How to Start An Outstanding Tutoring Business

Part of having a unique offering in a world overflowing with tutoring websites is knowing what type of students you want to take on.

Knowing the clients that you’re keen on capturing as a private tutor is essential to becoming a tutor. This means figuring out not only the age of the students you want to take on but also the subject matter.

While client base affects whether you need bright props or sheet music available, it also impacts your legal responsibilities. For example, depending on where you’re teaching, you may need a signed statement from the parent indicating they know you are their student’s tutor. With teenagers, you’ll also need to balance student privacy with the need for the parents to stay informed. Knowing the legalities and ethics of the situation you might find yourself in is key to becoming a successful private tutor.

Once you’ve settled on a business model and a client base, you’ll need to decide what length of lesson to offer. Many people presume that 30 or 60 minutes would be an ideal class time. However, what happens if your student is late or you need to take a break between sessions?

Consider teaching students in 25 or 55-minute increments so you have buffer time between students if necessary. This strategy can also prove useful if you decide to expand your company and want time for employed tutors to be a little late.

If you decide to teach very young children, you may need classes that are less than 25 minutes long to incorporate a break into each lesson to help keep them focused. Alternatively, adults can handle longer class times and may even prefer them. As a private tutor, it will be your job to work with clients to determine the sweet spot.

Another decision you’ll need to make is where the tutoring will occur. As you think about becoming a private tutor, here are some important questions to ask yourself:

If you’re offering in-person tutoring services, choosing a location that works for you is important. Do you want to regularly invite people to your house? It will involve creating a dedicated tutoring space that is kept tidy so you look professional. However, this option offers complete control over the space, with easy access to any item you own.

One of the biggest downsides to tutoring at other people’s houses is that you’ll need to travel to get there, which really eats into your ability to take on clients, depending on the travel time. On the plus side, some families will pay a premium to have a private tutor come to their house.

Working out of a public space is a happy medium for many in-person private tutors. In these situations, you don’t have to give out your home address or clean your tutoring space. If you choose a central location, then clients likely won’t have to travel far to reach you. Lining up several clients at once will ensure there isn’t much lost time between clients, increasing profitability.

If you’re offering tutoring services online, it’s easy to think that your location doesn’t matter much. However, even though your students will not be in your home, it’s still imperative you have a private area to tutor from. Minimizing distractions for your students while on calls with you is critical to establishing a professional environment and building trust.

Taking the time to set up a tutoring space will help you, too. For example, if you are an IELTS tutor, you can have your reference books close at hand. Alternatively, if you’ve prepared a curriculum for your student, you’ll want these notes to be easily accessible. Setting up your tutoring space for success rather than plopping down on a random couch will improve both the learning and teaching experience.

If you plan on starting a tutoring business in a local café or library, it’s a good idea to figure out what rules may apply. Talking to the store manager or a librarian is a good way to figure out when you won’t be in the way. For example:

While there are a lot of details to be worked out when tutoring in a neutral location, there are also items to think about if students will be coming to your house:

With online tutoring services, a good internet connection is essential. Several websites allow you to run an internet speed test to ensure your connection works well. Similarly, when you get a new student, encourage them to run a speed test. If the download and upload speeds are less than 30 Mbps apiece, you may wish to recommend that they connect through a different provider for your lessons. Technology issues are no fun for anyone, and they can make your private tutoring look less professional if they constantly arise.

If you’re starting a local tutoring business, you’ll need to find a way to advertise locally. Here are a few ways you can try:

Alternatively, if you’re starting an online tutoring business, you should consider building a website or joining a tutoring marketplace.

Whether you’re marketing locally or online, you’ll want your first impression to be good. That’s why investing in a nice headshot can never go amiss. As a private tutor, having a professional headshot enhances your online presence. You can use it on platforms like LinkedIn, but you can and should also use it anywhere you try to sell your online tutoring services. You'll convey credibility and competence by using a professional-looking picture on your website and other sites.

While a professional headshot from a local photographer can cost around $300, there are cheaper options. Some online services cost as little as $50, while startup conferences sometimes offer free headshot services.

Alternatively, if you have a good phone, consider asking a friend to take a few pictures. Pick a nice, sunny day and go to a nearby park, or, if you have access to a university campus, take pictures with lab equipment or a used whiteboard. These efforts will contribute to your professional branding and provide potential students and clients with a clear representation of what you offer as a private tutor.

As a private tutor, nothing makes you look better to parents and students alike than being over-prepared for your sessions. So, whether you’re a math tutor focusing on calculus or have decided to start a tutoring business focusing on SAT prep, you’ll want to have a plan of what you want to cover in each lesson.

Lesson planning usually has two parts. You want a logical progression from the following week, but you also want to address anything your student may have encountered over the previous week. I recommend reviewing your lesson plan at the beginning of the class, including when your student can ask questions. Typically, either the beginning or end of the lesson works well for questions.

Setting expectations is essential in any small business but is particularly important when starting an online tutoring business, as the internet can make communication more difficult. That being said, whether you’re online or in person, being proactive makes you look more professional, which is always a win.

When starting a tutoring business, having a lesson plan is not enough. If you really want your students to learn well, you must have practice questions and examples ready each session.

As an in-person tutor, you’ll likely want a favorite book to work through. Either students can work through your copy with you, or you can ask parents to purchase one, and you can go through the questions with the student. Alternatively, if you’ll be tutoring online, have the questions set up in your virtual classroom before the class starts.

If your tutoring subject doesn’t involve practice questions - say, writing - you’ll want to have go-to examples ready to analyze if your student gets stuck. Similarly, if you’re going to assign homework, have that prepared before the lesson begins, whether that’s practice questions in a book, a piece of reading, or a video. This preparation will bear fruit when your online tutoring session goes smoothly, and your clients can easily discern what they’re learning from you each week.