Turning Teaching Expertise into A Home-Based Business

Never in the history of business has it been easier or more lucrative for individuals to use their knowledge and skills to make money from home. Whether you develop a primary occupation or are planning a side hustle, home-based businesses allow people to generate cash over the course of the year without commuting, paying for external child care, or punching a clock that fits someone else’s schedule.  While making money is one reason to try your hand at entrepreneurship, others include exploring the viability of an idea or a service or product that fills a marketing gap and provides something that others need.

With the advent of technological advances, teachers may find that there are a myriad of ways to monetize their expertise and knowledge beyond the confines of a typical classroom. From online teaching to becoming Instagram influencers to using videography as a way to widen the options available to homeschooling parents, there are many ways to turn your knowledge and enthusiasm for your craft into a money-making enterprise.

Offer tutoring, homework help, or micro-lessons

Many students require assistance in dense and difficult subjects such as science and mathematics. Often, this help is not easily accessible, especially if people in their family do not understand or know the subject matter either. In the absence of parents or guardians capable of helping them complete assignments, students may benefit from tutoring websites where mentors have a college degree and teaching experience in particular content areas. Tutoring positions offer teachers an opportunity to communicate with students via webcam or phone sessions, while others may require written responses entered through a web-based interface.

VIPKids is one site that hires virtual instructors that can afford teachers an opportunity to make money from home. VIPKids, in particular, takes as its mission “to inspire and empower every child for the future.” Specifically, it allows tutors to teach Chinese children from the comfort of their home, offering immersion language classes and content area classes that are rooted in the US Common Core Standards. Without the need to create lesson plans and the flexibility of scheduling, teachers are free to promote curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity within their foreign students. The company was ranked #1 by FlexJobs in Forbes 2018 Top 100 Remote Work Companies Report.

Market your lessons to other teachers

Teachers spend an inordinate amount of time developing lessons, gathering materials, and planning for instruction. A well-developed lesson or unit plan can take hours to complete, and once they are complete, sit in a folder or drawer for more than a year before they are used again. Teaching materials are a valuable resource for other teachers and parents who choose to homeschool. While it’s unlikely that you will be able to retire on the sale of those unit plans, there is currently a booming market for them. Sites like Teachers Pay Teachers offer a marketplace for educators to sell lessons on everything from the Women’s Rights Movement unit plans to seasonal arts and craft activities. Monetizing your lesson planning is its own perk, but the realization that other children are benefiting from the care and skill you put into the materials can be extremely gratifying for an educator.

Specialize in what teachers want or need

Dropshipping may provide an at-home business opportunity for you, especially if you’ve always wanted to create and own your own teaching supply store. With a dropshipping company, you won’t need to make, store, or ship products and you can run your business with a computer and the internet. Choose from among the many products available for dropshipping, select a reliable dropshipping wholesale provider, design your website, and you’re in business. Most successful dropshipping companies have a specialized niche, and what you know about what teachers want and need will offer you special insight into developing a booming business. You may want learning and teaching items, school supplies, or you may choose to sell personalized teacher gifts.

Try your hand at videos

Developing and selling online tutorials or creating your own YouTube channel and charging a subscription can be profitable ways to monetize your knowledge and teaching skill. YouTube can stand alone as a home business idea because watchers can subscribe to your channel, creating a steady source of income for you as long as you are invested in the time and effort required to create interesting and worthy videos. Use the best free video editors to offer child development or classroom management advice, teaching tips for particular student demographics, share a fully formed lesson or unit plan, or interview or videotape other educators with valuable insight to share. YouTube channels can be a fun way to enjoy the freedom of a home-based business.

What are your ideas for teachers to make extra money by sharing their knowledge, passion, and skill? Feel free to share them here.