Homeschooling started as a rebellion against the state-mandated education system and was mostly followed by a few families. Recently, there has been a resurgence through increased demand for its return by parents due to the pandemic. With technology being able to connect us through various means across the earth, homeschooling businesses are on the rise. The key aspect of the rise of homeschooling is because of its student-centric nature.
Keeping that in mind, follow this blog to kickstart your homeschooling business.
Survey Your Neighborhood
Before jumping into any business, you must survey the demand for your product. Your neighborhood is your nearby market. Your primary customer base is going to be the parents of children living in your vicinity. Assess what type of demand exists by searching for other homeschooling ventures in your area. They usually conduct support meetings with one another to exchange ideas and discuss important updates. Go to one of those meetings and interact with them to gauge everything that entails running a homeschooling industry from someone in the field. A lot of clientele is generated through word of mouth so going to those meetings might put you in touch with parents wishing to homeschool their children. Creating flyers to hand out will increase your reach.
Check Local Laws
Every state has its own rules and regulations for homeschooling. Most are relatively relaxed, but some require proper licensing and documentation. Along with this, your educational qualifications, the parents’ educational qualifications, necessary certifications, mandatory subjects, and more must be kept in mind while researching. You can find out more about this by attending the support meetings previously mentioned and with proper research.
Choose Only One Subject to Teach
From the meetings, you must have understood which subjects are being taught and which are left. Many parents like to outsource subjects like reading and writing. If this falls within your area of expertise or is something you can pick up quickly with some certifications, then go for it. You can also select a course that is taught throughout the schooling life of a student such as mathematics or English. This will keep your client base broad, and students will stay for longer as well. Otherwise, stick to your domain and select a subject that you’re comfortable with. Just make sure there is enough demand for it.
Certifications
While you may have a bachelor’s or a master’s in the subject from a reputed university, you still need additional certifications as a guarantee of your teaching skills. The state might not require any educational qualifications, but the parents will. They need to know that their children, for whom they are paying a modest amount, are learning from someone who has been taught how to teach. Beyond that, you should also jog your memory on the subject because things would have changed since you were learning the subject.
Developing a Curriculum
After finalizing your subject, you can start developing your curriculum. YOUR CURRICULUM IS YOUR RESUME! Parents who homeschool their kids are known to display more scrutiny towards the syllabus and hence, give utmost importance to its content and structure. Start by doing extensive research on the curriculum currently followed by the local public school system and see what guidelines are provided by the district and state. Many parents might find this to be insufficient compared to the courses of the East, so you must incorporate additional subject matter for a complete course. Beyond that, it must specify your teaching style and what methods you pursue that are better suited for a child compared to what public schools offer. Take your time while making this and understand that this is the toughest part of the journey.
Explore Technology Options
Here are some different tech options you can leverage for greater efficiency.
For Distance Education
If your neighborhood is your nearby market, then everybody else that you cannot physically reach is your extended market. Through the wonders of technology, you can now connect to the remotest parts of the world. But your reach should be limited to within the state, perhaps the country. This is because each state has its educational requirements, and you must match yours. Create a webpage that highlights the key points of your business. Social media is also a great way to reach distant markets.
For Teaching Use
The future revolves around technology and your teaching must too. You need to incorporate technology into your course wherever you can, but it must be used to create genuine value. This is where your budget comes into play. Naturally, the level of use depends upon the subject but even in a subject like mathematics, there will be books to be shared and that will happen through a laptop. So, you must be well-versed in basic technology. And, it goes without saying that the traditional method of studying by using a pen, paper, and a whiteboard can still be used.
Work Hours, Budget, and Pricing
Your work hours might not be limited to the usual 9-5. Matching schedules with different clients might result in working odd hours especially if you choose to pursue distance education.
Budget
Creating a budget is a necessary step before starting your business. Points to remember while drafting your budget are as follows.
- Licensing, registration and certification costs
- Teaching materials such as pens, notebooks, whiteboards, laptops etc.
- Marketing costs: Both online and offline
- Liability insurance: To protect yourself and your student
- Any other costs that might be limited to you such as purchases made for creating a study space and more.
Pricing
After finalizing your budget, you can develop your pricing strategy. You can get a brief idea from the support meetings on the current market rates of most homeschooling businesses. Your rates should be competitive but keep your subject in mind while deciding as prices may vary as per the requirement and difficulty of the subject.
Conclusion: Homeschooling Hit
This occupation is a result of the failing public school systems, and you must take every decision with the future of the students in the back of your mind. Your business will need a proper structure in order and the points above can be your go-to guide for your basic requirements in creating a successful homeschooling venture. Make sure to conduct proper research and be aware of all the details of the industry and watch the learned students and happy parents preach your homeschool to others. All the best!
