how to refine your choice:

• Assess Your Strengths : Identify areas where your knowledge and passion intersect. Your unique insights here can set you apart in a typical online course business market.
• Analyze Market Trends : Research current trends in online education to find topics that are both popular and underrepresented. Utilizing tools like Google Trends can provide valuable insights into what potential learners are seeking.
• Survey Potential Learners : Directly engaging with your intended audience through surveys or social media polls can give you a clear idea of their preferences and pain points.

Conducting a Thorough Market Analysis

Understanding the market is crucial in positioning your course effectively. This involves:

• Identifying Your Audience : Who are they? What are their learning objectives, challenges, and preferences? Creating learner personas can be a helpful exercise.
• Competitor Analysis : Evaluate other courses in your niche. What are they offering, and how can you differentiate your course? Identifying gaps in their offerings can highlight opportunities for you.
• Market Demand : Assess the demand for your chosen topic. This can involve analyzing search engine data, social media trends, and existing course enrollments.

Developing a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy

To ensure your course reaches its intended audience, a multifaceted marketing strategy is key:

• Social Media Outreach : Utilize platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to create buzz around your course. Tailoring content to each platform can increase engagement.
• Email Marketing : Building an email list and regularly engaging with subscribers can be an effective way to promote your course.
• Content Marketing : Starting a blog or YouTube channel related to your course topic can attract and educate potential customers, establishing you as an authority in your field.
• Partnerships and Collaborations : Partnering with influencers or other course creators can expand your reach and lend credibility to your course.

Projecting Your Financials

A crucial component of your business plan is the financial forecast. This involves:

• Calculating Initial Investment : Consider costs like software for course creation, marketing expenses, and any technical or administrative support you might need.
• Ongoing Costs : These can include website hosting fees, continued marketing efforts, and any updates or enhancements to your course.
• Revenue Projections : Estimate your potential earnings based on your pricing strategy and projected enrollments. Be realistic and consider offering different pricing tiers or packages to appeal to a broader audience.
• Break-Even Analysis : Determine how many course sales you need to cover your initial and ongoing costs. This will give you a clear goal to aim for in your sales strategy.

By meticulously crafting your business plan, you lay the groundwork for a successful online course creation journey . This plan should not only align with your vision as an online course creator but also resonate with your target audience , ultimately leading you to establish a profitable online course business .

Determining the right price for your online course is a critical step in ensuring its success. It’s a delicate balance – price it too high, and you risk alienating potential students; too low, and you might inadvertently signal low quality or undervalue your expertise. To find that pricing sweet spot, consider the following strategies:

Conduct Comprehensive Market Research

Start by exploring what competitors in your niche are charging. This will give you a benchmark, but remember, it’s not just about matching their prices. Analyze:

Competitor Course Features : Look at the length, depth, and format of their courses. How does your course compare in terms of content and delivery?

Target Audience Financial Capacity : Understand the spending capacity of your potential students. Students in different demographics or professional fields might have varying expectations and budgets.

Reviews and Feedback : Check what students are saying about these courses. High ratings and positive feedback can justify a higher price, while negative reviews might point to the need for lower pricing or added value.

Evaluate Your Course’s Unique Value Proposition

Your course’s unique aspects play a crucial role in pricing. Consider:

Course Length and Depth : Longer, more comprehensive courses can command higher prices. However, ensure that the length adds value and isn’t just filler content.

Quality of Content : High-quality, professionally produced videos, interactive elements, and well-researched materials can increase the perceived value of your course.

Your Expertise and Credentials : If you’re a recognized expert or have significant experience in the field, you can price your course higher. People are willing to pay more for learning from industry leaders or subject matter experts.

Factor in Additional Costs and Goals

When setting your price, also consider:

Production Costs : Factor in the costs incurred in creating the course, such as software, equipment, and any hired help like editors or graphic designers.

Business Goals : Align your pricing with your business objectives. If you’re looking to build a broad audience quickly, you might opt for a lower price. For a more niche, specialized audience, a higher price could be more appropriate.

Pricing Models : Beyond a one-time fee, consider subscription models, payment plans, or tiered pricing for different levels of course access.

Test and Adjust

Finally, remember that pricing isn’t set in stone. You can:

Offer Promotional Prices : Initially offer the course at a lower rate to attract students and gather reviews, then adjust the price based on feedback and demand.

A/B Testing : Try different pricing strategies to see what resonates best with your audience. Monitor enrollment rates, feedback, and overall satisfaction.

Listen to Your Audience : Pay attention to student feedback regarding pricing. If many potential students express interest but hesitate at the price, it might be time to reconsider your strategy.

In conclusion, finding the right price for your course involves understanding your market, recognizing your course’s value, considering your costs and business goals, and being flexible to adjustments based on feedback. A well-thought-out pricing strategy not only reflects the value of your course but also ensures its appeal to your target audience.

In the bustling world of digital education, your brand is your identity. It’s much more than just a sleek logo or a memorable name. It embodies your story, your ethos, and the unique connection you establish with your audience. A robust and relatable brand is a powerful tool to differentiate your online training business in a competitive market. Here’s how you can build and enhance your brand:

Crafting a Compelling Brand Narrative

Define Your Brand Story : Your story should reflect why you started your business, what drives you, and what you hope to achieve. This narrative forms an emotional connection with your audience.

Establish Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) : Identify what sets your courses apart. Is it your teaching methodology, course content, personal experience, or success stories? Your USP should resonate throughout your branding.

Consistent Branding Across Platforms : Ensure your brand’s visual and verbal identity is consistent across all platforms, including your course platform , website, social media, and marketing materials.

Leveraging Social Media Marketing

Social media isn’t just a marketing tool; it’s a storytelling platform. Here’s how to use it effectively:

Engage with Your Audience : Regularly post content that adds value, answers questions, and starts conversations. Engagement builds community and loyalty.

Showcase Success Stories : Share testimonials and success stories from your students. This not only provides social proof but also humanizes your brand.

Utilize Various Formats : Use a mix of videos, images, live sessions, and stories to keep your content dynamic and engaging. This variety can cater to different preferences within your audience.

Utilizing Content Marketing to Build Authority

Content marketing is crucial for establishing credibility and trust:

Educational Blog Posts : Write about topics related to your courses. This not only boosts SEO but also demonstrates your expertise.

Instructional Videos and Webinars : These can provide a sneak peek into your teaching style and course content, enticing potential students.

E-books and Guides : Offering free downloadable resources can be a great way to gather leads while providing value.

Developing a Strong Course Outline

Your course outline is a direct reflection of your brand’s quality and commitment. A well-structured outline:

Clarifies Course Objectives : It should clearly state what the course will cover and what students will achieve by the end.

Enhances Learning Experience : A good outline ensures that the course is organized, coherent, and progressively builds upon each section.

Reflects Professionalism : A meticulously crafted outline shows that you value your students’ time and learning experience.

Choosing the Right Online Course Platform

The online course platform you choose can significantly impact your brand perception:

User Experience : A platform that is easy to navigate and reliable enhances the overall brand experience for your students.

Customization Options : Platforms that allow for branding and customization can help in maintaining consistency in your brand’s look and feel.

Marketing Features : Some platforms offer built-in tools for marketing online courses , such as SEO features, social media integrations, and email marketing capabilities.

Building a strong brand for your online training business goes beyond superficial aesthetics. It’s about creating a narrative that resonates with your audience, using social media marketing effectively, providing valuable content, meticulously planning your course outline , and choosing the right course platform . Each of these elements plays a pivotal role in how your brand is perceived and, ultimately, how well your course sells online courses .

The launch of your online course marks a significant milestone in your journey as an online educator. For first-time course creators, this step can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. A successful launch requires meticulous planning, thorough testing, and strategic marketing. Here’s how you can ensure a smooth and effective launch:

Final Pre-Launch Checks

Testing Everything : Ensure every aspect of your course, from the signup process to the final assessment, works flawlessly. Test the payment process, video playback, and any interactive elements. It’s crucial that your course platform operates seamlessly across different devices and browsers.

Quality Assurance of Course Material : Review all course materials for clarity, accuracy, and engagement. This includes proofreading texts, checking video and audio quality, and ensuring that all links and resources are functioning correctly.

Feedback from a Beta Group : Before going live, consider offering your course to a small group of beta testers. Their feedback can be invaluable in identifying any issues and improving the overall learner experience.

Crafting a Compelling Launch Strategy

Email Marketing Campaign : Build anticipation with a series of emails leading up to the launch. Start with a teaser, follow up with more in-depth information about the course, and finally, send an announcement on launch day.

Utilizing Social Media Channels : Announce your course launch on all your social media platforms. Create engaging posts, share snippets or previews of your course, and consider going live to talk about your course and answer questions.

Leveraging Existing Networks : If you have existing clients or connections with local businesses, reach out to them. They can help spread the word within their networks, increasing your course’s visibility.

Engaging Launch Activities

Webinar or Live Q&A Session : Host a webinar or a live Q&A session on your course topic. This not only promotes your course but also establishes you as an authority in your field.

Special Launch Offers : Attract students with an early bird discount, exclusive bonuses, or additional resources available only for a limited time.

Collaborating with Influencers or Industry Experts : Partner with influencers or experts in your field to tap into their follower base. This can significantly boost your course’s reach and credibility.

Content Marketing : Publish blog posts, infographics, or videos related to your course topic. This content should provide value while also highlighting the benefits of your course.

Post-Launch: Monitoring and Adjusting

Once your course is live, the work doesn’t end. Monitor the performance of your course closely:

Collect and Analyze Feedback : Gather feedback from your students to understand what’s working and what can be improved.

Adjust Marketing Tactics : Based on the initial response, you might need to tweak your marketing strategy. Track which channels are driving the most enrollments and focus your efforts accordingly.

Stay Engaged with Your Students : Regularly communicate with your students through emails, discussion forums, or social media. This helps in building a community and enhancing the learning experience.

Launching your online course successfully sets the tone for its future growth. With careful planning, thorough testing, and strategic marketing, you can ensure that your course not only reaches your target audience but also provides them with a valuable and engaging learning experience. Remember, a successful launch is just the beginning of your journey as an online course creator.

Launching your online course is a significant achievement, but the journey doesn’t end there. The growth phase is where you solidify your position in the market and expand your reach. For most course creators, this phase is vital for sustaining and scaling their business.

Here’s how you can effectively grow your online course business, focusing on key areas like understanding your target market, refining your offerings, and employing strategic marketing techniques.

Continuously Gathering and Implementing Feedback

Active Feedback Collection : Regularly solicit feedback from your students through surveys, direct emails, or discussion forums. Understanding their experiences and suggestions is crucial for improvement.

Iterative Course Refinement : Based on feedback, make necessary adjustments to your course content. This could involve enhancing clarity in certain sections, adding more resources, or improving interactive elements.

Tracking Learning Outcomes : Monitor how well students are achieving the learning outcomes you’ve set. Adjust your teaching methods or course content if you find that many students are struggling with specific concepts.

Expanding Your Course Offerings

Creating Additional Courses : Based on the success of your initial course and the needs of your target market, consider creating courses that delve into related topics or more advanced material.

Personalized Coaching or Consulting : Offering personalized coaching or consulting can be an excellent way to provide more value to your students and generate additional revenue.

Enhancing Marketing Strategies

Refining Digital Marketing Efforts : Utilize data from your initial launch to fine-tune your digital marketing strategy. Identify which channels and messaging resonated most with your audience and optimize accordingly.

Leveraging Paid Advertising : Invest in paid advertising on platforms where your target market is most active. This can be an effective way to reach new students and start selling more courses.

Developing a Proven Track Record : Showcase the success stories and positive outcomes of your students. This helps in building credibility and a proven track record, which is essential when you sell courses.

Pricing Strategies for Sustained Growth

Evaluating Course Price : Periodically review your course price to ensure it remains competitive and reflects the value you’re offering. Consider special promotions or bundled deals to attract new students.

Dynamic Pricing Models : Experiment with different pricing models, such as subscriptions, one time payments, or tiered pricing structures, to see what works best for your audience and content.

From Point A to Point B : Remember, the goal is to take your students from point A (where they are before taking the course) to point B (where they aspire to be). Ensure your pricing and course structure reflect this transformational journey.

In summary, growing your online course business involves a mix of strategic improvements, expanded offerings, and targeted marketing efforts. By consistently engaging with your students, refining your content based on their feedback, and adapting your marketing and pricing strategies, you can build a sustainable and thriving business that continues to attract and benefit learners around the world.

In today’s digital age, thriving in the online education sector extends beyond creating compelling courses. A crucial aspect of success lies in effectively utilizing online platforms for brand enhancement and visibility.

Among these, YouTube stands out as a powerful tool for educators and course creators. Here’s a deeper look into maximizing this platform’s potential, including expert advice on forming strategic partnerships.

Maximizing YouTube for Brand Visibility

Establish a Strong YouTube Presence : Start by creating a YouTube channel that aligns with your brand identity. Regularly post educational content, course teasers, and insightful discussions related to your course topics.

Engage with Your Audience : Use YouTube to interact with your viewers through comments and live streams. This interaction not only builds a community around your brand but also provides valuable insights into your audience’s preferences.

SEO Optimization : Ensure your YouTube content is easily discoverable by optimizing video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. This enhances visibility and drives traffic to your courses.

Building Partnerships and Sponsorships

Leveraging Sponsorships : As your channel grows, consider partnering with brands and businesses that align with your educational niche. Sponsorships can provide additional revenue streams and increase brand credibility. For a comprehensive guide on this, explore how to get sponsored on YouTube , which offers valuable insights into building these partnerships effectively.

Collaborations with Other Educators : Collaborate with fellow educators or influencers in your field. This not only broadens your reach but also adds diverse perspectives to your content, enriching the learning experience for your audience.

Utilizing YouTube Ads : Use YouTube’s advertising platform to promote your courses. This can be a targeted way to reach potential students who are already interested in similar educational content.

Expert Advice for Online Platform Success

Consistency is Key : Maintain a regular posting schedule. Consistency helps in building a loyal audience and enhances your channel’s ranking on YouTube.

Quality Over Quantity : While regular uploads are important, prioritize the quality of your content. High-quality, informative videos are more likely to attract and retain viewers.

Engage Beyond YouTube : Use your YouTube presence as a springboard to direct viewers to your other platforms, like your course website or social media profiles. This integrated approach can significantly boost your overall online visibility and student enrollment.

By harnessing the power of YouTube and other online platforms, you can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and credibility in the online education sphere. Remember, it’s not just about creating content; it’s about creating connections and opportunities that can take your educational business to new heights.

In the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of online education, staying updated with the latest trends is crucial for any course creator. The field of e-learning continuously introduces new technologies, teaching methodologies, and learner preferences.

By keeping a pulse on these developments, you can adapt and refine your strategy to meet the changing needs of your students. To dive deep into the latest evolutions and understand what’s driving the future of digital learning, explore Trends in E-Learning . This resource offers valuable insights into emerging trends that are shaping the world of online education today and beyond.

Establishing a successful online course business doesn’t necessarily require a hefty investment. In fact, with the right approach, it’s possible to create a profitable venture with minimal start-up costs. The key is to identify and implement low-cost, high-profit business strategies that align with your course content and target audience.

This can involve leveraging existing resources, focusing on niche topics, or adopting scalable digital marketing strategies. For practical ideas and strategies that combine affordability with profitability, take a look at Low-Cost Business Ideas with High Profit . This guide can serve as a source of inspiration, providing you with innovative ideas to launch and grow your online course business without significant financial strain.

For any business owner in the realm of online education, selling your course is not just a transaction; it’s an art form. Your course is indeed your masterpiece, crafted with expertise and passion. However, the success of this masterpiece hinges not just on its quality, but also on your ability to effectively market and sell it. This is where understanding diverse business models and sales strategies becomes paramount.

To excel in this aspect, it’s vital to explore and implement effective techniques tailored to your unique content and target audience. From choosing the right marketing channels to crafting compelling sales pitches, every step plays a crucial role in attracting and converting potential students. But how do you begin to unravel these strategies and apply them effectively?

A great starting point is diving into resources like How to Sell an Online Course . This guide is a treasure trove of insights, offering a comprehensive look at various tactics and approaches that can elevate your course from a hidden gem to a sought-after commodity. It covers a range of topics, including:

• Identifying the Right Business Models : Understanding different models can help you determine the best approach to sell your course. Whether it’s a one-time purchase, a subscription model, or a tiered pricing structure, each model has its unique advantages and can be tailored to suit your course and audience.
• Effective Marketing Techniques : Learn about the various marketing strategies that can amplify your course’s visibility. This could include digital marketing, content marketing, social media campaigns, and more.
• Building a Sales Funnel : Discover how to create a sales funnel that guides potential customers from awareness to purchase. This includes crafting engaging landing pages, using email marketing to nurture leads, and employing persuasive call-to-actions.
• Leveraging Testimonials and Reviews : Understand how to use social proof effectively to build trust and credibility for your course.
• Utilizing Analytics : Learn how to use data and analytics to refine your sales strategy, understand your audience better, and make informed decisions to boost sales.

As a business owner, mastering the art of selling your online course involves continuous learning, experimenting, and adapting. By leveraging the wealth of knowledge available in resources like the aforementioned guide, and staying attuned to the ever-evolving landscape of online education, you can develop a robust sales strategy that not only sells your course but also builds a lasting and profitable business.

The realm of online course creation is not just about sharing knowledge; it’s also a pathway to significant earning potential. If you’ve ever pondered the question, “How much can I earn from selling online courses?”, you’re in for some encouraging news.

The earning potential in this field can be substantial, depending on various factors like the popularity of your course topic, marketing strategies, and the engagement level of your courses.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the financial possibilities and what factors contribute to the success of an online course, delve into How Much Can You Make Selling Online Courses? . This resource provides valuable insights into the earnings landscape of online courses, helping you set realistic goals and strategies for your venture.

An often-overlooked aspect of running an online course business is understanding its financial intricacies, particularly tax implications. As an online course creator, you may be eligible for various tax deductions that can significantly impact your financial planning.

These deductions can range from expenses incurred in the creation and marketing of your courses to the technology and tools used to deliver them. Navigating these tax nuances is essential for optimizing your profits and ensuring compliance.

For detailed information on what aspects of your online course business might be tax-deductible, explore Are Online Courses Tax Deductible? . This guide offers a clearer understanding of the tax benefits associated with online courses, providing you with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions in your business journey.

In conclusion, starting an online course business is an adventure that blends passion with practicality, creativity with strategy, and knowledge with marketing savvy. As we’ve journeyed through the comprehensive steps of this guide, it’s clear that the path to creating a successful online course business is multifaceted.

From the initial stages of identifying your niche and crafting a business plan to the intricate processes of creating, pricing, and marketing your course, each step is crucial in building a sustainable and profitable online education venture.

Embarking on this journey requires you to wear multiple hats – as an educator, a marketer, a content creator, and a business owner. The key lies in your ability to convey your expertise in a way that resonates with your target audience, meeting their learning needs while also providing them with an engaging and valuable experience.

Remember, the success of your online course business is not solely measured by immediate profits or enrollments but also by the lasting impact and value you deliver to your students.

As you move forward, stay agile and responsive to the evolving trends in e-learning. Continuously refine your courses based on student feedback and market demands. Embrace the power of digital platforms, not just for selling your courses, but for building a community around your brand. Leverage tools and resources, like those provided by Teach.io , to enhance your course creation and marketing efforts.

Moreover, don’t underestimate the importance of the financial and legal aspects of your business. Understand the tax implications and maintain a sound financial strategy to ensure your business thrives without any unforeseen fiscal hiccups.

As we wrap up this guide, remember that the journey of starting an online course business is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands patience, perseverance, and a continual willingness to learn and adapt. The world of online education is vast and ever-growing, presenting endless opportunities for those willing to explore and innovate.

So, dream big, plan meticulously, execute passionately, and watch as your online course business flourishes into a rewarding and impactful venture. With dedication and the right strategies, your educational content can transform lives and careers, establishing you as a key player in the dynamic world of online learning.

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Home » Sample Business Plans » Education

How to Write an Online Educational Website Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting an online education website? If YES, here is a complete sample online education website business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE . Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting an online education website. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample online education website marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for online education websites. So let’s proceed to the business planning section .

