Should You Outsource Course Creation?

By: Justin Ferriman • June 9, 2017
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Creating an online course is time consuming. Not only do you have to structure the content of the course for maximum impact but you also have to configure the technical components for delivering the course.

Some people enjoy this process, others do not but they still see an opportunity in offering a course. If you fall into the latter camp then you probably have thought about outsourcing the development… but should you really outsource?

I’ll spare you the suspense: The answer to this is “yes”, but only if it makes sense from a financial standpoint.

How Much Does Outsourcing Cost?

I find that people approach outsourcing with the wrong mindset. Outsourced doesn’t mean “cheaper”, at least it shouldn’t.

Yet so many people jump to sites like Upwork looking for the cheapest contractor.

If you are starting an online course business, think about this: do you want the main component of your business created by a stranger who is working for pennies on the dollar?

Of course not. I mean, you could do it this way but chances are that you won’t be in business very long if you are already cutting corners.

You need a contractor who is able to get the information out of your head and into a course format (let’s face it, you can’t be completely removed from the process since you’re the subject expert). A professional service to essentially interview you, extrapolate the valuable information, organize it, and build out the content.

It sounds expensive because it is. I found one service that does this for $20,000. Worth it? Absolutely! Like I said, outsourcing the course creation piece of your business is perfectly fine as long as it makes sense financially, and only you can answer that.

Other Options?

You do have other options if you don’t want to outsource at that level. One possibility would be to use some starter content for your courses and then modify the content to make it your own. Consider using some pre-made templates as well to get a jump on the design portion.

Another idea is to partner with someone who would be willing to split the course creation work with you.

Or, you could join a program like Rockstar Empires or The Great eCourse Adventure to learn the “ins-and-outs” of building an online course. Yes, this means you are doing the heavy lifting, but now you will have a proven framework.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter