How to Start A Home-Based Tutoring Business in 2023

Do you get a lot of free time during the day and often feel like you should be putting it to some good use? Are your afternoons spent watching reruns of shows for the nth time?

If this sounds like you, here’s something that can save you the boredom and let you make money while doing something you enjoy. What’s that? Home-based tutoring.

“But I don’t have any certifications..”

Guess what – you don’t need any. All you need is subject-matter knowledge, passion for teaching, and the ability to market your services.

The global online tutoring market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% during the period 2019-2023, posing ample opportunity for those looking to get into home-based teaching.

Whether it’s primary school students whose parents are too busy to tutor them or a high-school student preparing for an entrance examination – everyone is on the lookout for a tutor.

So, if you are a stay-at-home mom or a recent college grad who is still figuring out the next step, starting a home-based tutoring business might be perfect for you.

In this article, we will tell you how you can start a tutoring business from home.

Identify your Expertise

If there’s one thing you need to be extremely sure about, it’s your strengths and area of expertise because that will determine the subject/s you will be teaching.

Start with a brainstorming session – What subjects do you have a degree in? What are your qualifications? Have you given any college entrance exams? What subjects are you comfortable teaching? How equipped are you to teach those subjects?

You need to have a comprehensive understanding of the subject to teach it. While certifications are not a must-have, it’s always a good idea to get certified as it adds credibility to your business. National Tutoring Association or American Tutoring Association have tutor certification programs that you can explore.

Build a Plan

Now that you have picked the subject you want to teach, let’s get down to business. Every business needs to have a solid business plan which sets the foundation.

Here are the key factors you should consider while developing your business plan:

• Who is your audience?

You might decide to teach English, but you need to be specific about your target audience’s demographics. For instance, teaching English to a non-native speaker struggling with the language is very different from teaching it to someone preparing for a standardized test such as the SAT.

So, be sure about the kind of students you want to reach out to depending on your subject knowledge and teaching comfort.

• How do you plan to sell your tutoring services?

There are 2 options you have – go solo and create your own tutoring platform or sign up with an existing platform to sell your services.

If you plan to work independently, you will have to build your tutoring website from scratch. Sounds like too much work? You can go with the second option and register on tutoring websites such as Udemy, Skillshare, etc.

• What is your course pattern?

Due to the medium, online students are likely to feel detached and lost while taking online courses. Hence, as a tutor, you need to ensure you design engaging courses that capture their attention.

So, plan your course pattern (videos, written material, video conferencing, etc) which will help you decide the amount of time you have to commit and the materials you need.

Set your Price

Deciding your fee is a crucial step, but it does not have to be complicated. Start with doing some market research and understand how much your competitors are charging.

Your fees hugely depends on the education level and subject you are teaching. The more complex the subject, the more you can charge for your services. Another factor to look into is your overhead and operational cost for running the business.

As per Career Trend, online tutors are paid around $12 – $30 per hour on average.

Obtain Necessary Material and Tools

Needless to say, you need to be technologically savvy to succeed as an online tutor. Here are some tools you must get your hands on to kickstart your business:

• Video messaging – Skype, Google Hangouts
• Virtual whiteboard – AwwApp, WizIQ
• File sharing – Dropbox, Google Drive
• Screen recording – Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia

Before starting a session, make sure you are in a quiet space with a strong internet connection and do test your speakers, earphones, and webcam for a smooth-sailing class.

Apart from these tools, you need to gather course material, textbooks, and notes that will help you plan your course.

Market your Tutoring Business

The online tutoring market is a competitive space. You need to rigorously market your services to spread the word and get students to sign up for your course.

Here are some tips for marketing your tutoring business:

• Create an SEO-optimized website which describes your service offering, pricing details, your qualifications, and educative methods
• Create and maintain a blog to build your personal brand and attract readers
• Encourage website visitors to become subscribers so you can engage with them through email marketing
• Create a page on social media channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn to share updates and build your social fan following
• Run ads on Facebook and Google to create awareness and attract traffic
• Reach out to public and private schools and tell them about your tutoring services
• Ask your past and current students to leave a testimonial on your website

Final Thoughts

From creating lesson plans to offering constructive feedback to your students – you need to be committed to this part-time job. Unlike the other work-from-home jobs, being a home-based tutor makes you responsible for someone else’s education and you must approach it with all seriousness. 

Online tutoring is a fun, flexible and fulfilling profession – add profitability to the mix, and it might just be the beginning of a thriving business wherein you can expand into a tutoring agency, hire more teachers and diversify your offering. 

If you want to explore more side hustles such as this, take a look at our Side Hustle Checklist and get a detailed look at the various side hustle opportunities available.

Simki

Simki Dutta is an independent writer who creates marketing content for brands. When she’s not writing, she is probably channeling her inner Marie Kondo.