There’s no question: the pandemic has increased the demand for online learning, and edupreneurs are capitalizing on it.
Since the demand covers a broad range of topics, edupreneurs from various niches are looking forward to attracting more students. For instance, people are:
Naturally, eduprenuers are taking notice and creating learning solutions to cater to these markets. So, how can you become successful in this field and capitalize on these new opportunities?
In this article, you’ll learn what an edupreneur is, how it’s different from an educator, and why you should consider becoming one. In the end, we’ll provide you with some useful tips and advice on how to kickstart your career in the education industry.
Let’s dive in.
As with many new words, there are different definitions that often result from the context in which people use them.
In the world of online marketing, the word “edupreneur” refers to an entrepreneur who runs an education-based company – an education entrepreneur.
Here’s how eLearning Industry describes edupreneurship:
“It’s an entrepreneurial, income-generating business activity that has been strategically intertwined with education for the purposes of sustainable change at a social and economic level.”
In summary, edupreneurs sell education as a revenue-generating, profitable product.
Online, digital courses allow experts to upload and sell their most valuable nuggets of knowledge. Consumers gain access to these in an educational format, which in turn allows them to acquire new levels of expertise.
We see this working today in several ways.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Have you ever dreamed of learning how to dance? Would you like to know how to throw pottery, write a book, or even start a garden?
Anyone can learn these skills on demand by finding a course offered by someone they like.
Most educators want their students to love learning. As Plutarch stated, in fact, “the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.”
Educators want to ignite a love for learning in their students because education itself is the goal. In this example of an educator’s course, for instance, the objectives focus on what the students will understand about neuroscience.
Edupreneurs, on the other hand, see education as a means to an end. It’s not about passing tests or the gained knowledge per se, but about what the learners will be able to accomplish with it.
For example, if you offered a course on flipping furniture, you probably wouldn’t care about whether they can pass a test. You just want to know that your students can identify furniture with potential, fix it up, and sell it.
My Perfect Brain appears more edupreneurial in its approach because the objectives focus on how the learners will benefit from it rather than on what they’ll learn.
In a more traditional education sector, you work within the safety and structure of an established structure. You must stick to assigned roles because it depends on all educators working together.
Edupreneurs, instead, encounter greater risks. While they have the freedom to be more innovative and meet the marketplace needs they identify, taking advantage of these opportunities requires them to risk their finances and forego more secure opportunities within established systems.
They have an entrepreneurial mindset: the goal is to break away from a lifestyle and income dictated by a structured system to build a lifestyle based on a profitable business.
The education system selects educators who must meet stringent qualifications to educate students and must keep their administrators satisfied to stay employed.
Educational entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are selected directly by their audiences. This means that they can be themselves and attract potential customers that resonate with their personality, approach, and prior experience. To stay in business, they need to keep their audiences satisfied.
If you have an unusual life experience, a more traditional education system might not be an option at all. However, as an edupreneur, an epic mistake from your past might be the reason why a student chooses your course.
This is the perfect time to become an edupreneur! Only a few years ago, the very concept of online courses was far less recognized as an education model.
Today, the online learning market is growing rapidly, and selling online courses and training programs is a much more viable business opportunity than it used to be. Successful edupreneurs from all over the world are seizing this opportunity every day.
The best thing is that it doesn’t take much to get started. Just by using your laptop and a little time, you’ll have access to the information and tools to launch your edupreneurial business, including:
Let’s look at each of them in more detail.
As an edupreneur, you’ll want to learn about business and entrepreneurship. There are many experts who can teach you what you need to get started.
And if you’re an educator, you don’t need to quit your stable academic career to start your business.
This video covers some of the basic knowledge that you need to start your own business and make it legal in the United States. If you’re in a different country, seek an expert who’s familiar with the laws in your area.
You don’t need many physical assets to run an entrepreneurial business.
In terms of hardware, your computer will likely be enough. Moreover, there are a lot of tools that enable you to create an online course for free or (on a low budget). This includes helping you find your audience, plan your content, market your product, receive money, and deliver your online course.
Creating online courses allows you to package and sell your expertise. The next step is talking about your offer to people who need it, which will be your target audience.
Fortunately, building an audience today is much easier than it used to be just a few years ago.
With the rise of social media, influencer marketing, and online course marketplaces, reaching an audience is a matter of skill and effort more than anything else.
Plus, when compared to in-person learning, online courses are at an obvious advantage: you have a global client base at your disposal and a large set of tools to reach them.
Check out this complete guide that shows you how to market your online course. If you need to find your audience, this guide is the best place to start.
As an educator, you already have the skills you need for planning and delivering content. Now, it’s time to learn the business side of things. Here are a few tips to get started.
Successful entrepreneurs are already familiar with what it takes to run a business and, in this sense, are advantaged. If you belong to this category, your focus should be on the science of learning and adult education.
Use the right metrics to measure achievement. There’s a lot of noise about completion rates or test scores, but that’s rarely the best way to measure success.
Since students are paying for their education, what’s important to them is a better measure. Here are a few examples:
When developing programs for your course, consider what needs to happen for your audience to believe it’s successful. Then, find a way to capture those results.
Becoming an edupreneur in 2024 is a great idea if you’re looking to make the most of the current global market trends.
The knowledge economy is going through a boom right now. If you consider yourself as an expert in any field or see a knowledge gap in your niche, it makes a lot of sense to embark on an edupreneurial career path.
To learn some of the most important first steps that you’ll need to take to be successful and kickstart your business, check out these guides we’ve created.
So, did you decide to take the first step towards becoming an edupreneur? If so, welcome to the club!
The good news about edupreneurship is that your educational content doesn’t have to fit into a narrow definition of what education is. If you know a lot about something, you can teach others about it! You can create educational content about nearly anything, including gardening, personal development, home repair, jewelry design, and furniture making. The possibilities are endless. Plus, your future students are the ones who decide to trust you, and most don’t care about formal education. Rather, they need to believe in your capacity to teach them what they want to know.
Hey there! I'm Baidhurya, the brains behind SellCoursesOnline. I used to run a digital agency, where I helped course businesses launch their eLearning platforms. I also led the tech and marketing teams at StationX, helping it grow to 500K+ students. In addition, I created the popular supply chain network design course. With 8+ years of experience, I'm here to share my expertise and insights on course creation and platforms with you.
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