I've got an idea, prototype and some great results- but no business plan.

I'm in scientific higher education. I've created a web-based lab guide for students, that walks them through lab procedures, but where they can record their data and responses to lab questions. The instructor can review these things easily.

I was able to test this out with over 500 students, and got some great responses-- Over 90% of the students wanted to use this system in the future. On end-of-semester course surveys, nearly 20% of people who wrote in additional comments about the course requested that this be used in the future.

I'd like to keep developing this project, but am uncertain what I can do with it. Major textbook publishing companies are working on similar systems-- in those cases, they sell subscriptions to their online labs for ~$25.00/student-semester. I have no logical reason to believe that mine will be better than theirs-- especially as I do this so far by myself, at home after work, and after my kid is in bed-- though I of course feel that it mine is done well. The only 'advantages' I may even have is a personal knowledge of the actual science content (which is introductory anyway), and contacts with a single large university that will likely be willing to keep testing this out.

I don't mind doing this as a hobby because I enjoy it-- but I would like to make money through this eventually. Is it possible to compete against a gigantic company on a niche product? At part-time? What might be a good business model for someone in this situation?