Business At A Glance
Startup Costs: $10,000 – $50,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Online Operation? No
Business Overview
If you’re a born teacher and motivator, then you’ll get inspired as anemployee trainer. You’ll give specialized sessions on your area ofexpertise, which can be anything from language or math skills togetting the most from company employees or their customers throughleadership, self-motivation or sales motivation.
This is a hot newfield, and growing hotter. The most popular training topics includecustomer service and creative problem-solving, but they can alsoencompass internal communications and even math or reading 101. Theadvantages to this business are that startup costs are minimal, it’screative, and when you communicate new ideas and techniques and seethem take root in someone else’s mind, it’s fulfilling.
You’ll need notonly a knowledge of the topic you’re teaching, but also the innatetalents of a good instructor: the ability to explain your subjectclearly and make it interesting, and to inspire. You’ll also needexcellent sales and marketing skills to merchandise your services.
The Market
Your customers will depend on the topics of your workshops or seminars.Just about any business could benefit from a course on customerrelations or marketing techniques, but if your subject is advancedspreadsheet software, you’ll be wasting your time targeting, forinstance, companies with an employee base of telemarketers.
Direct-mailbrochures or letters of introduction to prospective companies, thenfollow up with phone calls. Network among professional and civicorganizations in your community. Give seminars and workshops at localcolleges and give talks at business associations. Write articles forbusiness publications. Place an ad in your local Yellow Pages.
Needed Equipment
You should have the businessperson’s basics–a computer with a laserprinter, a fax machine and the usual software–and you may want toinvest in a copier so you can run off materials for your students.
Anddepending on your subject matter and your personal style, you may wanta dry-erase easel, board and markers.