Why Start an Online Educational Website?

If you are an educationist or someone who has background in education matters, and you intend starting your business, then you should consider starting your own online educational website. Being an educational consultant means that you will provide tutoring services via the internet; you will provide tutoring services across a variety of academic subjects and across all age groups.

Starting an online educational website is not too expensive except for the money required to rent and furnish an office space and also to run the website. Running this type of business requires that you should be trained as an educationist and it is indeed a very lucrative business in the United States, Canada, Australia and The United Kingdom simply because it is affordable and it is not location bound.

if you are truly convinced that starting an online educational website is the right business for you to do, then you need to write your own business plan. Below is a sample online educational website business plan template that will help you successfully write yours with little or no stress;

A Sample Online Educational Website Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Operators in the Online Educational industry comprises of institutions that basically deliver online education to students. In order to be considered as an online educational provider firm, over 80 percent of the course or unit content offered by your firm has to be delivered via online platform.

For instance, students could be located off-campus for the duration of their enrolment and successfully complete a unit of study. It is important to mention that online education includes study at all levels of education. In recent time, the Online education industry recorded strong growth and of course this is due to rising internet penetration in households and changing consumer preferences that favor conducting services online.

In addition, the industry also benefited during and immediately following the recession as widespread unemployment across the US economy precipitated a large number of individuals returning to educational institutions to develop skills while the labor market remained weak. Going forward, the Online Tutoring Services industry is expected to continue to record strong growth, though at a slowdown rate

A recent research carried out by IBISWORLD reveals that the Online Education industry has grown rapidly over the past five years. Technological advancements and faster internet have made the online education model a more viable option for learning. With more individuals and businesses recognizing the benefits of online education, the use of online learning has soared.

A trend towards up skilling, which became apparent during the global financial crisis, has solidified with an increase in the national unemployment rate over the past five years. Higher unemployment has encouraged those out of work to retrain, and employees to upskill to protect themselves from redundancy. Online education provides greater flexibility and enables full-time workers to engage in further learning

The Online Tutoring Services industry is indeed a large industry and pretty much active in countries such as United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Australia and Canada et al. Statistics has it that in the united states of America alone, there are about 764 registered and licensed online educational firms scattered all across the United States responsible for employing about 10,964 and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $411 million annually.

The industry is projected to grow at 4.2 percent annual growth within 2011 and 2016. It is important to state that Tutor.com has the largest available market share in the industry.

Lastly, one thing is certain about starting an online educational website, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies, you are more likely not going to struggle to secure clients because there are always individuals, and even educational institutions / schools that would want to hire your services from time to time.

2. Executive Summary

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is a registered and licensed online educational service provider company that will be based in Phoenix – Arizona. The firm will handle all aspect of online education related services; services such as primary school tutoring, advanced academic tutoring, exam preparation services, occupational academic programs and other related educational support services.

We are aware that to run a standard online educational website can be demanding which is why we are well trained, certified and equipped to perform excellently well.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is a client – focused and result driven online educational service provider that provides broad- based services at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients.

We will offer a standard and professional online education services to all to our individual clients, and corporate clients at national, and international level. We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass our clients’ expectations whenever they enroll in our online school or hire our services.

At Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC, our client’s best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professionals who are well experienced in the online tutorial services industry

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Our plan is to position the business to become the leading brand in the online tutorial services industry in the whole of Phoenix – Arizona, and also to be amongst the top 20 online educational services provider websites in the United States of America within the first 5 years of operations.

This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely be realized because we have done our research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that Phoenix – Arizona is the right place to launch our online educational services business before sourcing for students from other cities in The United States of America and throughout the globe.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is private registered business that is owned by Teddy Braham and his immediate family member. Teddy Braham has well over 10 years of experience working at various capacities within the online tutorial services industry in the United States of America prior to starting Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC. Teddy Braham has the required experience and qualifications to build a world class online educational website that can favorably compete amongst leaders in the industry.

3. Our Products and Services

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the online tutorial services industry. We want to compete favorably with the leading online educational services providers – websites in the United States and in the world which is why we have but in place a competent team that will ensure that we meet and even surpass our students’ expectations.

We will work hard to ensure that Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is not just accepted in Phoenix – Arizona, but also in other cities in the United States of America and throughout the globe. We are in the online tutorial services industry to make profits and we will ensure that we do all that is permitted by the law in the United States of America to achieve our aims and ambitions of setting up the business

Our business offerings are listed below;

• Primary school tutoring
• Advanced academic tutoring
• Providing exam preparation services
• Occupational academic programs
• Providing college selection services
• Providing educational consulting services
• Providing educational guidance counseling services
• Providing educational support services
• Providing educational testing services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build an online educational services provider brand that will become one of the preferred online educational websites in the online community. Our vision reflects our values: integrity, service, excellence and teamwork.
• Our mission is to position our online educational website to become one of the leading brands in the online tutorial services industry in the whole of Phoenix – Arizona, and also to be amongst the top 20 online educational services provider websites in the United States of America within the first 5 years of operations.

Our Business Structure

Normally we would have settled for two or three full – time staff members, but as part of our plan to build a standard online tutorial services provider – website in Phoenix – Arizona, we have perfected plans to get it right from the beginning which is why we are going the extra mile to ensure that we have competent, honest and hardworking employees to occupy all the available positions in our organization.

The picture of the kind of online educational website we intend building and the business goals we want to achieve is what informed the amount we are ready to pay for the best hands available in and around Phoenix – Arizona.

We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer

Online Education Consultants

Admin and HR Manager

Marketing and Sales Executive

Information Technologist

• Customer Care Executive / Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Office:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Responsible for handling services such as primary school tutoring, advanced academic tutoring, exam preparation services and occupational academic programs Responsible for providing college selection services
• Responsible for providing educational consulting services
• Responsible for providing educational guidance counseling services
• Responsible for providing educational support services
• Responsible for providing educational testing services
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Design job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
• Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of relevant projects.
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy
• Responsible for handling business research, marker surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the organization in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the organization
• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• create reports from the information concerning the financial transactions recorded by the bookkeeper
• Prepares the income statement and balance sheet using the trial balance and ledgers prepared by the bookkeeper.
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the company
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization
• Responsible for installing and maintenance of computer software and hardware for the organization
• Manages the organization website
• Handles security, email and business features
• Installed web site applications for the organization
• Responsible for providing website builder, security and value-added features
• Responsible for Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services

Client Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

• Welcomes students and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organization’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
• Receives parcels / documents for the organization
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned the line manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Going by our vision, our mission and the kind of business we want to set – up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our business.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias in start – ups in the United States to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating other business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in the online tutorial services industry.

As an organization, we look forward to maximizing our strength and opportunities and also to work around our weaknesses and threats. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC.

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of highly qualified online education consultants and support staff members that can go all the way to give our students value for their money; a team that are trained, qualified and equipped to pay attention to details and to deliver excellent online education support services.

We are well positioned and we know we will attract loads of clients ( students and international students alike ) from the first day we open our doors for business.

As a new online educational services provider website, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from international students in the already saturated online tutorial services industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. So also, we may not have the required cash to give our business the kind of publicity we would have loved to.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the online tutorial services industry is massive considering the number of local and international students who can’t do with key services provided by only online educational services provider – website. As a standard and well – positioned online educational services provider – website, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as an online educational services provider company operating in the United States are unfavorable government policies, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operations and global economic downturn which usually affects purchasing / spending power. There is hardly anything we can do as regards these threats other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for our good.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

If you are conversant with the trends in the online tutorial services industry, you will agree that the industry has proved resistant to any downturns in the overall economy. Rapidly increasing internet penetration and online capabilities have transformed the possibilities of online tutoring; consequently, growth has remained strong.

This indicates that the industry is growing at a faster pace than the overall economy. It is a fact that online education introduces a range of new products to the Education and Training industry, which are opening up new markets. From school age to mature age, the convenience of online education has enabled individuals from all walks of life to become a participant of the industry.

So also, the take-up and advancements of mobile technology has benefited the industry. In recent time, the Online education industry recorded strong growth and of course this is due to rising internet penetration in households and changing consumer preferences that favor conducting services online.

Although it is cheaper to start an online educational services provider – website business, but the fact remains that it is a bit challenging for new entrant to come into this industry, the primary barrier to the entry for new establishment is the stiff registration requirements applicable in most countries not just the United States of America.

As a matter of fact, just like education consulting firms, online educational services providers must comply with local licensing criteria set out by registration boards and professional associations to obtain registration in their country or the state they want to operate from. This usually requires applicants to hold an accredited tertiary qualification before they can undertake written tests of skills, knowledge and abilities.

Lastly, the fact that there are loads of potential students scattered all across the globe who can be reached with just a lick of the mouse makes it highly important for online educational services provider website to continue to explore trendier means to reach out to them.

8. Our Target Market

The demographic and psychographics composition of those who need the services of online educational services providers cut across students at all levels of studies and from all across the globe.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC will initially serve students within our immediate community, but that does not in any way stop us from growing to be able to compete with the leading online educational services providers in the United States and the world at large.

As a standard and licensed online educational services provider, Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC offers a wide range of online educational services hence we are well trained and equipped to services a wide range of students from all part of the world.

We are coming into the industry with a business concept that will enable us enroll students at different level of education from the United States and all over the world. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically design our products and services for;

• International Students
• Local students
• Tutorial colleges

Our competitive advantage

The level of competitions in the online tutorial services industry depends largely on the course provided, the functionality of the website and the worth of the certificate in the market – place. If you can successfully create a unique brand identity for your online educational services provider company or carve out a unique market, you are likely going to experience less competition.

For instance, if you are one of the few online educational service providers in your location that has the most qualified and experienced online education consultant with successful track record under your payroll, you are likely going to have a competitive advantage over your competitors.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the online tutorial services industry means that we should be able to deliver expected results, our students should be able to pay for our services and we should be able to meet the expectations of students.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC might be a new entrant into the online tutorial services industry in the United States of America, but the management staffs and owners of the business are considered gurus. They are people who are core professionals and licensed and highly qualified online education consultants and experts in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (start – ups online educational services firms) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the online tutorial services industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract clients (local and international students) on a regular basis.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC will generate income by offering the following services;

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be local students, international students, individuals et al who would need the services of online educational services providers.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Phoenix – Arizona and other key cities in the United States of America and the globe. We are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our student base beyond Phoenix – Arizona to other states in the United States and throughout the online community.

We have been able to critically examine the online educational services market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projections are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Phoenix – Arizona.

Below are the sales projections for Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC, it is based on the location (world wide web) of our business and the wide range of online educational services that we will be offering to our students;

• First Fiscal Year-: $250,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $450,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $950,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same additional services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competitions amongst online educational services provider firms and other related educational support service providers in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developer to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. We will also ensure that our excellent job deliveries speak for us in the market place; we want to build a standard and world – class online educational website that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied students

Our goal is to grow our online educational services website to become one of the top 20 online educational services websites in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the United States of America, but throughout the globe (the online community).

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract students;

• Introduce our online educational website by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to migrant communities, corporate organizations, households and key stake holders in the United States.
• Advertise our website in relevant magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our education consulting firm business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local education, international studies and business expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients (local students and international students et al) in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality online educational services to them
• Leverage on email marketing to reach out to potential students
• Engage in direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied students
• Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of networking and marketing our services.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Any business that wants to grow beyond the corner of the street or the city they are operating from must be ready and willing to utilize every available means (both conventional and non – conventional means) to advertise and promote the business. We intend growing our business which is why we have perfected plans to build our brand via every available means.

We know that it is important to create strategies that will help us boost our brand awareness and to create a corporate identity for our online educational services provider – website. Below are the platforms we will leverage on to boost our brand and to promote and advertise our business;

• Place adverts on community based educational and related newspapers, radio stations and TV stations.
• Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms to promote our business.
• Ensure that we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around New Phoenix – Arizona
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
• Contact migrant communities, schools, and households et al by calling them up and informing them of Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC and the online educational support services we offer
• Advertise our business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Brand all our official cars and school buses and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wears our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC will charge our students flat fee for many basic educational services such as primary school tutoring, advanced academic tutoring, exam preparation services, occupational academic programs and other related educational support services.

At Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC we will keep our fees below the average market rate for all of our students by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.  In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to both local and international students from time to time.

We are aware that there are some clients that would need regular access to online education support services and assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such clients’ needs.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards / Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our online educational support services without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash or make online transfer for all our online educational services rendered.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

When it comes to calculating the cost of starting an online educational website – business, there are some key factors that should serve as a guide.

Besides, in setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting / leasing a big facility, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business.

The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked. As for the detailed cost analysis for starting an online educational services provider – company; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money.

Below are some of the basic areas we will spend our start – up capital in setting up our online educational services provider – company;

• The total fee for incorporating the Business in the United States of America – $750.
• The total cost for payment of insurance policy covers (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $9,400
• The amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility in a business district 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $40,000
• The total cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500
• The cost for equipping the office (internet server, computers, software applications, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $15,000
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
• The cost for purchase of the required software applications (testing results tracking Software, Payroll Software, CRM software, and Accounting Software et al) – $10,500
• The cost of launching our official Website – $600
• Budget for paying at least three employees for 3 months plus utility bills – $10,000
• Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,500
• Miscellaneous: $1,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need over one hundred and fifty thousand ( 150,000 ) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a small scale but standard online educational services provider company in the United States of America. Please note that the salaries of all our staff members for the first month is included in the expenditure.

Generating Funds / Startup Capital for Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC

No matter how fantastic your business idea might be, if you don’t have the required money to finance the business, the business might not become a reality. No doubt raising start – up capital for a business might not come cheap, but it is a task that an entrepreneur must go through.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is a business that will be owned and managed by Teddy Braham and his immediate family members. They are the sole financial of the firm, but may likely welcome partners later which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $50,000 ( Personal savings $40,000 and soft loan from family members $10,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $100,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our online educational services / courses a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Teddy Braham® Online Tutorial Service, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Securing a standard office facility (renovation of the facility inclusive): Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founder: Completed
• Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the needed software applications, internet server, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the industry: In Progress

More on Education

How To Start Your First eLearning Video Business – Full Guide

Learn More about Video Monetization

• What Is An eLearning Business

Why You Should Start An eLearning Business

• eLearning Business Example
• eLearning Business Plans (3 types)
• How To Start An eLearning Business (6 steps)

Starting an eLearning business can be confusing.

You know you have the skill to teach, and some people want to learn it, but connecting the two and building a business around it? Man, where do you even start?

Well, it turns out, right here. 

At Uscreen we have lots of experience helping budding business owners, like you, start and grow their eLearning business. (Even if they have no entrepreneurial experience!)

And I’d like to share some of the major insights we’ve picked up along the way. Meaning you can get to work, safe in the knowledge you’re following the right steps.

So, if you want to start an eLearning business that is both profitable and enjoyable read on to find out more. We’re going to cover:

• What is an eLearning business?
• Why there’s never been a better time to start yours
• A case study of a 5-figure eLearning business
• 3 types of successful eLearning business models
• How to start an eLearning business in 6 steps

Let’s go…

What Is An eLearning Business?

An eLearning business is an online platform that educates people, either by imparting niche-specific knowledge or teaching new skills. 

eLearning businesses generate income in a number of ways, but the most common are:

• One-off sales of products like eBooks and courses
• Subscription access to independent online schools

Self-paced online learning has become popular over the last few years – it’s worth around $103.8 billion – and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the industry’s growth. (More on that next!)

So, what makes eLearning businesses so popular? Well, for students, it’s because they offer a lot of flexibility . They can choose their own…

• instructors 
• learning schedules
• payment options

…to create a customized experience that fits their needs. These are all important elements that aren’t typically offered by traditional offline learning environments.

Instructors can also take advantage of higher levels of flexibility and creative freedom. You’re not bound by traditional syllabuses or teaching structures.

Instead, you can cover the topics that interest you, in the niche you care about, to provide the most value to your audience. Better still, you can work on your own schedule.

At Uscreen, we’ve seen people build profitable eLearning businesses around:

• Arts & Crafts .
• Basketball.
• Musical instruments.
• Language learning.
• Many, many more.

And, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to start an eLearning business. Here’s why…

COVID-19 has shaken up how we approach work, learning, and recreation. And, people from all over the world are turning to eLearning platforms in the “new normal”.

Specifically, we’ve seen a rise in 3 types of learners:

• Those looking to grow and adapt to different ways of working.
• Those looking to escape the pandemic through learning new skills and knowledge.
• Those looking to learn in COVID-19 safe environments .

In fact, Google’s data shows a clear rise in people looking for terms like “online course” since the first lockdown measures were introduced:

There’s now a clear opportunity for anyone who wants to start an eLearning business. The supply of online learning resources is nowhere near the current demand for it!

The Associated Press reports that demand will grow 10% each year until 2024 when it will reach a worth of $21.64 billion . (Tapping into just 1% of that industry would be $216.4 million!)

Better still, when you build your eLearning business using online video , it can be affordable to start and manage, with potentially high returns. Let’s look at an example to show you what I mean!

How Frances Long Built A 5-Figure eLearning Business

Frances Long runs Your Book Of Memories , where she teaches people how to make their own mini albums.

Frances began by creating videos for her YouTube channel using a simple, inexpensive setup. Though the content of each video is complex, the creation of it is not.

Here’s one of her early videos so you can see what I mean:

Click here to watch the video -> youtube.com/watch?v=8idTnr4wdSk

Once she built a community on her channel, she pivoted to running her own eLearning business using Uscreen . 

Students can access her content in 2 ways:

• They can pay a monthly fee for access to her school, and access all of the tutorials in her library
• They can pay a one-off fee to access an individual tutorial

This gives Frances’s audience flexible access to her premium educational content. And, it gives Frances multiple income streams for her eLearning business.

The combination of these simple elements helped Frances bootstrap her way to $13,000 in her first 4 months after launching, and her income continues to grow.

In the next section, we’re going to look at how you can start your own eLearning business, starting with choosing the right business plan.

The 3 Types Of eLearning Business Plan s

There are 3 different types of eLearning business plan you can use:

• The “night school” model
• The “academy” model 
• The “combined” model

Let’s take a look at them and see which one is right for you…

Option 1: The “Night School” Business Model

The “night school” model is a classic if you just want to sell one-off access to a course. It’ll be familiar to you if you’ve ever taken an adult learning course.

Students…

• pay an up-front fee for the course
• follow a set structure from start to finish (with little deviation from the main topic)
• finish the course with a test or quiz to show proficiency

…making them best suited for students who are focused on learning one topic or skill. 

InkWorkshops use this eLearning business model well. They sell individual access to laser-focused tattoo workshops:

The benefit of this business model is that you receive a lot of up-front money. You can generate hype and sell access for a short time, which can translate into high earnings.

The downside is you only earn once from each customer. Once they have access, there’s no need for them to reinvest in this course.

You’re also limited to one topic per course, so you’ll need to create multiple standalone courses if you want to cover a variety of topics, which can be pretty time-consuming.

Option 2: The “Academy” Business Model

The “academy” model is a much longer-term option.  It’s where you create an online school that allows…

• your students receive recurring value
• you receive a recurring income

…in exchange for a recurring monthly subscription fee.

The academy style model allows you to focus on a breadth of skills your students will need. You can build an extensive library of tutorials to cover multiple necessary skills.

Let’s say you want to start an eLearning platform for guitarists. Instead of teaching one skill – like how to play a specific song – you could open it up to teach:

• How to practice chord progressions.
• How to restring your guitar.
• The basics of finger-picking.
• How to read sheet music.

These topics are far too complex and important to make part of one single course, so they all need to be taught as skills in their own right. 

Magic Stream does this extremely well. They’ve built an extensive catalog of videos that budding magicians can access for a minimal monthly fee:

From the business side of this, there are lots of benefits.

You can earn a recurring income every month from both past and new students. And, you can continue to earn from content you uploaded months or even years before!

Option 3: The “Combined” Model

Okay, this is my favorite eLearning business model…

The “combined” model is where you take the night school and academy models and put them together to create a supercharged income opportunity.

Here you use:

• the academy model as your core offering.
• the night school model to provide flexible options or add-ons.

It could be that your customers want access to just one tutorial from your database, or you’re offering a special live stream session that’s worth paying a few extra dollars for.

