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Learning platform, too expensive

Anything related to matters of the mind

Wiezel

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I've created the idea to make an online learning platform (Dutch) for companies where they can store all their material and create quizzes for co-workers to stay up-to-date.

This all at one place with an easy UI and great tracking pages so managers can see what their co-workers are progressing on.

Now I had some contact with web developers, designers etc. Estimated costs are around $40.000-$50.000.

Unfortunate this is way out of my budget zone. So this kinda hit me hard.
There are no other Dutch options for this so I think it can work.

How do I proceed from now since I don't have the money for it.
Is it a bad idea? Not fundable? Too hard?
 
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Andy Black

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Can you provide it as a service initially, and setup a internal learning portal for a few businesses?

There’s teachable, thinkific, learndash, kajabi, and loads of other options, even Facebook Workspaces (or whatever they’re called). Maybe you even find a way to use software that’s already out there?

If you provide it as a service initially, then you get paid to engage your market hand-to-hand. The learnings doing that will be priceless.
 

Wiezel

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Can you provide it as a service initially, and setup a internal learning portal for a few businesses?

There’s teachable, thinkific, learndash, kajabi, and loads of other options, even Facebook Workspaces (or whatever they’re called). Maybe you even find a way to use software that’s already out there?

If you provide it as a service initially, then you get paid to engage your market hand-to-hand. The learnings doing that will be priceless.

What do you mean by providing it as a service initially?
Create a course on Teachable based on the material my client offers and let them do their tests on there?

Extra thing, it's all English. I want to offer it do Dutch clients.

Isn't it a bit weird I want to offer a learning platform and then using someone else his/her work?
 
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Now I had some contact with web developers, designers etc. Estimated costs are around $40.000-$50.000.

@Andy Black was giving you low cost options that are already out there that you could possibly utilise as the design costs are a non-starter for you.

How many developers have you gotten quotes from?

Have you looked at reducing the specification of the design? In other words do you need all the bells and whistles? Can you go with a cut down version to begin with? Maybe offer it to companies that don't need as many features?

Can you incorporate off the peg products into your site? What's the point of paying a developer to create a bespoke quiz platform when you could get one that's already built? I mean you wouldn't create a completely new shopping cart when there are 100+ already on the market ready to go now would you?

All these have a major factor on development costs.
 
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Wiezel

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@Andy Black was giving you low cost options that are already out there that you could possibly utilise as the design costs are a non-starter for you.

How many developers have you gotten quotes from?

Have you looked at reducing the specification of the design? In other words do you need all the bells and whistles? Can you go with a cut down version to begin with? Maybe offer it to companies that don't need as many features?

Can you incorporate off the peg products into your site? What's the point of paying a developer to create a bespoke quiz platform when you could get one that's already built? I mean you wouldn't create a completely new shopping cart when there are 100+ already on the market ready to go now would you?

All these have a major factor on development costs.

I agree, thank you.
If I want something done I always want the biggest and best possible, which takes a lot of costs.

I just found out I can create custom Teachable courses and translate them myself to Dutch.
Looking into that now.
 

Wiezel

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@RazorCut @Andy Black

Should I reach out to clients if they are interested?
Or understand Teachable completely first and then head out?

And what is an acceptable price range to ask for my service?
The most expensive features cost $399 per month at Teachable (all features unlocked).

I get the main overview of Teachable but not the ins and outs yet (due to I don't have access to their paid features).
 
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ned.ryerson

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@RazorCut @Andy Black

Should I reach out to clients if they are interested?
Or understand Teachable completely first and then head out?

And what is an acceptable price range to ask for my service?
The most expensive features cost $399 per month at Teachable (all features unlocked).

I get the main overview of Teachable but not the ins and outs yet (due to I don't have access to their paid features).
Everybody here has provided you with the same advice that you don't seem to be receiving.

You are not going to create a learning management system. You do not have the money, you do not have the expertise. No amount of informal support here is going to make that change.

What you need to do is provide training, and training consulting services as I've laid out in another post

@andy you have a lot more patience than I do my friend.

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Wiezel

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Everybody here has provided you with the same advice that you don't seem to be receiving.

