Guest Post

Online Tutoring Guide – How to Start a Tutor Business

Did you know that from the year 2000, the virtual learning global industry has grown by 900% and also, it is predicted that this industry will triple in its size from 2020 to 2025. And the pandemic of 2020 has given an incredible boost to accelerate the growth of this market. And if you are one of the aspirants to become an online tutor, there is no other better time than the current one.

Market for the education sector will never go out of focus. It is one of our basic necessities of every human being. And this is one industry which is under constant revolution. Every minute there is one or the other invention or discovery. And given that this is the age that thrives on technology, we need to be up to date and try and evolve with it. And with the help of technology, education can be made reachable to a greater audience and economical too. Hence the demand for e-learning has increased drastically in the past few years.

If you also want to get into this business and be an online tutor, here is how you can prepare yourself. Teaching face-to-face is way different than teaching online. Not everyone is comfortable to talk in front of the camera. However intimidating it might seem at first, conscious practice is the only way to get comfortable with this kind of format.

These below points will help you get acquainted with teaching virtually.

  • You need to remind yourself that you are the teacher always and you are the subject matter expert. I.e. you are in charge of the sessions
  • Keep all your equipment’s, location settings, material ready before you record your session or are going live
  • Always write a script and if need be rehearse until u feel comfortable enough
  • You can always opt to pre-record your classes and then edit and upload it. Hence, when you are finally comfortable you can take your classes live

Once you are prepared, you can then decide how to start a tutoring business. Here are the ways through which you can launch yourself. Always take one step at a time. Since you are new to this field it is always better to start from the basics.

Try them out, gain experience and then go out on your own and make it big!

1). Through YouTube:

Since you are taking your first step into this industry, it is always good to gain some experience before you start on your own. And there cannot be any other platform more apt to launch yourself as an online tutor. Start your own channel. Be regular and upload more and more relevant videos and follow a schedule. Given there are millions of videos getting uploaded every minute you will have to be ready to provide free information in order to gain more views and capture the attention of the right audience? Once you get their attention you can then start a subscription channel and start getting good ROIs.

In order to increase your chances of appearing on the search results of your potential customers and help you gain greater visibility and high SERP (Search Engine Result Page) ranking you can focus on optimizing your videos.

For this you have to-

  • Use SEO optimized video title
  • Draft a keyword-rich description
  • Make your thumbnail attractive

2). Via an already established online platform:

This is one way through which you can gain hands-on experience on how to operate through an eLearning platform. Given the platform you would have chosen to launch your online course is already established, it is going to have a customer base of its own. However, the customers that are directed to this website will be looking for videos such as yours, unlike on wider platforms like YouTube. But in order to take a confirmed decision you will have to know both the sides of the coin you will be going to flip.

Below are the advantages and disadvantages of you choosing an existing online tutoring platform.

Advantages:

  • A readymade customer base
  • Security
  • Data copyright
  • Tech support
  • Financial and time efficiency

Disadvantages:

  • Multiple rules to follow
  • A cut in the profit percentage
  • Restricted customer data
  • No flexibility

3). By developing your own tutoring business:

This should be your last and the riskiest step that you will be taking. It is not easy to plan and execute a whole business on your own. Developing your own online tutoring software and running an entire business is not everyone’s piece of pie. Hence, you will need precise planning and a clear cut execution in order to achieve your goal. Here are a few pointers which you need to follow before you make your final step.

  • Know your target audience: Knowing the right audience helps you in determining the right content for your online tutorials
  • Draft your business plan: A business plan is a holy rule book by which you will have a clear cut idea on what to do and when to do them. Without a plan put down in black and white it is very difficult to estimate the risks and loop in the investors or even get the required approvals and licenses
  • Choose your revenue model: Revenue mode is what will help you earn your profits. There are many models to choose from –
    • Membership or Subscription fee model
    • A freemium model
    • Fee for one-on-one classes
    • Separate charges for certification and course materials
  • Cumulate your course materials: research the current market trends. Look out for topics and subjects that are gaining popularity and also compare it with your subject matter of expertise. Draw a balance between what you are good at and what is good for your business and start working to procure the study materials for the same.
  • Develop an online tutoring platform: Getting the right online tutoring software is the center of an online business. Hence while building your platform you needs to be very careful as to how you want to build it and what all features you are looking to incorporate. Depending on the time and monitory boundaries you might have you can either choose to build your platform by
    • Building it from scratch (by yourself or by hiring a dedicated team)
    • Purchasing a turnkey solution: this is basically a developed platform that you will be buying from a software developer (Pinlearn, Vectera, Tutorpace etc). But the added advantages are –
      • Immediate installation
      • Tech support
      • Customizable to fit your business plan
      • Onetime payment and comparatively low cost
      • You will own the source code
    • Promote and market yourself: Without this step you are as good as having no virtual platform of your own. This step pays a pivotal role in setting your global footprint and making you visible to the world. There are many tried and tested methods that will help you to gain the right attention you require succeeding in this business.
      • Social Media Marketing
      • Content Marketing
      • Influencer Marketing
      • Digital Media Marketing
      • SEO Optimization

These are the general ways in which you can become an online tutor and get your business up and thriving. You are most welcome to devise your own method as well. You need not always go by these regular methods. What will suit one business need not have to suit all. So, make your own concoction, test what works for you and get going.

And if you need we are always here to help you with any kind of technical query. Do drop us a message and we will immediately get back to you.