Students are ready and willing to pay for these if they feel it will help them improve at what it is they’ve come to learn from you.

This is the same model that Your Book Of Memories used earlier in the post, so you know it’s tried and tested!

How To Start An eLearning Business In 6 Steps

In this section, we’re going to explore how to start an eLearning business and share the specific steps you need to take.  You’re going to:

• Define your audience
• Identify your core content
• Pick and create 1-3 actionable lessons
• Select your eLearning platform
• Set your prices
• Market your new eLearning business

Before we start, it’s going to be useful if you already have authority within an online community, or audience you’ve created, before you begin to build an eLearning business. 

This will give you better access to content ideas, potential customers, and initial feedback. While not essential, I do recommend you have this before you follow any of the steps below!

Let’s get into it…

1. Define Your Audience

The first step is to define your target audience. 

It’s useful to think of this as a subsection of your current audience. The 20% of people who will be interested in signing up for your premium service.

Ideally, you’ll build an “avatar” that is an amalgamation of the 6-8 key characteristics, wants, and needs that your customers share.

You should ask questions like:

• How old are they?
• What gender (if relevant) are they?
• Where are they located?
• What are they struggling with?
• What do they want to achieve with the skills you’ll teach them?

The answers to these questions will differ depending on your niche and what you teach. The best way to answer them is to reach out to members of your current audience and ask them!

Here is a great video from entrepreneur, Eben Pagan , on how to create a customer avatar, with specific examples from an eLearning business:

2. Identify Your Core Content

The next step is to identify the specific lessons your audience needs the most.

These are the core skills that will have the biggest impact on your audience’s success. If they come away armed with these 1-3 things, they’ll have got their money’s worth.

This will help you ensure your existing customers are satisfied and help you to attract new customers with your core materials.

Let’s say you’re building an eLearning business for creative freelancers. You might create your core lessons around:

• Acquisition: how to find and pitch to new clients
• Productivity: how to manage your time and workload
• Negotiation: how to effectively raise your rates

This is something we do in our own eLearning products. For example, in Fitness Accelerator , we focus on 3 core categories for our video tutorials:

• Setting up: how to set up your online fitness platform
• Pro tips: how to create engaging, professional content
• Marketing: how to grow your online fitness business

Here’s how that looks on the website:

These core elements should hit the key needs and take your customers towards their desired end result.

3. Pick & Create 1-3 Actionable Lessons

In this step, you’re going to drill down and create some actionable lessons.

I recommend you create a completable “module” for each of your core content categories before you launch your eLearning business.

Sticking with the creative freelancer example from above, this might look like:

• Acquisition: how to write a high-converting outreach email
• Productivity: how to structure your working day
• Negotiation: 10 key things your proposal needs to have

The point here is to choose high-value lessons that set the tone for your future content, and can generate early results or progress for your customers!

If you’re starting off on a low budget, here is a great video from Think Media on how to create your first videos using only your smartphone:

Click here to watch the video -> youtube.com/watch?v=ek53TQ9U35o

4. Pick Your eLearning Platform

It’s time to look at where you’re going to build your eLearning business.

You may already have considered some “education” platforms that allow you to host single courses, but I’m going to recommend you consider a more comprehensive solution. 

Specifically, I’m going to recommend you use a video monetization platform. Here’s why…

Video is the most effective way of teaching people remotely. It allows you to convey complex information easily. Just ask the 86% of people who use YouTube videos to learn new skills !

You also need a platform that allows you to:

• Create your own controlled learning environment
• Connect directly with your audience within a standalone platform
• Offer a wide range of payment options
• Create combinations of monetization options
• Use analytics for both your videos and marketing
• Take control of your income

You can do all of this – and much, much more – by using Uscreen . You can find out more about us, and what we offer, by clicking here or watching the video below:

Click here to watch the video -> youtube.com/watch?v=fxAZYn6gj74

5. Set Your Prices

Next up, let’s look at how to set prices for your eLearning business.

In the video below one of our resident video experts, Nick Nimmon, will talk you through a tried and tested strategy for setting prices for online courses and eLearning businesses.

Check it out:

Click here to watch the video -> youtube.com/watch?v=0YkQySdR9VU

6. Market Your eLearning Business

The final step is to begin marketing your eLearning business. This is where having an existing audience really helps!

I recommend you start by identifying your existing marketing channels, like…

• your newsletter
• social media feeds
• YouTube channel audiences
• community forums 

…and promote your new platform there. 

You should also consider using YouTube to create a marketing “funnel”. This is where you share:

• Top-level videos to engage potential and new audience members
• Middle-level videos to begin educating them
• Bottom-level videos, like trailers, to point them towards your platform

You can learn more about how to create a YouTube marketing funnel here .

Better still….

You can use Uscreen’s marketing tools to build more comprehensive and effective marketing campaigns. With them, you can:

• send abandoned cart emails
• create “reduce churn” sequences
• offer high-converting free trials
• share promotional coupons
• connect with 1000+ tools via Zapier

…so you can build tailored campaigns to market your eLearning business, your way.

Bonus: Join Uscreen’s Instructional Video Business Accelerator

We created the Instructional Video Business Accelerator for those of you who are serious about starting an eLearning business.

The Instructional Video Business Accelerator is a self-paced program that helps you learn the core skills you need to build a long-term eLearning business. It’s made up of hours of video tutorials that will help you:

• Create your eLearning business.
• Record impactful video lessons.
• Build a community of excited students.
• Effectively market your platform.

The Instructional Video Business Accelerator is automatically accessible to all eLearning Uscreen clients. Start your free trial to get access today ! Be sure to check eLearning as your industry while signing up.

Wrapping This Up…

There has never been a better time to start an eLearning business. COVID-19 has changed the way people want and need to learn, and the demand is higher than ever.

If you want to learn more about the key skills you need to launch and grow your own eLearning platform, be sure to check out Uscreen’s Instructional Video Business Accelerator!

Care for an on-demand demo?

James Johnson

James is a Photography YouTuber from Manchester, England. A former digital nomad, he’s been working online and in the creator economy for over a decade.

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Setting up an Online Teaching Business

All you need to know about starting and running your business.

In this article

What is a Online Teaching business?

More than 100 million students worldwide are enrolled in an online learning course, with more than 20 million new learners registering in 2021 alone. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, online learning has rocketed in popularity, with the many benefits of online learning far outweighing the potential negatives.

Online teaching is the process of educating others on virtual platforms online. Learning takes place through the use of technology, specifically computers, the internet and web-based technologies. Teaching and learning can be done from any location, such as the home, a coffee shop, a co-working space or a library – as long as there is an internet connection. Students can be from various backgrounds and geographical areas and can be a range of ages. Online teaching may take place on a 1:1 basis or in a group.

Online teaching can be beneficial to both the students and the teacher. It allows greater flexibility, increased collaboration, improved time management, personalised education and reduced costs. Online teaching involves 100% distance learning – there is no physical, face-to-face learning and no on-campus activities.

There are a variety of methods for teaching online, including:

Synchronous online learning

These are live video classes where the teacher and students interact online simultaneously. It often takes place via video conferencing or webinars and may involve a teacher and students from different areas of the world. This is one of the most popular methods of online teaching.

Asynchronous online learning

Classes do not take place in real time; instead, students are provided with content and assignments and given a timeframe by which to complete the assignments. Student–teacher interaction takes place via discussion boards and emails and students can complete tasks at different times and in different locations around the world.

Hybrid courses

Also known as blended courses, this approach uses a combination of live online classes and asynchronous classes. It can be an effective way of teaching as it allows for flexibility and independence.

Flipped learning

This often involves pre-recording your lectures or teaching for the students to watch before class and then working on assignments and further instruction during class time.

Computer Managed Learning (CML)

CML operates through information databases that contain pieces of information that the student has to learn. It provides learning objectives, learning resources and an assessment of the learner’s performance.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)

This type of learning uses computers alongside traditional teaching methods. A computer is used to present the instructional material and monitor learning. It encourages active learning.

Adaptive e-learning

This is a modern and innovative type of e-learning where the materials are designed and adapted for individual learners. It ensures online learning is individualised and student-centred.

As with in-person teaching, online teaching involves extensive planning and preparation. In order to work as an online teacher, you must have specialist knowledge, training and qualifications in a specific subject area. The most qualified and knowledgeable teachers in a specific subject will be the most in demand and will be able to charge the highest prices. This is why having a qualification, such as a degree or a Master’s degree, or extensive experience, is recommended.

The most common subjects and courses for online learning are:

However, even if your specialist knowledge and education are not in one of the above subjects, this does not mean your online teaching business will not succeed. Teaching less common subjects or focusing on a learning niche can actually be advantageous, as you will have less competition.

The advancement in technology and the development of multiple successful teaching platforms has significantly increased the popularity of online learning, making now a great time to set up an online teaching business. Starting up an online teaching business is a convenient, rewarding and potentially lucrative business opportunity.

There are multiple ways you can choose to run an online teaching business, including:

• Work on a self-employed basis for an already established online teaching platform or company.
• Teach independently as a freelance online teacher and find your own students.
• Set up your own teaching platform and hire other online teachers, either on a permanent or self-employed basis.
• Set up your own teaching platform and work as the sole teacher.

When setting up your online teaching business, consider how you can ensure student-centred methodology, student participation and a positive learning environment. To succeed as an online teacher, you must ensure strong and reliable network connectivity (usually in the form of a reliable Wi-Fi connection) and a reliable computing device. There are multiple digital learning platforms and tools that can make online teaching significantly more accessible and successful for learners around the world.

The demand for online teachers is at an all-time high. Although online teaching may seem like an easy business opportunity, there are many different tasks you will be responsible for, including:

• Creating, planning and preparing lessons and teaching materials that are in line with the educational needs of the students and the course aims.
• Following any educational and curriculum guidelines.
• Improving learning and knowledge by planned instruction.
• Utilising online teaching platforms and presenting lessons.
• Encouraging student participation and answering students’ questions and queries.
• Assisting students with any assignments or independent work.
• Assessing learning.
• Marking assignments, classwork and homework in a timely manner.
• Preparing and marking assessments.
• Monitoring students’ progress.
• Staying up to date with new teaching methods and the latest trends in online teaching.
• Preparing quotes, handling payments and creating invoices.
• Advertising and marketing (to grow your business and encourage new student sign-up).
• Completing business and administrative tasks.

If you are thinking of starting up an online teaching business, you will first need to determine the type of business you are going to set up and the subject or course you plan to specialise in. Online teaching can be a rewarding career. In order for your business to succeed, you will need to have specialist knowledge, experience and qualifications in your chosen subject, strong communication skills, patience and good time management skills. Good technological literacy and the ability to listen, collaborate and adapt are also beneficial.

Types of Customers

The typical customers your online teaching business is likely to attract will be dependent on multiple factors, such as:

The subject or course you specialise in

This will be the most significant factor in determining your typical customer base. When online students are searching for an online teacher or an online learning platform, they will likely already know the subject and type of course they are looking for. You may find that many of your students are made up of a similar demographic or come from similar geographical areas. For example, if you opt to teach English as an Additional Language, your students are likely to be from countries such as China, Japan and South America.

The level of teaching you provide

Different subjects and topics are available in a huge range of levels and with different qualifications. Once you have decided on your chosen subject, you must then decide the level you intend to teach it at. You may also opt to offer different classes at varying levels. The level of teaching you offer will determine your typical customer base. For example, online English teachers may offer business English, beginner’s English for adults and English for kindergarteners – all of which are likely to attract significantly different students.

The type of online teaching you opt for

The teaching methodology you follow will attract different students, as some students will be looking for live, interactive teaching and others may be looking for more flexible, computer-based teaching.

Your qualifications and level of expertise

The more highly qualified you are and the higher your level of expertise, the more money you are able to charge and the more in demand your classes are likely to be. If you have an extremely high level of expertise in your chosen subject, you are more likely to attract students who are looking to gain higher qualifications.

How you market your business

Your marketing and advertising strategies will have a significant impact on the types of students you attract. For example, you will attract different students if you advertise on social media sites, compared to if you partner with and advertise through other companies.

Your pricing strategy

Online students can often be separated into three categories:

• Budget: These students are looking for the lowest-priced classes and the cheapest online teachers. Price is an integral factor when searching for an online teacher.
• Mid-range: These students are looking for a combination of quality and affordability.
• High-end: These students are willing to pay higher prices for the highest-qualified teaching and the best online classes. Price is not the most important factor when searching for an online teacher.

Your online reputation or reviews

The reviews left for your business by previous students and the reputation you have online can help to attract certain students to your business.

Equipment You Will Need

Your equipment is an essential requirement, as without it you will not be able to operate your business. There are many different types of equipment you may need, with significantly different specifications. This means that equipment can vary drastically in price.

Online teaching businesses operate remotely, which can reduce the amount of equipment you require. If you hire other teachers to work for your business, they will likely supply their own equipment. You may already have some of the equipment you require to operate your business. However, you must ensure any equipment you use is reliable and in good working condition.

Below is a list of equipment that is typically required by an online teaching business:

A reliable laptop or desktop computer

You will need a high-specification, reliable laptop or computer that can handle the amount of time you will be using it each day. Your laptop will be your primary teaching device so ensuring it is compatible with a variety of software and teaching platforms is essential. Your laptop will also need an updated operating system.

An HD camera or webcam

Your laptop or computer may come with an already installed camera; alternatively, you may opt to purchase a separate webcam. A camera or webcam is an essential teaching resource as it allows your students to see you and any teaching resources you have prepared.

Good room lighting

This is to ensure the overall quality of your lessons. A lesson with poor lighting is likely to appear less professional to students and can result in a less-immersive experience and lower student participation. You can improve your lighting by opting for plenty of natural light that is not visible on screen. However, you will likely still need to invest in additional lighting, such as lamps and a selfie ring light.

A headset with a microphone

If you do not use a headset with an attached microphone, the quality of your sound will be significantly impacted. Your computer microphone can pick up background noises, which can be distracting to your students and can create an echoing sound which can interfere with your teaching. A headset with a microphone results in higher-quality sound for your students and enables you to hear your students more effectively. You can opt for a wireless or wired headset.

Reliable and high-speed Wi-Fi

Because you will be running your business remotely, you will need to ensure your Wi-Fi is reliable and high-speed. Video calls and online teaching platforms require a strong and consistent connection, and you must ensure your Wi-Fi doesn’t cut out in the middle of a session. You will also need Wi-Fi to conduct research, prepare your lessons and run your website. Ensure your Wi-Fi has a minimum connection speed of 20 megabytes per second (Mbps).

An ethernet cable and adapter

Many online teaching platforms require their teachers to use an ethernet cable, instead of connecting to their Wi-Fi router wirelessly. An ethernet cable improves connection and reduces the risk of internet connectivity issues. If your laptop doesn’t have an ethernet port, you will need to purchase an adapter.

If you operate your own business and do not intend to work for an already established teaching platform or company, you will need to set up your own website to enable students to find your business. You could also run your lessons and provide teaching resources on your website. Ensure your website includes your contact information so potential clients can connect with you. You should also include an about page, a contact page, a blog and testimonials.

A classroom background

Although a plain white wall behind you is an acceptable background for your online classes, some teachers opt to create a specific backdrop that fits into the theme of your lessons. This is particularly popular with teachers who specialise in teaching young learners. You may opt for posters, academic signs, pictures or poster boards for your classroom background.

A secure storage system

Only storing your previous and current work on your laptop doesn’t offer you complete protection. You will likely create extensive lesson plans that you can then reuse for future lessons. In the event of your laptop breaking or being lost or contracting a virus, not having a secure storage system could result in you losing all of your work. Investing in Cloud storage that is password protected and encrypted and can back up all of your work is recommended. Cloud storage ensures everything is backed up externally to protect the information in the event of a technological issue.

An email service

Setting up an email service using your own domain may be beneficial as your business grows. A business domain can make your business seem more professional and official. Using a public email domain such as @google or @hotmail can look less professional compared to using your own business domain. You will need to make sure your email service is fully secure and encrypted and abides by email security policies in the UK.

Invoice software

You will likely need to issue invoices to your customers and keep them for your own records (and for when you submit your taxes). Digital invoice software allows you to create electronic invoices, send them to your clients and store them safely.

Lesson props

The types of props you use will depend on the subject you are teaching and the ages and learning level of your students. Some examples of lesson props are:

• Flashcards and pictures.
• Alphabet and phonics cards.
• A dry-erase board and markers.
• Storybooks.
• Scoreboard or reward chart.

There are several pieces of stationery that can be beneficial to your business and that can make it easier for you to make notes and plan your lessons. Some stationery you can purchase includes:

• Pens and pencils.
• Paper and notepads.
• A diary and/or calendar.
• Highlighters.
• Post-it notes.

Work-from-home equipment

Some of the other equipment you may require if you run your online teaching business remotely includes:

• A laptop stand.
• A larger desktop monitor.
• A printer, scanner and fax machine.
• A paper shredder.

Office furniture

Investing in high-quality, comfortable furniture can help to protect you from strain or injury. Ensure the furniture is an appropriate height and doesn’t require you to strain your neck or back. Your minimum furniture requirements will be a desk and ergonomic office chair, although you may also opt for additional furniture, such as secure filing cabinets and bookshelves.

Typical Costs

When planning your online teaching business, an important consideration you will need to make is your expected start-up costs and running costs. Calculating your expected costs allows you to determine your initial investment requirements, your pricing strategy and your profit goals.

There are multiple costs associated with setting up and running an online teaching business. Some of these costs will be one-off initial costs that you will need to pay when you are setting up your business. Other costs will be ongoing costs you will need to pay regularly – usually weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.

Some of the costs associated with setting up and running an online teaching business are:

Your equipment is an essential purchase, as without it you will not be able to operate your business. You may have some of the equipment already and as long as it is reliable and in good working condition, this can allow you to purchase less equipment initially and expand or update your equipment as your business grows. The cost of your equipment can vary significantly, depending on the specification of your equipment. Equipment for an online teaching business tends to cost between £500 and £5,000.

Monthly and annual equipment costs and subscriptions

Your monthly and annual subscription costs could include your Wi-Fi, website, email service, your secure storage and your online teaching platform. Depending on which subscriptions you require and the specifications of the ones you choose, you can expect to pay between £40 and £150 per month.

Your business website

Your business website is an essential advertising tool, as it enables prospective students to find your services. You may also use your website as your teaching platform and run all your lessons and provide all resources through your website. Your website should be functional, easy to use, attractive and search engine optimised, to ensure it ranks highly on search engines, such as Google. Your website will need regular monitoring, updating and upgrading. You also need to make sure your website is secure, particularly if you will be collecting any customer information or banking details. You may choose to set up and run your website yourself or hire someone to do this for you. You can expect to pay between £20 and £100 per hour for someone to set up and run your website.

Maintaining, repairing and replacing equipment

Repairs, maintenance and replacements are ongoing costs you will need to factor into your budget. Although some of your equipment will come with warranties and guarantees, repairs and replacements are inevitable – particularly because your equipment will be used regularly. Some equipment will also need to be updated or replaced as new technology is released. Using the equipment correctly and performing regular maintenance and updates can extend its lifespan, but potential repairs and replacements and the finances needed for updating your equipment should still be factored into your budget.

You may choose to run a business where you are the sole teacher or hire other online teachers. You may choose to hire teachers on a freelance basis, meaning they pay you a set fee per month or you take a percentage of their earnings. However, if you hire teachers on a permanent basis, you will need to pay them at least the national minimum wage of £9.50 per hour and account for other expenses such as holiday pay, sick pay and maternity/paternity pay.

Branding is an essential expenditure for your business. It can help you to establish your business’s identity and set you apart from your competition. Branding could include creating your business’s visual identity, a logo, your business name, and creating your business website. You can hire a professional to help you with branding or do some of the work yourself. Branding can cost between £500 and £10,000, depending on the amount of branding you require.

Advertising and marketing

To ensure your online teaching business attracts students and creates maximum profits, you will need to invest in advertising and marketing. It is recommended that you spend between 1%-3% of your annual turnover on marketing. For example, if your annual turnover (or your desired annual turnover) is £50,000, you should spend between £500 and £1,500 on advertising and marketing. You may need to invest more money when you initially set up your business or when you are trying to grow your business.

