You know your stuff. You've been tutoring for years—maybe in a stuffy classroom, maybe over coffee at a kitchen table, maybe in late-night Zoom calls where the Wi-Fi kept dropping.
Now you're thinking: Could I turn this into an actual online course?
The answer is yes. But here's what most people won't tell you: your first course probably won't be perfect. And that's fine. Perfect courses don't change lives. Started courses do.
This guide is for tutors who want to stop overthinking and start launching. We'll cover picking a platform (without losing your mind), structuring a curriculum that actually makes sense, recording video that doesn't look like a hostage situation, and selling to people who've never heard of you.
Let's go.
Choosing Your Platform: Where Should Your Course Live?
You have three solid options. None is "best." Each is best for a specific kind of tutor.
Here's the honest breakdown:
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific | Gumroad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Professional course business | All-in-one school feel | Selling cheap & fast |
| Pricing model | Transaction fees + monthly | Monthly (no transaction fees) | 10% transaction fee (free to start) |
| Course styles | Video, quizzes, certificates | Video, community, assignments | Video, PDFs, downloads |
| Marketing tools | Built-in email, affiliate system | Strong CRM, coupons | Simple, no-fuss |
| Student limits | Unlimited on paid plans | Unlimited on paid plans | No limits |
| Free plan? | Yes (limited, transaction fees) | Yes (very limited) | Yes (10% fee per sale) |
| Ease of use | Moderate | Moderate | Very easy |
| When to upgrade | After 10 sales | After 20 sales | Never (10% fee forever) |
Which One Should You Actually Pick?
Pick Teachable if: You want to look professional from day one. You're selling courses over $100. You want built-in email marketing and an affiliate system.
Pick Thinkific if: You want to build a community, not just a course. You like the idea of a branded "school" with a custom URL.
Pick Gumroad if: You're selling a short course under $50. You want to launch tomorrow. You don't care about fancy quizzes or certificates.
Pro-Tip: Start with Gumroad's free plan for your first mini-course (3-5 lessons). Validate that people will pay you before you commit to a monthly subscription. Once you make your first $500, migrate to Teachable or Thinkific.
Structuring Your Curriculum: Don't Overcomplicate This
New tutors make the same mistake: they try to teach everything they know in one course.
Stop. Your course is not an encyclopedia. It is a path from Point A to Point B.
Point A = where your student is now (confused, stuck, not getting results) Point B = where they want to be (confident, capable, getting results)
The Curriculum Planning Checklist
Use this before you record a single video:
- Define Point A clearly. "My student has failed their driving test twice" is specific.
- Define Point B clearly. "My student passes their test next attempt" is specific.
- List the 5-7 skills between A and B. Not 20. Five to seven.
- Turn each skill into a module. Module 1 = Skill 1, Module 2 = Skill 2, etc.
- Break each module into 3-5 short lessons. Each lesson under 10 minutes.
- Add one "do" for every "watch." Worksheet. Practice prompt. Quiz.
- Cut anything that doesn't serve A→B. Save tangents for bonus modules.
- Name your modules with clear outcomes. "How to balance chemical equations" beats "Module 2: Deep Dive."
A Sample Structure That Works
Module 1: Get Ready (The Foundation)
- Lesson 1: What you'll need before we start
- Lesson 2: Common mistakes beginners make
- Lesson 3: Your first practice worksheet
Module 2: The Core Skill
- Lesson 1: Watch me do it (demonstration)
- Lesson 2: Now you try (guided practice)
- Lesson 3: Fixing the 3 most common errors
Module 3: Level Up
- Lesson 1: Adding complexity
- Lesson 2: Real-world application
- Lesson 3: Quiz + answer walkthrough
Module 4: Troubleshooting
- Lesson 1: What to do when X happens
- Lesson 2: What to do when Y happens
- Lesson 3: Your cheat sheet (downloadable)
Module 5: Next Steps
- Lesson 1: Where to go from here
- Lesson 2: Bonus resources
- Lesson 3: Final assessment
Pro-Tip: Record your shortest module first. Finishing something—anything—builds momentum. Too many tutors plan forever and never record. Be the one who finishes.
