People are flocking to distance learning in increasing numbers as a way to grow personally and professionally. It is widely used in corporate and academic worlds. Setting up distance learning courses can be a way for you to help people, teach in your field of expertise, grow your practice, and generate an extra source of passive revenue. Half of my income comes from courses I teach.

Here are some things you need to know to get started:

1. Check out copyright laws. A basic summary: It's yours moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form so that it is perceptible either directly or with aid of a machine or device. Go here to read more: www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html. Attach copyright to your materials, and respect copyrights of others.

2. Synchronous means in real time, such as connecting with streaming audio or video or a chat room.

3. Asynchronous means your course is prepackaged and available to person at any time to be studied at their convenience.

4. My own version -- courses are pre-packaged, but I mail each lesson on Monday morning. It gives a sense of "school" and keeps students from becoming overwhelmed.

5. There are tremendous advantages to distance learning--flexibility for student, access to instructor, and a great savings in time and money. Learn with privacy and convenience of your own computer.

6. Learning advantages--you can focus on ideas and enrichment. You can reach diverse individuals and accommodate different learning styles. Once established, courses run themselves. It's a win-win situation.

7. Because of above, I recommend that you make courses interactive. The students reply and interact with yuo by email, which is under your control, but gives involvement that people like nowadays. I've found it easy enough to manage.

8. Disadvantages are mainly for those students who learn better in a real-time group situation.

9. Here are some resources for you to begin with:

a. "Learning with a Technology Profile Tool," www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profwww.htm

Perhaps key to effective and appreciated business email is consideration. I asked a number of colleagues and clients what they would like other people to know about email. "Respectful" turned out to be main point--respectful of receiver's eyes and times. Here's list:

1. Please put a concise and informative subject line. You may correspond with this person on only one thing, but they receive many emails a day from many people and need to know how to sort through and prioritize. Example: Today's meeting

2. Seems obvious, but make sure your email and your company's email server have right date and time on email.

3. Correctness still counts. Why? It's very disconcerting to read all small letters with no punctuation and it slows reader down. Grammatical mistakes and typos make us pause as we read because we don't expect them. They cause an emotional jolt ("that's wrong") which is something you don't want. You want them to focus on content of your message.

4. Skip emoticons.

5. Be judicious in use of graphics. They're tempting to use, but, again, they interrupt work flow modality. Save them for friends and family where you can enjoy them to your heart's content.

6. Pay attention to your tone. Blunt and brusque is offputting, but so is flowery and tentative. Be concise, brief and to point while also mannerly. Most of all--be clear. Other people are as busy as you are.

7. When you list a link, do it like this: http://www.susandunn.cc Do not put punctuation or letters at either end. It should show up in your own email as a link.