Business insurance

There are multiple coverage options for online teaching businesses, including:

• Public Liability Insurance.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance.
• Legal Protection Insurance.
• Business Contents Insurance.
• Business Interruption Cover.
• Cyber Cover.
• Employers’ Liability Insurance (if relevant).

Insurance costs can vary depending on your insurance provider and the level of coverage you require. Prices typically start at £10 per month.

Typical Pricing for Customers

Once you have calculated the approximate costs associated with setting up and running an online teaching business, you can then determine your pricing policy.

Your pricing will depend on multiple factors, including:

• The subject you teach.
• The level of teaching (e.g. beginner vs higher level).
• The age of your students.
• Your qualifications, experience and level of expertise.
• Whether classes are conducted individually or on a class basis.
• The number of students in a class.
• Your teaching methodology.

The typical prices charged by online teachers vary significantly, typically ranging from £10 to £60 per hour. You may offer discounts if students book a block of lessons or subscribe to the whole course.

Safely Running an Online Teaching Business

Safe practices in your online teaching business can help to protect you, your equipment and your students. Many of the safety practices relating to this type of business aim to protect you from risks related to technology and the internet and to protect your students from potential harm from the content you teach or involvement in online learning.

Some of the safety practices you can implement in your online teaching business are:

Obtain a criminal record check

Even though you will not be teaching in-person classes, you should still obtain a criminal record check if you plan to teach children or vulnerable people. Although criminal record checks are not a legal requirement, they are highly recommended to protect the safety of your students.

The type of check you require depends on the country you live in:

• England: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
• Wales: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
• Scotland: Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.
• Northern Ireland: AccessNI.

Create e-Safety policies and procedures

This is particularly important if you will be working with young learners, teenagers or vulnerable adults. E-Safety ensures your students are aware of the potential risks of using technology and spending time online and how to protect themselves online. This is particularly important as you will not be there to supervise their online activities or how they handle any independent study, resources and research they are required to do online.

Implement a payment policy

You must implement a payment model that is used exclusively and consistently. This includes a payment policy that all students must follow to get access to your course. Having a payment policy in place clearly sets out the terms of payment so all students and prospective students are aware of the expectations. It also ensures you receive payment and that your students do not attend your classes and benefit from your course without making appropriate payment.

Use a secure payment system

This is a key way to protect your business and your profits. You must ensure all payments are completely secure and are made through secure and legitimate channels. This ensures none of your payments are lost or untrackable and reduces the likelihood that you will fall victim to fraud or theft. Secure payment systems can also help to protect your and your clients’ identities and other personal information.

Protect your personal information and your social media

A common problem for teachers is students gaining access to their social media and accessing their personal information, social media posts and photographs. Don’t release any personal information, such as your address, to your students and never accept a friend request from a student or the parent of a student. You should ensure all your social media is private and that if you list a business address on your website, this should not be your home address.

Follow ethical codes

Ethical codes state the expected behaviours and code of conduct for teachers and these should be adhered to by you and any teachers you employ.

Some ethical guidelines you should follow include:

• Act ethically, honestly and with integrity in your online educational setting.
• Never abuse your position.
• Respect other people’s customs, cultures, habits and personal beliefs.
• Treat every student with kindness and respect and do not demonstrate favouritism, prejudice or partiality.
• Keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Ensure you have the relevant knowledge and experience to teach your chosen subject

Although you can set up your business with few qualifications and no teaching experience, this is not a good recipe for making your business succeed. To give your students the best educational experience and ensure your business gains a positive reputation, ensure your knowledge and teaching skills are up to the required level and that you are constantly refreshing your knowledge. Formal qualifications and teaching experience can also be beneficial.

Recognise signs of exploitation, abuse or neglect

If you are teaching children or adolescents, it is important that you and any teachers you hire are trained to recognise signs of sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, abuse or neglect. Even though you are not having face-to-face contact with your students, you will still be spending regular time with them and may gain insight into their home life, particularly if they partake in lessons from their homes. Be aware of the procedures you should follow if you have any concerns about your students.

Install anti-spyware software and use a firewall

Spyware can monitor and collect your personal information and any information stored on your computer or electronic devices without you realising it. Some types of spyware can even detect your passwords and gain access to financial information. Ensure all your devices have anti-spyware software to protect your business and your clients. Similarly, a firewall helps to protect any information stored on your devices, such as your students’ personal information.

Properly maintain and set up equipment

Any equipment you use must be properly maintained, correctly set up and safe to use. You must protect yourself from accidents or injuries caused by equipment. You should also perform regular equipment inspections to ensure your equipment’s safety and help extend the lifespan of your equipment. Maintenance includes regularly checking for faults, regular cleaning and ensuring it is functioning correctly. This can save you money in repairs and replacements and can help you to run your business efficiently.

Conduct risk assessments

Although not a legal requirement for businesses with fewer than five employees, risk assessments can help to eliminate risks and ensure safe practices in your business.

As part of your risk assessments, you should:

• Identify hazards.
• Determine who could be at risk.
• Evaluate any potential risks.
• Implement relevant safety measures.
• Record the results of the risk assessment.
• Review the risk assessment regularly.

You should keep physical records of your risk assessments as evidence of your commitment to safe practices.

Legal Requirements

Complying with any legal requirements and regulations is essential when setting up and running your business. The legal requirements can change depending on the type of online teaching business you set up.

Some factors that can impact the legislation you need to comply with include:

• The subject or topic you teach.
• Whether you hire additional teachers.
• The educational resources and teaching platform you choose.

If you teach students from different geographical locations to yourself, you may have to adhere to legal guidelines in their country.

There are significantly fewer legal guidelines you must comply with when operating as an online teacher, compared to an in-classroom teacher.

However, there are still some legal requirements you should be aware of, including:

Comply with copyright laws

You automatically get copyright protection if you create any original literary content. Copyright prevents people from copying, distributing or making any adaptations to someone else’s work without permission. You must make sure that you don’t advertently or inadvertently copy anyone else’s work or use their work without permission. Ensure you gain any necessary permissions if you are using someone else’s lesson plans, resources or teaching materials to prevent you from infringing on copyright legislation.

Comply with invoice or receipt guidelines

You may make it standard that you send all of your students an e-receipt or invoice once they make a payment to your business. Even if you don’t make it standard, some customers may request receipts or invoices.

You must include certain information in any invoices you create, such as:

• The word ‘invoice’ and a unique invoice number.
• Your business name and address.
• The client’s name and address.
• A brief description of your work.
• The total you are charging the client and when the payment is due.
• The payment method.

Ensure your website is disability friendly

Under the Equality Act (2010) , all websites in the UK must be accessible to people with disabilities. If you set up your own website or teaching platform, you must make reasonable adjustments to your website to ensure it is accessible, for example, having text-only versions of each page so that they can be read by text converters.

Ensure your website complies with guidelines

If you set up a website, there are several guidelines you need to comply with, including:

• Privacy policies.
• Cookie legislation.
• Service descriptions.

Comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (DPA)

You must comply with both pieces of legislation when storing or sharing personal information, such as your students’ personal information, contact details and banking information. You must also apply for a Notification to Process Personal Data Licence. If you process or store personal information such as personal details and banking information, you will need to apply for a licence with the Information Commissioner’s Office and renew your registration every year.

Comply with employment legislation

If you employ any teachers on a permanent basis, you must ensure you follow employment legislation, including the Employment Rights Act (1996 ) and the National Minimum Wage Act (1998) . You must also comply with legislation relating to recruitment, working hours, sickness, discrimination, dismissals, and maternity or paternity pay.

Register your business

You must register your business with HMRC before you begin operating. You can register as a sole trader or as a limited company. You will need to register your business name and any other relevant information.

Register for self-assessment tax

This allows you to calculate and pay your own taxes each year. You will need to track your finances every month and submit any expenses as part of your tax assessment.

As part of your tax responsibilities, you must:

• Record all forms of income and expenses.
• Complete an annual self-assessment tax return.
• Register for VAT if you earn above the threshold (currently £85,000).
• Pay National Insurance contributions.
• Keep a record of your business accounts for the previous five years.

Positives of Owning an Online Teaching Business

Setting up an online teaching business can be rewarding in many ways.

Some of the main positives associated with this type of business are:

You can work from home

You will have the flexibility to work from home, work from a co-working space or another location of your choice. With more people than ever wanting to work from home, an online teaching business gives you the flexibility to run your business completely from the comfort of your own home. Not only will you not have to deal with long commutes and a busy work environment, but you can even work in your pyjama bottoms and slippers if you choose, as your students will only see the top half of you on the camera.

You have the option to travel or live abroad

Running an online teaching business gives you the flexibility to travel or live abroad, as long as you are available for your lessons in line with your students’ time zones. You can work from anywhere, as long as you have a laptop, a good internet connection, a quiet environment, and a background free from mess or clutter. Living or travelling abroad is not feasible for the majority of people because of work or financial constraints. However, teaching online allows you to run your business and earn an income from anywhere in the world.

Create your own schedule

You can choose how little or often you work. You may choose to teach set hours every week or work different hours based on your travel plans. You can also work additional hours when you are less busy in your personal life or you need a higher income. Teaching online allows you to choose your own schedule. To ensure a stable income, you may opt to commit to specific classes on a daily or weekly basis; however, you can choose these classes to suit your preferred working hours.

Interact with people from all over the world

Your students could come from anywhere in the world and teaching them gives you the opportunity to learn about different countries, cultures, traditions and customs. If you enjoy interacting with other people and consider yourself an outgoing person, or you are people-centred, teaching online could be very rewarding. Teaching online and interacting with other people can be interesting and enjoyable.

Be creative in your teaching

Because you are not in a traditional classroom, you will have to get creative with your teaching, your teaching styles and methodologies and your resources. You will have the opportunity to be creative and try many different methods until you find what works best for you and your students.

High-quality educational platforms and software

Technology, online teaching platforms and online resources have improved exponentially in recent years, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic when the majority of learning took place online. Online teaching platforms give you access to a host of activities, resources and lesson ideas and also allow collaboration between teachers and teachers and students. Educational software is a great tool for facilitating learning and can help your students succeed and increase the success of your business.

Online teaching has high success rates

Teaching online can be an extremely effective mode of teaching. It can empower students to work more independently and efficiently and enables them to work at their own pace. Multiple studies have shown that students gain more knowledge and have a higher rate of retention in online classes compared to traditional learning.

Online teaching is more economically friendly

Studies have shown that e-learning consumes 90% less energy and releases 85% less CO2 per student compared to in-person learning. If you are environmentally conscious and would like your business to reflect your values and have a lower carbon footprint, starting up an online teaching business can be rewarding.

Relatively low entry barriers

While qualifications, training and experience are desired, they are not necessary qualities to becoming an online teacher or setting up a business. You won’t require a teaching degree, as you do with other teaching jobs, and in some online teaching jobs, the entry barriers are particularly low, for example, online English teachers may only be required to be native English speakers. If you decide to hire other teachers for your business, having relatively low qualification and training requirements also allows you to hire teachers who have lower salary expectations, which can increase your profits.

High demand

The demand for online teachers and online teaching businesses is higher than ever, making now a great time to set up your business. With more people choosing online learning rather than a traditional classroom, this means your business is more likely to attract students and succeed.

Low start-up costs

An online teaching business is a low-investment venture. You will have very few equipment requirements and will not be responsible for paying for a commercial location. Low initial investment requirements will mean you won’t require any outside investment and can begin turning a profit earlier.

It can be rewarding

People who choose to teach often love their profession and find it very rewarding. Teaching can be a rewarding and enriching profession, particularly when you see your students learn, improve and succeed. You will likely be interested in the subject you teach or passionate about your students which can make teaching even more fulfilling.

You can choose to work for yourself or an already established platform

You will have the flexibility of exactly how you want to run your business. You can choose to operate as a completely independent teacher, set up your own teaching platform or work on a freelance basis for an already established teaching platform. You can make this decision based on what best suits you and your business.

Opportunities for growth

There are high opportunities for growth. You could start small by working as an online teacher on an already existing platform and then grow your business by setting up your own website and hiring other teachers. An online teaching business can be extremely lucrative.

Pick and choose your students

You will have the opportunity to pick and choose which students you want to work with. If you don’t think a particular student is the right fit for a class, is the right ability or isn’t likely to succeed, you can decline to work with them. Additionally, if you don’t think you will gel well with a student after an initial consultation or trial class, you can make the decision that is best for you and your business.

Capitalise on your qualifications, experience, knowledge and interests

Because you can choose your speciality, you can opt to focus on subjects and topics that you are knowledgeable about and interested in. Not only will this make your work more interesting and enjoyable, but students are also usually willing to pay extra if the teacher has specific qualifications and experience in the given subject.

Negatives of Owning an Online teaching Business

Although running an online teaching business can be rewarding in many ways, there are some potentially negative aspects of this type of business.

These can include:

Relying on the internet

The internet is essential to your business and the successful delivery of your classes. Without the internet, you will not be able to operate your business. If your internet cuts out suddenly during a lesson or you are unable to connect at the necessary time, this can portray your business as being unprofessional and unreliable. Not only will you likely have to refund the student for the cost of the lesson, but connectivity issues could also result in negative customer reviews and a loss of students. Sometimes, connectivity issues are outside your control, and this can be extremely frustrating.

Different time zones can be challenging

Depending on the subject and course you teach and where your students are located, you may have to adhere to time zones in different areas of the world. This is particularly true if you teach English. This could mean that most of your classes are at inconvenient times. Online classes are also particularly popular in the evenings and at the weekend, as many students require the flexibility to work around their existing schedule. This could impact your personal life and family life.

It can be physically demanding

You may think teaching online will result in no physical strain because you will be sitting down for much of the day. However, several physical concerns could be attached to this type of job, for example:

• Eye strain.
• Back and neck pain and strain.
• Musculoskeletal pain and strain.
• Reduced cardiovascular fitness.

It can be difficult to grow your student base

Because students usually choose well-established online teaching platforms and experienced teachers with positive student reviews, it can be difficult to grow your student base. You may initially start out with small classes and empty time slots, which can have a significant impact on your profits. There are a lot of established teaching businesses and highly experienced online teachers already operating, which can make it difficult to grow your business.

It can be repetitive

You will likely specialise in a particular subject, course or topic (most likely one you are qualified and experienced in). However, this means you will likely be teaching much of the same materials and repeating your lesson plans multiple times. This can get very repetitive and dull and could result in you finding less enjoyment in your work or being less invested in each lesson.

A lot of patience is required

You could be teaching young children who require a lot of patience, positivity and repetition and this can be tiring for you. You may also be repeating lessons multiple times with different students. As some of your lessons may take place in the evenings, some of your younger students may be tired and struggle to concentrate. This can make your job much harder.

It can be time-consuming

Your working time will not be limited to the time you spend teaching. You will also need to plan and prepare lessons, prepare resources, set assignments and mark any classwork and homework. This can be extremely time-consuming and you will likely not be paid for this additional work, which can impact your income.

Online teachers earn significantly lower pay than traditional teachers. This is because of high competition and, in some subjects, an over-saturated market. You could also be teaching students from other parts of the world, where there may be lower pay or no minimum wage. Students often expect to pay lower prices for remote learning, and this could result in lower profits.

Business can be inconsistent

You may have times when you are very busy and your classes are all full and other times when you have relatively few students. Online learning has a high turnover rate, with many students only committing to their learning for a short period of time. It can be difficult to plan your finances, predict your profits and decide your working hours when your business is inconsistent. There could be times when you are less busy and this can have a significant impact on your profits.

It can be stressful

You will have a lot of responsibilities, including planning and preparing lessons, teaching, advertising, searching for students and ensuring the day-to-day running of your business. This can be stress-inducing, particularly when you are trying to grow your business. You will also have the additional stress of trying to increase your student base and ensuring your business grows and succeeds.

Some students can be difficult

Some students (or their parents if you teach children and teens) can be difficult and demanding and have unrealistic expectations of their achievements and level of improvement. They may expect you to perform miracles and suddenly make them an expert in the subject. Trying to deal with this type of student can be extremely difficult and if they are not satisfied, this could result in negative reviews and loss of business.

No benefits

As you are self-employed, you won’t receive benefits such as pension contributions. You will also be responsible for doing your own taxes and organising your National Insurance contributions. You will also have a lack of job security.

Your business could fail

Starting up your own business can be risky. Many new businesses fail which could result in you losing money or getting into debt. Your business could fail for several reasons, such as high local competition, an ineffective business plan or if there is another recession or a period of financial difficulty.

Planning Your Online Teaching Business

An effective and well-designed business plan is essential to the success of your online teaching business. A business plan can help you to focus on the specific steps that will help your business succeed, plan your short-term and long-term goals, determine your financial needs and help your business to grow.

When creating your business plan, ensure it contains information such as:

• Your company information.
• Your company description.
• The services you will provide.
• Your branding, marketing and advertising plan.
• The structure of your business.
• The operational plan for your business.
• The financial plan for your business.

Some of the factors you will need to consider when creating your business plan are:

What is your business summary?

Your business plan should include a detailed overview of your business, including your teaching methodology, your teaching platform, the size of your business, your licensing, your equipment requirements and your business goals.

What subject or course will you specialise in?

Consider your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills when considering what to specialise in. You should also consider your areas of interest (as this can make your work more enjoyable) and your competition. If you are hiring other online teachers, you will have to decide whether to hire teachers who specialise in the same subject as you or whether to offer subject diversity on your teaching platform.

What teaching methodology will you follow?

As mentioned earlier, there are many different teaching methods available for online teachers, such as synchronous and asynchronous teaching and flipped learning. Ensure you research each methodology in detail to determine which one is likely to be best suited to you, which methodologies have proven to be the most successful and which are likely to attract the most students. Being armed with this information allows you to make an informed choice.

How do you plan to run your business?

Will you teach on a freelance basis with an already established teaching platform? Will you set up your own online teaching website or platform? Will you operate as the sole teacher or will you hire other teachers to work for your business? These are all important considerations you will need to make when determining how best to run your business. It is also possible to change your business plan as your business and your profits grow.

Who will your typical students be?

Your student base will likely be influenced by the subject you specialise in and the teaching methodology you choose. Identifying your target market can help you determine your advertising and marketing techniques; for example, if you want to attract young adult learners, you may opt to advertise on social media platforms.

What competition do you have?

Being aware of your competition can help you make key business decisions. You can look at what other teaching companies do well and their unexploited opportunities for growth or improvement. You could also look at whether there are any untapped teaching niches or methods of teaching that you could focus on to help you attract students.

What is your brand and unique selling point (USP)?

Creating your brand is a key way to ensure you stand out from other online teachers. Branding can help you to focus your target audience, attract students and concentrate your marketing and advertising strategies. You can create your brand by focusing on the type of teacher you want to be, your qualifications and experience, your website and your brand story. A USP can also be part of your brand and can help your online teaching business stand out from your competitors. Consider what can make you stand out and how this fits into what defines your business.

What are your marketing and advertising strategies?

Marketing and advertising are especially important when you first launch your online teaching business. Your marketing strategy needs to be effective and budget friendly. Consider your target audience and the best way to reach them.

Some ways you can market and advertise your business are:

• Build a functional and attractive website and online portfolio.
• Create business cards.
• Offer discounted rates and introductory offers to build your student base.
• Ask your students to write a review of your business online.
• Set up a referral system.
• Advertise online and in person.

What is your business budget?

Your business budget will include your start-up costs and your running costs. A budget can help you to better manage your business’s finances and maximise your profits. Determining your approximate costs enables you to calculate your initial investment and what your monthly or annual running costs will be. Creating a budget is a key part of your business plan. Once you have determined your approximate costs, you can then calculate your pricing policy and determine your profit forecast.

What are your pricing policy and sales strategy?

You need to ensure your prices are competitive whilst still ensuring you are maximising your profits and income. Consider the prices charged by other online teaching businesses. Your pricing will also be influenced by your own experience and qualifications, your platform and teaching methodology and the level of the students. Your pricing policy may change as your business and reputation grow. You should also create a sales strategy to help you maximise your sales and target your customers successfully.

What is your strategy for growth?

Your strategy for growth is the actions you will take to realise your goals for expansion. For example:

• Set up your own teaching platform.
• Hire other teachers to teach a variety of subjects.
• Target higher-paying students.
• Offer formal qualifications to your students.

