How to start your own tutoring company in 2024 (online + at home)

👇 MORE of how I can help:

✨ S O C I A L S
I give even more tutoring tips and advice on TikTok and Instagram: @imlisatran

✨ A B O U T M E
👋 Hi! A few of you are new here so I thought I'd introduce myself ☺️

I'm Lisa (hehe). I'm in my early 30s, though I'm often told I look like I'm in my young 20s (and I never get sick of hearing this 😂).

I started tutoring English when I was 19, just after high school. Who knew that I'd still be in the tutoring business TWELVE+ years later? *mind blown*

Tutoring was SO incredibly rewarding and fulfilling that I moved into it full-time when I was 24. I fell in love with tutoring so much that I ended up quitting my career as a pharmacist after only 11 months on the job. Skip ahead to 3 months later, I was fully booked out and was already rejecting new students who had been referred to me.

I felt so bad for saying 'no' that I ended up hiring my first tutor. Within 6 months, my team had grown to 5 tutors, and within a couple of years, I had 50+ tutors on my team!

It's been a rollercoaster of a journey. I've been awarded Anthill 30under30, Victorian Younger Achievers Finalist, spoken at TEDx, and been blessed with so much more.

Not going to lie, business is HARD. That's why I want to share my learnings and experiences with you, because I wish I had a tutor mentor who could accelerate my path to success, rather than struggling through all the mistakes I made during my journey. Lisa's Study Guides, my tuition and study guide business has made 1 million+ over the last 2 years, and I've just started my second business, Tutorboss, helping tutoring business owners build and scale their businesses.

✨ N E X T S T E P S

Timestamps:
0:00 How to approach your marketing
03:46 How to approach your pricing
06:12 Why having an ideal student is important for your business growth
09:00 How to conduct tutoring sessions with your 1st few students
10:28 Should you do free trial lessons?

[mindcache]

Nailed it completely: ‘ A fool knows the price of everything and the value of nothing’ Always be expensive because that means quality . Then you attract really good committed clients.

[Pagraduate]

I really appreciate this video because I went through this when I was a private tutor in China. At the time, I moved my day job from teaching in public/private schools to teaching at a prestigious university in Beijing. I felt embarrassed to raise my price but eventually I recalled how many Harvard graduates successfully marketed themselves because they graduated from Harvard. I solved the problem by changing the way that I charged to a subscription. Students paid a fixed cost for a certain number of classes in a month. I allowed for them to miss 1-2 classes but didn’t refund their money if they missed. This meant they were responsible for making sure they were in class because they paid for it regardless. Some of the perks that I was able to give them was bonus classes and group outings where I invited all of my students to go network/engage in fun activities at a park. My tutoring income quickly outpaced my day job. I was able to start turning down students who didn’t have the mindset that would allow me to help them improve. I would strongly suggest that tutors make a subscription package and not charge based upon the hourly rate.

[BenoHumanATL]

I love that question! Most ppl underestimate themselves so they don't charge what they should. I feel like I'm confident enough to charge adequately for my time but I fear it coming of as cocky or arrogant

[manuelnebrera]

Thank you, Lisa. Another encouraging and inspiring video!!! Eres lo más! ;)

[ivyhernandez]

Thanks, Lisa for sharing. You are amazing! I'm considering tutoring as a side hustle (while currently, I'm doing tutoring for my son because I cannot found one in our area). Your insights will really be helpful while I'm preparing for this new venture.

[haneul_ssaem]

Youre really helping me out. I'll watch more of your videos and learn more about tutoring business. Thank you so much for making this such helping videos❤

[Marsha-Boyd]

Youre really helping me out. I'll watch more of your videos and learn more about tutoring business. Thank you so much for making this such helping videos

[mvelotshabalala]

Thanks for the wonderful video! Really informative

[lyndadiamond]

Hi! I am an online arts tutor working through a company. I am looking to become more independent. It’s a journey and there is a lot to learn. Thanks, Lynda

[jacquelinebosibori]

Great insights Lisa, thank you for sharing

[easymathwithmrs.easley]

Thank you so much!! I'm a math tutor and I also make math videos! I definitely want to grow my business and your videos are so helpful!!

[nicolaslospetros]

Very cool video! i also want to add that if you teach minors, when someone pays for them you need a relationship wit sponsor and student both. I think that customer experience is important here too. For me helps have a contract+tutoring summary report each month - i take mine from etsy, from cortadowitch shop.

[andreeascorupschi]

I would take the pricing of an hour based on the experience and the level you are at. At the moment I charge £20 per hour. When I first started, it was £15 for 2 hours. I didn't have experience in this area and I was only 17 when I started (4 years ago). I started small, 1 student for 6 months and then I used to have 4. At the moment altogether I have 7 students throughout the week, and hoping to get 4 more :). This job is great as a part time during university especially. For the free consultation part, the first session is totally free, I give the students a test and get to know them better. It worked. Now I'm trying to keep up with the social media posts as that's what I'm laking at :)). A great video!!!

[larrylarson]

Very impressive bio. For your inquiry about self-limiting beliefs, I know one of mine is about old tapes that I haven’t been able to change, being told I couldn’t run my own business. That being said I am trying to start a business in videography. Recording and editing in 6K.
Meanwhile I have a BA in math and find if you don’t use it, it gets very rusty, and a MA in Transformational Leadership. ADHD is also a challenge through all of this.

I really enjoyed your video and subscribed to your channel. Not sure if it’s something to pursue at this time because being a 7 on the enneagram, I have a lot of irons in the fire and currently feeling overwhelmed. Yet still going to hold this idea in the background.

[hukkuhukku]

Amazing and informative video ..Lisa
Thank you so much..

[Teach]

I have been a teacher for over 25 years with over 5 years as the Reading Specialist in a private school. I do summer and after school tutoring with kids who need the extra help with reading. I am not sure that I could ever make it into a full time business unless I work everyday from 3:30pm to like 7:00 pm and that doesn’t sound fun, or like enough time to make good money.

[D.Legall]

Thanks Lisa. These were really good tips to implement.

[annmujeli]

Thanks for the video, I need to start my own tutoring business but I had no idea what to do

[lorrainey]

Thank you. I am about 4 years away from retirement and do not have much of a pension, so I am starting to think about building a tutoring business.

[andrewdunstan]

Hello Lisa, I really enjoyed your video. I am an online teacher working hard on them working many hours for little pay. I am looking to do something different ware I could gain more financially for my hard work I put in. Starting my own tutoring business is great idea I never realized before. Great video Lisa:)