Legally giving out certifications? Can we?

There are two possibilities here, depending on your market.

If you're looking at a heavily regulated profession, such as continuing education for teachers, real estate agents, insurance agents, etc., get the requirements from the entity doing the regulating. For the above mentioned, in the USA, the regulators are usually state-level departments.

If you're looking at unregulated markets, (like a "Certified Internet Marketer" for example), all you have to do is print some certificates. It will have about the same meaning as the "participation trophies" every kid gets for showing up, but if you can sell it, go for it.

I do this.

Some years back, I got together with a few other professionals in my field and we created an online course. The content was extraordinary, the course very professionally built, and the credentials of the course creators (us) very credible in the marketplace.

Our industry is heavily regulated, but the training requirement for individual participants is not. We decided, with some debate and controversy, to use the term "certification" for what we were doing and it has gone over very well. Some people question it, but the answer we give is straightforward, honest and transparent, and they all understand why and how we use it.

I would say unless there is government sanctioned regulation over the same course you are hoping to build, there is a navigable path ahead for you. It might not be a bad idea to seek some legal guidance on the front end though, just to be sure you can do what you are thinking without causing ruffles.

It depends on the niche that you are giving cerification on.

Certain jurisdictions in the United States monopolize state certifications for certain types of activities.

For example, you cannot certify people for dentistry, legal services, cosmetology, or cutting hair, without you being part of the state bureaucracy.

It all depends on the activity that you are going to hand out certifications on.

With that said, there is a wide range of activities that are quite open-ended.

One key area that's very hot right now in the United States is life coaching.

There are so many certification programs that focus on life coaching that it's funny.

There's definitely space for yet another certification program.

Web design is another wide open area where there's a lot of space for certification programs.

Keep in mind that your ability to make money off your certification program hinges totally upon how credible your accreditation issuing body is.

If you're just a bunch of nobodies giving out certifications, chances are you're not going to get too many takers.

There's really no incentive for them to sign up for your certification program.

However, if there is some sort of official source of credibility like, for example, you are a founder of a very well-known Internet company, or you guys got funded by a venture-capital fund up to the tune of several million dollars, then maybe people would pay attention.

I hope you get my point.

Certifications are only valuable based on the credibility of the certifying body.

Otherwise, it is just another empty and worthless online badge.

We provide certification for our channel partners as service providers so our end customers have a better idea of who to trust and who actually knows how to set up our CRM automation etc.

Too many people claim they know a system but then the customer ends up paying for their "education" while they learn on the job at the expense of the customer.

In this instance, in-house certification is a valuable selling tool.