Are there any potential challenges you will need to overcome?

Being aware of any potential challenges your business will face can help you to prepare for them and hopefully avoid them. This can help to make your business more successful. Challenges could include a failure to attract new students and low student retention.

What are your business goals?

Determining your business goals is an essential part of creating your business plan. Your business objectives highlight the targets and goals of your online teaching business and help you to create a one-year, three-year and five-year business plan.

Your business objectives should be SMART:

• S = Specific
• M = Measurable
• A = Achievable
• R = Realistic
• T = Time-bound

Have you complied with all legal requirements?

Consult the list of legal requirements above to check you have complied with all requirements and regulations and that all your paperwork is accurate. Failure to comply with legal requirements could have a detrimental effect on your business or could result in a fine, the forced closure of your business or, in serious cases, prosecution.

Download our business plan

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How To Build An Elearning Business In 2024: Six Approaches That Work

he global school shutdown caused by the covid-19 outbreak has offered a chance for e-learning companies to reach approximately 1.37 billion students. The desire to learn and the need to supplement limited access to educational institutions have led to a boom in the eLearning industry. The e-learning industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20 percent to reach $315 billion by 2028.

Thus, now is an excellent time to start your own e-learning or training business, given the worldwide demand for online and distance learning. However, implementing an e-learning business plan is no easy feat. The key to achieving success is to try things no one else has. Consider  Cathy More  and her ilk as an example. Cathy is a well-known training pioneer who has made it her mission to rid the world of boring education. Companies such as Microsoft, Pfizer, the US Army, Barclays, and the US Department of the Interior have all used Cathy's designs. 😎 

Don't be disheartened that the key players have already taken their places at the table, and you're just getting started. At least, this is why we are here to teach you how to fly.  EducateMe  outlines the fundamental but essential steps to create an e learning business in this article. Want to follow in Cathy's footsteps or perhaps join the ranks of successful e-learning companies? Buckle up and enjoy the ride as we reveal the inside scoop. 

In six steps, the following summarizes how to start an e-learning business.

1️⃣ Define your audience

2️⃣ Establish a core content

3️⃣ Choose an LMS

4️⃣ Launch your courses

5️⃣ Promote your company 

Ready to learn? Let's go! 🚀

What Is an E-learning Business? 

Too frequently, learning and  online learning  are confused with one another. Before defining an e-learning business model, it is necessary to clarify what falls within and outside the learning scope.

E-learning, often known as "virtual learning," primarily refers to an internet-based form of education. The instructor and students do not meet in person. All coursework and contact are conducted through email, message boards, chat, or video conferencing. Some schools refer to this course format as "fully online."

• Out of scope

The bulk of the coursework will be completed online through forums, shared papers, email, chat, and so on. However, this does not mean that students and teachers have no face-to-face contact. Coursework may be completed in a classroom or remotely, so long as most discussion takes place online. Online learning falls under this category.

So what Do Elearning Startups Do? 🤔

You need an e learning business if you want to effectively educate people in a specific field or teach them new skills while maximizing your resources and increasing your revenue. Consequently, learning startups refer to platforms used by instructors to administer online courses or impart curriculum-aligned learning experiences. eLearning programs may contain videos, quizzes, simulations, games, activities, and other interactive elements. Additionally, students could view a recorded lecture or attend a live lecture.

Types of eLearning Business Models

There are three primary business models for e-learning that instructors may implement. 

✅ Night School Model

The term "night school model" was coined to describe community colleges' vocational and evening courses. The majority of eLearning companies follow the model of conventional night schools. In this tried-and-true arrangement, students pay a one-time fee for curriculum access. This business model provides courses with predetermined learning modules, assessments, quizzes, and examinations that adhere to a specific structure. 

✅ The Academy Model 

The Academy eLearning model is comparable to a cyberspace membership or subscription service. Students are granted access to all content, including live classes and courses, for a monthly fee. As their expertise grows, students have a greater say in what and when they study. The business model of the academy provides students with a plethora of study materials, including courses, videos, and other media, from which they can learn and develop in various domains. 

✅ The Combined Model 

The "combined" model is a hybrid of the night school and academy models, intending to increase income. Here, the academy model is the primary offering, while the night school strategy is an optional extra. In addition to subscription-based services, this model offers both a "buy once, use forever" option and individual courses.

Who Needs an Elearning Business? 🤷‍♂️ 

Launching an e-learning startup is just one aspect of the process, but before you start, you'll need to determine if it's a good fit for you. 

Course Designers 🖼 

Online course developers are those who make courses available to students online. Packaging your expertise into an eLearning course may supplement your income or start a new one. Using an eLearning business model, you may differentiate yourself from the competition by deciding to develop courses that feature your comprehensive knowledge and skills.

Online teachers 🧑‍🏫 

Starting an online learning business requires excellent communication and teaching skills, a stable computer, and knowledge of the subject area being taught. Your responsibilities as a remote tutor may change based on the kind of eLearning company you run, the grade level you instruct, and your student's age and learning needs.

Training Camps ⛺️ 

The eLearning industry presents an opportunity for boot camp planners to integrate their events. The first guideline for managing a successful boot camp is removing students from their normal environments. Corporate learners can now interact with distant colleagues and facilitators via the eLearning industry, broadening their access to education and training opportunities.

Is Elearning a Profitable Business and Why Launch One? 

The importance of the eLearning industry has grown as the educational landscape has shifted away from classroom-based instruction to online courses. An e-learning company facilitates digital interaction between educators and their students. Several important factors are contributing to the increase in interest and participation. Listed below are the most important ones.

Start Your eLearning Academy with Confidence - Try Our Guide Today!

Feeling uncertain about building your eLearning academy? Our guide can help you start with confidence

The COVID-19 Pandemic has Irrevocably Altered the Future of Education, with Elearning at the Forefront of the Revolution

According to Technavio's most recent market analysis, the e-learning market's potential growth gap is  expected to increase by USD 1.72 trillion between 2021 and 2026 . The report finds that the market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 16.35% over the predicted time frame. The e-learning market's growth is largely fueled by improved learning in the academic sector. 

COVID-19 boosted e-learning revenue. In response to rising employee safety concerns, companies are adopting work-from-home policies. This hinders companies' training, communication, progress monitoring, and upskilling, fueling demand for e-learning platforms among large corporations and SMEs. 

Corporates Are Investing Heavily in R&D for Their Clientele, and Employees

Between 2022 and 2028, the service providers industry is anticipated to grow at a rate of 30% due to the increasing emphasis on portfolio expansion among Indian businesses. The rapid spread of coronavirus necessitated the closure of schools and universities, necessitating the development of online alternatives for reinstatement of regular classes. Terms such as social and  collaborative learning are becoming commonplace in fast-advancing companies. Businesses invest more money in research and development to provide new products and services to satisfy consumer demand. 

The North American Government Is Improving Its Telecom and IT infrastructures 

Increases in telecom and IT infrastructure investment, scalability of resources, and greater access to university courses have all contributed to the expansion of the eLearning industry, as have service providers' substantial According to the International Telecommunication Union, the number of internet users will increase from 4.1 billion this year to nearly 5.3 billion in 2022. (ITU). The development of the industry is being driven by the growing number of people with Internet access. As the telecommunications and broadband industries have expanded, so has the availability of inexpensive Internet connection options. 

Higher Education Now Prioritizes Scalable Resources and Expanded Course Availability

In addition, there is a great deal of encouragement to launch an eLearning company because the demand for online learning materials currently exceeds the supply, resulting in a substantial increase in the earnings potential of market participants.

What Is ROI in Elearning?

Using an economic formula known as elearning return on investment (ROI), 💰 one can calculate the financial benefits of offering online training courses or operating an eLearning business. For an eLearning project to be successful, its benefits must exceed its expenses. A calculation of return on investment justifies the investment in training by comparing the costs of development and delivery to the value or benefits realized. 

The owner of an eLearning company is understandably curious as to whether or not their online training program produced the desired outcomes, whether or not their trainees found it useful, and whether or not their company's bottom line has increased significantly. In essence, eLearning ROI is an essential performance metric for determining whether or not your eLearning organization is optimizing its financial resources.

How Do You Measure Elearning Business ROI?

When starting an e-learning business, the ROI estimate is essential. Measuring ROI enables a business to determine the success of a campaign and establish benchmarks for future campaigns. For instance, after establishing an e-learning startup, you could use ROI measurement to determine when something fails, allowing you to swiftly reevaluate or re-shape your offerings and avoid wasting time and money on something that isn't working.

Traditional Elearning ROI Calculation

ROI is frequently calculated by dividing the profit from an investment by the amount invested. The ROI of your eLearning company can be determined by comparing the cost of creating and delivering training programs to the results they produce. To determine the average eLearning ROI, simply divide the amount of money your company made due to the program by its implementation cost. You can calculate your return on investment as a percentage using this formula by multiplying the result by 100. To declare your effort a success, you must show that the benefits and value of your program outweigh the costs.

Kirkpatrick's Four Tiers Evaluation

Donald Kirkpatrick's 4-level model, which considers learner feedback, the impact on the business, and the return on investment, is the most widely used technique for determining training effectiveness. 

• The first level or stage is known as "Reaction." Students' responses to surveys and comments reveal what should be improved and whether the material was useful. 
• Each participant's learning level will determine how much they take away from experience. It assesses how well the learner is progressing toward their objectives, whether the training objectives are being met, and whether there are knowledge gaps that can be filled by modifying the course content. 
• Upon completion of a course, instructors can determine whether their students' behavior has changed and whether the skills and knowledge they gained have been applied by observing their behavior levels. 
• The effectiveness of training is determined by calculating its impact or influence on the trainees' outcomes. Productivity gains are a common indicator of success. 
• In Kirkpatrick's assessment methodology, Level 5 is the transition between the first four stages and the final step in calculating ROI for online education. The ROI of online learning can be calculated by comparing the cost of the training to the benefits it offers.

Through an LMS (the most practical method)

A learning management system (LMS) is essential software for your e-learning business. It enables you to host training and provides multiple options for collecting training data and generating reports on the fly. Using your cloud-based learning management system (LMS), students can access course materials anytime and from any location. Your learning business's return on investment (ROI) may not rack up immediately. However, your business will begin to generate a return on investment once you replace traditional training with an LMS.

How to Build an Elearning Business in 6 Steps

There are two possible routes for launching an e-learning business. The first is to create a website or mobile application to promote your business, and the second is to use an LMS to aggregate or sell courses. Custom websites and applications are an excellent concept, but they require a substantial investment and technical expertise to develop and maintain. In contrast, LMS implementation requires fewer resources and no technical knowledge. Consequently, instructors utilize LMS more frequently.

If you prefer the LMS route, the following is a 6-step guide on how to start e learning business models.

Step #1. Define Your Audience

Market research is required to determine who you should target. To narrow down your target audience, ask yourself questions like: 

• Who is my target audience? 
• What age range should I shoot for? 
• What are their annoyances or pain points? 
• What kinds of courses do they want to take? 

With the answers to these questions, you can tailor your course material to the needs of your audience.

Step #2. Determine Your Core Content

If you want to launch an e-learning startup, you should prioritize long-term value and attract prospective new learners, and keep your current customers. A list of the core skills students want to learn is extremely beneficial. Based on this data, you can decide what to focus on creating and who you're attempting to reach. Furthermore, you may complete more than one critical piece of content with different subsets of your target audience. 

Step #3. Select an LMS

When it comes to launching your eLearning business, you have some options. However, to provide students with engaging online course material, we recommend using a platform with an open-source LMS. You can customize an open-source platform to meet your specific needs. 

Step #4. Make Your Courses Available

It's a good idea to create some sample lessons and courses that cover the main features of your platform before launching it. To see high rates of early acceptance and positive feedback, ensure your material is high quality and provides value to the learner. Your students' reactions to these initial practical exercises will determine the long-term success of your eLearning platform. 

Step #5. Decide on a Price 

Every e learning business must make a profit, and detailed course pricing is one way to do so. It would help if you struck a balance between charging too little and failing to make enough to cover your expenses and charging too much and failing to attract any students. You could conduct a market study and compare the prices of similar classes on competing websites. Establishing a market presence frequently entails undercutting competitors' prices or offering discount deals. 

Step #6. Market Your Elearning Business

You won't be able to succeed without solid marketing, no matter how strong your platform is. You'll need to actively promote your business through marketing, social media, and other channels to stand out among the hundreds of eLearning platforms. 

Elearning Startups Founders' Lessons

Here are some pearls of wisdom from early learning entrepreneurs. We didn't name them but picked up their most important messages.

👉 Lesson 1. It's All about being in the Audience!

The learners are now the mainstay of education. This trend is further supported by concepts such as  cohort-based learning . As an instructor, you must capture your students' attention and reassure them that they are not alone in their struggles. When starting an eLearning company, focus your efforts on the target audience. When users feel like they belong on your eLearning platform, they have an emotional investment, which motivates them to tell their classmates about it. 

👉 Lesson 2. You Can't Ignore the Technical Sides

Technical considerations and project technology execution are equally important to the instructional component of the project. You must understand the fundamental guidelines for evaluating your eLearning business software. 

👉 Lesson 3. Do Everything You Can (Mistakes Too)

You can save money in the early stages of a project by doing as much of the work as possible on your own. Your future failures will not negate the valuable lessons you've already learned. 

👉 Lesson 4. Adopt Industry Best Practices to Increase Your Demand

The goal of online education is to make learning enjoyable and beneficial. Best practices in the industry may be used to increase sales in this manner. Suppose you want your students to be able to see how they're doing and receive feedback on how they can improve. In that case, one option is to use an artificial intelligence-powered ePortfolio module. Games can help to foster student competition.

Create an E-learning Startup on EducateMe 🔥 

Beginning an eLearning business may not be the simplest endeavor. But with an all-inclusive and feature-rich LMS like EducateMe, you can streamline the process.EducateMe is a platform that enables instructors to offer live courses, foster engagements between mentors and their students, and offer performance analytics.

8 Best LMS For Sales Training [2024]

Key 12 LMS Requirements For Your Checklist

10 Best Affordable LMS [2024]

Create and scale collaborative courses

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The Instructors' Guide For Creating A Collaborative Learning Environment in 2024

How To Create An Online School In 5 Easy Steps [2024 Guide]

8 Best LMS for Small Businesses [2024 List]

LXP vs LMS: Benefits, Features, Users, Content Compared to Help You Choose in 2024

20+ Best Instructional Design Software for Making Awesome Courses

Business Coaching

Free PDF: The 3 worst online course mistakes (and how to fix them)

How to Start a Wildly Successful Online Training Business (2024)

• By Luisa Zhou
• Building a Business , Online Courses
• Updated: April 17, 2024

On this page

Want to learn how to start an online training business?

You’re in the right place. Today, you’ll learn how to start your own online education business that’s both profitable and scalable. 

Want to learn more? Read on!

What is an online training business? 

An online training business, or an online education business, is a business that sells online courses. And these online courses are in demand; the industry is expected to become a $243 billion industry .

The thing you sell as a course creator is information , but in a way that helps people apply that information and get results—in other words, they buy the transformation that your information offers.

But what type of information can you sell? 

Your training course can teach people information you’ve acquired as part of your job, education, or by yourself. For instance, if you’re a self-taught coder who has landed a job as a programmer, your education business can help people do the same. Or if you are into health and you’ve learned how to eat healthily, you might teach people who want to get the same results as you did. 

Some real-life examples of training businesses are…

Good Gentlemen. My student Ruby helps men find love. Ruby worked as a matchmaker at companies like eHarmony before she started her own education business.

Cultivitae. My student Emily worked for years as a recruiter. And now, she helps people land their dream jobs.

Wisdom Square. My student David started experimenting with herbs to fix his own health issues. He discovered a way to use herbs to lose weight and that’s how Wisdom Square was born!

But how do you start selling courses? Let’s find out. 

How to start selling online training courses

Now, there are a few ways in which you can get started building your online training business.

The easiest way is to FIRST start a coaching or a consulting business where you help people one-on-one. This will give you the skills to then teach them that same thing through an online education business.

The next option is a group coaching program, which means that you help multiple people simultaneously as a coach. A group program typically involves some kind of self-study course as well.

And the third option is self-study training courses, AKA courses that people take on their own. You usually don’t offer a lot of personal support when you sell self-study courses; in some cases, none at all.  

The reason these courses aren’t the best place to start is that it takes some learning on your part to figure out what to include in your course, how to structure it, and how to deliver your content to help your students get results.

And the best way to learn all those things is to first work closely with them as a coach or consultant. So, that’s why I recommend that you start there. 

But if you’re ready to sell courses, how do you make money in your business? That’s what we’ll look at next.

How to make money selling courses online 

How do you make money as an online course creator? 

There are a few ways you can sell your online course.

The first one is with a launch model .

This model means that you launch your course one to four times a year (or more). In between, people can’t buy your course. Instead, you build buzz with your launches so that people get excited to buy your course.

Now, I hear a lot of people say, “launches are dead.”

But contrary to popular belief, launching is as profitable as ever. 

Especially for new course creators who still need to master things like sales and marketing. That’s why this is the route I recommend for you if you’re new to training courses.

The second model is evergreen courses . Evergreen means that you sell your course via an automated system that allows you to make sales all the time, “passively.” And a lot of people say, “evergreen is where it’s at.”

Except, they’re wrong.

Discover the top 3 reasons most courses fail

(plus how to fix them so you succeed).

Yes, evergreen works. My business is, in large part part, an evergreen course business . 

But, it took me years to get here. First, I had to go through the grind and learn how to create the best courses possible.

Then, I had to build my traffic. 

Contrast that to my launches. I consistently saw more engagement, generated more momentum and brand recognition, and built deeper connections with my audience than I could ever do through evergreen. (And I had a way higher sales conversion rate than I’ll probably ever have with my evergreen funnels, even though they’re incredible.)

So start with launches and then, once you have learned how to build courses, market, sell, and support your clients, turn to evergreen. 

Now you know what it takes to make money with your courses. But how much can you make with a training course business? That’s what we’ll look at next. 

How much can you make selling online courses?

Are online training courses profitable? 

The answer is: Yes, online education can be one of the most profitable business models out there.

You see, once you’ve created your course, you own an asset that you can sell again and again without development or shipping costs.

Granted, you’ll have business costs. But so does every business—however, due to its relatively low costs, an online course business can be very profitable relative to other businesses. 

Ultimately, there’s no income gap for making money with online courses. 

Some people want to keep their online course income as a side business or as an extra income source. Others want to build a fully-fledged online course business and make six figures, multiple six figures, or seven figures from their courses. I’ve helped both groups of people start their online training businesses. 

So your income potential comes down to your goals. 

That said, if you want to start an online training business, how do you know that you’re qualified to do so?

Let’s take a look. 

Who is qualified to run an online training business? 

You might be wondering:

Who is qualified to teach others with an online course business? 

Good question. There are no formal qualifications for online courses (at least most of them—some industries require certifications or formal training, mainly certain health-related niches. You need to be aware of any requirements in the industry you want to build a course business in). 

You should have achieved what you teach, though. So if you teach people how to get abs, you should have built abs using your own methodology. 

Or if you teach others how to get promoted at work, you’ve used your own system to get promoted. 

In other words: If you’ve achieved results yourself, you’re qualified to teach them. 

But how do you even find an idea? Build a course? And sell it? 

That’s what we’ll look at next!

How do you start a profitable online course business? 

How do you start an online training business?

Great question. Here’s how to build your business from having no course idea or audience to selling your first courses. 

Your online education business plan

What’s the first thing you should do to sell your course? 

Finding a course idea, growing your audience, and selling your course… it all comes down to a few proven steps. 

Here’s how to start an online training business: 

• Brainstorm a course idea (strategically, so that you find an idea you like AND people want to pay for) 
• Build your audience (in as little time as possible so you can start selling your course) 
• Build your course (so that people enjoy learning from you and get results) 
• Price your course (in the right way) 
• And launch your course (with a proven, four-step plan) 

Here below, we’ll look at each of these steps. First up: find your course idea. 

1. Decide on an online course topic 

Why do you need a niche to succeed as a course creator? 

Well, whatever industry you’re thinking about, there probably are tons of businesses in that same industry… That’s what a niche will help you with; to stand out. 

