Post Secondary Instructors are not business-minded but should be if they want to make a better income in the age of diminishing investments in Post Secondary Education. I’ll extend this statement to all professional teachers, trainers, and instructors. Tutors on the other hand are much more business minded. They market themselves as typical companies or contractors do. They hustle to get more work, advertise, rely on positive reviews, etc. On the other hand, from my experience I was always passively waiting for courses to teach hoping for a full load. I proactively put in a word that I would like a full load but I was at the mercy of enrollment. If enrollment was down I couldn’t go out and drum up more business. As a tutor I could, although my manager did because I was an instructor I am an inept businessperson.
Where am I going with this?
If you are a professional teacher, trainer, or instructor take a course in marketing yourself. Sure we can network at conferences, do speaking engagements, publish papers, but these are all passive, hope-to-get-recognized, attempts at improving your income stream. What re some proactive ways to increase income, options that are apart from your institution?
Let’s see, BCBid, Buy Sell Canada, and Canada Buys offer tenders on many educational products. Develop a consultancy business and promote it. Develop a website. Use your research skills to understand how small consultancies work and emulate that when bidding on an education service.
Expand your horizons beyond the four walls of academia to expand your earning potential.
HKKS Education 