How to Start a Tutoring Business 1-2-3
How long does it take to start a tutoring business?
This depends upon your current situation and experience. If you already have teaching or tutoring experience
and ready access to potential students, you could probably get started almost immediately with one or several
students.
I always advise people to get started as soon as possible, as this will help to build momentum early, which
will increase your enthusiasm and energy for launching your new business. If you will be hiring tutors instead
or tutoring yourself, this may require a month or two to get everything in place.
Your marketing and advertising efforts could start within a few days, while some print advertising may take
several weeks to set up. Generally you should allow one to three months to get your business completely up and
running, while you can probably have the essentials up and running within a couple of
weeks.
How much can I really make as a tutor?
As a tutor, this is entirely dependent upon how many hours you will work. If you tutor fifteen hours per
week at $40 per hour, you will make $600 per week. If you have ten tutors working fifteen hours per week, you
will make $6,000. If you have an online tutoring business employing 100 tutors, charging $30 per hour, each
working ten hours per week, you will make $30,000 per week.
How will I find tutors to hire?
You can advertise for tutors at local colleges and universities, especially if they have career websites
where you can advertise for free. The top job recruitment websites may also be useful places to recruit tutors,
although they tend to be somewhat expensive. Some recruitment websites allow you to target colleges and
universities, which is ideal if you are recruiting students as tutoris.
How much will it cost to start up?
This depends upon the type of tutoring business you are launching. If you are tutoring students out of your
home or a local library or other public space, you can probably get started for under a thousand dollars. If
you are renting space and hiring tutors, you may want to have $5,000 to $10,000 in the bank before you get
started, to cover some of the major expenses like payroll, office rent, and textbook purchases during your
first few lean startup months. If you are starting up a major online tutoring website, you will probably want
to have $15,000 to $25,000 in startup capital to expenses like website and systems development, marketing,
payroll and office expenses.
How much should I charge students?
Typical rates for tutors in North America are $30 to $60 per hour for in-person tutoring, or $20 to $30 per
hour for online tutors. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen new tutors make is to undervalue their
services. I have seen highly qualified teachers charging only $20 per hour for one-on-one tutoring, while
tutoring academies typically charge $40 to $50 per hour for group tutoring! Research your relevant market to
determine what your services are really worth and don't be afraid to charge the going
rate.
Do I need any special certification to be a tutor?
Although tutor certification is available through various organizations, I am unaware of any state or
province where certification is required in order to operate as a tutor.
Do I need teaching or tutoring experience?
If you are doing the tutoring yourself, you should have some teaching or tutoring experience. If you are
hiring tutors, a basic knowledge of teaching or tutoring is advisable but not absolutely necessary, as long as
you are able to hire knowledgeable tutors.
Tony Aitken is President of The Wealthy Tutor, http://www.wealthytutor.com which offers complete business
startup systems and other resources for people who are starting their own tutoring companies. The Wealthy
Tutor is dedicated to offering a complete yet affordable alternative to expensive tutoring franchises.
Finding Tutoring Jobs and Clients
Join the online tutoring website Classof1.com to tutor students in high school or college and get paid. Instruction
needed includes the areas of English, Computer Science, Statistics, Economics, Accounting and Finance,
Manament, Mathematics, Engineering, Information Science, Psychology, Journalism, Medical Science, Nursing,
Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and more.
Tutors are needed year round, and the website includes tutoring in the US, UK and Australia. Work-at-home
opportunities are available full-time and part-time. Sign up online to tutor >> Classof1.com
Set up a simple website for under $50/year to
advertise your tutoring services. Help people find you in the search engines: get listed in 20 search engines for free or in
300 search engines for $4.
Local Search
is becoming more and more popular. People are many times using online search instead of the traditional yellow
pages to find local businesses. Local Search sources that are affordable and receive substantial traffic
include: Google Local, Yelp, Super Pages and Insider Pages.
Tutoring Business
Blueprint: 3-day action plan from Professional Tutor, Tim Heeter.
Tutoring Business Associations
- Association for the Tutoring Profession
Network for tutors and tutor trainers.
- American Tutoring Association
The ATA is a 501C(3) non-profit organization dedicated to creating excellence in private tutoring. Through
Tutor Certification and Scholarship Building, the American Tutoring Association is creating new standards
within private tutoring while creating opportunities to expand the current tutoring market.
- International Tutoring Association
The International Tutoring Association is a place for tutors to develop their professional talents and
techniques. Tutors can share professional tips, exchange stories, and take advantage of valuable
resources.
