Achieving growth is one thing; sustaining it is another. For Outschool organizations, long-term success can require a blend of consistency, innovation, and adaptability.
Staying relevant in a competitive marketplace means constantly refining your strategies, exploring new opportunities, and investing in your team’s growth.
By focusing on what’s working, expanding into new verticals, and planning, you can build a foundation for sustainable success that adapts to changing learner needs and market trends.
In this module, you’ll learn how to analyze your current strategies, explore new areas for growth, and equip your team to thrive in the long run. These steps will help you create a growth plan that ensures adaptability and positions your organization for continued success.
Analysing and Refining Your Strategies
Sustained growth starts with understanding what’s working and what isn’t. Regularly reviewing your strategies allows you to focus on high-impact efforts while refining areas that need improvement.
- Identify your best-performing classes and evaluate why they’re successful. Example: Are certain topics, formats, or time slots more popular?
- Use tracking tools to pinpoint areas for improvement and growth.
- Stay updated on Outschool’s trending topics and learner interests to keep your offerings relevant
- Double down on successful classes by expanding schedules or creating advanced follow-ups.
- Address feedback to make incremental improvements to underperforming offerings.
- Align your strategies with current trends to ensure ongoing appeal.
- Regular analysis ensures you’re focusing your efforts where they matter most, setting the stage for sustained success.
Exploring New Growth Opportunities
Innovation is key to long-term growth. By exploring new verticals and expanding your class portfolio, you can attract diverse learners and stay ahead of market trends. Here are a few ideas:
- Career Preparation: Offer classes that help older learners explore career paths, develop professional skills, or prepare for college.
- Academic Enrichment: Create offerings that complement school curriculums, such as advanced math, science, or creative writing classes.
- Special Interest Topics: Cater to niche audiences with unique topics like coding for video games, creative arts, or cultural studies.
Tips for Exploring New Areas
- Start small: Test a pilot class in a new vertical to gauge interest and refine your approach.
- Use data: Identify gaps in the market by reviewing trending topics and feedback.
- Stay true to your strengths: Align new offerings with your organization’s expertise and mission.
Expanding thoughtfully ensures you’re meeting learner demand while maintaining the quality and focus of your organization.
Creating a Culture of Growth
Encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing within your team to foster innovation and continuous improvement. Teachers who feel supported and valued are more likely to deliver exceptional experiences, contributing to long-term success.
Sustainability requires a balance—between consistency and adaptability, current success and future opportunities. A clear growth plan ensures your organization is prepared to meet challenges while remaining flexible enough to seize new opportunities.
- Set Long-Term Goals: Define where you want your organisation to be in 1, 3, and 5 years.
- Prioritise Efforts: Focus on strategies that align with your mission and have the greatest impact on learners and families.
- Build in Flexibility: Leave room for experimentation and iteration as learner needs and market trends evolve.
Setting clear goals gives you direction and purpose as you grow your teaching business. Here are some examples of goals you might focus on:
Short-Term Goals (1-3 months):
- Create a new class that complements your existing offerings.
- Increase enrollments in current classes by refining your marketing efforts.
- Experiment with a new time slot to attract a different audience.
Long-Term Goals (6-12 months):
- Develop a full class funnel with beginner, intermediate, and advanced options.
- Reach a new audience, such as homeschool families or learners in different time zones.
- Achieve Rising Star or Star badge status by completing ACE-aligned professional learning and maintaining high ratings.
Goal-Setting Template
Section 1: Reflection
- Successes: Write 3 things that went well over the last 3 months.
- Challenges: Note 2-3 obstacles you faced and how you overcame them.
- Opportunities: List 3 opportunities for growth or new ideas you’d like to pursue.
Section 2: Goal Setting
Short-Term Goals (1-3 Months):
- Goal:
- Action Steps:
- Target Date:
Long-Term Goals (6-12 Months):
- Goal:
- Action Steps:
- Milestones to Track Progress:
Section 3: Planning Your Next Steps
- What resources or professional learning opportunities can help you achieve your goals?
- What is the first step you’ll take to work toward your goals?
- Who can you reach out to for support or feedback?
