The Covid-19 pandemic has left over 1.2 billion children all over the world without schooling. Although things are now getting back to normal, the crisis shows us that virtual schools online can be as effective in educating people as classrooms. What’s more, online learning has many advantages over traditional schools. Students can enjoy it at home, play fun online games like Magic Stone during the breaks, and replay the lessons later.

So, if you’ve got a valuable skill to teach, it’s time to start thinking about providing your own virtual school training. There are plenty of individuals out there looking to invest in knowledge. And the best part is that a virtual school experience gives you plenty of options to monetize the classes.

Sounds pretty good, right? But how to get started? And how much does it cost? This article is here to answer your questions. We’ll go through everything you need to know concerning how to start a virtual school, what technology to use, and everything else you need to consider to succeed. Let’s dive in.

Now is the Best Time to Start a Virtual School

Look, creating virtual school vacancies benefits both you and the world that’s recovering from the crisis. Once your business grows you can start to outsource the work. It’s not always you who has to do the teaching. There are thousands of qualified teachers looking for virtual school jobs since the pandemic. And needless to say, thanks to the Internet you can connect to teachers all over the world. If you’re teaching French, why not find french teachers from… France!

If you’re not yet sure if you want to start with your own business yet, you can look up various virtual school job vacancies. Many companies are looking for freelance teachers and working for someone else gives you the chance to try it out.

And once you’re ready to start your own online company, the first thing to do is to choose an appropriate business model.

Pick the Right Business Model

All virtual school ideas need an effective business model that fits the services. An effective business model for your revenues determines both the prices of your classes and the value you’re providing. Even more, it defines your target audience. You should also put down the key points that make you different from the competitors.

Let’s take a look at the two best business models for a virtual school:

Offer Individual Classes for a Fee

This business model lets the students enroll in a class for a specified fee. It works especially well for beginning teachers. When you’re just starting it’s good to give the students a chance to try out individual classes before subscribing to the whole program.

Monthly Membership

In this model, you enable students to access a certain number of classes after they’ve signed up for a membership. Purchasing the membership plan can come with some additional benefits like individual payment plans and various discounts. It’s up to you to customize the plan to meet your business goal

The Costs of Creating the Content

The amount you need to pay for someone to create the content depends on the time your chosen freelancer needs to complete the project.

An instructional designer’s typical hourly rate (according to Salary.com) is $37. If you need a Subject Matter Expert, you should be ready to pay about $43 per hour.

Essential Equipment

The basic necessities to create online courses are a computer and an internet connection. However, it’s a good idea to make your life easier with some good multimedia software.

One of the best programs out there is Adobe Premiere Pro. This software is packed with so many useful features, that even top Hollywood editors use it on blockbuster movies. It comes with a monthly price of $34.

Web Cameras

Needless to say, you will also need a good web camera to record your videos. Some of the best options out there are all under $60.

•              Genius WideCam F100. The best cam for wide-angle shots. $29.

•              Logitech HD Pro C920. A 1080p camera. $59.

•              Logitech HD C615. A portable 720p camera. $43. 

Sound Recording

And let’s not forget the microphones. Audio quality is super important in your videos and most computers don’t come with a good quality mic.

Sennheiser is always a trusted choice. ME 2-II, a lavalier mic, is a convenient option that captures high-quality sound. You can get it from Amazon for about $220.

Another popular choice is the Blue Snowball. You can get this quality mic for only $70.

How to Set up Your Business on a Small Budget

If you’re having trouble finding your virtual school funding, and you’re only operating with a minimal budget, you can still create a profitable course:

•    Start by creating short videos with quizzes. Then expand your course once you get more pupils.

•    Conduct live webinars. The best part is that recorded live webinars can later be a part of your course videos.

•    Don’t worry about producing the whole course at once. You can start with the first two training units and sell the following courses for an early-bird price. This way you can build up your budget before making the more advanced videos. 

•    Most smartphones have a pretty decent camera to record your videos.

Conclusion

When given the choice virtual school vs. public school, more people than ever would choose to receive their education via the Internet. And that’s great news for all teachers and people with valuable knowledge to share. The market is hungry, it’s easy to enter it, and you can start making a profit already in the first months. Unfortunately in many places of the world, the teachers’ salaries in regular schools remain low. In the online world, it’s all up to you how much you earn. With a little ingenuity and some focused effort, everyone can start making a proper living solely from their online school.

What’s the key technology that has helped you to launch a successful virtual school? Or are you still in the planning stages of starting your virtual lessons? Let us know in the comments section and let’s learn from each other.

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Author: Chris DelgadoChris is a public speaking coach with a master's degree in digital communications. He has several online courses and is teaching a couple of his clients through weekly virtual meetings. Chris believes everyone can succeed in starting a virtual schooling business.