Skillshare: Focused Learning for Scrappy, Local Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
Photo by Lewis Keegan on Unsplash
Living in the information age has its pros and cons.
Pro: We have easy access to the information we need.
Con: We’re bombarded by so much information that it can become overwhelming.
But Skillshare has allowed me to stay organized and on budget as I prioritize continuous learning as a business owner and creative.
That’s why I’m writing this blog for you. While you’re here, you’ll get to read about:
My thoughts on Skillshare vs. YouTube
My lesson plan process
4 class suggestions (for work and whimsy)
Why? Because I like learning. And school. And sticking to my budget. And Skillshare.
What is Skillshare?
According to Skillshare’s affiliate landing page, “Skillshare is an online learning community where you can explore thousands of classes in illustration, design, photography, and more. New members can get started with a free trial to get unlimited access to the entire catalog of classes.”
(More on that free trial soon.)
In my experience…
Around 2018, a colleague turned good friend tried to convince me to take the Skillshare plunge. She’s a graphic designer, but she said there were lots of copy, UX, business and beginner design classes that I would enjoy. (BEGINNER?! Pshhh)
Because of her, I knew I would like Skillshare, but I didn’t invest in it at the time. I thought, “If I want to watch educational videos, I can do that on YouTube for free.”
And, yes, you can, and I do. However, after purchasing Skillshare on a whim in 2021, I realized the difference between Skillshare and YouTube — intentional focus.
When I’m binging YouTube videos from copywriting queens Ashlyn Carter and Alex Cattoni, I’m still seeing suggested videos from my other lanes of interest (dance, home organization and capsule wardrobes, for example).
In my experience, Skillshare is designed to be more focused and intentionally educational. In the next section, I’ll explain how I use Skillshare to create lesson plans for myself.
For now, I want to emphasize that there are no commercials inside the Skillshare paywall, and the class and workshop pages allow you to take notes, submit projects and discuss class topics with others watching online.
How do I use Skillshare?
I know the sound of lesson plans, may not spark excitement in your soul and remind your olfactory senses of pencil shavings and brand-new notebooks like it does to me, but you’re the one reading the section about how I use Skillshare. So, hear me out.
Step 1: Browse the directory of classes, sort by topic as you go.
Step 2: Save classes that sound helpful, fun or both.
Step 3: Sort the classes into categorized lists based on topic.
Step 4: Designate a day or time to “sit in class.” (I do this by assigning myself deadlines in Trello, my project management platform of choice.)
Step 5: Get WAY too interested in the class topic and continue watching Skillshare videos while you cook dinner and fold laundry.
That’s pretty much how I do it. (Questions? Send me a DM on Insta at @local.type!)
Skillshare for Small Business Owners
Skillshare may be worth your time and money if…
You want to learn a new skill to expand your creative offering.
You need to bootstrap your own marketing materials.
You’re looking for a new hobby now that you’ve taken your business full-time.
In my learning-is-fun opinion, the only time Skillshare would feel useless is when you’re already a high-level expert in your field, and you’re looking to take a deep dive into a niche subject.
Skillshare features a variety of teachers who cover a wide range of basics, and that’s been quite helpful.
So, why am I telling you about Skillshare if I write copy for local businesses? Well, it’s because I believe these three things:
Given enough time and hands-on experience, you could learn everything about copywriting and marketing that I know.
You’ve got a local business to run, and sometimes that means you’ve got to bootstrap your budget.
I’m for your success, whether we work together directly or not.
Skillshare Classes I Recommend
First, there are many more classes I could recommend. I shared these with the local business owners on my email list and they found these particularly interesting:
While most of them are marketing-related, they cover a wide variety of topics, including keeping a daily sketchbook. (Full transparency, I don’t do this daily, but I enjoyed the class, the teacher was AMAZING, and now I know how to draw “blob monsters” for my toddler!)
Don’t like the classes I recommend? Check out the Skillshare blog! It’s crazy to scroll through all the headlines there. They’re all over the place … in the best way possible.
Is Skillshare expensive?
Of course, the term “expensive” is extremely relative and highly dependent on the value you assign the offer.
When I signed up, there was a limited-time promotion for 30% off, which I feel happens often.
And based on the number of hours I’ve watched Skillshare classes (approximately 20 hours), that means I’ve spent $9/hour. Of course, there are plenty of times that I watch what I need to, get inspired, stop, do the work, and move on with my life, too. That’s priceless.
If you want the free month of Skillshare, I got you! The link you’re looking for is at the bottom of this blog. You should know, it’s an affiliate link for Skillshare.
If you fall in love after your free month and purchase a subscription, then I’ll receive a free month, too.
I’m being super transparent about this because I don’t want you to feel like I tricked you somehow. AND I want you to realize that if you’re nervous about the price, then you should know that the more you share YOUR affiliate link with others, the less expensive your plan will be over time.
If you want to try Skillshare for yourself, even just for a month of fun, then…
