Are you ready to hire a learning designer?

Catch the full details of this blog on my podcast, listen right here!

So you've got an idea for a course or training, should you get underway with a do-it-yourself learning product or should you hire a learning designer?

DIY learning products have their promises & their pitfalls. It's a topic I discussed at length in podcast episode #23 and a recent linkedin article. In short, DIY learning products often involve waaay more time & effort than you planned &/or DIY learning products just aren't as effective as you hoped.

So — for good reason — you may find yourself hesitant to undertake a DIY learning product. But you may also find yourself hesitant to hire a learning designer to make your course. How do you know if you're ready for this?

Well, there are four steps you need to take before hiring a learning designer. Let's break them down.

[1] You have a proven concept

If you've been operating a service model and you're ready to serve more people with your method, system, or proprietary concept, then a learning product might be the perfect next step.

What's tricky here is that your time & energy is probably already maxed out providing your normal service. You also probably don't have anyone on your team who is skilled in learning design or learning development.

This means this is the perfect time to consult with an expert — someone like me who lives & breathes learning design. As a learning designer, my team & I can bring your idea to life. We can either work alongside you and advise you & your team or we can completely implement all aspects of the project.

Imagine being able to hand off a massive project to a trusted, proven learning designer — leaving you to continue being the CEO of a growing business.

[2] You have a sales infrastructure in your business

Once you outsource the creation of a new learning product, you're going to have just that — a new learning product! Unlike most products, a learning product doesn't require inventory. You can sell it again and again and again for much higher profit margins than a service-based model. Keep in mind, of course, that every delivery model has a different profit margin. With time, you may end up hiring coaches or consultants to deliver your learning product to more people

The key thing you will need to develop is a new sales machine to get this product to market. Do you have the capabilities in-house? Or do you need to need to partner with a marketing agency for this? I'll leave that to you.

[3] You realize that you need to spend money to make money

Once you mature in business to the point that you fully recognize the need to spend money to make money, it all falls into place. Investing in the design and testing of a brand new learning product means you get to experience time freedom and future financial success.

The return on investment of learning products can be very lucrative. A purely online delivery or licensed model of training can get you to that highly desirable passive income stream. Even for learning products that train hired coaches or consultants or facilitators to teach & deliver your training have great margins.

[4] You've tried on your own

You have tried to create something on your own and it has never been well-received or effective for clients.

Training companies, do not think like solopreneur, The business model is designed to run as a business. If you want to scale from a solo entrepreneur to a business, it's time to start thinking like the business you want to become.

If you've tried to design an online course, or you have launched a series of workshops or live events and the feedback wasn't stellar, it may be time to blast through your own personal plateau and outsource to a consultant who has deep expertise and experience making effective learning.

Are you ready to stop trying to launch learning products on your own and stay firmly in place as a CEO of your business?

Schedule a free discovery call today with Manja Horner, Founder of Boost Learning Design today to talk about your dream project. The longer you wait, the longer it takes to get that new learning product to market.

Test your own capabilities as a learning designer by taking the Course Creator Quiz