Business At A Glance
Startup Costs: $2,000 – $10,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Online Operation? No
Business Overview
Believe it or not, there are still lots of folks’including many seniorcitizens and retirees–who don’t have a clue how to access the internetor where to go once they’re on it. If you’re a tech whiz and you likenothing better than tinkering online–then you can these individualslearn how to navigate the information superhighway with ease as aninternet trainer.
You’ll give seminars, workshops, day-long courses orprovide one-on-one assistance at senior centers and in individuals’homes. And you can teach the basics or tailor your programs to thespecific types of internet use your clients want to know. Theadvantages to this business are that–assuming you already have acomputer–you can start on a shoestring, and while the internet’s beenaround for a while, not everyone is internet-savvy, so there’s plentyof room for growth.
Plus, you get to play on the internet every day! Asan internet trainer, you’ll naturally need a solid background innavigating the internet, including aspects like internet marketing andresearch. You’ll need the patience to guide computer-phobic typesthrough their paces, even when it seems to you that they should havepicked it up a dozen mouse clicks back. And you should have themarketing skills to both land new clients and take advantage of repeatbusiness.
The Market
Your clients can be individual seniors or senior centers. Give seminarsand workshops at local colleges and community centers–this identifiesyou as an expert and is a good way to garner business and individualclients. Establish relationships with computer stores and ask them torefer you to customers.
Needed Equipment
All you really need to get started are your computer and a few onlineservices so you can research clients’ specific needs and how to solvethem before you arrive on-site. You should have a laser or inkjetprinter for banging out cheat sheets and guides, and if you’ll begiving seminars, you’ll want a desktop projector and a laser pointer sothe whole group can see what you’re doing.