26: Teacher Biz Startup Costs: Breaking Down Initial Investments
Starting a business can be intimidating, especially when it comes to investing your hard-earned money. However, building an online business is much more affordable compared to traditional brick-and-mortar ventures.
In this episode, Heather walks through the initial startup expenses of starting an online teacher business. She shares her recommendations for the best sales page platform, checkout provider, email service provider, and domain provider.
No worries if you’re not ready to make significant investments yet! Heather also shares the scrappy, more affordable alternatives to the best options.
Whether you’re ready to dive in headfirst or prefer to start scrappy, this episode is sure to provide you with the guidance you need to get started on your own teacher biz!
For a breakdown of the costs and recommendations discussed in the episode, download the Teacher Biz Startup Investment Guide!
Key Takeaways:
- (03:18) Investing in an online business; minimal costs, high profits
- (05:30) The two ways to start a teacher biz
- (07:15) Best option for creating a sales page
- (09:50) Best checkout provider
- (12:30) Best email service provider
- (15:20) Recommended domain providers
- (18:27) Scrappy alternatives and the cost breakdown
- (23:20) Encouragement to invest in your business and not give up
Links from the episode:
- Leadpages – teacherbiz.com/leadpages
- Thrivecart – teacherbiz.com/thrivecart
- Convert Kit – teacherbiz.com/convertkit
Listen on:
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Teacher Biz Launchpad: Essential Start-Up Costs for Your Online Business
This episode breaks down the costs of starting your teacher biz and offers guidance on which investments are crucial and which you can skip as you embark on this exciting journey.
Heather’s expertise will help you make informed decisions about where to invest your resources for maximum impact.
Understanding the Initial Investments
When contemplating the costs involved in setting up a teacher biz, Heather emphasizes the importance of strategic investments.
She understands the financial constraints that many educators face and acknowledges the initial uncertainty of pouring money into a new venture.
However, she also highlights the potential for high profitability and the unparalleled impact an online business can offer compared to traditional teaching roles.
Heather outlines two paths for establishing your teacher biz: the best way and the scrappy way.
The Best Way: Investing for Long-Term Success
Heather advocates for selling your products on your own website using a sales page, thereby bypassing the need for a fully built-out WordPress website initially.
With this approach, Leadpages, a landing page builder, is recommended for designing and showcasing your products effectively. While acknowledging that Leadpages may be the most significant expense initially, Heather underscores its pivotal role in creating your digital storefront.
Additionally, she recommends utilizing Thrivecart as a checkout platform, emphasizing its one-time payment structure, and ConvertKit as an email service provider for seamless communication with customers.
Lastly, securing a relevant domain and availing a customer service inbox provider like Google Workspace enhances your business’s professional image.
The Scrappy Way: Starting with Minimal Investments
For those hesitant about initial expenses, Heather outlines an alternative approach to start with minimal tech investments.
Instead of Leadpages, she suggests using the free version of Elementor as a WordPress plugin to create landing pages and offers options like Shopify or SendOwl for checkout.
Additionally, she encourages considering a free ConvertKit account or utilizing a free Gmail account for customer service purposes to minimize initial costs.
This approach allows budding entrepreneurs to start their teacher biz with a relatively low monthly investment and gradually transition to more robust tools as the business grows.
Ultimately, the message is clear – the initial investments required to establish a teacher biz are not merely expenses; they are strategic stepping stones toward building a fulfilling and profitable career outside the traditional classroom.
By leveraging Heather’s insights and the recommended tools, educators can turn their vision of entrepreneurship into a reality and carve out their own path in the education industry.