Starting a Home-Based Academic Tutoring Business

I am constantly amazed at the homework my high school student brings home from school. I am no intellectual slouch with an IQ in the top two percent of the population; I also graduated high school from a private academy with honors. Nonetheless, I am amazed at the homework my son brings home from high school. He is doing math in ninth and tenth grade that I never learned in high school or college! Conversations with other parents reveal that I am not alone. The average parent is simply not able to help their child with much of their homework - even if they are motivated to do so.

Parents who are unable to help their child with school homework have little choice but to hire a private academic tutor. As the US government and some states continue to raise the educational bar in an effort to keep US students competitive in a global economy more students are likely to need assistance and more parents are likely to feel inadequate to assist. The market for academic tutoring is likely to be strong in the coming years as parents seek help for their children in the face of ever-rising academic demands at school, and in an attempt to help their children score well on college admissions tests.

The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) maintains occupational projections data on many occupations. BLS does not maintain a dedicated category for academic tutoring, but does maintain a category for "adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors." Presumably this category would include academic tutors, as well as others in related fields.

BLS reports that 96,000 people worked in jobs in this occupational category during 2008. Projections are for an increase in jobs of 15.1 percent over the decade from 2008 - 2018. BLS estimates that there will be more than 29,000 of these education-related jobs available over this decade due to growth and the need for replacement workers. Median annual wages are reported to be "high" at $46,310. More than 20 percent of workers in this occupational category are self-employed.

Getting Started

The academic tutoring business is an ideal home-based business that requires no overhead and almost no start-up costs. This business can be operated from home - whether you tutor at your home, at the student's home, or at another neutral location. Students bring their own textbooks, notebooks, pens, laptop, etc. The only thing you need to provide is yourself and any particular teaching aids you may choose to utilize.

Many students need academic tutoring. It is possible that you already know students who could use tutoring services, or parents whose children could use assistance. Starting with people you already know is usually the easiest way to secure those first customers. Talking to people you already know may produce customers directly or they may make referrals on your behalf.

Marketing

Consider tutoring several students for free if you are having difficulty securing paying clients at first. These first students will provide you with references, experience, and possibly referrals. Those who have a philanthropic bent may consider continuing to tutor several disadvantaged students at a time. This serves as good public relations and effective, indirect marketing through referrals.

Distributing or posting brochures at targeted locations can be a good way to connect with students in need of tutoring services. Brochures could be posted anywhere students or parents are likely to congregate. Community bulletin boards can be a good place to post brochures and business cards.

Direct mailings to targeted neighborhoods or school districts can be an effective marketing tool. Mailing lists can be purchased on the Internet that are sortable by many demographic variables allowing you to target a certain group of potential customers.

School referrals are a great marketing option if you can get them. Contact the schools in your area to explain your services and to inquire about the possibility of being placed on a list of recommended tutors. This could be a powerful marketing tool if the school recommended you to parents seeking a tutor.

Websites can be useful for many businesses. Maintaining a site that is optimized for local search will allow your site to be found when people search for tutors in your area. The website is a great venue to promote your services, describe which subjects and age groups you tutor, list testimonials from satisfied customers, and discuss your rates and policies.

Vehicle lettering or signs are a great way to advertise for any business that uses a motor vehicle. Consider putting a sign or lettering on your vehicle if you will be going to customer's homes or other locations for tutoring. Neighbors will see your mobile advertising every time you are in the neighborhood. This can lead to new customers with no effort on your part.

Cautions

Tutoring is not for everyone. Some people are experts in a particular subject, but are unable to effectively explain the subject to others. Tutoring also requires a good deal of patience. Students are not always in the mood to study, may have forgotten past lessons, or may not have completed assignments. This all adds up to a business that can be very rewarding but can also be trying at times.

Tutors usually teach only certain subjects to certain age groups. For instance, a tutor may be a great math teacher but a terrible English teacher. Likewise, a tutor may work well with high school students but not work well with elementary students. It is probably best to decide what you are good at teaching and stick to those subjects. You can always add more subjects or age groups at a later date if you choose.

Conclusion

Academic tutoring can be a rewarding and profitable business. The tutoring business is ideally suited to being operated as a home-based business. This business requires virtually no overhead and almost no start-up costs. The academic tutoring business can truly be started and operated on a shoestring budget.

SOURCES

United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Site accessed on 7 October 2010.

Joyce Gowens. Starting a Tutoring Business. PowerHomeBiz. Site accessed on 2 November 2010.

April Bowles. How to Start a Tutoring Business: Earn Extra Money with a Small Business. Suite101. Site accessed on 2 November 2010.