Technology brings us new opportunities. One such opportunity that is truly exceptional is the ability to teach courses and workshops online with little more than a laptop, camera, decent microphone and some specialized knowledge. You don’t need a license. You don’t need a degree, certification or any other thing other than a strong desire to teach and something to teach that others want to learn. Add in some serious determination, some hard work, and a little patience and soon you will have your first student. Then before you know it your second, then third – and soon enough your student numbers will begin to grow with each new course you add.
Some instructors earn incredible amounts of money on an ongoing basis, with many being multiple six-figure earners – and a few even beyond that. Personally, I’m not anywhere near that – yet. But my student numbers are slowly but consistently increasing across all platforms that I teach on and I am taking a long game approach and methodically building up a relatively large library of courses covering multiple topics on multiple platforms.
From what I can see from my own research into online teaching as a business that is a solid path – though not the quickest. For those looking for get rich quick schemes – this isn’t the way – instead, it will take time and a lot of work to build a profitable online teaching business. But isn’t that pretty much true with any real business opportunity?
You can get started by researching some of the top instructors and learning from them. Learn what they did, and what they are doing – then model that. It will help you potentially accomplish more faster than otherwise would be possible, all because of the work others have already done ahead of you – and that they are willing to share with you for a small price. Just the tuition for a couple of their course and a book or two in some cases – and completely free in others. Many have Youtube channels and multiple videos where they tell you most of what you need to know to start, build and grow your own online teaching business. Then as you begin to get some results and earn a little money, then more money – don’t go piss it away and spend it on junk. Reinvest it back into your business. Take some courses yourself and learn more, get some better equipment, set up a dedicated recording space – your own little studio so to speak.
While that isn’t necessary – it sure is nice. It is great to have a nice camera, lights, backgrounds, editing software and not to have to set everything up and take it all back down every day. Instead, you just enter your space and get to work recording your next lecture. Then the next. Before you know it the course is finished, uploaded and live. Then you head on to begin your next course and you keep doing that until you have taught everything you have to teach and have built an extensive library of courses. Even then you are never really done until you decide you are. As you build your business and teach more and more courses you are continuing to learn new things – things you can then also teach. Even your existing areas of specialty will require updates and changes, and as you go further than beginner classes you will learn more yourself with each new course. So it is infinitely expandable.
Maybe you have never considered teaching an online course before. Maybe it’s time you should.