How To Start A Tutoring Business

According to First Tutors, the private tuition market in the UK is estimated to be worth £1 – 2 billion, with 25% of students having received private tuition. And the demand is only heading upwards.

The same report showed  74.3% of tutors reporting higher or the same levels of demand for their tuition services since COVID. This means it’s a great business, you just need to know where to start.

 

How Much Do People Pay For Tutors?

 

In the UK, tutors can be paid an average of £20-80 per hour depending on their level of expertise. Tutors who are qualified teachers are able to charge more, whereas students who are tutoring on the side will be charged out at lower rates.

Generally, tutoring agencies take a cut of this fee in exchange for finding clients. Whilst it’s up to you what this split will be, it’s worth noting that tutors will want to be incentivised to work with you, so taking 50% of their pay is unlikely to achieve this.

It’s generally accepted that a 20-80 split is fair, giving the tutor the majority of the fee for doing the work. All you need to do is find the right clients – oh, and set yourself up to deal with the accounts!

 

Registering A Tutoring Business In The UK

 

Before you kick off your tutoring business, you’ll want to make sure it’s officially registered in the UK.

To do this, simply sign up to Companies House, pay the £50 fee and get your company number. Before this, all you need to do is decide on a name and how many directors you want involved in the company.

You’ll also need to make sure you’re registered for VAT, but only once you exceed a turnover of £90,000 in a 12 month period.

Build A Website For Your Tutoring Business

Next, you’ll need a website to draw clients into your tutoring business. The vast majority of parents will search for tutors online, so you need to create an online brand that will appeal to them.

You should include:

Good branding: A logo, font and images that scream academia!

Personality: You’ll want to showcase what tutors you have on your roster, positioning yourself as a company with reliable and good tutors. Quotes, pictures and even customer reviews are a great way to achieve this. The more human you make your website look, the more people are likely to engage with it.

Clear pricing: On your website, parents will likely want to see pricing for tutors. These prices are best displayed as an hourly rate, either next to the tutors themselves or on a page that explains the fee structure.

A call to action: Ultimately, the aim of the website is to find clients. Include clear contact details or even better – a direct booking link for tutors, that will allow clients to book them. The easier this is, the more likely you are to secure the deal.

A good SEO strategy: If your marketing strategy is a website, you’ll need an SEO strategy so people can find you online. Look at videos around how to optimise your website for SEO, targeting words to do with finding top tutors.

 

 

Find Tutors

 

The next thing you’ll need to do is find tutors. The more you have signed up to your platform, the better. You can do this in a number of ways:

Use job boards: Online job boards like Indeed, Reed and more are full of part-time opportunities. List your business on here to attract people who may want to tutor. Whilst there might be a fee to pay in the short-term, this will definitely pay off once you have some clients.

Advertise on social media: Another place to find tutors is social media. Think about advertising on Linkedin or Instagram to draw them into your company. Start by selling the benefits of joining (including a good commission split and regular customers) and give them the details to get in contact with you and sign up.

Approach people independently: One of the best places to find tutors, especially in the early stages, is your network! Start by asking friends, family and work colleagues if they know anyone that might want to sign up. You’ll be surprised just how powerful word of mouth can be!

 

Find Clients

 

Once you have your website, company and tutors signed up – it’s time to find some clients.

Think about spreading the word via:

Local advertising: Use flyers, posters and community boards to shout about your business.

Referrals: Tell friends and family to spread the word, incentivising them with a fee.

Social media: Post on your own channels, as well as business channels to get the word out far and wide.

Speak to schools: Schools will be full of students that need a bit of extra help, work with them to give their students special rates or partner with them to send students to you.

 

Invest In The Right Tech

 

To run a tutoring business, you’ll also want to invest in the right software. Some of the things you will need are:

Schedule and booking software: When your clients want to book tutors, you’ll need the right software to help them book the time in directly. This will allow them to see what times are free and mean they can book directly without needing to go through you. This software will be very important in helping tutors manage their time.

Accounting software: As you’ll be sharing invoices, having an accounting software set up will help you keep track of payments and make your life easier when you have to do tax returns.

Payment processing software: Of course, you not only need to raise invoices, but you also need to give clients a way to pay. Investing in the right payment processing will allow you to accept payments with ease.

A CRM: Any business that deals with lots of customers needs a CRM. This helps you keep track of what they’ve bought before and reminds you to follow up if any deals are left unsettled. This can help convert leads, without you having to keep track of everything in your head.

 

Starting A Tutoring Business

 

Starting a tutoring business can be an amazing opportunity for any entrepreneur.

With the right branding, marketing tactics and tools, you’ll be helping people learn more easily in no time!