The Koerner Office: How a $15K Grant-Funded Trade School Makes Money

A seemingly simple online trade school model is turning government grants into serious revenue—and rethinking what education can look like. In this condensed summary of The Koerner Office with host Chris Koerner, you’ll hear how one operator built a grant-funded school for trades like HVAC, forklift repair, plumbing, and dog grooming, earning $5K–$15K per student with a 55-hour curriculum. The conversation breaks down the numbers behind the business model, including a first-year $2.4M revenue run and over $1M in online profit, plus the shift from expensive overhead to a lean two-person, automation-driven operation. You’ll also learn why this is more like a sales and marketing business than a traditional school, how CRM tools and drip campaigns fit in, and why AI-proof trade skills may be a strong play in the future of work. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.