You are not going to create a learning management system. You do not have the money, you do not have the expertise. No amount of informal support here is going to make that change.

What you need to do is provide training, and training consulting services as I've laid out in another post.

@andy you have a lot more patience than I do my friend.

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Okay, neither do I have the expertise/knowledge in providing training or consulting do I?
What's making the big difference here then?
 

Andy Black

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Provide the service. Get paid to learn about your clients’ problems, and the pluses and minuses of the tech solutions out there. Get instant verbal and written feedback about how things are working, or not. All while getting paid.

Get paid to learn. Get paid to build your business.

There’s folks out there who make a very good living providing Shopify support, Facebook ads support, Google Ads support, etc.

What do people already spend their money on that indicates they’re prepared to pay to solve the problem you also want to solve?

Help those people. Get paid to help those people. Maybe later on you’ll spot some unmet need that you can uniquely fill.

Get to know your market intimately, by engaging with them in hand-to-hand combat. Meet them in person. Go into their offices. Work with their team trying to implement a training solution for them. Talk on Skype. Talk on the phone. Get into the trenches.
 

ned.ryerson

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Okay, neither do I have the expertise/knowledge in providing training or consulting do I?
What's making the big difference here then?
You develop a contract with a client and then you subcontract out the training.

You don't need to be a doctor to run a small physician practice you just have to be a doctor to actually practice medicine.

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Wiezel

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Provide the service. Get paid to learn about your clients’ problems, and the pluses and minuses of the tech solutions out there. Get instant verbal and written feedback about how things are working, or not. All while getting paid.

Get paid to learn. Get paid to build your business.

There’s folks out there who make a very good living providing Shopify support, Facebook ads support, Google Ads support, etc.

What do people already spend their money on that indicates they’re prepared to pay to solve the problem you also want to solve?

Help those people. Get paid to help those people. Maybe later on you’ll spot some unmet need that you can uniquely fill.

Get to know your market intimately, by engaging with them in hand-to-hand combat. Meet them in person. Go into their offices. Work with their team trying to implement a training solution for them. Talk on Skype. Talk on the phone. Get into the trenches.

So I will be the person in between a training/consulting company and the client itself?

Client > Providing training already but there is something missing
Me > I talk with the client what they're missing or what they need extra and I will contact a training/consulting company if they can help me/the client so solve their problems/need
Training/consulting company > They provide the training required based on my and the client their needs

If I'm still being wrong, please tell me :).
 

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Hmm. Not sure where the training company came into it.

You want to build a software solution that helps businesses want a training portal for their staff.

We’re suggesting you go find businesses who want a training portal for their staff, and get paid by them to setup that training portal, using whatever software is already out there.

This way you get to learn what they need. You get to learn how to fulfil those needs. You get to learn how to find those businesses. You get to learn how to sell to them in person, so can adjust and refine your sales scripts in situ. You get to learn what’s good and bad about the software. You get to learn what’s good and bad about the support for that software. You get to learn how you could do it better.

And if you do it as a paid consultant then you get paid to learn all of the above.

If you *then* want to build and sell a software solution then you’ve already started building the experience, network, and clients to do it. You might even have been paid enough by your clients to afford to pay for the development yourself.
 

Wiezel

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Hmm. It sure where the training company came into it.

You want to build a software solution that helps businesses who want to have a training portal for their staff.

We’re suggesting you go find businesses who want to have a training portal for their staff, and get paid by them to setup that training portal, using whatever software is already out there.

This way you get to learn what they need. You get to learn how to fulfil those needs. You get to learn how to find those businesses. You get to sell to them in person so can adjust and refine your sales scripts.

And if you do it as a paid consultant then you get paid to learn all of the above.

If you *then* want to build and sell a software solution then you’ve already started building the experience, network, and clients to do it. You might even have been paid enough by your clients to afford to pay for the development yourself.

Thank you for your reply and patience.

So to make sure;

I approach a company and question if there is any need for a trainingsoftware/program/website.

If they think they do need it, I will go out in the market and find an IT company who's creating these kind of programs and I will tell them all the stuff the client needs in it.

While doing this the client will pay me for helping them finding a solution for their problem or need?
 