Recording Without Expensive Gear: The "Good Enough" Setup
You do not need a $1,000 camera. You do not need a soundproof room.
Here's what you actually need:
The Bare Minimum (Things you already own)
- Your phone (any recent smartphone)
- Natural light from a window
- A stack of books to prop up your phone
- The free voice memo app for audio
The $50 Upgrade (Highly recommended)
- Smartphone tripod with phone mount ($15-20)
- Lapel microphone that plugs into your phone ($15-25)
- One cheap desk lamp with a white bulb ($10-15)
How to Get a Professional Look for Free
| Problem | Cheap fix |
|---|---|
| Ugly background | Face a blank wall. Or hang a plain bedsheet behind you. |
| Harsh shadows | Put a white pillowcase over your desk lamp. |
| Echoey audio | Record in a room with a rug, curtains, and soft furniture. |
| Shaky video | Stack books. Tape your phone to the books. |
| Bad phone audio | Record audio separately in Voice Memos, then sync. |
| Weird skin tones | Turn off "auto white balance." Set to daylight or cloudy. |
The One-Take Recording Method (No editing skills required)
- Write a script or bullet points.
- Read it out loud three times before you record.
- Put your script directly next to your camera lens.
- Record one take. If you mess up, pause, breathe, say the line again.
- Upload the raw file. No cuts, no effects, no music.
Raw is authentic. Authentic is trustworthy. Trustworthy sells.
Pro-Tip: Your first recording will feel awkward. Your tenth recording will feel normal. Record a practice video every day for a week before you shoot your real course.
Marketing to a Cold Audience: They Don't Know You Yet
Here's the hard truth: no one is waiting for your course.
Not because it's bad. Because they don't know it exists. And even if they find it, they don't trust you yet.
Trust is the currency of online education. You have to earn it—one small interaction at a time.
The Warm-Up Sequence (Before Launch)
Do this for 2-4 weeks before you open cart:
- Post 5 pieces of free value on your students' platform
- Each post solves one specific problem your course solves
- Respond to every comment for the first hour
- Collect emails using a free tool like Mailchimp
- Send 3 emails before launch: Problem → Solution → Course announcement
Launch Email Template
Subject: The thing you asked for
Hey [Name],
Three weeks ago, you asked me how to [solve their specific problem].
I've been thinking about your question.
The truth is, it's too big for one email. But I also know you don't have time for a 40-hour course.
So I made something shorter.
[Course Name] is 5 modules, 90 minutes total. No fluff. Just the exact steps to [achieve their goal].
It's $[price]. And if you don't get value in the first 2 lessons, I'll refund you. No questions.
Here's the link: [link]
See you inside, [Your name]
Where to Find Your First 10 Students (No Ads Required)
| Source | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Your existing students | Offer 50% off for feedback |
| Your personal network | Post once on personal social media |
| Facebook groups | Add value for 2 weeks, then mention course |
| Reddit communities | Same rule: add value first |
| Collaboration | Find a tutor with similar audience |
| Your email list | Email them 3 times in launch week |
Your Next 3 Steps
Stop reading. Start doing.
Step 1: Choose Your Platform Today (30 minutes)
Visit Gumroad.com. Click "Start Free." Create a product page for your course—even before you've recorded anything. Name it. Set a price ($47-97 is good for a first course). Write a short description. Having a real link changes your psychology from "someday" to "now."
Step 2: Record Your First Lesson Tomorrow (1 hour)
Pick your easiest lesson. Prop your phone on books near a window. Write 5 bullet points. Press record. Talk for 5-7 minutes. Stop. Upload it unedited.
Watch it back once. Notice what's actually fine (most of it). Notice one thing to improve (fix it next time).
Step 3: Find One Person to Show It To (This Week)
One person. A former student. A tutor friend. Your partner.
Say: "I'm making a course. Can I show you the first lesson for 5 minutes? Tell me one thing that's confusing and one thing that's helpful."
Take their feedback. Fix what resonates.
Then record Lesson 2.
Then find another person.
Then launch.
You already know how to teach. That's the hard part. The platform, the video gear, the marketing—those are just logistics. Logistics can be learned. Your ability to change someone's understanding of the world? That can't be bought or copied. That's yours.
Go share it.