So you have this great idea to start an online math tutoring business, but you don’t know where to begin. The process can be overwhelming for your mind and even more confusing if you are already tutoring clients face to face. I know exactly how that feels because I was once walking in those shoes. The most difficult part is knowing where to start, but I can assure you that once you GET STARTED, it immediately becomes less stressful.
Here are 5 tips to the ball rolling for your online math tutoring business! 1. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET GRADE LEVEL This is the most important piece to the puzzle I believe because it’s going to determine how you go about the rest of the process as you build. People need help with mathematics in every grade level from Kindergarten through 12th, and even college students often find themselves struggling to understand mathematics as well. But as a tutor and newly found business owner, you cannot try to target every age group that needs your help. I suggest separating the levels in the following groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and finally college level students. Once you choose a targeted grade level group, it will help with your efforts to advertise and eventually will increase your referrals to gain more business. The other benefit to selecting a specific grade level is that your lessons will be easier to plan for when you are working with clients. As a tutor, you will find yourself using content repeatedly with different clients so having a target grade level will help you be able to organize and find resources speedily. 2. BUSINESS WEBSITE IS A MUST Many people start an online tutoring business because they are an underpaid teacher that is looking to make some extra cash. If that’s you, paying someone to build a website is probably not an option. I know you may be oblivious to building a website, but don’t fret just yet. There are several options for building free websites and many of them are quite user friendly. Here are just a few options for free website hosting: Weebly, Wix, Webstarts, Jimdo, and Webnode. All of the options listed above offer free packages, but I suggest choosing one based on the level of “user friendliness” (I just made up that term) that fits you. These sites also offer packages that you can purchase to open up more options for your site and also keep in mind that you may want to eventually purchase a domain name so that your site can be unique to your business name. 3. CREATE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS Whether you like it or not, you need social media if you want to keep up with the market these days as a business owner. Think about it, why wouldn’t you take advantage of FREE ADVERTISING? Keep in mind that not all social media platforms are created equal and you should decide which ones your ideal clients are using so they add value to your business. Even if you have never used social media before, you can start using it today. There is a long list of social media platforms that people use for business, but here are just a few that I suggest using when you are getting started: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. When setting up your accounts try to keep your user names consistent across all platforms, it will simplify the process of clients finding you as your business grows. I was unaware of this valuable piece of information when I got started so I want to make sure that people after me don’t have the same issue. I also suggest setting up a schedule of when you will be posting content on your social media so that you can build a following. 4. CHOOSE SOFTWARE As an online tutor, one of the most common questions you will get from potential clients is “How does online math tutoring work?”. You will first need to select a platform for your web conferencing. I started with using Google Hangouts, and eventually graduated to Zoom, but there are several other options available. Bitpaper is also a phenomenal platform to use and includes both the video conferencing as well as the whiteboard software. Be sure that you choose a platform that has screen sharing capabilities so that you can have maximum interaction with your clients. A pen tablet will be extremely helpful when you are working on mathematics. However, there are a variety of options that you can utilize to help with writing on the whiteboard software and some are cheaper than purchasing a pen tablet. There’s a variety of them available on Amazon. The Wacom Intuos pen tablet is my weapon of choice but you should choose the best one that fits your budget and “user friendliness” (there’s that word again). Your clients don’t need to have a pen tablet, but you can increase their interaction when they have the ability to write on the whiteboard as well. 5. TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW Now that you have everything set up, you need to tell people about your business. You can’t expect clients to just find your website. You have to promote your services, and the simplest way to start is simply telling everyone you know that you have an online math tutoring business. Make your presence known through your social media as well by sharing content through your multiple accounts. Let’s be real, math is not most people’s favorite subject and there are students all around the world that need help with their math studies. These people have to be able to find you and the service that you provide. Client referrals will eventually be a major part of your client funnel, but in the meantime you have to practice SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for potential clients to find you on the internet. A great resource for help with learning SEO is Jason McDonald’s website. MOTIVATION!!!! Starting a business is not for the weak minded or the weak at heart. Always remember that this will be an ongoing journey with peaks and valleys. I encourage you to surround yourself with a group of like-minded Tutorpreneurs like the group I am connected with through Joanne Kaminski. Joanne has coached me and several other Tutorpreneurs around the world and shown us how to get booked solid. You will find great value in joining the Ultimate Support Group for Online Tutors and immediately begin finding answers to the millions of questions that come to mind while building your business. Don’t take my word for it, just Google “Joanne Kaminski” and you will see the many testimonials from her tutoring clients as well as the members of her online community. I KNOW YOU’RE ASKING “HOW MUCH DO I CHARGE?” I didn’t mention pricing because Joanne Kaminski would be more of an expert on that topic. So go to her website and I guarantee she has the answer to that question! Please check me out on social media: Facebook: Young Gurus Math Tutoring Instagram YG Math Tutoring Youtube: Young Gurus Math Tutoring LinkedIn: Dana Harris
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AuthorRandom thoughts and ideas from a passionate educator and mathematician and the absolute best online math tutor you will find. Archives
May 2018
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