Growing a tutoring business: 5 Key tips from an expert

Due to the pandemic, online education grew in popularity and accessibility. Even post-pandemic, online education has seen greater adoption. According to Statista, revenue from online learning platforms is expected to reach $56.69 billion in 2022. People of all ages use the internet to further their education and professional development, from pre-schoolers to retirees.

Despite the high demand for tutoring services, many educators struggle to expand their tutoring business. This begs the question of how teachers can expand their tutoring businesses and achieve great success.

Workee experts had a nice conversation with Molly Wheatley, educational coach, teacher business expert, and founder of the Tutorpreneur Method™, where she combines tutoring with TPT.

Molly is a business expert for educators in the United States. She has taught countless students and is now on a mission to help educators start their own tutoring side hustle so they can earn an extra $1,000 a month using skills they already have (without giving up their day job). 

Aside from being a business expert, Molly wears many other hats. She is a fifth-grade teacher, wife, dog mom, coffee nut, and Peloton lover.

 So, how does she combine all these roles and run a successful tutoring business? Join us as Molly shares some pearls of wisdom on the subject.

What is your tutoring philosophy? 

As a classroom teacher, my philosophy is loving and firm. My students know I care for them, but they also know I have strict boundaries so our classroom can run smoothly. I believe all students have the ability to learn, and it's my job as a teacher to make our classroom a safe space for that to happen.

Tip 1: Be loving but firm, Set boundaries, and create a learning environment where students can feel safe to be themselves.

What methods do you use to keep students or clients engaged during a lesson? 

I work with elementary students and keep them engaged by keeping tutoring sessions 30 minutes long. We always start with a conversation to warm up and get to know each other better. We then do a word work activity followed by reading. If the students have worked hard and there's time left at the end of the lesson, we play a short game.

Tip 2: Begin with an easy conversation to warm up the class. Reward hard work as often as possible.

How can you grow a tutoring business?

Growing your tutoring business is all about learning how to scale your offers. I recommend tutoring a pod to earn more money per hour, teaching classes online, and starting your Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Tip 3: Focus on your niche, create product lines, use tutoring clients' pain points and find solutions that make tutoring easier for you and them, provide an easy means for people to reach you, and promote your business through different channels (blogs, your website, Youtube e.t.c).

How do you measure a student's progress?

If you're a classroom teacher like me, you likely have many amazing methods for tracking student progress. Find your unique tutoring method, so you have a system and a process for tracking. This greatly helps when you're also promoting your business so you can show you give proven results.

Tip 4: Find your unique tutoring method so you have a system and a process for tracking progress. 

What advice would you give to classroom teachers looking to start an online tutoring business?

Find your niche. Identify problems that your tutoring business solves. Find your ideal clients. Figure out your unique tutoring method. If you're just starting, test your teaching with students you already know (offer free classes).

Tip 5: Teach what you are passionate about, be a problem solver, narrow your age range, and hone your tutoring style- something that is unique to just you.

Thank you, Molly, for being with us and for supporting Workee!

Find more interesting tips on Molly's Youtube.

Learn more about Molly at https://molly-wheatley.mykajabi.com/zero-to-cha-ching-challenge.