Online evening courses for adults

Adults who want to learn after work and prefer to join from home, including people who live far from in-person classes.

A fee per student per course, collected at sign-up. You can run the same course again each term, or add a beginner and an advanced level.

• Knowing your subject well
• Teaching and running a group on video
• Basic course design and handouts
• Online marketing and email

• General liability or professional liability insurance, worth checking with an insurance broker
• State rules for schools that teach career or job skills, which can apply even online, so check your state's education or licensing agency
• Sales tax on digital courses, which differs by state, so check with your state's tax agency
• Use only material you have the rights to, including images, fonts and handouts
• Students from other states or countries can make rules and payments more complicated, so decide who you will sell to

Startup costs are typically around $300 to $1,500, depending on your equipment, software, course materials and marketing. These figures are estimates only. Many costs are one-time, so you can start small and add recorded lessons or handouts later.

Monthly revenue is typically around $600 to $3,000, depending on your course price, cohort size and how many courses you run. These are estimates, not guarantees. Plan on at least about 5 hours a week for teaching and preparation.

Check insurance options with a broker, state rules for schools teaching career or job skills (which can apply online), and state sales tax on digital courses. Use only material you have rights to, and decide which students you will sell to.