Looking Back at My Year on Outschool

Well, technically it hasn’t exactly been a year. But as 2020 is coming to a close, I thought it would be nice to reflect on my Outschool experience.

Before getting into the background info, I want to begin by saying that I love working on Outschool. Now for a bit of background. I have wanted to open my own dance studio for as long as I can remember, and I was working towards just that when the pandemic hit in March. Needless to say, all of my plans for a brick and mortar studio went out the window as quarantine began and shutdowns were happening. For about 2-3 months I waited to see if things were going to get better, and brainstormed on how I could advertise and gain traction if I held my classes online. That’s when I found Outschool!

I had already set up a couple of camps on my own, and was trying to advertise as much as possible. However, I was seeing very little return on my efforts. I probably spent more on Facebook advertising then I gained in tuition. So I thought, I’ll give Outschool a try. After all, it was a platform created to help students and teachers connect – which was exactly what I needed.

I applied in June, and was accepted in July. I scheduled my first classes for July 21, 2020. Outschool required that your first class be a one time class – so I created my Unicorn Dance class. I scheduled one for that morning, and another that afternoon. The morning class sold out and the afternoon was 2/3 full. I was off to a great start, and I loved doing it!

At first I wasn’t sure how a virtual dance class would go. Would I be able to effectively communicate with my students? Would I be able to connect with them? Would they find the classes to be fun and engaging? The answer to all of these questions is YES.

Starting in August I felt like I had a pretty solid grasp on my business, and the months that followed generated about the same number of students and classes.

Outschool is also great because the hours and flexible. You create your own schedule. This worked out perfectly for me, because the last week on October I had a baby. So I took the entire month of November off, and only scheduled half the classes I normally would in December.

Anyway, here’s a look back on 2020 – the hours I worked, the number of students I taught, and how many classes that I had to offer that month (ie in July I only had created 3 classes, so I only offered those 3 throughout the month, but in August, I created a fourth class to offer)

July: worked 14 hrs; 82 students; 3 classes available

August: worked 30.5 hrs; 185 students; 4 classes available

September: worked 30 hrs; 176 students; 5 classes available

October: worked 18.25 hrs; 105 students; 7 classes available

November: worked 0 hrs; 0 students; 0 classes available

December: worked 14 hrs; 99 learners; 6 classes available

Over all I have worked approximately 107 hrs and taught 681 students.

I am very excited about the new year, and what it will offer. I am excited to continue growing my business, to teach more classes, and to share my experience with others. May this new year bring you joy in what you do, and wisdom to help you succeed.