Starting an online learning business is not a walk in the park. Though, if your organization is ready, it can be a very rewarding development. In this blog we’ll share our thoughts on where to start and things to consider if you’re hiring an eLearning consultant. Before you start, ask yourself: Who are you targeting? Who is managing the content being developed for your business? Who is your competition? These are a few of the many questions you will need to know as you enter the learning business world. You may be wondering, where do I start? At this point you should consider how eLearning consultants may be beneficial. CEO, Jon Aleckson, explains Web Courseworks three-phased approach when consulting clients on their Learning Business.
What to Consider When Starting Your Learning Business
The three-phased approach that Web Courseworks follows includes:
1. Organizational Readiness
Organizational readiness can be determined by looking at an organization’s internal staff and environment. Who is going to be assigned to different tasks within the new business? Tasks for managing this type of business include talking to subject matter experts, building content, and so forth. Everything that goes into a learning business needs to be supported by staff, technology, and the external market.
2. Environmental Scan
The environmental scan phase looks at the external market: who the associations competition is, what the target market wants, if there is a market for the content being provided, what type of pricing structure to have, etc. Having the data and expertise to back-up your claims will assure you success in making decisions for your learning business.
3. Final Report
The end goal of this three-phased approach is to have a tangible item in hand that will help you move forward with steps to create, and successfully begin, your learning business. One example of a document that clients often want to receive is a business plan.
What to Look for When Choosing an eLearning Consultant
Andy Hicken, Director of Quality and Strategy at Web Courseworks and one of our eLearning consultants, explains that the most important thing when considering who your learning business consultant will be is if they are a good personality fit. You will be working with your consultant often and if they are not a person that the organization feels they’d work well with, then you are setting yourself up for failure.
Having an experienced, industry specific consultant to validate your decisions and provide you with data to ensure you’re making the right decisions is the best way to start a learning business. The three phases above can help you work through what to consider or not consider when developing your business and partnering with a learning business consultant will allow you to go through that process with ease.
To learn more about what to consider when choosing an eLearning consultant, attend our free webinar on May 29th at 11:30 CT. Andy Hicken and Jon Aleckson will discuss the learning business start-up environment and their experiences with clients who are now thriving in providing their members with courses for continuing education.