But how do you find your niche? 

First, brainstorm all the categories you could start your online training business in. These can be based on your existing skills or job experience. 

Then, think about each category and what things you’d talk about and give people advice on. There’s likely one niche that trumps all others and is much easier for you to talk about… that’s a great niche to get started in. 

Next, think about who you can help with that topic. And not just anyone, but who are the people who are willing and able to pay for your help. 

Finally, who is likely to relate to you and for that reason, more likely to hire you? 

(These are usually people who share your characteristics, such as middle-aged women if you’re a middle-aged woman. Note that you don’t have to have the exact same characteristics, but it’s much easier to sell to people who already relate to you from the start.)

Then, name the problem you help solve. What do your potential clients want? To get ahead in their careers? To build muscle? Or to learn how to code so they can land a new job? 

In this short video, I share more about what it takes to find your niche:

Now that you know how to find your niche, let’s take a look at what you need to know about building an audience. 

2. Understand and build your audience

Most online business gurus tell you to spend YEARS building an audience before you sell a thing.

I’m firmly against that. You don’t have to spend months or years building your audience, but you can instead build a small audience right away, sell your product, and build a bigger audience as you build your business.  

Building your audience comes down to getting people to find you through different strategies and then inviting them to join YOUR audience by signing up for your email list.

But why ask them to join your email list? Why not just ask them to follow you on social media?

Simple: you own your email list. It’s your asset. But a social media audience is owned by the social media platform and they can do as they please, be it shut down your account or change their algorithm so that people won’t find you anymore.

Plus, email just has a bigger ROI (for every $1 spent, marketers make $42 ).

That said, growing your email list is more about quality than quantity. Don’t just “spray and pray” by doing as much as possible, but focus on a few, high-quality strategies. 

Some of those strategies include getting on podcasts as a guest, guest posting on other websites, and growing your audience on a social media platform (such as Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn). 

By following these steps, you can get started really fast. That’s because you don’t need thousands of people in your audience, especially if you follow my launch strategy, which I share below. 

Even a few hundred people is enough.

That’s how Lisa S., an advertising consultant, sold her online course with just 100 audience members.

And Lisa, a fitness coach, sold out her bootcamp! 

But how do you create your training course? Let’s take a look. 

4. Build your course 

Now we’re getting to the really fun part!

Your next task is to decide what type of course you want to sell.

Let me explain: 

There are two types of courses you can sell.

Either a group program where you give more private support or a self-study course, which people go through on their own. 

The course you decide to build depends on a few factors, such as if this is the first training course you create. If it is, a group coaching program might be the right choice for you because you will be able to give more support to your clients and help them get results, while there’s a learning curve to teaching a self-study course. 

Either way, the easiest way to get started is to first coach or consult and then create a course based on your existing methodology. Once you’ve coached one or two people, you’ll start seeing patterns; what questions they have and when, what objections or challenges they have, and so on. 

Here’s what’s required to build both types of courses: 

Group coaching program

A group program is a program where you coach many people simultaneously. Your program can either be an intimate group with up to 25 participants (which is a higher-end offer) or a program with 300-400 people (in which case you’ll probably offer a self-study course together with live support). 

To create your group coaching program, ask yourself: 

What is going to be the promise of your group program? 

How is the delivery going to match the promise? 

And what is the depth you’re going to go into for customization? 

These are all important to consider because you don’t want to end up in a situation where you have promised too much and struggle with fulfilling those promises. 

Or where you have a mishmash of coaching calls. You do need a structure so that you can deliver what you promise to your students. 

That’s what you need for a group program. And here’s how to create a self-study course: 

Self-study course

To create a self-study course, either to sell on its own or as part of a group coaching program, ask yourself:

What are the results someone will get after going through your course? 

The thing that makes a course great isn’t all the features or things people get (50,000 hours of video, 20 PDFs and so on). Nope, what makes a course great is how it helps students get the best results possible in the shortest amount of time or the most efficient way for them.

And that also means you shouldn’t start with a massive course, but instead, the first steps someone needs to take to get results. Let me explain.

Create a First Steps course

Lots of people create a Magnum Opus right off the bat and try to include everything they know into one course. 

However, that’s not how it works. 

When you create your first course, you should create a much smaller course. This course will teach people to take the first few steps to get the ultimate result they want.

If you’re a health coach, you could teach people how to meal prep healthy food (instead of the ultimate result, which might be to lose more weight or get a toned body). 

I first created a course called “Your First Paying Clients” before I created my flagship course “Employee to Entrepreneur”. YFPC teaches people how to get their first clients, while ETE teaches people how to build a business from A to Z. It would have been really overwhelming to create a course about building a business from scratch before I had learned to create a small course. 

Over-communicate 

Over-communicate in your course. Tell people: what’s the plan? What steps are they taking now? What are they doing next? In other words, for each lesson, tell people what they’ll learn in that lesson, go through the content, and then explain what the next steps are. 

Set up your course

Where should you host your course? The easiest way is to set up a private Facebook group or similar and invite your students to this group. You can add videos and Google Docs to the group (this doesn’t have to be fancy to keep things as simple as possible). 

That’s how I created my first course. Not only was it the easiest way for me to get started, but it made my course feel really intimate and helped me support my students so that they got better results.

However, you can also host your course on a simple WordPress site or an online course platform like Teachable. These aren’t as lean as a simple Facebook group, but they work just as well.

Support  

Before you launch your course, you will need to decide on the amount of support you’ll offer your students. In the beginning, you won’t get far if you just launch your course and sit back and relax. Instead, by actively supporting your students, your course stands out AND you learn more about your students and how they learn from your course.

In my first years, I live coached over 1,000 students before I felt comfortable that my flagship course included everything it needed to and was structured in a way that made it easy for my students to implement it. 

During this time, I added a lot of coaching support (first, just my own support and later, I added on program coaches to offer even more support). And thanks to this support, my students got the best results possible. 

That’s it for creating a successful course. If you’re curious about learning more about course creation, I explain the process in a bit more detail in this video:  

But how do you decide on a course price? That’s what we’ll look at next. 

3. Decide on your course price 

Your course price depends on the course you sell.  

If your course is a group coaching program with one-on-one support, you can price your program at $997-$1,997. Once you’ve worked with a few students, you can raise your rates to $2,997 and more.

Or if your course is a self-study course, your price could be between $197-$497. When you have testimonials and a more established online education business (AKA you know how to create and sell courses), you can raise your price to $1,997 or more. 

And when you’ve created your course, it’s time to… launch it! 

5. Launch your course 

First, we need to bust a popular myth in the training business industry.

That you create your course, write a few sales emails, and then you sit back and watch the “passive income” roll in.

At a certain point, that is what can happen.

In my business, that’s how we make most of our income. But I’ve also built a massive email list and have been doing this for seven years.

I didn’t have any of this starting out, as you probably don’t, either.

You might have just a few hundred people in your audience (if even), you probably don’t have marketing and copywriting skills, and people don’t know you that well.

It’s a completely different ballgame.

That’s why, to sell out your first few courses, you need to use a strong launch strategy and a good amount of hustling.

Here’s what I mean: 

When I launched my first course, I made $8,000, which meant about 16 course students.

To get those students, I talked to about 40 people. Every person who joined my course had personally spoken to me. They would probably not have joined by just reading a few emails because I wasn’t that good at writing sales emails. 

Plus, as you launch, you ALSO grow your audience, which helps you in your next launch. So, it gets easier and easier (during my next few launches, I made several hundreds of thousands in sales). 

But before you’re more established and people know about you and your course, you will need to put in skin in the game. 

The launch strategy I use for online course sales has four stages: 

#1: The pre-launch 

This is the time before your launch where you’re building your audience and letting people know you have a course coming in the next few months.

I used social media when I built my first course. Through my own Facebook group, people started finding me and recommending my course to their friends.

While I had started from zero, I soon had a few hundred group members on the platform by showing up every day and grinding and hustling to get in front of my audience.

#2: Launch triggers

Because your audience is super busy and sees tons of ads and emails every day, you really have to stand out to get their attention and sell your course.

That’s where a launch trigger comes in. 

It’s an event that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them excited about your upcoming course.

The launch trigger I prefer is a live challenge.

For your first course, I recommend a live challenge of about five days where you challenge your audience to take action and then you give them live feedback, share content, and use livestreams to connect with your audience.

In other words, you’re essentially showing people how good you are at what you do and building trust so that they feel more comfortable and excited about buying your course. 

#3: The launch

The third phase is the launch itself. 

Now, you don’t want to think, “The cart is open! I’m going to send a few emails and that’s it.” 

This would be a mistake and you might lose out on plenty of sales. 

Instead, get out there and make the most of this time. There will be a lot of people who are seeing you talk about your product and they might be interested but on the fence about buying the product.

If you don’t reach those people, they likely won’t buy. 

But if you’re out there, posting, sharing value, and connecting with people, you’re inviting people who are interested to chat with you about whether your course is a good fit for them or not. 

After all, the reason people choose you instead of an established course creator is that you take the time to connect and talk to them. 

#4: Post-launch

This is the phase most course creators get wrong.

They think this is where I get to sit back and relax.

But the post-launch phase is actually where the work builds.

After you’ve created and sold out your first course or group program, that’s when you get to reap even greater rewards, such as leveraging the momentum and learnings from your first launch to do a bigger second launch (with a lot less work because you’ll have assets and experience).

It’s the phase where you can be delivering so much additional value by supporting your students and using their feedback to improve your course.

Your students, in turn, get the best results thanks to your support and come back with testimonials, which help you grow your course further. 

Also, at this point, some students will want more after going through your course.

By talking to these students, you could get new course ideas, sell coaching or consulting offers, or get even more testimonials. 

And it can really pay off… This is the strategy I used to add $20,000 to my $8,000 course. 

In this video, I show you what the process looks like: 

Ultimately, the success of your launch depends on how well you turn strangers into excited customers.

6. Market your course 

The strategy I recommend that you follow is to grow your audience with one or two audience-building techniques (the ones we talked about earlier; podcasting, guest posting, building a social media audience, and so on). You might also grow your audience with more scalable strategies, like social media ads. 

In between, launch your course throughout the year. 

This is the strategy I used to grow my business to multiple seven-figures. 

After my $8,000 launch, I had a $100,000 launch. And after that, an $800,000 launch—and a seven-figure year thanks to the coaching I sold beside my self-study courses.

When you’ve built an established training course business, you can scale it further and move to a more evergreen business model. Once you’re at this point, you can use a highly scalable marketing strategy like search engine optimization to grow your business further. 

That’s also how I grew my business to a “passive income” model (note: no income source is completely passive). Once I had grown my audience with launches, social media, and Facebook ads, I turned to more evergreen strategies such as SEO and YouTube. 

And that’s how you build a highly profitable online training business, which offers freedom, flexibility, and a way to provide value to as many people as possible. 

There you have it! Now you know how to start an online training business.

What it comes down to is that you focus on the essentials: Finding a niche, focusing on one or two audience-building strategies, and launching your online education course. 

At the same time, I’ve helped hundreds of people start their businesses. And there are a few mistakes new course creators tend to make that keep them from creating a successful course business.

Want to know what they are?

Get my FREE PDF with 3 deadly course creator mistakes (so that you avoid making them).

About Luisa Zhou

Luisa Zhou has helped thousands of students build and scale their own profitable online Freedom Business. Fun Fact: She used to work as an engineer for the Space Station and holds a B.S.E. from Princeton. Click here to learn more about Luisa.

Hope you enjoy this blog post.

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Great article. I LOVE this line “ they buy the transformation that your information offers”. Thanks for such an inspiring article.

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Are you interested in the education industry? Are you thinking about starting an online education business? R ead on to find out how to get started and begin selling your courses!

If you are following the latest trend in today’s digital world, then you know that online course platforms are the go-to destination for people who want to level up and improve their knowledge or skills. And why not? Students find online education convenient and ideal for maximizing their time something we can’t always say about the traditional education system.

As such, the logical thing for anyone willing to start a new business, expand, or diversify will be to hop on the online course business train . Besides, what better incentive do you need aside from the rapidly growing demand for online education providers? Even more encouraging is the latest report projecting that the online education industry will reach $521 billion by 2027 !

But that’s not all! You can pick your own hours and work anywhere with WIFI. Want to run your biz from a beach in Thailand? Go for it. You can empower students of all backgrounds without geographic limits!

And although building a business from scratch is no cakewalk, it’s not impossible either. You only need the right blueprint to avoid costly mistakes and start building something that lasts.

So today, I’m sharing a guide to help you build your own online education business successfully!

Many businesses collapse as quickly as they start because of poor preparation by the owners. Rushing into starting a business just because you have a passion for it is synonymous with rushing blindly into a busy highway – it probably won’t end well.

To ensure your online education business is a success, I’ve highlighted some key steps to follow for smooth sailing. 

Step 1: Set Your Business Targets

Starting a business without having a clear goal in mind is like heading out without having a predetermined destination in mind. Everything becomes random, and outcomes are left to chance. While this may work when you feel overwhelmed and need to clear your head, it’s a recipe for disaster in the business world.

To ensure you don’t fail before you’ve even started, set realistic goals from the get-go and be specific. You get to determine what “successful” or “success” means and looks like to you. 

What do you wish to gain from starting your online education business? Is it to bank $10K in a month? Is it to finally have the financial muscle to ditch your 9-to-5 job in 6 months? Or perhaps, is it to have 1,000 eager students in year one? Once you know what you want, you can then proceed to crafting plans that’ll take you to your desired destination.

Challenges will surely come it’s inevitable. However, when they do, don’t fret or start doubting your goals. Like Confucius said, “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals; adjust the action steps.” You just need to re-strategize and adjust your plans while keeping an eye on the prize. Things don’t have to be perfect or smooth in your life in order to run your own business or be successful at it.

Step 2: Identify Your Niche

To create an online course that sells itself and make it last , it’s of utmost importance that you find your niche as early as possible. Your niche is like your target audience it’s the specific group of people you want to serve and the particular problems you can help them overcome. Finding your niche also simplifies the search for a productive course idea.

It’s super important to pick a niche that gets you fired up, not just one that seems profitable. You want it to be something you genuinely enjoy learning about and talking about, or teaching it will feel like a drag.

Start by doing some digging to get a feel for what’s popping up in the world of online course creation right now. Jump on Google Trends and Reddit to see which topics have people buzzing. Make a list of the ones that intrigue you or get you amped up just thinking about them. What subjects make you totally nerd out and want to talk someone’s ear off? Find where your passion intersects with an audience that’s hungry to learn. 

Then, connect with real humans who would be interested in what you want to teach. Join relevant conversations on social media to get a sense of their pain points and struggles. Ask good questions and actively listen to what they’re looking for help with. Get very clear on the transformation they want so your course can guide them there.

Step 3: Choose a Business Plan

One of the first decisions you’ll make is: what’s the actual business model here? This essentially determines how you sell your online courses to generate revenue while educating your audience. A few business plan approaches stand out:

First is personalized 1-on-1 video sessions think private lessons tailored to exactly what an individual student is struggling with or hopes to master. Delivering such fully customizable sessions means you can charge higher prices. 

On the flip side, small group classes are more scalable and affordable per student. Gather 4 to 6 students with similar goals for a scheduled, cohort-style course. They benefit from peer learning while you enjoy lower delivery costs. However, less 1-on-1 attention means less customization flexibility.

For students craving community and schedule flexibility, live webinar-style courses that meet in real-time can be perfect. Students will feel connected while tuning into their teacher’s live lesson broadcast.

Finally, a pre-recorded course model is also popular for good reason it allows self-paced online learning on demand with minimal overhead for you. But, it comes with less chance for student engagement.

Lots to consider! 

Step 4: Choose the Right Online Teaching Platform

Choosing the right online space to host your tutoring biz is very important–it has to align with your goals and teaching style!

A few key things the platform should provide security, encryption, and privacy controls. Keeping students’ personal info locked down builds trust. 

Now for features, ease of use, and branding flair Udemy , Cousera , Thinkific , among others, have unique perks. You can scan through each option before deciding. Finding the one that truly fits will step up your teaching game and students’ learning experience.

However, if you need recommendations, do check out some of my personal favorites: Kaja bi , EasyWebin ar , and Teachable . I use all three and I’m loving how smooth and customizable they are, plus their marketing tools help attract learners, among other benefits!

Step 5: Build Your First Course

I get why you may want to drop all your knowledge in that first course! But for real, less can be more when teaching online. With so much info out there, students often want the quick Instagram version–bite-sized videos to build on.

Instead of one long, heavy course, try breaking it into levels. Keep that first round focused and tight. You know, highlight the most pressing basics students need to grab for tangible progress. Get them hungry to level up!

Once they complete Course 101, they’ll be primed for your advanced masterclasses to take things deeper. This way, you don’t overwhelm new learners but can still flex your expertise over time!

Step 6: Set the Course Price

Crafting that perfect course price can be very tricky. But you can relax, I got you on how to whip up a solid number that’s fair for both your biz and your students.

First up, you’ve got to reflect on the knowledge you’re sharing. Consider what fresh info-nuggets you’re giving out. Is it video tutorials? Special guides? Exclusive industry secrets? Factor in the stacks you invested in software, equipment, and maybe some freelancers to improve the quality. The sweeter the value, the higher you can justify charging your eager new pupils.

Next, tally up the long hours you poured your soul into creating the content. After all, time is money. So, if your course took serious dedication, make sure your compensation is bumped accordingly. 

Finally, research what headaches it would cost people to access this game changing knowledge elsewhere. Use that and my blog post on exactly how to price an online course to set a baseline for your price.

Step 7: Promote and Launch Your Business

Real talk, no matter how awesome your online course content is, gaining students requires getting the word out! In a crowded space, making noise about what you offer is key. Let’s break down the marketing strategies to launch your online course successfully into four parts:

First up, pre-launch. Weeks before go-time, start warming up your audience like a hypeman! Hit up social media and run some ads to preview your coming attraction. Send out engaging content on the regular blogs, videos, and so on to attract your ideal learners. You can also collaborate with schools and institutions to enroll entire cohorts. 

When launch day nears, it’s time for triggers. Run a short live challenge exclusive for your engaged subscribers. Bring real value by demonstrating your expertise over 5 days. This grabs attention and builds serious trust so people feel pumped to buy your full course.

Up next is Launch-Your-Course O’clock! Some folks will still be on the fence. So, keep offering great content and connecting one-on-one to answer questions. Referral programs are also huge to spur word-of-mouth hype.

Lastly, post-launch. Too many businessmen go and rest once sales roll in. But actually, maintaining momentum is everything! Roll out fresh content, bonuses for past buyers, and start strategizing your next-level offer. Continuous value is what retains students for the long haul as your authority grows! 

Step 8: Comply with all Legal Requirements

Protecting your hard work and staying on the right side of the law is very crucial! I’ll break it down so you can avoid drama and keep your hustle legit. You don’t have to have clients to get legal in place.

First up, you’ve got to set some straight-up terms of service and privacy policies for your courses. Define what students can expect and how their data gets used. Keep it crystal clear and detailed so there’s no confusion. 

Next up, lock down your intellectual property! Register copyrights or trademarks so your unique methods are solely yours. You crafted those game-changing secrets from scratch, so don’t let anyone steal your sauce! 

You’ll also want to publish clear refund policies. Outline what happens if a student bounces after a month or two. Do they get half back? Full refund if unused? Define this upfront so everybody is on the same page.

Also, get to know those other laws around courses and biz operations in your region, just so you avoid unexpected fines. Learn about tax codes, marketing rules, and how to protect your online course . It may seem tedious at first, but it’s worth getting the full gist early on. 

*I can help you stay on the right side of the law, register AND protect your business. I help business owners feel more confident in marketing their businesses because they feel legally protected. Ready to launch your dream biz? Get everything you need with our FREE Legal Training: 5 Steps Legally Protect and Grow Your Business and The Ultimate Bundle ®, which includes 13 fill-in-the-blank legal templates plus video tutorials and so much more!

Step 9: Engage with your Students

I know it’s very tempting to grab the bag and bounce after finally getting those sales, but playing the long game is where real success resides!

Connecting with your grads on the personal to keep them riding with you is vital. Pop in regularly to answer questions, check their progress, and even set up some live sessions to link faces to names. When they know you’ve got their back while improving their skills or knowledge, that’s community vibes right there!

