Now in Portland: local lessons, advertised & reviewed

A few months ago, we featured a startup focused on helping people find classes taught by local teachers through an online marketplace. TeachStreet got off to a flying start in Seattle, where it won praise from both learners and teachers. Chris Lewis, a Seattle-area tennis coach: “TeachStreet drives my business. Last week I had 12 new students e-mail me asking to take lessons. I don’t even do anything else to advertise my business anymore, yet my schedule is always full.” Time to roll out in a second city: TeachStreet launched in Portland, Oregon yesterday. The site now features more than 55,000 teachers, trainers, tutors, instructors, coaches and classes in the Pacific Northwest, 25,000 of which are in the Portland area. Besides offering existing instructors an alternative to advertising on Craigslist and bulletin boards, TeachStreet aims to unearth hidden teaching talent. Convinced that everyone is an expert in something–“You have a hidden talent for beer-brewing, pie-baking or parenting and wouldn’t mind showing off your mad skills by inviting folks out to your backyard, your kitchen, or local coffee shop”–TeachStreet encourages everyday experts to list a class, either as a jumping off point for a new career or side business, or as a way to meet new friends with shared interests. Which reminds us of status skills, a trend defined by our sister-site trendwatching.com, which explains how a growing number of consumers are gleaning status from mastering skills. TeachStreet is prompting them to transfer those skills to others in a semi-professional manner. Sounds like an instant boost in status! 😉