How to Create an Impactful Education Business
We get into teaching because we want to make an impact. If you’re feeling like working beyond the classroom, you likely want to learn how to make an impact in the process. The good news is there are so many ways to work flexibly in education while expanding your reach - including by starting an education business.
When you work outside of the classroom, you can make an even bigger impact. Instead of working with just the teachers and students within your building, you can work with lots of people in lots of different areas.
One way you can do this is by working flexibly beyond the classroom, as a consultant, instructional coach, curriculum developer, or another role. Through this work, you can support an exponentially larger amount of people.
Starting an education business is another way to figure out how to make an impact in your community (and beyond) and create positive change in the world of education. Instead of taking on non-teaching jobs in education, you can use your teaching experience to create an education business focused on an area of your choice.
Whether you have a solid education business idea already or are just starting to entertain the idea, consider focusing on three questions to determine how to make an impact through your work.
Three Questions to Determine How to Make an Impact With An Education Business
What Problem Will Your Business Solve?
Businesses exist to solve problems, and there sure are a lot of problems to solve in the world of education! Begin by listing out some of the problems you have noticed in our education system. Then challenge yourself to come up with solutions to these problems. These solutions could be the start of an education business that makes an impact. Not sure how to make an impact with your business?
Here are some examples:
How Will Your Education Business Positively Impact the Lives of Others?
Creating businesses can be a great way to scale our impact— which ultimately means helping more people. Education businesses, specifically, have the potential to be even more powerful. After all, the impact of education on society, health, the economy and more is clear. Starting an education business could help you play a bigger part in this impact.
Talk to potential people who could be impacted by your business. What do they think of your ideas? What else might they want? Focusing on the positive outcomes your education business will have is incredibly motivating, and talking to the people you will serve will provide insights you couldn’t imagine on your own.
For example, if you want to create a financial literacy program for schools, talk to other teachers to see what needs they’ve noticed. Talk to parents to hear what they wish their children would learn about managing their finances.
You certainly have amazing education business ideas, but all ideas are better when we hear from multiple voices. Really listening to potential customers gives you important information about the needs of others and how you can help them.
What’s Your Next Best Step to Determine How to Make an Impact?
Starting an education business can be overwhelming, particularly if it’s something you have never done before. But though there’s a lot to learn, it can also be fun! Just try to take the next best step forward, over and over again.
As a first step, come join me for an upcoming free masterclass on how to start an education business that matters. You’ll learn how to use your experience as a teacher to come up with solutions for the most pressing problems in education, how to monetize your ideas, and how to market your business. I can’t wait to see you there!
More Resources to Help You Make An Impact Outside of the Classroom
Want to explore all the options for how to make an impact in education? There are so many careers in education other than teaching that you could consider!
Want to start an education business but aren’t quite ready to leave the classroom? Explore some of the many side hustles for teachers. Ready to start a whole new career? Becoming an education writer, online teacher coach or online tutor could be right for you.
No matter what your goals are for making an impact in education, Educator Forever is here to help. Explore our Beyond the Classroom course, join us for our free education business masterclass and explore our blog for full resources on careers outside of the classroom.