6 Pitfalls Course Providers Should Avoid in 2019

Half a year ago, I shared a blog post where I shed light on 8 key ingredients for successful course and training companies. Now that we are well into the new year, I would like to turn this around and take a look at the common mistakes that course providers should avoid this year.

A new year brings new opportunities to reach important business goals. In order for your course business to reach its goals for 2019, it is important that you and your team are aware of the potential pitfalls that can prevent you from achieving this success.

Many course providers have a tendency to fall into the same traps and make the same mistakes over and over again, year after year. The time has come to shed some light on these common pitfalls so that 2019 becomes the year you stop making these mistakes.

1. Overlooking the need for own development

When working towards increasing the level of knowledge and skills of others it is easy to forget your own need for development as a business.

Unfortunately, it is all too common that people who train others neglect their own development to focus on the development of others and on other aspects of the business activities.

But in fact, knowledge and skills development is necessary to drive business forward, which is something that also applies for those in the course industry.

Furthermore, there are so many benefits of developing own employees that there really is no excuse to neglect it.

As a course provider, you are probably fully aware of the advantages of focusing on your own learning and development, however, I have listed some of these benefits in the following section nonetheless:

• Development opportunities can lead to higher job satisfaction, job engagement and increased productivity
• Development opportunities reduce the likelihood of employees leaving the business
• By looking at the talents you already have and developing their skills, your business will be more competitive
• Through continuous training and development of employees, the risk of becoming outdated decreases significantly

In other words: Don’t forget the need for development of the employees in your own business.

2. Settling for what has worked previously

“You cannot evolve unless you are willing to change.” – Leon Brown

With the rapid technological developments in today’s information society, it is no longer enough to stick to what has worked previously.

You need to respond to change and develop continuously if you want to achieve increased performance, growth and productivity in your business.

Though it may seem unnatural to let go of something that has worked previously, this is sometimes necessary for the course business to grow and achieve success.

Don’t rest on your laurels. This will slow down the development of your course business.

3. Not considering new opportunities

This point may seem similar to the previous one, but I would like to shed some light on seizing opportunities that come your way.

Often, opportunities arise at unexpected times and from unexpected sources. In a busy day, it may be easy to dismiss opportunities before really having considered them.

If you do this, you risk missing out on what could become the most important component of your success in 2019 and the years to come.

Of course, you should not say yes to everything and mindlessly go for any opportunities that come your way, but I want to encourage you to be a little more open and take some more considerations of this in the coming year.

Should doubt whether or not you should seize an opportunity, Minda Zetlin’s article on how to decide whether or not to take an opportunity may be helpful.

4. Ignoring market and industry data

Previously, the amount of available, reliable and useful data for people who run courses was disappointing.

Today, most course providers have good access to data about their market and industry.

The tricky thing is that this data is not used to a greater extent. If there anything that will guide you in the right direction, then it is data that gives you insight into your customers’ needs, market trends, your competitors, your target audience’s purchase pattern and so on.

Never underestimate the value of updated and relevant data. You need to keep an eye on what’s going on around you to make effective strategies and make calculated decisions for your course business.

5. Selecting the wrong administrative solution, or worse: No solution at all

Fortunately, we live in an age where digital solutions can help us work smarter and more efficiently.

Many course providers have therefore procured systems that automate routine processes and reduce the manual work associated with course administration.

Nonetheless, many still face the reduced cost-trap, or they dare not seize the opportunities that technology brings – even though they are wasting hundreds of hours annually on manual processes and time-consuming routine tasks.

If you belong to this group, I would dare to say that this is one of the biggest pitfalls you will step fall into in 2019. I know that I am a little biased, but after all, I have seen the positive effect of choosing the right solution for course administration for a number of different course providers.

Many also make the mistake of choosing a system that is not suitable for their course activities. Suddenly they are stuck with an LMS system or a virtual learning environment when a course administration system would have been more suitable. This is usually a result of the process prior to the system acquisition being poorly managed.

By choosing the right course administration system you will be able to streamline the course activities so much that in 2019 you finally get time for the value creation that you see for you.

Follow these 5 steps when choosing your solution for course administration, and you will ensure the most advantageous administrative solution for your coursework.

6. Hunting trends that are not right for your business

Have you ever bought something that seemed like a smart and trendy purchase at the time and then later looked back on it wondering “What was I thinking?”?

Well. An unused garment hanging in the back of your closet, or a technological gadget that you have only used once is not that big of a deal. However, making strategic changes for the course business based on what is currently trendy can be risky.

A good example here is the opportunity offered by new training technology, such as VR/AI/AR.

Just because something is in the wind and popular, it may not necessarily be the right method for your course business.

You should, of course, keep an eye on what is happening in your industry, but before investing time and money in the latest trend, you should be sure that it is the right choice for your business and for your audience.

Conclusion

Before diving into the rest of 2019, you may want to step back and think about what has held you back till now and what you should stop doing and what you should do instead in order to maximize your business success.

Are there any more pitfalls you have come across that you think should have been mentioned here? Please share in the comment field!