Help - Starting a tutoring business?

Copeland

Hi all, I`m a teacher looking to start an educational service in my area. I`d like it to encompass tutoring, SAT prep, as well as college advising, selecting a major, and career services - be the type of place that a child enters with his parents for math help and can still go to for help up to and after college graduation.I have plenty of ideas for this, but was wondering what all of you good people might like to share/suggest/comment as well, as this would be my first business.

ObsidianLaunch

I have found often that less is more.

oleg

Coincidentally, McDonalds corporation used to own the Chipotle chain.
(sorry for hijacking the thread, now back to the regularly scheduled programming  )

Copeland

Hmm, sounds good.The "not over extending yourself thing"I think I saw this as more something that offered services to people over a long time. So possibly we culd start with tutoring of children. If they want to stick around, we could provide the extra services to them, as the family would`ve been customers for year by the time the child reaches college. But only take (and focus most efforts around) new students who are grade school age. Something like that.I also want to make sure that people don`t mistake me for just another Sylvan. Though, there isn`t a Sylvan in my area.

DwayneGarrett

Hi Copeland,
First thing you want to do is get your concept refined so that you have a clearer picture of what it is you are setting out to do.
From your first post, it appears you really enjoy teaching.  So before you jump the gun, start out by answering these few questions honestly.
1. What is unique, special, or different about your tutoring service?
2.  How does your tutoring services compare with similar services in your area?
3. Why would someone wanted to be tutored by you?
4. What need does your service fill?
5. How much is it going to cost you to set up the learning environment that would be suitable for your customers and you? (i.e. startup expenses, fixed expenses, variable expenses)
After answering these few questions you should have a more clearer picture in your mind of what it is that you are undertaking, and roughly at what cost.
To your success,
Dwayne Garrett [Champion Business Consultant]
email-dwaynegarrett@payoffplanning.com</A>

Copeland

Hey Dwayne The list of questions is really great! I thought about this before but not in such detail. I will take the time carefully answer each of the questions.Thanks, this will help a lot!



Hi Copeland,
First thing you want to do is get your concept refined so that you have a clearer picture of what it is you are setting out to do.
From your first post, it appears you really enjoy teaching.  So before you jump the gun, start out by answering these few questions honestly.
1. What is unique, special, or different about your tutoring service?
2.  How does your tutoring services compare with similar services in your area?
3. Why would someone wanted to be tutored by you?
4. What need does your service fill?
5. How much is it going to cost you to set up the learning environment that would be suitable for your customers and you? (i.e. startup expenses, fixed expenses, variable expenses)
After answering these few questions you should have a more clearer picture in your mind of what it is that you are undertaking, and roughly at what cost.
To your success,
Dwayne Garrett [Champion Business Consultant]
email-dwaynegarrett@payoffplanning.com

Copeland

Hmm, I`m not sure about that. It`d be risky to bill myself as a teacher when I`m not the one setting lesson plans and assigning homework. And you can always have a long term tutor, just look at people who struggle with math in college. Going to a friend for consistent math tutoring doesn`t qualify that friend as a teacher.Tutoring over the long-term would be called a Teacher. A tutor is an emergency consultant, and by definition, short-term.

Copeland

I`ve started doing that, in terms of music lessons (I teach music and math/science personally) Many parents know me through that. I can always expand though. Thanks!Maybe you can offer 1-hour free tutoring/mentoring sessions every week to your community so that parents can get to know you. You can do the same thing in colleges. If you have competitive rates and excellent teaching qualities, you should do good.

jwatkins

I have three children, one of which needs tutoring. If you pitched your services to me and offered "tutoring" it still would not peak my interest,. Now, tell me that you`ll guarantee at least a "C" in math for my child and I`m yours. If you could guarantee a passing grade "if" my child did everything you asked, you would not have time for all the students you would get.

Copeland

True, part of it is the way its worded - Am I pitching higher grades? college acceptance? learning for the sake of learning? Picking up a math skill that was not gotten when it was taught two years previously? I think the best think may be a case by case agreement about what is the expected result of such servicesI have three children, one of which needs tutoring. If you pitched your services to me and offered "tutoring" it still would not peak my interest,. Now, tell me that you`ll guarantee at least a "C" in math for my child and I`m yours. If you could guarantee a passing grade "if" my child did everything you asked, you would not have time for all the students you would get.

Copeland

Ive seen the ongoing tutor before. Usually more often with private school children, though. I mean, If you find someone who has a college degree in math to help you middle schooler with pre algebra, and does a god job with it, why not use the same person for precalc in high school? The old saying about "if it ain`t broke, dont fix it"Reading, Math, and writing/communication skills usually tend to be the areas that get the most attentionOkay, I`ll buy that---the long-time tutor. I guess I was thinking grade
school, where it would be a bit odd for someone to have an ongoing
tutor from 4th-10th grade.

One area that seems to be growing is in Reading. Not only for kids,
here in the US, but also new immigrants trying to learn English---both
to pass the citizenship test, and to function well in society.

CoveredBridgeCellars

I have done quite a bit of tutoring myself in academic settings and briefly on the side for finance professionals, but I have never thought too much about the business end of things. Your list of prospective "offerings" seems like you have a full service type of model in mind. I think an instructive excercise would be to inventory all other forms of competition in your "area" and position yourself accordingly. The full service model might be difficult to pull off initially, particularly on the college counseling end of things. This business week article I read recently will give you a good look at what the high-end of that market looks like.
. htm?chan=search
 

AlFromMN

HI Copeland,
 
This discussion started almost a year ago so I was wondering about success / failures in your attempt.  I am considering starting up a tutor business as well and am curious about how it is going??
 
AlFromMN