I know that maintaining all those relationships takes effort when you are trying to count stacks and plan your next course. But you should know that an engaged student today becomes a loyal brand advocate tomorrow. Taking the time to nurture that human connection is how you create loyal customers, repeat buyers, and referrals !

15 Online Education Business Ideas

Below are some online education business ideas you can use to get started:

• Tutoring Students Online
• Education Games
• Online Library
• Online Acting School
• Digital Skills Development Center
• Online Fashion Design School
• Online Music School
• Stress Management Courses
• Online Woodworking Courses
• Online Cooking Classes
• Courses for Entrepreneurship
• Online Photography Academy
• Online Charter School
• Language School
• Online School for Disabled

Kickstart your online education biz and get it legally protected! 

Building an online education business seems so exciting right now, with so many people trying to pick up new skills from home. And with your skills, you could absolutely help aspiring learners around the world. 

But I shouldn’t overhype it or make big claims about guaranteed success. The truth is launching something like this takes a lot of effort and strategy to do it properly.

Luckily, I’ve helped many education enthusiasts build successful online education businesses. I can help you get prepared and protected legally too, so you can teach comfortably and scale confidently. With my help, you will meet all online business requirements , legally protect your online course , and position your online coaching career for success.

And don’t sleep on my easily customizable templates , podcast episodes , and blog posts too. They’ll fast-track your progress and guide you to avoid pitfalls while building an online course business. You can also grab the Ultimate Bundle ® for the full practical blueprint to follow. 

So What Do you think?

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E-learning Business Plan Sample

Published Sep.30, 2013

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Jakub Babkins

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 9

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Table of Content

E-learning Business Plan for starting your own business

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, that is, we can do a lot more from home than we previously thought. We are presenting this business plan for educational services from home. This is the right time to get started with an e-learning business as people are still reluctant to go out.

If you want to know how to set up and elearning course, you are in the right place. Just like a business plan for a driving school or a business plan for language school , this one is based on an actual start up. Let’s see the components of strategy that will help Smart E-learning School succeed.

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

Smart E-learning School will be owned and headed by Hazel White. The school will be focused on providing technical education via the internet and distant learning. The courses offered by the school will be about computer, languages, and programming. starting a e learning business is easier than you think. It is just like a preschool business plan but everything is online.

2.2 Management of E-Learning Business

If you are looking for an answer to how to start e learning business, here it is. The online school business plan will be headed by White and she will hire specialists of each field to help her plan how to set up online training courses in such a way as to make the maximum profit. A mobile application business plan will also be needed to make the business available for all.

2.3 Customers of E-Learning Business

The customers of Smart E-learning School will be from all geometrographic geographic subdivisions from all over the US. The main customers of the business will be:

• People looking to acquire new skills.
• People wanting to learn new languages.
• People interested in learning photography and videography.
• College graduates wanting to get safety and other certifications.

2.4 Business Target

The subjective target of this online school business plan is to create a reputable name in the elearning industry. However, we’ve set the following objective targets:

• Enroll 5,000 students within the first 6 months.
• Generate a revenue of $0.3 million per annum by the end of year 3.
• Expand to the global market by the end of year 2.

Company Summary

3.1 company owner.

Hazel White will be the owner and CEO of Smart E-learning School. White has worked as an educationist for 30 years. She previously implemented a tutoring business plan with success. That makes her the perfect person to implement this e learning business plan sample.

3.2 Why the E-learning business is being started

After the coronavirus pandemic, people have realized that it is cost and time effective to learn from home than going to a school. The greatest evidence of this is the increase in the use of services like Google Classroom and Zoom. This is be best time to start e learning business.

3.3 How the E-learning business will be started

Step1: Planning

The first step towards successfully launching this online school business plan is business model for e learning is planning. The managemental hierarchy of the business will be developed and online education e learning sample business plan implementation strategy will be finalized. This is not as simple as a martial arts business .

Step2: Developing a Brand

The next step towards starting the business will be establishing a brand. Top-ranking educationists will be hired to create an impression of the brand. Just like a martial arts business plan it is important to have a brand.

Step3: Establish a Web and Physical Presence

Once the brand has been established, the next step will be to hire office space to start the work. An extensive website will be launched to make the business accessible for customers.

Step4: Promote and Market

The next step will be to create a strong marketing strategy to help the business get noticed by the customers.

The next thing that needs to be addressed in this e learning business plan template are the services. If you want to start your own e learning business, you need to determine the services.

Smart E-learning School will be focusing on 20 services divided into 4 categories:

1. Basic Freelance Skills Training

This category will teach people the basic level and easy freelancing skills that they can use to make money. This will include:

• Freelance writing.
• Content creation.
• Data entry.
• Use of popular word processors

2. Advanced Freelancing Skills Training

This head will cover specialized skills that can be used for freelancing as well as office jobs. These will include:

• Video editing.
• Basic programming.
• Photo editing.
• Virtual assistant training.
• Business plan writing .

3. Languages

We will also be teaching people languages that can increase the chances of them getting better employment opportunities. Smart E-learning School will teach:

• Entry level Chinese.
• Intermediate Spanish.
• Advanced English.
• Intermediate French.
• Advanced Spanish.

4. Advanced Skills

These will include:

• Photography.
• Videography.
• Automotive repair.

Marketing Analysis of E-learning Business

If you want to know how to start e learning business online, you need to conduct marketing analysis. This is the part where we determine the economic viability of the project.

As of 2019, there are more than 31,000 elearning companies in the US. The market capitalization of the elearning industry was 144 billion USD in 2019. It has been growing ever since at a rate of 14.4% annually and is expected to be worth more than 370 billion USD by 2025.

If you want to start your own e-learning business pdf, you’ll need to come up with an innovative approach. However, the COVID situation has made things easier. People now prefer to learn via elearning rather than attending an actual school.

Great service

Great service. Good turnaround time and quality work. Thanks!

One of the most profitable customer bases for any e learning business model are small to medium enterprises. These companies want to get their employees trained at the lowest possible cost. That is only possible through elearning. This enables the employees to receive training while they are in the office and they do not have to take a leave for it.

Another thing that you need to take care of while planning to start an online school business plan is the availability of teachers. If you want to succeed as a new entrant in the industry, you’ll need to hire the best teachers. The best teachers and trainers in the territory are the people who can make the business a success for you.

You also need to look into the way others in the same industry are operating. The way they teach, examine, and certify their students are some of the very important things to get inspiration from.

5.1 Market Trends

As stated earlier there are more than 31,000 e-learning businesses in the US. The market, however, has not always been like this. There were only a handful of distant learning companies operating in the US before the widespread use of the internet. These companies taught through distant lectures on dedicated TV channels and conducted examinations in large cities.

Since the 2000s, the industry started to bloom. It had a growth rate of 7% in 2002. The number and magnitude of e-learning businesses kept going up and the growth rate accelerated over the years. The industry still has a 14.4% growth rate meaning that new entrants still have a chance.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

In this business writing e learning we’re listing the expected customers of Smart E-learning School:

5.2.1 People Looking for Skills to Earn

One of the main customers/students of any elearning setup are the people who are looking for a cost-effective way to acquire skills. This segment will makeup the bulk of independent customers at Smart E-learning School.

5.2.2 People Looking to Learn Languages

A substantial portion of the students at Smart E-learning School will be the ones looking to learn new languages. These people will be the high paying ones as language education is expensive.

5.2.3 People Learning Skills as Passion

People also go to elearning schools to learn things they are passionate about. We’ll teach photography and videography to such people. However, people can also learn the same for earning money. We don’t judge anyone at Smart E-learning School.

5.2.4 Small to Medium Enterprises

We will also be providing online training solutions for the companies that cannot have their own training wings. This will make up the largest single market segment by revenue as such clients often need training for a lot of people.

5.3 Business Target

• To establish Smart E-learning School as a leading distant learning services provider.
• To make some permanent corporate clients and sign long-term training contracts with them.
• To start making $26,000 a month by the end of year 3.
• To maintain a CSAT score of more than 90%

5.4 Product Pricing

All courses and training programs will be priced as per the competitors. The prices will be kept a little bit lower than competing businesses to earn clients at the start.

Marketing Strategy of E-learning Business

In order to start a successful business any business e learning marketing plan sample must contain a solid marketing strategy. As the elearning market is a saturated one, a lot depends on how well we present the online school business plan.

If you have come this far looking for how to start a e-learning business proposal, you need to know the importance of an effective marketing strategy. We need to highlight the areas where we are stronger than our competitors. Only then we can succeed.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

• We will implement modern learning techniques to make our trainings better than what the competition has to offer.
• We will be hiring the top-notch professionals of every field to make sure we deliver the best.
• We will design innovative training solutions for small to medium enterprises to get permanent clients.

6.2 Sales Strategy

• We will use TV commercials, Google Ads, and banners to promote our nascent brand.
• We’ll offer discounts in the first 6 months to attract people and advertise the business in turn.
• We’ll make specialized plans for corporate clients

6.3 Sales Monthly

6.4 Sales Yearly

6.5 Sales Forecast

Personnel plan

The next step for this business plan for e learning company is making a list of people needed to effectively run the company. One thing that must be noted here is that this online school business plan is unique. It will be needing both administrators and teachers to run.

7.1 Company Staff

• Hazel White will be the owner of the company.
• 1 Manager Liaison will be needed to connect with the outside world.
• 4 Language Teachers will be needed, one for each language being offered.
• 7 Skills Teachers will be needed for all the subjects being offered.
• 1 IT Expert will be hired to make sure the website runs smooth.
• 1 Social Media Manager to manage the much-needed social presence of the school.
• 1 Accountant
• 1 Technician to upkeep technical equipment.
• 1 Receptionist

Financial Plan

The final part of this e learning business case will tell how much capital will be needed to start the business. This will cover the amount of money that is needed from the way the execution of the business is started to the day it starts breaking even. Here are some of the costs that must be taken into consideration:

• The rent of the place to set up the business in.
• The amount needed to purchase office equipment.
• The money needed to set up and online portal for the school
• Marketing and publicity expenses.
• Money required to pay the employees before the company starts generating revenue.

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 Break-even Analysis

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

Download e learning business plan sample in pdf

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Business Plan Template for Education

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Starting or expanding an educational venture can be an exciting yet challenging endeavor. To ensure that your goals are clearly defined and your strategies are solid, you need a comprehensive business plan. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education comes in!

This template is perfect for education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors who want to outline their goals, strategies, and financial projections. With ClickUp's business plan template, you can create a roadmap for success and attract potential stakeholders to support your educational venture.

This template includes everything you need to:

• Define your educational goals and mission
• Develop strategies for growth and sustainability
• Create financial projections and budgets
• Outline marketing and outreach plans
• Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies

Don't miss out on the opportunity to bring your educational vision to life. Get started with ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education today!

Business Plan Template for Education Benefits

A business plan template for education offers a multitude of benefits to education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors looking to start or expand their educational ventures. Some of the key benefits include:

• Providing a clear roadmap for success by outlining goals, strategies, and financial projections
• Attracting potential stakeholders, such as investors or partners, by showcasing a well-thought-out plan
• Ensuring alignment and focus by defining the mission, vision, and values of the educational enterprise
• Analyzing market trends and competition to identify unique selling points and opportunities for growth
• Guiding resource allocation and budgeting decisions to optimize financial sustainability
• Facilitating communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders
• Supporting decision-making processes by evaluating risks and creating contingency plans
• Enhancing credibility and professionalism for grant applications or funding proposals
• Monitoring progress and tracking key performance indicators to measure success and make adjustments as needed.

Main Elements of Education Business Plan Template

ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education provides all the essential elements to help you create a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for your educational venture:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of your business plan with statuses such as Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add important information and categorize different sections of your business plan.
• Custom Views: Access different views to organize and analyze your business plan, including Topics view to focus on specific topics, Status view to track the progress of each section, Timeline view to visualize milestones and deadlines, Business Plan view for a holistic overview, and the Getting Started Guide view to help you navigate through the template.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education, you can streamline your planning process, collaborate with stakeholders, and ensure a clear path to success for your educational venture.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Education

If you're in the education industry and need to create a business plan, our Business Plan Template for Education can help guide you through the process. Follow these four steps to effectively use the template and create a comprehensive and actionable plan for your educational institution:

1. Define your vision and mission

Start by clearly articulating your vision and mission for your educational institution. What is the long-term goal you want to achieve? What values and principles will guide your organization? By clearly defining your vision and mission, you'll have a solid foundation for your business plan.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to brainstorm and outline your vision and mission statements.

2. Conduct market research

To create a successful business plan, you need to have a deep understanding of the market and the competitive landscape. Research trends in the education industry, analyze your target audience, and identify your unique selling points. This information will help you position your institution effectively and develop strategies to attract and retain students.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to organize and analyze your market research data.

3. Develop your curriculum and programs

The curriculum and programs you offer are crucial to the success of your educational institution. Define the courses and programs you will offer, outline the learning objectives, and design a comprehensive curriculum that aligns with industry standards and meets the needs of your target audience.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline each course and program, assign responsible team members, and set deadlines.

4. Create a financial plan

A solid financial plan is essential for the sustainability and growth of your educational institution. Determine your startup costs, projected revenue, and operating expenses. Additionally, consider funding options, such as grants or investments, and create a budget that aligns with your financial goals.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to track your financial projections, expenses, and funding options in one centralized location.

By following these four steps and utilizing our Business Plan Template for Education in ClickUp, you'll be well on your way to creating a comprehensive and actionable business plan for your educational institution.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Education

Education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors who are looking to start or expand educational ventures can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template for Education to create a comprehensive and organized business plan.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a successful business plan:

• Use the Topics View to outline and organize the different sections of your business plan
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and milestones for each section, ensuring timely completion
• The Business Plan View provides a comprehensive overview of your entire plan, allowing you to review and make adjustments as needed
• Create a Getting Started Guide View to provide step-by-step instructions for team members or stakeholders involved in the implementation of the plan
• Customize the template by adding custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional information and categorization for each section
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through the plan to keep everyone informed and ensure accountability.
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This free online course will introduce you to business and management plan development, as well as other relevant aspects of business management for start-ups. It begins with a module on the concept of business plans; the recommended things to do when writing, organizing and formatting one, as well as what not to do. You will learn how to present it to an audience as one of the first steps of materializing a business plan is the process of attracting investors. This course will break down some types of investors, such as ‘angel investors’ and venture capitalists.

The course goes on to discuss contingency and due diligence in developing a proper business plan. Because nothing is given in the business world, it is only proper that a margin of error is provided when planning your business. This allowance in business planning is explained in the lesson on contingency planning. Next, you will learn about due diligence for professional investors and the legal aspects to consider. Study business operations and the types of legal business entities that exist. You will be taught the importance of the executive summary and the mission statement sections of your business plan, and how to write them as persuasively as possible. The last section takes you through lessons on management model types. You will learn about set-up costs for new start-ups and how to manage the financial requirements when starting a business venture. Lastly, you will be introduced to the concept of franchising, and its many aspects, as well as how to invest wisely in a franchise.

Like many endeavours in life, a business idea is nothing but wishful thinking if it has no plan to back it. The business plan is the framework upon which a business is built. It serves the purpose of guiding the entrepreneur in their decision making and also in selling the business idea to potential investors, partners or other stakeholders. As an entrepreneur looking to enter the business space, you must understand how to articulate your business plan succinctly, clearly and carefully, and this free online course will help you do just that.

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Educational Website Business Plan

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One Week At A Time

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

One Week At A Time is a website business based in Lexington, Kentucky that is owned and operated by Frank Williams. The website aims to educate people on how they can help the Earth and lessen their environmental impact by accomplishing one task each week for 52 weeks. The tasks are simple and will show people how easily they can make small changes in their life to make a difference in their world. The revenue stream for this website will come from commissions on recommendations of Earth-friendly products that fit with our weekly tips. We will have affiliate relationships with retailers providing these products so we won’t be producing them or carrying inventory, just earning commission on each sale.

Our financial strategy is based on staying profitable while keeping expenses extremely low. We plan on using profits to support environmental causes we believe in, so it’s not our mission to earn as much money as humanly possible. We’re more concerned with keeping the cash flow and cash balance positive. The accompanying chart highlights our financial plans.

In order to reach our goals, we must complete the following keys of success:

• We must develop quality content in the form of our tips which engage the readers, empower them, and inspire them to share the tips with others, and so, grow our user base.
• We must execute our marketing plan well, since the focus is on not spending money, while maximizing our online exposure.
• We must keep our expenses low. We don’t plan on generating a large amount of revenue in the near-term, so we can’t let expenses get out of control.
• We must pre-sell our product recommendations in order to get users to purchase through our site, thereby garnering our commissions.

1.1 Mission

One Week At A Time is an educational website that teaches busy people how they can help the environment by accomplishing simple weekly tasks over the period of one year. We hope to help people become more environmentally conscious, help retailers sell Earth-friendly products, and use our commissions to pay our expenses and contribute profits to environmental causes.

1.2 Objectives

• Use simple weekly tasks to teach people how they can help the environment and lessen their personal environmental impact.
• To sign up 5,000 subscribers to our weekly environmental tips list at the end of the first year.
• To receive 10,000 visitors per month to our website.
• To achieve profitability within six months.
• To use all company profits to contribute to environmental organizations and causes.

1.3 Keys to Success

• Quality Content: Write good weekly tips which are simply written, friendly, to the point, and inspire people to accomplish their weekly task.
• Marketing: Focus on link-building, search engine optimization, and word of mouth to spread the word about our website and email tips.
• Expenses: Keep other expenses low to make achieving profitability easier. There is no need to spend a lot of money in order to accomplish our goals quicker.
• Promote and pre-sell Earth-friendly products in a way that inspires our users to buy using our site’s links so we receive our commissions.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

One Week At A Time is a small sole proprietor website based in Lexington, Kentucky. Its purpose is to educate busy people on how they can help lessen their personal environmental impact by completing weekly tasks as outlined on the website. The site offers these tasks both on the site, or by a weekly email subscription that is free of charge. Revenue is generated by earning commissions on Earth-friendly products sold to subscribers by recommended retailers.

2.1 Start-up Summary

One Week At A Time will start with an initial $3,000 investment from Frank Williams to get the website and company going. Mr. Williams plans on doing all the initial website design and content creation himself, so there is no monetary cost associated with those items. That leaves $250 in legal expenses to form the company, $1,000 in computer equipment, and $75 to register the domain name for the website.

The initial investment will cover these items and leave a cash balance of $1,675 to cover expenses until income comes in as the company moves forward.

2.2 Company Ownership

One Week At A Time is a sole-proprietorship, founded, owned and operated by Frank Williams of Lexington, Kentucky.

One Week At A Time does not actually produce any products or services. We recommend Earth-friendly products from various retailers who pay us a commission based on the amount of the sale. These are usually referred to as “affiliate relationships” and “affiliate commissions” in the Web world.

The advantage to this setup is that we don’t have any cost of goods, we don’t have to worry about production, inventory levels, fulfillment, or customer service. The negative aspect is that we obviously only receive a percentage of the sale instead of the full amount of the sale.

We will be recommending Earth-friendly products of the following types:

• Reusable Products: Reusable replacements for everyday products that are normally disposed of after one use such as rechargeable batteries, reusable lunch bags, etc.
• Recycled Paper Products: Printer paper, envelopes, stationary, etc.
• Kitchen Products: Cloth towels, cloth rags, etc.
• Organic Foods: Fruits, vegetables, snack foods, etc.
• Cloth Diapers
• Clothing: Made by Earth-Friendly companies such as Lands’ End, L.L. Bean, etc.
• Cleaning Products: Organic and chlorine/chemical free cleaning products like carpet cleaner, laundry detergent, dish soap, car wash soap, etc.
• Herbal Medicines
• Lighting: Energy Star approved lighting which uses less energy than standard bulbs and lighting products.
• Heating/Cooling Equipment: Hot Water Heater jackets, Energy Star air conditioners, heaters, etc.
• Books: About being Earth-friendly.
• Music: By Earth-Friendly artists or ones whose proceeds are donated to environmental organizations.
• Low Water Usage: Shower heads, hose nozzles, and other water-reducing gadgets.
• Energy Star Appliances: Kitchen appliances, TVs, monitors, etc.
• Solar Powered Appliances: Major and minor appliances, tools and gadgets that run on solar power.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

One Week At A Time targets all people in general, but the content will be slanted towards what we call “busy people.” These are people who most likely have busy lives such as being a full-time student, working, having a family, etc. These people often feel that they’re too busy to help the Earth, and often think it takes a ton of work to lessen their environmental impact. They tend to be in the 18-55 age range, moderate to high income level, and they live in all geographical locations. Obviously, our market must have access to the Internet in order to view our site.

