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How to Start a Home-Based Tutoring Business

Students and their parents often rely on tutors to explain and reinforce subject matter that may be difficult to understand. Tutors also provide coaching in specialty areas such as math, science, special education, foreign languages and standardized test preparation. Tutors generally have college degrees, professional experience working with students and teacher certifications. You can start a home-based tutoring business with low start-up capital and work with clients in your home, in their homes and online.

Instructions

    • 1

      Apply for the necessary permits and a relevant business license. Begin by reading your area's zoning laws on your local government's website. Some, but not all, jurisdictions may prohibit businesses from operating in residential areas, but will usually make exceptions for small, home-based businesses, according the Small Business Administration. Apply for the permits and business licenses you need to operate your tutoring business legally, which vary by jurisdiction. You can also apply for a tax identification number on the IRS website to open business banking and credit accounts.

    • 2

      Join a tutoring professional association. Tutoring professional associations place members' names and credentials in directories accessible by potential clients. You can also earn a tutoring certification through such organizations, which lends credibility to your business and lets parents and students know that you have the training to provide tutoring services on a one-on-one basis. Professional organizations such as the National Tutoring Association and the International Tutoring Association provide training and certify members for around $50, as of July 2011.

    • 3

      Design your home-based tutoring work space. Organize a space free of clutter and away from noisy distractions if you plan on tutoring students in your home. Place tables and comfortable chairs in the room, use a minimum amount of decorations and install ample lighting. If you plan to tutor students in their homes or online, you can set up your home office to suit your needs. Include a telephone and computer with communication capabilities such as email, instant messaging and online telephone software to facilitate communication between you and your clients.

    • 4

      Launch a marketing website for your business. You can set up a one-page website using a blogging platform and purchase a custom domain name for as little as $10, as of July 2011. Include on the website information about your areas of expertise, your certifications, client feedback, your teaching or tutoring philosophy, excerpts from letters of recommendation and your contact information.

    • 5

      Print business cards and brochures that include your business name and contact information, using desktop publishing or word processing software. Hand these out to parents and other education professionals.

    • 6

      Market your business to potential clients. Place ads where parents and students look for tutors. Such places could include, but are not limited to, free online classified ads pages and the classified section of your local newspapers. You can also market your tutoring business by participating in education-related discussions on social networking websites and discussion forums. Author Rich Mintzer recommends contacting guidance counselors to introduce them to your service.

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