- Home
- Business models
- Courses & digital products
Business model · Courses & digital products
Businesses that make money from courses & digital products
The 1M.chat dataset has 103 businesses built on courses & digital products. 79 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $20.8K a month, and 20% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 1 employee. The growth channels founders credited most often were organic social media (72%), email & newsletters (46%), SEO & organic search (44%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 3 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 21 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 30 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 9 | |
| $1M+ a year | 14 | |
| $1M+ a month | 2 |
Growth channels credited
| Organic social media | 72% | |
| Email & newsletters | 46% | |
| SEO & organic search | 44% | |
| Paid ads | 39% | |
| Content marketing | 33% |
Share of 54 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Industries in this group
| Courses & education | 82 | |
| Newsletters, blogs & media | 10 | |
| Outdoor, sports & travel | 3 | |
| Finance & real estate | 3 | |
| Health, fitness & wellness | 2 | |
| Software & SaaS | 1 |
Tools named most: Twitter (40%), Google Drive (30%), Instagram (30%), PayPal (20%), Canva (20%) — of 10 that listed tools.
Case studies
Read how they did it
- ContentCreator.com: online courses for video creators at $500K a monthOnline education platform teaching professional content creation skills to aspiring creators.$500K/mofounder-reported 2023
- Thomas Frank: Notion templates and tutorials at $175K a monthTeaches people how to use Notion and sells Notion templates for productivity and content creation.$175K/mofounder-reported 2023
- EntryLevel: tech skills courses for career starters at $40K a monthEntryLevel helps people learn tech skills and get project experience to land a tech job.$40K/mofounder-reported 2023
- Pathpages: selling Notion templates through short videos at $20K a monthPathPages sells all-in-one Notion templates to help people organize their lives and get things done.$20K/mofounder-reported 2024
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stukent, Inc.Courses & education | digital courseware and marketing simulations for education | $2.2Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| HealthpreneurCourses & education | Coaching for health professionals to build online businesses | $1.3Mfounder interview 2023 | Canada |
| ContentCreator.comCourses & education | online content creation courses | $500K/mofounder interview 2023 | United States |
| Dropship UnlockedCourses & education | dropshipping coaching and education program | $290Kfounder interview 2023 | United Kingdom |
| Consulting SuccessCourses & education | consulting training programs | $240Kfounder interview | Canada |
| Personal Trainers...Courses & education | coaching program for fitness trainers | $200Kfounder interview 2023 | United States |
| Entrepreneurs on ...Newsletters, blogs & media | podcast, online courses, coaching, journals | $194Kfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Website Rental (R...Courses & education | coaching on building website rental income | $184Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| Thomas FrankCourses & education | Notion templates and productivity courses | $175K/mofounder interview 2023 | United States |
| Justin WelshCourses & education | Knowledge products on social media growth | $167Kfounder interview 2023 | United States |
| Product FocusCourses & education | Product management training courses and consulting | $150Kfounder interview 2022 | United Kingdom |
| EMDR ConsultingCourses & education | EMDR psychotherapy training for mental health professionals | $150Kfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| SI CertsCourses & education | online test prep and coaching for construction inspectors | $125Kfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Grow Your AgencyCourses & education | courses and software for agency owners | $120Kfounder interview | United Kingdom |
| Natasha ZorykCourses & education | Business mentoring and scaling programs for founders | $112Kfounder interview 2023 | Canada |
| The Recording Rev...Courses & education | online music recording and production courses | $100Kfounder interview 2020 | United States |
| Rockstar MindCourses & education | Online guitar and business coaching | $78Kfounder interview 2021 | Canada |
| Andalus InstituteCourses & education | Online Arabic language courses for Muslims | $75Kfounder interview | Spain |
| Delicious Denver ...Outdoor, sports & travel | Guided food tours in Denver | $75Kfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| The Uncaged LifeCourses & education | online business coaching program for coaches | $68Kfounder interview 2021 | Canada |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. Business model is the main way the business charges, as listed on Starter Story or classified by 1M.chat. How this data is built
Questions
How much do businesses built on courses & digital products typically make?
Among 79 businesses built on courses & digital products with founder-reported revenue, the median was $20.8K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many businesses built on courses & digital products reached $1M a year?
16 of 79 (20%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did businesses built on courses & digital products find customers?
Of 54 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited organic social media (72%), email & newsletters (46%), SEO & organic search (44%), paid ads (39%), content marketing (33%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
Partner services
Setting one up yourself?
Sleek
Register an Australian company
ASIC registration, company secretary and address handled in one place. Use code AF774200 at sign-up for a partner offer.
See detailsSleek
Register a Hong Kong company
Incorporation, company secretary, registered address and annual filings in one place. Use code AF748473 at sign-up for a partner offer.
See detailsBizCover
Compare small business insurance (Australia)
Online quotes for public liability, professional indemnity and business insurance packs for Australian small businesses.
See detailsThese are partner links: 1M.chat may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what the case studies say. Disclosure