Launching a tutoring business is an attractive option for many people. Whether you are a retired teacher, a recent graduate, a mid-career professional who would like a change or a university student who needs a bit of extra cash, it could be a rewarding and lucrative option. It is also very rewarding when your pupils fulfil their potential and truly engage with your subject.
Having said that, it is not a decision that you should take lightly. It requires a lot of hard work and quite a lot of know-how. If you are not sure on how to tutor online, there is plenty of support and guidance online and plenty of resources that can help you. It is worth doing your research before you start.
Before you take the plunge, consider the pros and cons of starting your own tutoring business to make sure that it is the right choice for you.
The pros of starting your own tutoring business
- Flexibility to teach what you love. Tutors are needed in all sorts of subjects so no matter where your interests lie, there are students who will need your expertise. If there’s a subject that bores you, don’t offer to teach it. You no longer have to limit your clientele to those who live near you. With the increase in popularity of online tuition, you can now teach students from all over the country or even all over the world.
- Variety of subjects. Bored of teaching the same subjects in the same exam board syllabuses? Now you can discover new subjects and exciting new ways to teach them. You can use your creativity and take your time to really get to grips with a topic.
- Constant supply of clients. As soon as one batch of pupils take their exams, there is another batch to take their place. In any academic year, there will always be individuals who need some extra support.
- Minimal start-up costs. Your main asset is yourself and your expertise. If you set up a shop you need physical premises and stock. However, for a tutoring business, you need very little equipment. This means that you do not need a lot of capital to set up and it is a relatively risk-free venture.
- You probably know your clients. If you already work in education or have children yourself, you may already know pupils looking for a tutor. There are plenty of places where you can advertise and tutor sites that you can join. They may require a small fee.
- You can work part-time. If you are nervous about leaving your regular job straight away, you could set up a tutoring business as a side hustle. Once you know that it is going to work out, you can hand in your notice!
- You are your own boss. No more being told what to do! Now you are in charge of your destiny. You are also playing a vital role in educating the citizens of the future and that is hugely rewarding.
The cons of starting your own tutoring business
- A new way of working. Running your own business is not like working for an employer. There are loads of additional things that you have to deliver in addition to providing a service to your clients. There is government guidance available on the different ways in which you can run your business from a tax perspective.
- Constant enthusiasm. When you run your own tutoring business there can be no such thing as a bad day at the office. You are the face of your organization and your attitude will affect your reputation. You need to have an infectious enthusiasm for your subject during every single lesson. This can be demanding and tiring.
- Paperwork to start off. You can’t just conjure a successful business without laying solid foundations. There will be a lot of setting up to do. You will need a set of documents in case people want to check them including background checks, references and qualifications.
- Multiple roles. Before you get to the stage where you can hire people to help you out, you will be doing everything yourself. This means that you are in charge of marketing, invoicing, running social media accounts, and paying suppliers. At the same time, you will need to deal with queries from current and potential clients. You will need a basic level of expertise in all of these to get you started.
- School holidays and sick days. It can be tricky to deal with school holidays when you are a tutor. Clients will expect you to have some sort of break and this leads to a loss of income. Remember that you will not have sick leave either. If you are too ill to teach your clients, you will not get paid.
- Irregular working hours. If you are used to a 9 to 5 job on a Monday to Friday, this is going to come as quite a shock. When everyone else is thinking about leaving work, you are just starting. You will not get weekends off. This is because you will have to provide your services when pupils are not in school. If your friends and family work in regular jobs, when are you going to see them?
- Engaging with social media. Whilst some people love using social media, for others it can be a chore. It can be very time consuming and sometimes seems to be a thankless task. If your social media strategy is getting you nowhere, call in some experts. It will be worth it!
Now that you are clear on the pros and cons of starting your own tutoring business, you can decide if it is the right choice for you.
Before deciding to take the plunge we would heavily advise you to consider the legalities next (depending on your location) for example, do you need a license to start a tutoring business?
With the right preparation, support and know-how, it can be a very rewarding and lucrative career choice.
We hope you found this article insightful.
Thank you for being patient and staying with us till the end.
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Author Bio:
Paula Antalffy-
In 2019 Paula joined TutorCruncher after studying at Southampton, where she manages everything social media and marketing.
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