By Lynette Chandler
Do people come to you for answers about a particular issue? I’m confident they do because every one of us has greater knowledge about a topic than the average person does. Maybe you’re a great cook, musician, crafter or a home improvement pro. Through the Internet, you can teach others and make a nice side income if not a profitable business from home.
Why E-learning From Expert Peers Is Hot
If you take a good look at the Internet, it’s really a big peer to peer library of information. It was made for information sharing and it’s more apparent today than ever especially with the advent of blogs, how to web sites and wikis (a sort of online information resource built by common people). For many, learning from peers is less stressful and it gives them a sense of Can-Do; “If she can do it, so can I” and this in itself is appealing.
People Are Busy
All over the world, modern life keeps getting busier. Between the daily commute, family commitments and work, many people’s simply do not have room in their schedules to go and sit in a class. If they could join a class virtually online, they still get to learn, interact with the tutor and classmates just like a real class without having to be there physically. And this leads into my next point.
People with disabilities want to learn too. That’s right. There are so many people who cannot get to class. E-learning is very appealing to them.
Not Bound To Location
In the past, if there isn’t a school in your town, you’ll have to travel or even move to the town your school is in. E-learning requires no such commitment – which can be quite a big one if one already holds a steady job.
What You Need
Now we’ve established demand for this format of learning, here’s what you need to get started.
- A computer
- A website
- Broadband Internet connection
- A video camera or web cam
- A microphone that attaches to your computer
- A web conferencing service to deliver your classes to your students
Tip: Many web conferencing service providers charge by the minute, or by the number of students. This can take a deep cut out of your profits. You want to find a service that offers web conferencing at a flat rate monthly fee. This reduces your overheads and keeps your cost fixed.
As you can quickly gather, these do not cost a lot of money compared to setting up a physical school. You probably have 90% of what you need to get started. Before I leave, there is one other recommendation I’d like to make and that is to equip yourself with the knowledge of marketing online. It could be the difference between a successful business and one that never gets off the ground. Here’s a good resource to start. I wish you all the best in your endeavor and drop me a line when you do to share your story. About the author: Lynette Chandler helps entrepreneurs leverage readily available technology for their marketing. Learn to apply the power of technology to your marketing