These markets really encompass everyone, but we expect our primary market to account for a majority of our visitors and sales.

4.1 Market Segmentation

We segment our market by their “state in life.” By “state in life” we mean what age and point in life the people in the market are in. Usually their “state of life” has a bearing on what their interests are, how much free time they have, and how much income they have. Our market is segmented in the following way:

• Students: Students range from 12-22 years old. Geography is not important beyond the fact that our site will only be in English.
• Adults: Adults are people in the 18-55 year old range who are working full or part-time jobs and may or may not be very busy with their work and family lives. Geography is not important beyond the fact that our site will only be in English.
• Retirees: Retirees are over 55 years old in age and geography is not a factor beyond the site only being in English.

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

One Week At A Time’s main goal is to help people live in a more Earth-friendly manner, so that’s the main reason why we are targeting any market in general, but there are specific reasons we’ll tailor content to our different market segments.

• Students: They usually have a low-level of income so we’re not counting on this market for providing us revenue in the way of product sales, but we are targeting students because of the importance that they become educated on how to live in an Earth-friendly manner. It might be a cliche’, but the children are the future.
• Adults: This is our largest market and our true target for generating revenue. They have the highest income level, and are the most likely to be buying the types of products we’ll be pushing. These are also the “busy people” who we’re trying to make it easy on to lessen their environmental impact.
• Retirees: They most likely have more free time to spend donating to environmental organizations and causes. Their income level is dependant on their retirement savings and their age, so we aren’t counting on them for providing much revenue, but they might contribute in a meaningful manner.

4.3 Industry Analysis

One Week At A Time actually falls in two different industries.

• We are an environmental education website. This means our primary competition is other environmental education websites, but because our goal is simply to educate people, we aren’t really competing with these people in the classic sense of competition. There are many environmental websites, and most of them are either environmental news sites, or they focus on one or two specific environmental topics. We cover many topics, and take a different approach with our weekly task email approach instead of just giving people information. We educate them while giving them a specific task and action to make a difference.
• We are an Earth-friendly product retailing website. Although our site doesn’t actually sell the products specifically, we are competing for the sales with every site that sells a similar or competing environmental product to any of the products that we recommend on our site.

4.3.1 Competition and Buying Patterns

The content on the One Week At A Time website will generally be aimed at people who are not experts on living an Earth-friendly life. People who are already experts most likely will not need our site to get information on how they can help the environment, or need our site to point them to Earth-friendly products. Therefore, most of the time we’ll be introducing people to ways they can help their environment, and introducing them to products they might not know even exist.

Our customers will choose us over competing environmental websites because we won’t overwhelm them with information. We will provide a fun writing style with weekly tasks that actually have our visitors accomplish something that helps the Earth or lessens their impact. These changes will be noticeable to them, and we believe we will make people happy and feel empowered from using our site, while also forming a personal relationship with our site. We feel this will cause them to recommend our site to friends, and to listen to our product recommendations and buy directly from the links on our site and in our emails.

We will make the product-finding process simple, because it can often be overwhelming. If someone tells you that you should buy a chlorine-free cleaner, how do you know where to find that or which one to choose out of the many options? Users of One Week At A Time will trust us and we will simplify the process by giving them one or two choices and retailers to choose from to buy that chlorine-free cleaner.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

The strategy of One Week At A Time is to perform the following tasks to achieve our goals:

• We aim to market the site using search engine placement, links, pay-per-click advertising, and word of mouth. All effective and cheap ways to build an audience.
• We aim to build trust with our users so they will buy the products we recommend.
• We aim to keep our expenses extremely low to make profitability easy to achieve.

5.1 Competitive Edge

The competitive edge of One Week At A Time is that we’re providing our content in a fun format that allows people to accomplish tasks on a weekly basis that will show them progress towards making the world a better place. This kind of empowerment is very powerful. Other environmental education sites simply give out information and provide some tips in a list format, but very few sites give people actual tasks, and we haven’t seen any sites that do what we will do with sending out a weekly email each week for a year with a task. This keeps our site within the visitor’s thought process for a year. Which means they’ll also be looking at the products we recommend for a year.

Another competitive edge we have is affiliate and online marketing experience from other websites Mr. Williams has been a part of. Other sites are usually just run by environmental organizations and are not using the Web to it’s fullest potential.

5.2 Marketing Strategy

The key to our marketing strategy is search engine and directory placement. We plan on getting users in this manner because we know they’re actively looking for information and tips in this area. Mr. Williams is an expert in this arena, and we’ve done extensive research on keywords that people use when looking for information and tips on environmental topics. We are building our site with these keywords built into the titles and site copy to get good placement in the search engines.

We will also use pay-per-click search engines to bid on terms for the types of products that we recommend to bring users looking for those products directly to our site first.

Our last and potentially most important strategy is word-of-mouth or viral marketing. We hope that our content is so compelling and fun for people that they’ll enjoy sharing our email tips with their friends, family, class, classmates, co-workers, and anyone else who might be interested. In fact, one of our weekly tips in our 52-weeks of tips is to share our site with others!

5.3 Sales Strategy

The key to sales at One Week At A Time is to develop a level of trust with our visitors through our content. We must convince them we are knowledgeable, have their best interests in mind, and that we recommend products that will make their life better by helping the Earth.

After that is accomplished, we must “pre-sell” the product. Pre-selling is the key technique to successful affiliate sales on the Web. We can’t simply place a link to a product and say “Buy This.” We must pre-sell the product to the user by explaining to them why they need such a product, why that product is the right one, and why the retailer we’re recommending is the right one to buy it from. Using things like our own personal experience with the product, examples of why it’s good, and testimonials from other users will be keys to pre-selling our recommended products.

Another aspect of trust and the products is that we must recommend high-quality products that satisfy the buyer. If we recommend bad products, they will lose trust in us and the products we recommend. We must avoid this at all costs.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

Our sales forecast is very conservative because affiliate sales are usually worse than people initially expect.

We feel that we’re experts in how to sell affiliate products, but we still want to keep things conservative.

Our only costs of sales are under $100/month spending on pay-per-click advertising.

Our initial sales levels are what we feel we can make on just a few sales of each type of product in the first month.

Since affiliate commissions range from 5-15%, we looked at the average price of the products in each category and came up with what our commission would be on just a few sales in that product category.

We then set our growth rates in the 10-20% rate based on how popular the category is and how fast we feel we can bring new visitors to the site.

5.4 Milestones

The Milestones table for One Week At A Time is very simple, but so is this business. Our development consists of a few major milestones:

• Completing the Business Plan: We feel an organized and good business plan is an essential key to success.
• Website Development: This includes creating the site design, database and email system, creating affiliate relationships, and writing all the content for the weekly tasks. This is obviously very important, because in a sense our website is our product.
• Search Engine Optimization and Submission: This step is crucial to generating traffic to our website. We must get in the search engines for the keyword terms our research has identified.
• Link Building Campaign: As crucial as the search engines, this is the key second step of our marketing by getting hundreds of links to our site from other environmental and educational sites.

Web Plan Summary

The One Week At A Time website is the focus of our entire operation as it’s the only part of our company that interfaces with the customer.

The website will have a very simple design. The graphics will be minimal and we will keep unnecessary text out of the site as much as possible.

The website will simply explain a brief description and mission statement on the front page, have links to some environmental news, and then push the user towards doing one of the three following tasks:

• Signing up for our weekly email tasks subscription.
• Immediately going and browsing our weekly tips.
• Reading our full mission statement to find out what the site is all about.

The back end of the website will be pretty simple as we’ll have a database storing the tips and subscriptions to the weekly tips newsletter. It will be a simple design to make it easy to maintain and to be fast and efficient so the majority of Mr. Williams time isn’t spent dealing with technical website issues.

6.1 Website Marketing Strategy

The One Week At A Time website has four basic website marketing strategies:

• Search Engine Placement: The site copy is being initially written to contain keywords and phrases we know people are using in the search engines to find this type of content. Combined with good title tags and our simple design, we shouldn’t have a tough time getting decent placement for those search terms.
• Link Building: In order to get more direct traffic, and to improve our search engine placement we intend on having a link building campaign to get links to our site from other environmental and educational websites. We will have a Resources section on our site that we’ll use to exchange links with other sites.
• Pay-Per-Click: We will use Overture and Google Adwords to generate traffic via pay-per-click advertising. We’ll bid on keywords that relate to the products that we recommend on the site.
• Word of Mouth: The content of our site should be compelling enough that people naturally want to pass on our weekly tips to friends, co-workers, family, classmates, etc. We’ll also have one weekly task which consists of telling others about our site, and have easy “send to a friend” options for our tips listed on our site.

6.2 Development Requirements

The development requirements for our website fall into three distinct phases:

• Front End: The first step in our site development process is to develop the graphic look and layout for the site. We’ll develop one look and template we’ll use for all pages, so we estimate this will take about one week.
• Back End: The second step is to code the part of our system that holds and distributes our content. We’ll create a database to store our weekly tips and information about those tips. We’ll also create a database to store the email address and other information about the people who’ve subscribed to our weekly tasks. Both these systems will interface with our front end since people will subscribe via the website, and we’ll use a Web form to write and edit our weekly tips in the database.
• Tip Writing: After we have created the system, we’ll add content for the 52 weeks. We will write one tip at a time which will consist of a tip background and overview of the problem the tip helps to solve, the specific tip action, links to any products related to it, and links to other resources where people can learn more if they so choose.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

We have no immediate plans to hire any additional personnel, and would only do so in the case that the business really took off and new revenue opportunities were created. At this point with our current forecast we don’t see that happening in the next two years.

7.1 Personnel Plan

Frank Williams is the only planned employee for One Week At A Time. He will not be taking a salary until revenues have grown to a level that make that possible. We project that will happen in September of 2003. At that time he will begin taking a modest $500/month salary since this job is not full-time.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

One Week At A Time is a business that is very financially simple. Our only expenses consist of marketing, website hosting, and one salary starting in late 2003. Our marketing expenses and salary could even be cut if necessary, since generating lots of income isn’t the primary goal for this business.

Even though generating tons of cash and a huge salary isn’t the goal, we do want to remain profitable and keep a positive cash flow and cash balance to keep the business running strong and keep it healthy. As long as we keep our expenses low, even minor amounts of sales should achieve that goal, as shown in the following financial plan.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The Financial Plan for One Week At A Time makes the following assumptions:

• That we will be able to generate traffic for our website through our marketing methods.
• That affiliate programs for Earth-friendly products will remain available and that those retailers will stay in business and fulfill orders correctly and on time.
• That people will remain interested in helping the environment.

8.2 Break-even Analysis

Our Break-even Analysis is quite simple. We earn revenue by receiving commissions on products we recommend in our weekly tips. This means we don’t produce any products so we don’t have a variable unit cost. We estimate that we’ll receive around $2 per sale made since most of the companies will pay 5-15% in commission on products ranging from $5-$20.

Our fixed costs are cheap. This accounts for our website hosting, miscellaneous bills and expenses, and some search engine marketing.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

One Week At A Time expects to have a tremendous net profit due to our lack of expenses, cost of goods, and only having one employee. Conversely, we don’t expect to generate a huge amount of sales, or really end up earning that much in net income.

We expect to reach net profit for 2003 and 2004 which we plan on contributing to various environmental causes we support.

8.4 Business Ratios

The ratios in our table should point to One Week At A Time being a simple business with a chance and level of profitability.

8.5 Projected Cash Flow

Starting with our initial investment, One Week At A Time plans on always having a positive cash balance and cash flow. Even though some companies suffer from negative cash flow on occasion, we foresee no reason that we should ever be spending more in expenses than we’re bringing in from sales.

Our low overhead and initial investment keep us from needing to ever borrow cash or sell off assets to contribute to our cash balance. Our only true fixed expense is website hosting. Any marketing expenses can be trimmed so that we keep our goal of maintaining a positive cash flow and cash balance.

8.6 Projected Balance Sheet

Due to our keeping expenses low and slowly growing our site traffic and sales, the company’s net worth will gradually increase over time. We aren’t in a race, and have no motivation to try and rush anything and/or spend money frivolously to reach any of our goals.

Our liabilities are very slim, and our sales forecast is conservative so we are more likely to beat these projections than to fail at reaching them.

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Home · bpo learning center · Educational Excellence: Enhancing Online Education Through BPO

Allie Delos Santos

• August 22, 2024

Educational Excellence: Enhancing Online Education Through BPO

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How-to guides, tips and actionable advice on how to manage your BPO team like a pro.

Table of Contents

In a time of rapid technological advancements and changing educational paradigms, learning institutions utilize innovative solutions to stay competitive and thrive.

One strategy that is gaining popularity is business process outsourcing (BPO). This approach delegates non-core functions to specialized external partners to streamline operations and save on costs.

This article examines the increasing adoption of BPO in education, focusing on its many benefits and potential challenges. It also explores the practice’s transformative impact in enhancing online education .

Keep reading to learn more!

Overview of BPO in the education sector

BPO is the practice of contracting specific business tasks or processes to a third-party service provider. The global BPO market was achieved a value of $280.64 billion in 2023 and is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6%. Its popularity stems from various industries actively using this approach to ensure long-term success.

BPO is a valuable strategy for simplifying business processes, minimizing operational expenses, and enhancing customer support services . Learning organizations can outsource various non-core functions to external specialists to achieve such advantages. 

Below are common BPO services for educational institutions :

• Student enrollment and admissions assistance. BPO offerings customized for the online learning sector include comprehensive support for student enrollment and admissions. The provider handles surges in applications, validates documents, and streamlines admissions for students and the institution.
• Content development and curriculum design. BPO services for education include content development and curriculum design to help educators meet learner needs. Providers create interactive modules using engaging content such as e-books, videos, and simulations.
• Grading and assessment services. BPO providers offer support for grading assignments, conducting assessments, and providing feedback to students. This service relieves educators of administrative tasks and ensures consistent and fair evaluations through standardized processes and criteria.
• Online tutoring and academic support. Third-party online tutoring and academic support provide students with additional resources and guidance to enhance their learning experience.
• Data management and analytics . Learning establishments manage massive data on student records, academic performance, and administrative details. BPO services handle this data efficiently through accurate recordkeeping and secure storage while complying with data protection regulations.
• IT solutions. BPO providers specializing in education customize IT solutions to address the technological requirements of academic organizations. These include student information systems, learning management platforms , and other critical software.
• Help desk and student assistance. BPO services include a 24/7 help desk and student support for those with different schedules and time zones. Students can get help when needed, enhancing their satisfaction and learning experience with the institution’s services.
• Financial aid and billing management. BPO services for the education sector extend to overseeing efficient scholarship disbursement, student loan processing, and financial transaction management. Outsourcing companies help academic institutions maintain a transparent and well-organized financial framework.

Role of BPO in enhancing online education

The worldwide e-learning industry can expand at a CAGR exceeding 9% by 2030 , indicating an increase in workload. This surge in demand, coupled with routine tasks such as admin support, lead generation , or enrollment, can divert attention from the primary goal of delivering exceptional education to students. 

With that in mind, what is the role of BPO in enhancing online education ?

BPO solutions for education offer many benefits, including multichannel communication management. By outsourcing interactions across email, chat, and phone, educational institutions can effectively engage with students, parents, and stakeholders, enhancing their overall experience.

Moreover, BPO services tailored for the online learning solutions sector emphasize quality assurance across various processes. Third-party service providers improve data entry accuracy, ensure compliance with academic regulations, and maintain educational standards with robust quality control.

Recognizing the fluctuating demands of academic cycles, BPO vendors also provide customized and adaptive scaling capabilities. They ensure efficient handling of peak periods, such as admissions or examination seasons, by swiftly adjusting resources to meet heightened workloads.

Finally, education-focused BPO providers are crucial in helping academic institutions meet industry standards and regulations. They diligently stay updated on changes in accreditation criteria, privacy laws, and other mandates, assuring the audience that the organization follows industry standards.

Technological innovations facilitated by BPO in the education sector

BPO has helped catalyze technological innovations that have significantly transformed learning and academic administration. Here are some critical advancements facilitated by BPO that help enhance online education :

• Learning management systems (LMS). LMS is a digital platform for course delivery, content management, assessment, and collaboration. They enhance organization, streamline communication, and improve access to educational resources for students and educators.
• Virtual classrooms. Virtual classrooms have interactive features such as live video conferencing, real-time chat, and collaborative whiteboards. They offer students and teachers an immersive online learning experience that promotes increased participation and instant feedback.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) in education. AI technologies simplify educational processes, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching and learning. AI for education ranges from intelligent tutoring systems to automated grading, personalized learning pathways, and virtual assistants.
• Mobile learning solutions. Mobile learning applications allow students to access educational resources, complete assignments, and engage in learning activities anytime, anywhere. Students can continue learning by simply using smartphones or tablets.
• Online assessment and proctoring. BPO providers offer online assessment and proctoring solutions for secure, remote exams, quizzes, and tests. These offerings ensure academic integrity and compliance with evaluation standards.
• Student support chatbots. Powered by natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, chatbots provide instant support and guidance to students regarding course information, assignments, deadlines, and academic questions.

Challenges and considerations when adopting BPO for online education

Learning institutions must be aware of unique considerations that come with implementing BPO services to enhance online education . These BPO challenges include securing data, maintaining quality standards, preserving institutional identity and culture, and addressing resistance from staff members who fear job displacement.

Below is a closer look at these challenges and their respective solutions:

• Data security and privacy. The continuous exchange of sensitive student and institutional data demands robust data security measures and compliance with privacy regulations. Understand and implement strategies aligned with laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) .
• Quality control and assurance. Maintaining the quality and consistency of educational services and support provided by BPO partners is essential. Learning institutions must establish clear performance metrics, monitoring mechanisms, and quality assurance protocols to uphold educational standards at all times.
• Integration with existing systems. Seamless integration of BPO services with existing online learning platforms, student information systems, and administrative workflows is crucial for operational efficiency. By maintaining compatibility and interoperability between systems, organizations can minimize disruptions and maximize productivity.
• Staff retention and transition management. Introducing BPO might lead to concerns among existing staff about job security or changes in roles and responsibilities. Transparent communication, retraining opportunities, and support for staff affected by outsourcing can mitigate resistance and ease the transition.
• Preservation of institutional identity and values. Outsourcing certain functions may raise concerns about keeping the institution’s identity and values intact. To uphold institutional integrity, academic organizations must find BPO partners that align with their mission, vision, and educational philosophies.

Educational institutions and e-learning platforms need to find the right service provider for successful BPO integration. They must carefully consider essential factors to guarantee compatibility, reliability, and alignment with their goals and values. Here are critical steps to guide the selection process:

• Clearly outline the functions you plan to outsource and your desired outcomes.
• Look for a BPO partner with relevant experience in education and e-learning.
• Ensure compatibility with your systems and proficiency in relevant technologies.
• Inquire about quality control processes and adherence to standards.
• Prioritize data protection measures and compliance with regulations.
• Ensure alignment with your institution’s values and effective communication.
• Check the BPO company’s ability to scale services as needed.
• Assess affordability and transparency in pricing.
• Request references and perform due diligence on the BPO firm’s track record.
• Clarify contract terms, service-level agreements (SLAs), and dispute resolution mechanisms.

The bottom line

BPO for education encompasses a range of offerings tailored to support various aspects of learning delivery and academic administration. These BPO services enable institutions and learning platforms to streamline operations, enhance online education , uphold industry standards, embrace innovations, and, ultimately, improve the learning experience for students.

However, implementing BPO in the online education sector also presents risks. By proactively addressing these challenges, institutions can harness the power of BPO and maintain a competitive edge in a fast-evolving industry.

Let’s connect if you are you an e-learning platform looking to adopt BPO to enhance your online education initiatives .

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