Why home tutor jobs?
I find that many teachers are looking for home tutor jobs online, in which case I always refer them to starting their own home tutoring business. Starting a home tutoring business is not only a smart idea for teachers, but a lucrative one. You’ve probably Googled “teacher side-hustles” or “part time jobs for teachers” more times than you’d like to admit. (I know I have!) The whole time, tutoring from home was sitting right in front of you.
Tutoring is the best teacher business because it allows you to use skills you already have as a teacher while making extra money right away. (You don’t have to wait for that monthly paycheck anymore!) In this blog post, we’re going to take a deep dive into how to tutor from home so you can make the money you deserve in less time. You’ll also learn how to figure out your tutoring niche, what to charge, how to grow your business and so much more!
This blog was written by guest writer Molly Wheatley who specializes in helping teachers create their own tutoring business.
Two types of home tutor jobs:
There are two types of home tutor jobs that teachers may pursue to specialize in; in home tutor jobs or virtual home tutor jobs.
1. In-home tutor jobs
This is the standard type of the client in their home to tutor their student at set times throughout the day.
2. Virtual home tutor jobs
As we head into our almost second year of a totally changed world, teachers learned the power of technology and how to work from home. Parents delighted in hiring tutors on Zoom because it kept their child safe and learning. Tutoring from home is as simple as having a computer with a camera, a Zoom account and a passion for teaching. The tutors I’ve coached over the past year have ranged in age from 22 to 65 and newly retired from teaching.
All ages felt comfortable with teaching online and tutoring online from home was the natural progression. The caveat? Tutoring from home means working 1-1 or with a small group instead of a full class. It also means you get to go deeper into the subjects that matter and see results much quicker. That’s the magic of a tutoring business.
Online tutoring isn’t the only way you can tutor from home. You can also tutor from a small home office or classroom. Of course there’s a few things that go into that like insurance (all things I teach in the Tutorpreneur Academy®). Working from home has its perks. There’s no driving time which means you can fit more clients in your window of tutoring time. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Who’s qualified to tutor from home?
Many teachers may wonder if they need to learn new skills in order to be qualified to become a home tutor. If you hold formal teaching experience then you’re absolutely qualified to tutor. I believe that those without formal teaching experience still have the capability to tutor, but will need to develop more skills.
But teachers spend countless hours doing the same thing in the classroom, so why not make it a side-hustle that generates more freedom than they ever knew was possible? When I was a guest on The Teacher Career Podcast, Daphne and I talked about who would like to tutor.
It’s true that if you’re completely burned out from teaching, starting a tutoring business isn’t going to be the best option. If you are looking for other careers that have nothing to do with working with children, I recommend going to this page of jobs that hire teachers instead.
All teachers have a four year college degree and I would argue that most teachers have a masters degree. This makes you a highly qualified teacher and qualified to tutor. Parents love working with teachers or former teachers as tutors because they like, know and trust that you will get the job done. Hiring a high schooler is risky but hiring a seasoned teacher carries almost no risk (especially if you were their child’s teacher!).
What should I teach?
If you’re new to the whole business world, you’re going to start hearing the word niche a lot. I truly believe that “riches are in the niches.” Your home tutoring business is no different and should have a defined tutoring niche. Set a timer for 10 minutes and eliminate all distractions.
Make a list of everything you love to teach. Once the timer goes off, look at your list and circle the main things the list has in common. For example, if you wrote: math facts, algebra, word problems, then you likely tutoring math is your niche.
There’s always a demand for helping students with math and the more you niche down in your tutoring business, the easier it will be for you to get clients. Some of the tutors I’ve worked with felt like they had to offer every subject at first just to get clients. While working together, they realized the more niched down they were, the more desirable their services are! Parents have a specific problem and a tutor that offers a specific solution wins every time. Get clear on what problem you solve and how you solve it and you’ll be flush with clients.
What should I charge for home tutor jobs I complete?
What to charge for your tutoring services is going to vary depending on where you live, your qualifications and the length of a session.
