Bringing Your Training to the Field
Independent contractor vs employee-
When you provide training to an organization who is not your regular employer, you are operating as an independent trainer. You will be responsible to keep track of your own income and expenses. It will be your responsibility to pay taxes and Social Security on the income you generate through your training business. Take a look at the small business tools available through the Internal Revenue Service, IRS. ( There you will learn about your options for establishing a business type, forms for filing, rules for claiming expenses, etc.
In some cases, the organization that hires you may add you as a temporary employee so that you are covered by their insurance. In this case they will take taxes and Social Security out for you. They will provide you with a w-2 at the end of the year.
If you provide training as a part of your job, you are considered an employee. Then all of the labor laws apply and you may not receive additional compensation for the training. Make sure you allow time for preparation during your regular work day.
Personal record keeping
In addition to keeping track of income and expenses, you may want to set up a system to keep track of training scheduled and delivered. It is also a good idea to collect evaluations and sign-in forms for training you deliver directly to the field. Organizations that sponsor your training will most likely keep their own records. You can ask for photocopies or scans if you prefer to keep these for yourself.
Promoting Your Training Business
Identify Your Potential Audience
Many trainers use their ties to former employers, professional organizations and friends as a way to reach trainees. Truly get to know your audience. What are their needs, habits, and desires? Keep this in mind as you develop your marketing strategy. Check out the list at the end of this post for more ideas about where and to whom to offer your services.
Creating your Brand
A business brand can help you market your training. Your brand can communicate what customers can expect from your products and service. A brand differentiates you from all of the other trainers out there. If you use a logo along with your name you will create visual recognition for your service. A brand can strengthen and manage perceptions about who you are and what you have to offer. Tie branding to all of your marketing plans. Be sure your branding strategy works in all modes of marketing- paper, social media, mobile and audio formats. Check out this article on the basics of branding from Entrepreneur
Your Business Name
Be sure to register your business name with the Corporation Division under the Oregon Secretary of State. This can be your real and true name, or a made up business name. You can do a search before you decide on a name to see if anyone else has a similar name to the one you are thinking about. It has been suggested that you register the name in all counties to protect your use.
Tools to promote your training business-
Stationery
Business cards
Brochures
Flyers
Training lists
Self-developed: Microsoft Word or Publisher, Adobe InDesign
Hire a designer or use an existing template: Vistaprint.com, Brother Creative Center,
Staples, Office Depot, overnightprints.com/marketing
Electronic
Websites, email campaign, social media presence (Facebook, Linked-In etc., Pinterest, Blogs), Newsletter
Communicate with potential clients- phone, email, mail
Create your marketing tagline- a memorable, meaningful and concise statement that captures the essence of your business.
10 Keys to Build your Business Credibility
- Always show up
- Always show up on time
- Call as soon as possible if you will not be able to train
- Be clear about what you expect from the organizer and what they expect from you
- Be respectful of your audience
- Build your training tool-box by attending training or carefully observing other trainers
- Use your personality- know the material so well that you can share stories
- Recognize and encourage participants to share their expertise
- Present yourself in a professional manner – dress appropriately
- Finish on-time