How to Build a Teacher Business (That Actually Pays)

There are two ways to build an online business as a teacher. One of them may lead to quick success, but it doesn't last long. The other leads to slow and steady growth over time.

Business Building Method #1: 

1. Decide on something to sell. (TPT store, freelancing, online courses are a few of the more common choices among teachers)

2. Spend weeks creating your first product.

3. Put it up for sale.

4. Start an Instagram page (That's what you're supposed to do, right?)

5. Wait for the sales to roll in.

To be honest, many people have had success with this method! If you started a TPT store anytime between 2014 and 2020, this strategy probably worked out ok for you.

The problem? Your strategy includes ONE income stream and ONE marketing platform. 

It's kind of like trying to sail across the ocean in a ship with ONE sail. Sure, it'll keep you afloat if the waters are calm. But once a storm starts brewing, things get really rocky for you.

And that happened in 2020. There were changes in the market, changes on some marketplaces (IYKYK), and demand for digital products skyrocketed, only to fall drastically in 2021 and 2022.

Some teacher business owners found themselves in a really tough situation. With little to no control over the traffic going to their products and services (marketing) combined with an overall shift in the market and no backup plan in place for income, many ships went under.

Others barely stayed afloat and are now putting some extra sails into place for the next storm. (To be clear, the waters have calmed a bit... but they're not totally peaceful!)

If you're still hanging in there, you've already had a win. You're still here! 

But it's time to think about building multiple sails to strengthen your ship. (Still with me on the analogy or have I lost you?)

Here's Business Building Strategy #2 (The Teacher Hustle Way)

1. Create a business plan! It doesn't have to be complicated. Do some market research to better understand who you want to help and how. Start to think through multiple revenue stream ideas. We don't have to put them all into place at once, but you want to have a plan for how you might build a strong ship. (Need help? Check out my 3 day business plan challenge with business plan template + trainings to go with it for just $17. I want this to be simple for you!)

2. Pick a product or service you might start with and get a waiting list out to validate your idea before putting too much time into putting anything together.

3. Put a marketing funnel into place to help move people from free lead magnet to your paid product. It should be VERY simple to start. One lead magnet, one small email sequence to the waiting list for your paid product. 

4. Start building your email list by combining your lead magnet with the social platform you love the most. If you HATE social, that's ok. There are a million other ways to get your lead magnet out to the world. One of my favorites is collaborating with other sellers for a freebie swap or being a guest on podcasts.

Your business is ready to go in about half the time, and it's far stronger with this method.

[This is the method I teach inside my signature program, Teacher Hustle University.] 

If your business is stuck at or below $3k per month but you've been spinning your wheels trying to create content and figure this thing out... take this quiz to find out what's missing.

1. Have you developed your brand's story? Do you understand and communicate exactly how you'll show up to help and who you're helping? Has this evolved over time? (Hint: It should.)

2. Do you have offer flow in place? In other words, do you have products or services at various price points that allow a customer to take a journey of trust with you?

3. Do you have funnels in place so that when someone finds you (and loves you, of course) they can get lost down a very intentional rabbit hole of content and purchase opportunities with just the right amount of urgency? Marketing on autopilot is a MUST HAVE for a long-term, successful online business.

4. Do you hold regular live launches where you bring in NEW potential customers and share one specific offer over 5-7 days?

5. Do you have a planning process in place that helps you focus on your goals and make sure your to-do list is actually giving you a return on the time you're putting in?

If you said NO to any of these, you need Teacher Hustle University.

Inside, you'll find a very clear path to planning your quarterly targets and running experiments to find out exactly what's working (and not working) in your strategy.

👉 You'll learn how to build a strong funnel so you can spend less time on marketing overall.

👉 You'll learn my live launch strategy for cash injections and email list growth throughout the year.

👉 You'll learn how to build a unique brand presence that calls in exactly the right people.

👉 You'll learn how to structure your offers and price them to optimize your growth.

And the last ingredient for a strong ship? Community. You need a community of like-minded entrepreneurs by your side who get it. They understand when you're riding the wave for dear life because they've been there before. They can help troubleshoot, give feedback, and give you an outside perspective.

It's hard to be a solopreneur. Holding up an entire business alone is really, really hard. Find your community and keep them close!

You'll always have a community waiting for you inside THU.