Online courses are more popular than ever before, possibly because of the increased reliance on online communication spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, online courses aren’t still relevant in 2021 – they’re extremely relevant to everyone and you should seriously consider starting one. Here’s why.

Ideal for New and Experienced Entrepreneurs

Online course creation has a really low barrier to entry. This isn’t a flaw – it’s a feature, and it means that both new and experienced entrepreneurs alike can create valuable online courses people will pay for so long as they have something useful to teach.

New entrepreneurs can jump into the online course industry with vigor, building up passive income streams over time that they can then funnel into new ventures. Experienced entrepreneurs can, for instance, provide their entrepreneurship lessons learned through trial and error through the online course format for a profit.

Anyone with a Skill Can Make an Online Course

One of the biggest reasons you should create and sell online courses is that you don't need a ton of experience to make a great lesson. What other industry can say the same? In fact, you don't even need to be a certified expert or professional on a given topic to have something valuable to say.

illustration by Anna Yashina

Therefore, any skill you can teach is potentially monetizable. Make the most of the years you spent learning what you know and make an online course to earn some passive income over time.

Mobile/Online Learning is the Future

Furthermore, the learning industry has shifted significantly to mobile platforms. While this was largely driven by the pandemic, it was also a shift that was going to arrive sooner or later.

Online and mobile learning allows educators of all stripes to provide their value to anyone across the globe using digital communications technology. This is especially true for colleges and other professional educators, but it’s also relevant for online course creators and regular folks.

Online Course Margins are High

Even better, the profit margins you might see from online course creation and sales are relatively high. It's an inherent part of the business model.

For example, you can create a single valuable online course over a single week, tailoring its content and presentation to be perfect. Then you can sell that course hundreds of times without having to teach the course again and again or alter it in any way.

In this example, you spent a single week creating months of future revenue. That’s fantastic in any industry!

Online Courses Are Insulated from Future Pandemic Upheaval

Lastly, the online course industry is relatively insulated from the same kind of economic upheaval that devastated industries throughout the economy. Since it’s all based online through digital communications technology, you can keep making and selling online courses even if retail shops close and everyone is forced indoors again due to a future pandemic. This income security is a great benefit for those looking for peace of mind with their finances.

All in all, it’s clear that online courses are more of a smart choice now than they ever were before. You should certainly consider jumping into this industry for yourself.