10 Online Course Sales Business Success Stories [2024]
Do you know you can make money selling what you are passionate about? People are making money creating courses and selling them online. Common online courses include music, cooking, coding, web design, dropshipping, etc.
Thus, you can turn it into a passive income by launching online classes if you have a skill. All you need is to choose a target audience, create the online course and choose an online learning platform where you can sell the course.
The e-learning market is expected to be worth over $645 Billion in the next few years.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a online course sales business:
1. Custom Creatives ($3.6M/year)
Rahul Alim, the founder of Custom Creatives, initially started his career in sales, but after leaving Realtor.com, he started his own company offering marketing services to real estate agents. However, it wasn't until a client requested a banner ad that he pivoted to focus on digital marketing, and CustomCreatives.com was born. Since then, the agency has grown to serve a wide range of industries, and their emphasis on providing value and superior service has helped them retain clients for over a decade and achieve consistent seven-figure revenue.
How much they make: $3.6M/year
Current team size: 10
Digital marketing agency founder Rahul Alim shares how he grew his business to consistently generate over 7-figures in revenue year-over-year and retain clients for many years through affordable digital marketing strategies that employ the CAP method (Customer Acquisition Program).
2. Cinquanta Cox-Smith ($120K/year)
Cinquanta Cox-Smith, a Multipreneur from South Carolina, stumbled upon the Print On Demand industry 12 years ago when she wanted to create a unique shirt and discovered Spreadshirt.com. Through her creativity and networking skills, she found success in designing and selling catchy, conversation-starting shirts. This eventually led her to create multiple POD brands on various platforms, generating an impressive $120k per year in revenue.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
So... can you actually make money with a online course sales business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Piano In 21 Days ($360K/year)
Jacques Hopkins, creator of Piano In 21 Days, came up with the idea for his online piano course after realizing he could turn his piano hobby into a business. Inspired by books like The 4-Hour Workweek, he decided to create a course that would help adults learn to play piano quickly and conveniently. With the power of YouTube, a strong sales funnel, and a focus on student success, Piano In 21 Days has become a profitable business that allows Jacques to work on his own terms.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 1
Piano In 21 Days built a low pressure and flexible online piano course, bringing in 5 figures every month while allowing the founder to spend time on other interests and family while its profitable business runs itself.
4. Amber Book ($4.3M/year)
How much they make: $4.3M/year
Current team size:
Amber Book, an online licensure course for architects founded by Michael Ermann, generated $4.3M in revenue in 2022 with over 3K customers, 800+ digital flashcards, 500+ practice problems, and 50+ hours of animated instruction, with over 16K enrollees paying $390/month.
So... can you actually make money with a online course sales business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. bestcourses ($1.2K/year)
Janosch came up with the idea for bestcourses while searching for online courses to enhance his web development skills. He wanted to create a platform that made it easier to find and compare courses from different platforms. The idea was inspired by similar platforms in other niches, and by leveraging his experience in creating and selling online courses, Janosch saw an opportunity to make online education more accessible and transparent.
How much they make: $1.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 0
Bestcourses.io is an online course comparison platform that aggregates courses from major online learning platforms and enables users to easily find deals, with an impressive 500k+ monthly impressions and making $100/month from affiliate commissions.
6. Prep Expert ($20M/year)
How much they make: $20M/year
Current team size: 44
Prep Expert's founder built a test preparation platform from his dorm room with just $900 that has since accumulated over $20 million in sales and attracted billionaire Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, due to doubled yearly sales from word-of-mouth marketing and hundreds of points of improvement in students' SAT scores.
So... can you actually make money with a online course sales business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
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- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
