by Liesha Petrovich
There is no better job than getting paid to share your passion.
It seems like everyone is teaching or coaching online these days. You can learn anything online, including skills like how to make wine or how to make the perfect cupcake. You can even learn how to build your self-esteem through meditation. Whatever skill you need, there’s probably an online course for it.
You may have this secret wish to share your own expertise, but have no idea where to start. The great news is there are several easy options for anyone who wants to start a risk-free coaching or teaching business. Even if you have zero business, no technical skills, and little money to start. All you need is a passion for sharing your expert knowledge.
Easily Sell from an E-commerce Website
Starting your business with a website with integrated payments is easy. Depending on what you want to sell, you’ll either need to sell eBooks (as PDFs or .mobile files or direct to Kindle) or sell digital downloads (like videos) to sell your coaching services. Selz is an easy-to-use eCommerce platform that allows you to do both. It’s incredibly easy to use, free to set up, handles all sales and downloads, and you can even sell from your Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest pages. Jess Sepel is has a passion for clean living and sells her eating plans, shopping lists, and guides directly from her own Selz store.
Sell from Bulk Course Niche Sites
Think of a bulk course site like Amazon. You can buy a wide variety of courses from one platform, so the competition is heavy. But you can also sell from a niche site like Craftsy, which is just for artisans, crafters, gardeners, and bakers. Joanna Gollberg’s class, Solder Smarter: Strategies for Better Results, has over 1000 students. Because Craftsy is also a community site, Joanna’s students can post their incredible projects and ask her questions. Check to see if there is a niche course site that fits your potential market and start there.
Directly From Your Blog or Website
If you already have a blog or website and a strong social media presence, you may want to sell your coaching services or course directly from your site. Jenny Blake is a former Google executive who coaches business owners in a wide variety of areas. She sells all her courses and coaching directly from her popular website, including her newest course Momentum. Although it’s a little more technical to sell from your own site, it does give you complete freedom to set everything up exactly the way you want.
Make Money Helping People
With the growth of online learning, it has never been easier to sell your expertise online. You have a lot of options, and you don’t need any special technical skills to start. What you do need is a passion for helping people and for sharing your knowledge.
If you have a special skill, talent or ability, consider creating an online coaching business. Not only will you make a profit, but you’ll also be sharing your passion every day.
And you can’t have a better job than that.
Liesha’s a freelancer by day and Kyokushin Black Belt by night.
She’s the author of Killing Rapunzel: Learning How to Save Yourself Through Determination, Grit, and Self-Employment (her mother hates the title – but it’s a metaphor mom!). She talks freelancing adventures at Microbusiness Essentials.
