Podcast 95: Lessons From a Successful Online Course Company

EPISODE 95: Growing an Online Course Company

Dennis DiNoia, Founder, Mr. D Math

I know today’s show will be popular. That’s because so many of you are subject matter experts who want to build a profitable online course company. This is one of my favorite topics, too.

That’s why I’ve invited Dennis DiNoia to share his story. Dennis is the Founder of Mr. D Math, a business he started in 2010 to tutor 20 local homeschool kids. Now, it’s a thriving online course company serving 15,000 students in the U.S. and abroad.

Dennis’ journey wasn’t a straight path. But through resourcefulness, persistence and systematic trial and error, he found smart ways to develop, deliver, market and sell instructional content.

This information is helpful because so many of us are trying to educate others as a primary or secondary business. And all of us want to be better at it. I think you’ll be inspired by Dennis’ story. So join us, as we dig deeper on this episode of the Talented Learning Show…

GROWING AN ONLINE COURSE COMPANY — KEY TAKEAWAYS

• If you want to profit from teaching others online, you’re not alone. In 2023, the market size for online education was a massive $48.05 billion, with projected growth of over 24% a year through 2032. In this vast market, what sets the best instructional marketers apart? A clear vision helps. Willingness to experiment is also key, so you can adapt as the market evolves and new tools emerge.

• One powerful way to grow an online course company is through relationships that drive brand awareness and demand. This strategy has been valuable for Mr. D Math, which grew exponentially when Dennis tapped into tight-knit homeschooling communities.

• It is also wise to choose a learning platform with all the functionality needed to work as the backbone of your online course company. Initially, Mr. D Math struggled to develop and deliver online content until Dennis found an LMS with all the specialized tools he wanted.

GROWING AN ONLINE COURSE COMPANY – Q&A HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome, Dennis. Why don’t we start by taking a look back? How did you start Mr. D Math?

Well, back in 1988 when I became a public school math teacher, nobody could say my last name, DiNoia. So instead, I became known as Mr. D. And it stuck.

I loved teaching. But over time, I became frustrated. It felt like something was missing. I wanted to bring my own ideas to the classroom. But that’s difficult in the public school system, where everyone needs to do things the same way.

So, I left in 2005. But tutoring had always been my second job. I was a road warrior, driving to students’ houses. Then in 2008, I opened an office, working with kids from 3rd grade through college. That taught me what it took to build curriculums.

No doubt…

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That’s when I found a group of homeschool kids. Homeschoolers are interesting because, when they find something that works, they tell other people about it. It’s the greatest referral network in the world.

So, I was seeing quite a few of these kids when one of the moms said, “You’re really good at this. Why don’t you just write your own curriculum?”

The technology was available to start recording videos, so I thought, “Why not?”

Mmhmm…

That’s when I started developing an SAT prep course with one-day tutoring events. I thought we could get 15 or 20 kids together and talk about the SAT over 6 to 8 weeks.

Then, I realized I could start writing and producing math courses. As a middle school and high school math teacher, it made sense to focus on what I knew, which was pre-algebra through pre-calculus.

It took 4 years to get that done. Why? Because I did it on Sundays. That’s the day I’m writing, recording, editing — doing all the things that have to be done.

I see…

Also early on, I noticed a homeschooling co-op where I lived in Florida that didn’t include math courses. So, I asked if I could do their math curriculum. But they turned me down.

And thank goodness they said no!

That’s when I decided to just do it on my own. So, I started Mr. D Math with 20 kids. I was writing and recording pre-algebra and algebra courses all day, from 8 a.m. until midnight.

Monday morning, I would show up with DVDs for that week and we’d talk about the assignments. Then, the next week I’d come back with more. That’s how I built our courses over time.

The kids liked it. It was kind of different from the way they were used to doing math because they could meet with somebody in person. And it wasn’t a parent who was trying to relearn math. It was a seasoned math instructor who knew the content and taught kids in a way they understood.

So, as the word spread, the courses became increasingly popular all over Florida.

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That kind of organic growth makes sense.

And it led to a natural next step, which was figuring out how to get this curriculum online. After a basic effort with a web freelancer from guru.com, I found CYPHER Learning in 2012. That LMS was everything we needed, and we’ve been with it ever since.

Wow. 13 years with the same LMS. That’s impressive.

We started by simply loading our content onto the platform. But it also had a math equation editor and exam functionality, which were ideal for us. So, we started writing quiz questions and related practice problems.

And because it’s an online platform, we were able to make all this available to everybody, everywhere. That’s why our business started to take off a few years ago.

How do you connect with the homeschooling community online?

Typically, homeschoolers find each other through Facebook groups or digital forums like that. Plus, there are local co-ops, which are groups of 5-10 families — or sometimes even 200-300 families — where the kids meet once or twice a week at a specific location. That’s where the instructor gives them their work for the week.

It’s almost like college. They go to the class, go home, work on their assignment and then come back the next week. It’s a great way for families to get to know each other and network.

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I imagine so…

You know, people often ask how homeschooled kids are socialized. But that’s probably one of the silliest questions I’ve ever heard, because most kids I meet are more socialized than traditional public school kids.

They’re awesome. They communicate well. They’re respectful. And when they finish their schoolwork, they’ve got the rest of the day to do other things that are important to them. It’s cool to see what they’re into.

And in nearly every state, there’s a homeschool convention. For example, each year in Florida, about 17,000 families come together on Memorial Day weekend.

Wow. I had no idea this world existed.

There are many ways to find out about homeschooling on social media: Facebook groups, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram. It’s very well organized. So, for anyone who hasn’t thought about homeschooling, I recommend you consider it.

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How can families get started with this?

Contact the school district in your city or county and ask about how home education works there. Requirements in each state are a little different. But the school district will tell you the credits you need.

Local and state standards usually are aligned. But you get to choose your own curriculum. And you get to choose when and how you do it.

Then at the end of the year, you’ll typically need to find a certified teacher to review your portfolio. They’ll sign off on it to verify that your kids have done what’s necessary to move on to the next grade level. And off they go.

Is your content accredited?

No. That would be challenging to manage, because accreditation is typically for a school, not a curriculum.

However, we work with some California public schools that require it. So, last year we went through accreditation with WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Interesting. So, let’s talk in more detail about the learning platform capabilities you need to run a successful online course company. What LMS features and other tools do you use? …

… For complete answers to this and all other questions, listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on Amazon, or right here on our site.

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Find Out More About Cypher Learning

Want more specifics about how the Cypher Learning platform supports a variety of enterprise-level learning needs, whether it’s for an online course company, association member continuing education or employee learning? Check the Cypher Learning listing in our learning systems directory. Or watch my Hot Take Review on our YouTube channel…

Need an LMS for Your Online Course Company? Let’s Talk

As an independent learning tech expert, I’m prepared to help you choose the best solution to support your growing business. For a free 30-minute consult with me, John Leh, Lead Analyst at Talented Learning, schedule a call below…

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