72: Planning Your Teacher Biz: Make These 3 Decisions First!
Starting a business without a plan is like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks—and that’s exactly what we want to avoid.
In this episode, Heather walks through the three critical decisions you need to make before launching your teacher biz. With a solid plan in place, you’ll avoid the hamster wheel of trial and error and set yourself up for real progress.
If you’re ready to put in the work and follow through, this episode will help you get started on the right foot and build the foundation for long-term success. Let’s dive in!
Join the upcoming Plan Your Teacher Biz challenge!
Key Takeaways:
- (03:45) Plan Your Teacher Biz challenge
- (04:40) Choosing your business topic
- (06:35) Identifying your customers
- (07:05) Naming your business
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Make These Three Key Decisions Before Launching Your Teacher Biz
In this post, we’re diving deep into the three critical decisions you need to make before launching your teacher business. These foundations will set you up for success and guide you towards a life where you can make a limitless impact and have the flexibility you crave.
The Importance of Planning Before You Launch
Before you embark on your journey of creating a teacher biz, it’s vital to have a plan. This isn’t just about mitigating risks; it’s about setting yourself up for sustainable success.
Operating a business without a plan is akin to throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks—it leads to frustration and inefficiency.
Conversely, a well-thought-out plan will guide you, help you make informed decisions, and keep you focused on your goals.
Decision #1: Choosing Your Business Topic
Why Specificity Matters
The first and most crucial decision in setting up your teacher biz is determining your business topic.
A broad, unfocused topic will fail to attract a dedicated audience. You need to niche down and be as specific as possible about what your business will offer. A well-defined niche not only clarifies your messaging but also helps you stand out in a crowded market.
For instance, Heather’s Teacher Biz Podcast is laser-focused on helping teachers create online businesses by selling digital products. Her specificity makes it easy for her target audience—teachers interested in online business—to identify with her content.
Steps to Identifying Your Niche
- Assess Your Skills and Interests: List down your unique skills and passions. These elements should intersect with market demand.
- Research: Investigate other businesses similar to your idea. Identify gaps in the market that you can fill.
- Validate: Before you fully commit, validate your idea through surveys or small focus groups to ensure there’s a demand.
Decision #2: Identifying Your Target Customers
Who Are Your Ideal Customers?
Your business can’t be everything to everyone. Identifying your ideal customers will enable you to create tailored marketing strategies that resonate with a specific group.
The concept here is simple: If you try to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one.
How to Define Your Target Customers
- Create Customer Personas: Sketch out detailed profiles of your ideal customers. Include demographics like age, occupation, and interests.
- Understand Their Pain Points: Identify the problems your target customers face that you can solve with your products or services.
- Specify Where They Are: Know the platforms and communities where your ideal customers spend their time. This knowledge will inform your marketing tactics.
Decision #3: Naming Your Business
What’s in a Name? Everything.
Your business name is your first impression; it sets the tone for your brand. It should be clear, searchable, and reflective of what your business stands for.
Crafting the Perfect Name
- Clarity Over Cleverness: A good business name should be clear even before someone reads your tagline. For example, “Kindergarten Ready Skills” leaves little to the imagination about what the business offers.
- Search Engine Friendly: The name should contain keywords that potential customers might use when searching for a business like yours. This will improve your search engine visibility.
- Avoid Vagueness: Heather’s first blog, “Happy Humble Home,” was cute but vague. It didn’t clearly convey what the blog was about. Contrast that with her current names like “Teacher Biz,” which are straightforward and informative.
Join the Teacher Biz Challenge
To further assist you on your journey, Heather offers the Plan Your Teacher Biz Challenge, a comprehensive guide to making these pivotal decisions.
This free challenge includes live video lessons, interactive workbooks, and a community of like-minded individuals.
By the end of this challenge, you’ll have a clear business topic, a defined target audience, and a stellar business name.