How to Improve Your Learning by Teaching

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Why Am I Making You Learn?

In this entrepreneurial game, it’s all about levelling up. Whether we’re talking about business expansion, profit increases or diversifying what we do. To get to the next step, we have to keep learning, and building on the skills we’ve developed.

If I can’t convince you to make an active effort to learn more, move on. This is for the ones that recognise the benefits and are ready to put in the time and effort to strengthen their knowledge and put it to action. It's for the ones that want to be faced with difficult questions for their own benefit.

Select Your Topic

This is most likely going to change once you start preparing your learning materials, and figure out who your audience is. The first thing to consider is what particular thing you’re already doing, and you know you have the potential to do even better in.

An example for me would be online arbitrage, and selling through Amazon FBA. Having done it for a couple of years, I should know a lot, but teaching someone else the process will reinforce how far I’ve come, remind me how to do things that I might have neglected (like creative ways to source) and makes me more accountable to continue.

Once you have a rough idea, you’re bound to refine it more over time. You may go completely broad, or you may decide that you want to drill right down into a particular detail of what you do. Your first experience will guide your next, and you’ll improve every time.

Who Should You Teach?

I mean when I say it’s worth teaching whoever is interested. It means approaching those who are doing the thing you talk about, and those that would never think of applying the knowledge. Many of my pursuits are things that most people have some basic understanding of, so it means they’re likely to come up with suggestions of their own of something new to sell, where to find things to sell, or whatever else.

I’ve had countless conversations about SEO, and most of them were to people that don’t even know the thing in the address bar is called a domain. At the other end, I’ve chimed in on conversations with experienced ecommerce sellers on how to get more out of print-on-demand. All of it benefits because it’s bound to change how I approach things the next time around.

I often create learning resources designed for no one but myself to see. My intended audience is actually my future self. I know that I don’t have the time to apply any of it the first time around, so I’m preparing myself in the future to pick up where I left off. This teaching can be between you and your damn self. Only you will know what you need and what’s going to be helpful.

What Ways Can You Teach Others?

I’m sure some of you are frightened that I expect you to go out and create some lessons plans for classrooms of people. There are so many ways you can tick off the teaching box. Here are a few different things you may consider:

Simple:

Explain your industry/business to someone
Join a relevant Facebook group and answer questions

Advanced:

Document a work process
Create a dos and don’ts-style post/article/graphic

Experienced:

Create a blog or YouTube channel dedicated to your industry/pursuit
Train others that do one-off/long-term work for you
Present a pack about your industry, and how your business is different

How Often Should You Teach?

I think it’s just my own personality trait – and the fact I’ve got children – but I like to teach as often as I can. I mean, this blog is proof. Beyond this though, I’m constantly teaching VAs and team members. I’ll put together a PowerPoint, Word process document, or sit someone down and go through what I do in person.

I think it’s good to at least put your knowledge to the test once a month. It reinforces what you already know, and is very likely to uncover questions you won’t have considered previously. Teaching is a healthy way to keep your business growing, giving you the opportunity to have a break away from day-to-day work, while helping you to potentially improve what you do. Slot it in as you see fit.

If you expect to expand in the future, you’re going to have to train someone up along the way. What better way to get your training practice in than by teaching a few others beforehand.