Hey,
Ok, in this blog I’m going to break down 8 Effective Traits of Teachers Who Started Their Own Business. If your anything like I was, starting a teacher business was very overhweliming and a completely different world from what I knew. I’m going to break down 8 traits that you can implement today, to get your online teaching business off on the right path.
Now these traits are a combination of what I have seen and heard from other teachers who started their own businesses.
So keep reading and I’m going to break it all down for you.
Teachers Who Started Their Own Business Have a Vision
Having a VISION doesn’t mean having a clear path as to what you want your business to be about. It means having some goals as to what you want out of life. Any and every great business starts with a vision. I believe this is the “why” behind the reason you decided to start your business in the first place. My vision consists of me having more time with my family, more flexibility in my workplace, financial freedom, a bigger house, a healthy happy home and vacationing a ton. My vision is the reason “WHY” I decided that I wanted to start my own teacher business. It will also keep me progressing forward.
Your vision should be clear and as detailed as possible.
If your anything like I use to be and on a quest to find out if you’re ready to take this teacher business seriously, take my Free Teacher Path Quiz. It’s quick and easy and you can get your results in 2 minutes.
They Have Motivation
The 2nd effective trait of teachers who started their own business is having MOTIVATION. Lacking motivation can be the detriment of any business. I can be the first person to say that none of this is easy. It wasn’t easy for me to write this blog post, but I’m here and motivated to keep pushing forward. In order to be a successful business owner you have to motivate yourself everyday. If your struggling to find motivation try the following tips below to help you out:
Be A Student
I have enrolled in more courses, listened to more podcasts, and read more books in the last couple of months. Being a student means you are constantly learning and able to apply what you learned to your teacher business. My morning drive to work ritual consist of listening to either Boss Babe Podcast, or Deep Dive by Al Abdaal or The CEO teacher Podcast by Kayse Morris.
I have also been in my reading/audible book era and I have listed the following books I have been loving below 👇🏾.
Teachers Who Started Their Own Business Work in Public
What I mean by work in public is, let people in on what you are doing. Keeping things a secret in your business until everything is perfect is a mistake. People like to connect with people. It’s also great to take people along for the journey of your business. Some of the most established teachers who who started their own businesses didn’t wait to until they had everything figured out. If that was the case they may have never started their business. They learned some skills and then applied it by putting it out in the world.
I’m a prime example of putting my work out into the world. Currently, I am in the process of learning about filming and editing YouTube videos. I created a YouTube channel called HeyAngelicaGraves. I uploaded a 2:00-minute introduction video without ever reviewing it or editing anything.
If I had waited until I knew everything about filming and editing YouTube, I probably would have never started. I would have found every reason possible that I had to re-take, re-do, and edit my video.
If my video isn’t a sign to just get yourself out there, I don’t know what is.
Be Adaptable
Being adaptable is simple. Don’t be the person who is stuck in their ways because they learned how to do something, but refuse to do it a different way. Even if that newer way was faster, better, and made more sense. Be the person who is open to change. Adaptable and willing to be flexible.
When I think about my business. I try to be not only be adaptable but someone who encourages change as an added asset to my business portfolio. I like to think that it has added something else to my plate that I could share or teach with others.
Adaptability means that you are willing to try many different avenues in order to get the desired result that you have envisioned.
Be Focused and Manage Your Time
When talking about being focused and managing your time. There is no other profession that would know more about time management than teachers. When I think about my daily schedule at work of seeing multiple groups a day for intervention and lesson planning, and meetings and grading student work. It all centers around managing my time.
Teachers who started their own business while still teaching have to be more focused and able to manage their time.
Some helpful apps and routines have helped me along my teacher entrepreneur journey.
Strategies to Help You Get Started
- Balance- it is a meditation app that I use every morning. Doing meditating regularly has helped me strengthen my ability to focus. I am someone who struggles with focusing for an extended period of time and mediating along with setting timers for every project that I am doing has helped tremendously.
- Timer- Set a timer when your working for each action item on your to do list. It’s a good way to see how productive you have been, by how many action items you can cross off your list.
- Google Calendar- Google Calendar has changed my life. Before this calendar, I was unorganized and had no clue has to what task I should be doing daily. I have also incorporated it into my home life, so I can accurately plan out my week days and weekends.
- 12 Week Year- I could do a whole series on how this book has changed my life. If your someone like me and you need someone to help you carry out a plan for your business than this book is for you. It allows you to stay focused and make smaller goals every 3 months and take action towards those 1 or 2 goals. You also track your progress weekly to see if your truly being productive or not. This book has changed my business for the better and overall how I plan.
Be A Revolving Door
Being focused and managing my time is a never-ending goal that is always a work in progress. I’m always trying to be a better planner and focus more. You should have the same goal for yourself and when trying to implement ways to become more focused and manage your time better, think of it as a revolving door where you are always implementing new tactics or habits to see what works for you.
Teachers Who Started their Own Business Have Organization and Routine
Are you someone who struggles with a organized classroom, or a cluttered bedroom? Do you lack a daily routine, even for simple things.
That’s ok, so did I. In the beginning of my teaching journey, I struggled with how to stay organized with all the million student papers I was collecting and as a teacher business owner, I struggled with what my routine should look like.
Let’s not forget, that I currently still teach, I’m trying to get this teacher business off the ground, while also having a fiance with a busy schedule and 2 kids 5 and under. So I desperately needed a routine because I was going crazy without one. Your routine doesn’t have to be the same every day and you should be adaptable until you find out what works for you.
You can have a daily routine, but you should also have a morning and night time routine. I’ve included my routine below, so you can have an example of my afternoon/night time routine below:
Build a Community
If you’ve made it to the end of this blog post, congrats you to 👏. It was a long one but a much needed blog to get you in the right mind frame of preserving and starting off on the right foot.
Building a community is the last crucial part of an effective trait of teachers who started their own business. When I think about a community, I like to think about the community that Kayse Morris has for CEO Teachers. Its a group of aspiring teachers who are motivating and uplifting each other on their journey of starting their own business. Tips/tricks and advice are given daily in the Facebook group and its a community that is about inspiring others to take action.
I also think about the community that Boss Babe has. They have developed a solid business centered around helping women boss up and build up their brands and businesses.
This is the kind of community that you and I both aspire to have and if you build up your business right and are your true authentic self.
So today, if you take nothing else from this blog post know that I am in your corner and I believe that you and I can do this.
Take small actionable steps today, so that you can and will have a better tomorrow.
Now is the time to get started creating your teacher business. I wrote a blog about How to Start a Successful Online Teaching Business. It will give you all the actionable steps you need to get started on the right foot.
If you want a free 5-Step Teacher Business Checklist, grab it below!
Until next time,
