My journey to Diversify Income Streams: A Plan for Online Teachers in China

I haven't posted for a while, it's been a busy time moving towards "Nomad day". SO week commencing the 17th June is the final week at university, The end exam date hasn't been given yet, but it is this week, with my final input being grading the exam itself! There is a possibility I may still be at this university next September, they've offer me a contract to which I have rejected but let the door open for me to work there as a freelancer, so its very much like what I do privately, get paid for the classes I actually teach. Regardless of their response I will be unshackled in 6 weeks!

As you all know, I am nearly exclusively an online teacher based in China, I'm excited to share my plan to diversify my income streams. One main reason for this is the almost seasonal nature of the online availability of students, I have noted that as the end of term exams approach, private work slows down a bit, then there is the holiday seasons as well, so I need to prepare some passive income streams. Here's a synopsis of the steps I'm going to take and a tentative timeline for each venture:

1. Create and Sell Online Courses

Plan: I will leverage my expertise to create self-paced online courses on English test preparation for IELTS, Pearson's, and Cambridge English testing systems. These courses will be sold on Chinese Apps, "WeChat" and "the little red book". The little red book app (Xiaohongshu 小红书.)

Timeline: I aim to complete the course creation in the next 6 months and launch it on the mentioned platforms.

2. Start a Blog

Plan. I will start a blog where I'll share my experiences and insights about online teaching. I'll write about topics like 'Transitioning from In-Class to Online Teaching', 'Engaging Students in an Online Class', and more. This blog will be via my personal website and will also be shared via my already up and running newsletters. Does anyone have suggestions on whether to create a YouTube channel or website? The newsletters I make now I send directly to the groups and individuals I work with.

Timeline: I plan to set up the blog in the next month and aim to post bi-weekly updates.

3. Develop a Language Learning App

Plan: I'm planning to develop a language learning app focused on improving English pronunciation. I'll collaborate with a software developer to create the app and test it thoroughly before launching. This will be a long-term development plan, in conjunction with using Microsoft Teams as a business platform for which I will instigate my own Learning Management System (LMS).

Timeline: This is a long-term project. I aim to launch the app in the next 24-36 months.

4. Consulting and Coaching

Plan: I will offer consulting services to schools and individuals looking to transition to online teaching. I'll create a detailed coaching program and offer one-on-one sessions. This will also offer academic English services, and consultancy to support students wanting to apply to UK and USA universities.

Timeline: I plan to start offering consulting services in the next 6 months.

As an end note, I want to slowly break into the Thailand and Vietnam student market (anyone have contacts?). These plans are not set in stone and may evolve as I continue on this journey. I'm excited about these new ventures and look forward to sharing my progress with you all. Stay tuned!

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