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Andy Black

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Why find an IT company and get something built? Why not find a software solution out there that could be used, and help them get setup so they can use it?

Wiezel, “The Dutch Teachable Guy”. Need Teachable setup so you can run internal training programmes for your Dutch staff? Contact Weizel today. He’s Dutch, and he knows how to implement Teachable so businesses can have their very own training portal.
 

Wiezel

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Why find an IT company and get something built? Why not find a software solution out there that could be used, and help them get setup so they can use it?

Wiezel, “The Dutch Teachable Guy”. Need Teachable setup so you can run internal training programmes for your Dutch staff? Contact Weizel today. He’s Dutch, and he knows how to implement Teachable so businesses can have their very own training portal.

Alright. That makes sense.
In first instance I wanted to use Teachable, get all their knowledge/training and use that in Teachable and build their training portal.

The thing you're saying is; find a company who needs a trainingportal, suggest them some kind of software (like Teachable), help them setup this software and when they're happy you will not be needed anymore until they need an upgrade or a better type of software?
 

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The thing you're saying is; find a company who needs a trainingportal, suggest them some kind of software (like Teachable), help them setup this software and when they're happy you will not be needed anymore until they need an upgrade or a better type of software?
The first part, yes.

The part about not being needed again, preferably not. Preferably they love you so much they’re prepared to pay you a monthly recurring fee to do XYZ for them each month.

Heck, maybe Teachable has an affiliate programme and the business purchases through you (or get a deal through you) and you get Teachable to pay you some MRR.

Do the first part first. Figure out the rest when you need to figure it out.
 
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Wiezel

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The first part, yes.

The part about not being needed again, preferably not. Preferably they love you so much they’re prepared to pay you a monthly recurring fee to do XYZ for them each month.

Heck, maybe Teachable has an affiliate programme and the business purchases through you (or get a deal through you) and you get Teachable to pay you some MRR.

Do the first part first. Figure out the rest when you need to figure it out.

I get that.
The thing I'm wondering is, if they have a working portal as I suggested them how can I keep staying to that company? Are they going to ask me to do their paiting on the wall as well haha?

I guess I can't be the guy who knows everything and every solution to whatever existing problem or need.

And maybe it's me but.. if a company faces a need or problem what bothers them to find a solution, why would they need someone to fix it for them? If they lack in training, why do they need simply Google 'training methods for XYZ company'.
 
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Hi @Wiezel,

And maybe it's me but.. if a company faces a need or problem what bothers them to find a solution, why would they need someone to fix it for them? If they lack in training, why do they need simply Google 'training methods for XYZ company'.

This, coming from someone who opens the thread:

I've created the idea to make an online learning platform (Dutch) for companies where they can store all their material and create quizzes for co-workers to stay up-to-date.

If you don't believe a company will ever pay someone to fix problems for them, then what's the point of this thread? Why make people waste their valuable time giving you advice if you don't believe your own idea has any merit?

The thing I'm wondering is, if they have a working portal as I suggested them how can I keep staying to that company? Are they going to ask me to do their paiting on the wall as well haha?

Yeah, they may ask you to clean the toilets too.

But, seriously, if you decide to continue with this "idea", I'll urge you to pause and ponder over what contribution you're bringing to the table to make this venture a success.

You've got so many valuable advice here, but you keep beating around each one of them.

Starting any business requires resources, including money, skills, time, etc. What specific resource(s) do you personally possess and willing to put into this business to make it succeed? You don't have money, you don't know this, you don't know that, and don't seem to be willing to learn anything.

I just found out I can create custom Teachable courses and translate them myself to Dutch.

The Teachable editor can accept content in any language (even supports RTL languages), so there should be no limitation on language in that respect. It's up to you and your clients to publish course content in whatever language you need. And most of the platform's interface wordings can easily be changed to say whatever you want in any language:

custom_text.png


If you want to build your own platform, you could use Learndash, WPCourseware, etc to build on top of WordPress. You could build, host, and administer one central solution for all your clients (probably with Multisite), or individual instances for each client behind their corporate firewall.
 
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How's it going? Have you been working on anything this past week?
 
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