A good place to start is with backward design. Think about the dollar amount you want to make on a monthly basis. If you’re still teaching full-time, $1,000/month is a great place to start because it’s a manageable amount of time to earn that figure. If you’re out of the classroom and want to replace your full-time teaching income, increase the amount to that number. Take the monthly income figure you wish to earn and divide that by the hourly rate you are charging. A good place to start for a highly qualified teacher is $1.00 per minute. Once you do the math, you’ll find you only have to tutor a handful of students for a few hours a week to reach the $1,000/month mark.
Don’t second guess yourself! Charging what you are worth and standing by that number is going to build your confidence into the Tutorpreneur you are. Pick a rate and stick with it. If someone says, “That’s too high!” Right off that bat, they aren’t your ideal client. Focus on getting your dream clients who value your time.
Should I find home tutor jobs from an online tutoring company?
This is such a great question. I have nothing against working for an online tutoring company. However, ask yourself this: do you want to make more money in less time and be your own boss OR have a high percentage of your pay taken and be at the mercy of someone else?
If you’re reading this blog post, then likely you want to work for yourself. Teachers make the best business owners because we run a business every day: OUR CLASSROOMS! When you really start to break down all the things you do on a daily basis as a classroom teacher, you’ll start to see so many parallels of becoming the CEO of your own tutoring business. How empowering is that?
Don’t doubt yourself and just start! A year from now you’ll look back and wish you had started sooner.
How do I create my own home tutoring business?
You have all the tools you need to get started: you’re a teacher, you have a computer, and you’ve selected your tutoring niche. Now you need to find clients. My advice to anyone starting out is to work with people you know! Former students make the best tutoring clients because they like, know, and trust you and their parents love you! Send an email to 10 former student’s parents using this template:
Hi Mr. / Ms. Smith,
I hope you are doing well during this crazy time. Tim is in 4th grade now, right? How is school going? I wanted to let you know that i’ve started a tutoring business. I’m available after school on weeknights and i specialize in reading and writing. If you are interested in some extra help or enrichment for tim, i’d love to help you guys out. If not, would you mind sharing my name with anyone who is interested in tutoring? I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you!
Of course you’ll want to edit names and personalize the email so the parent knows you remember specific details about their child. This template is tried and true and works! Don’t be afraid of sounding “salesy.” Remember, parents have a specific problem and you have the solution!
And even if they don’t take you up on it right away, you are planting the seed for them to come back to you if and when they need tutoring. The best thing is, you’re also asking them to share your information with other parents. Truthfully, word of mouth marketing is free and the best type of marketing for your tutoring business.
Parents talk all the time at soccer games, school events, Facebook, etc., and if they know you have a tutoring business, you’re going to get more clients through their referrals than you ever would with expensive ads on social media.
If you’re not comfortable asking former students, I suggest starting with neighbors you know or even family members like nieces and nephews. A few good testimonials of the amazing work you’re doing will set you apart from the competition.
Do I need to advertise home tutor jobs or buy Facebook ads?
I would never discourage you from wanting to advertise for your tutoring business. Honestly, I will say that Facebook ads can be tricky to figure out and often have zero return when not done properly. Word of mouth marketing is the best way to get new clients without spending a dime on advertising. Using the template I provided above, you’ll be shocked how quickly the requests for tutoring start rolling in. My students usually find they have to start a waitlist because they quickly become maxed out on time. This press for time usually leads them to start tutoring a pod and help more kids in less time!
With so many teacher business ideas out there, don’t overwhelm yourself! Tutoring is the perfect marriage of skills you already have with making money right away. What would it mean for your family to finally pay off those student loans or take the vacation you’ve been dreaming of? Tutoring puts money in your pocket right away and gives you back the teacher spark you knew you always had!
Just start! You won’t regret it! The Tutorpreneur Academy® is waiting for you to be our next success story! Use coupon code TCC to save 10% off your enrollment fees.
Next steps to a new career
One of the biggest mistakes that we see teachers make is that they try to navigate this process alone. Often, they put off “researching” until the very last minute. Which sets them up for a very stressful application season. I want to help you get some clarity in the options available to you. To know EXACTLY what you need to do (and not do) in order to get your foot in the door.
You don’t have to do this on your own.
With the help of an HR expert with over 10 years of experience and a team of former teachers, I’ve created a guide to support you in the early stages of your transition out of the classroom. Tap the button below to learn more.
