Starting up a home based tutoring business is hard work. Tutoring is a competitive arena and you'll frequently be up against people with more experience and bigger social networks (tutoring is ALL about social networks). Follow our 5 top tips to ensure success with your home based tutoring business.
- Set your prices low. To start off with you'll need to be very competitive with your pricing. Find out what tutors are charging locally and makes sure you are charging less. You don't have experience to offer and unless you are teaching a niche subject you can only really compete on price to begin with.
- Offer a free first booking. People love freebies! A free first taster booking will let people "try before they buy". So it's zero risk for them, and very important experience for you. Make sure you ask them for feedback at the end of the booking.
- Get professionally designed flyers and business cards. A good looking flyer goes a long way when parents are choosing a tutor for their children. Presenting a professional image will do a lot to build confidence and is also a brilliant branding exercise for you. Making sure each happy client leaves with a few of your business cards for their friends can ramp up your clientele in no time. Many shops, community centers and universities have places for flyers. Do a door drop in your local area with a special offer on it.
- Do deals. People love a deal - Offer 5 bookings for the price of 4, or summer specials, or "Refer a friend, get a free booking". Its a great and quick way to build up your numbers.
- Network network network! Tell your friends to tell their friends about you. Involve yourself in community events where you can hand our your fliers. List yourself on as many tutoring directories as you can. Spread the word via social networking sites like facebook, myspace and linkedin.