How to Maximize Your Tutoring Business

Private academic tutoring can be a rewarding and lucrative career choice (or a good way to supplement your primary career). The following are some tips to maximize your private business.

Things You'll Need

• Contacts
• Business cards
• Promotional materials
• Sub-contractors

Instructions

1. Solicit referrals. While you can hope that your clients will all automatically refer you to their friends, this may not be the case. Let your current clients know that you are looking for additional business and ask them to refer you to others.

2. Network through schools. While not all schools choose to encourage or endorse private tutors, you may be able to get business through a particular school, either by successfully serving a particular student or by establishing a connection with a teacher or guidance counselor. Find out where your current students attend school and see if you can contact someone from the school to get your name and materials out there.

3. Carry a business card. You never know when you will run into someone in need of your services, so you should always carry a business card (preferably one that is specific to your tutoring business).

4. Capture a niche market. If you are able to offer a specialized service, you may be able to build your business around this niche market. Try to find out what services your competitors provide, and see what you can offer that they can't.

5. Look toward expansion. If you get enough clients, you may need to start sub-contracting work to others. You can usually develop a system where you retain a percentage of the pay for setting up a client with a tutor, which means you can make money on tutoring sessions you aren't even attending.

6. Market aggressively. Particularly if your business expands, you should be marketing your company aggressively. If you don't have the time or knowledge to develop professional marketing materials and a web presence, hire others to do this work for you.