How to Decide on Educational Entrepreneurship Ideas

Dreaming of a life outside the classroom? Explore our best tips for finding educational entrepreneurship ideas to help you make a wider impact in education.

As an educator, your knack for problem-solving is unparalleled. Teachers are always solving problems. Think about how you've tailored your approach for students facing difficulties, identifying their struggles and finding ways to support them. 

Your problem-solving capabilities, expertise, and diverse skill set are both valuable and transferable. These skills and qualities are why many educators become successful business owners, as they are the foundation of a successful entrepreneurship journey. 

At the heart of it, entrepreneurship is an opportunity to apply these problem-solving skills on a larger scale. So if you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own education business, take comfort in knowing that starting a business is not about slick sales tactics; it's about successfully solving problems. 

And within the education world, it’s no secret there are a multitude of problems that need to be addressed. In other words, there are a multitude of business ideas for former teachers. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to leverage your teaching expertise to identify, address, and create solutions for the variety of challenges in education, so you can get clear on how to decide what kind of business you’d like to start.

4 Steps to Finding the Right Educational Entrepreneurship Ideas for You

1. Explore your interests

The first step in choosing the right education business is to identify your passion and expertise as an educator. Reflect on the topics or skills that truly interest you and ignite your enthusiasm. (Take some time to make a list of ideas!) Consider the areas where you've received positive feedback. 

Your passion and expertise will serve as the foundation for your business, and entrepreneurship is a journey. As you explore your interests, consider relevant business ideas for teachers such as online teaching/tutoring, course creation, educational consulting, curriculum development, education research, education coaching… The possibilities are endless! 

You might start by choosing a venture that most interests you, or you could take small steps and delve into different areas as you gain clarity and find the intersection between what you enjoy and what people are willing to pay for.

2. Identify problems and collect data from your target audience

A successful business usually addresses a specific problem or provides a solution to a prevalent issue. Education is rife with challenges, and you, as an educator, are uniquely positioned to recognize them. 

A quick brainstorm yields issues like standardized testing, the need for trauma-informed practices, equity concerns, new teacher support, engagement strategies, class size problems, and a lack of resources.

Gather data about your potential education business ideas by talking to your target audience, whether it’s teachers, parents, administrators, or a combination of these. Leverage your network to gain insights and support. (This can also open doors to potential partnerships and valuable advice as you embark on your entrepreneurial journey.)

Through your conversations, identify your target audience’s pain points, preferences, and challenges. Consider the gaps in the market that your skills and knowledge can fill. Think about trends, emerging educational needs, and the preferences of your potential clients. What are people interested in? What problems need solving? This involves truly listening to understand your market and potential customers.

3. Imagine solutions

As you listen to your target audience, you can tailor your educational entrepreneurship idea(s) to meet their specific needs, ensuring that your offerings resonate with them and add value to them.

Embrace the idea that selling a product or service is fundamentally about offering solutions. Recognize that the problems identified are not insurmountable obstacles but opportunities for innovative solutions. 

What solutions could you offer to address a particular problem? Allow yourself to reimagine both education and your role as an educator. Challenge the conventional norms and think outside the box. You, as an educator, hold the key to potential solutions. 

Remember the problem-solving skills you've honed as an educator! The toxic systems in education often obscure the fact that teachers are well-positioned to contribute to meaningful change. Recognize the value of your experience and the impact you can have on broader educational issues.

4. Test out your education business idea

This is one of the most important steps on the journey to becoming an educational entrepreneur. Before fully committing to your business idea, test it on a smaller scale. The last thing you want is to go all-in on something that you’re excited about but that your target audience isn’t willing to pay for.

Offer pilot programs, workshops, or a limited version of your services to gauge interest and receive feedback. Use this information to iterate and refine your business model, ensuring that it resonates with your audience. 

The best business ideas for teachers not only fulfill your entrepreneurial aspirations but also make a meaningful impact on the educational landscape. By aligning your expertise with the demands of your audience, you can bring your educational entrepreneurship ideas to life. 

Ready to make your impact as an education business owner?

Remember, your skills are not confined to the classroom; they can catalyze transformative change on a much broader scale.

You can embark on a rewarding, profitable, and fulfilling entrepreneurial journey that aligns with your passion and makes a meaningful impact in the education world. With dedication, strategic decision-making, and support, you can turn your passion for education into a thriving business venture.

If you want to start your own education business, the key to actually building the business of your dreams is to take action and get the support you need.

Educator Forever is here to help! 

Join the Education Business Foundations Program, where you’ll be guided every step of the way, become part of a supportive community, and gain the business skills necessary to grow your education business. 

This empowering program will guide you to take one of your educational entrepreneurship ideas and turn it into a successful, profitable education business. While many ideas and courses out there focus on business strategies, this program is uniquely designed for the education industry to give you everything you need to have a successful education business.

Contact the Educator Forever team to learn more and get started today!