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The increasing adoption of digital technologies in the COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant growth in the online education sector. According to the report by Allied Market Research, the global e-learning market size was valued at $197.00 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $840.11 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 17.5% from 2021 to 2030.
E-learning can increase educators’ productivity by 50% by utilizing online learning software to provide quality courses anytime and anywhere. If you want to start an online tutoring business and aren’t sure how to start, this article may provide you with step-by-step guidance according to your needs.
Prerequisites for online tutoring
Figuring out the tutors in demand
Starting as an online tutor under an established service
Starting your own business
Promoting your business
To work as a tutor, one must meet some specific requirements. In general, you should be professional teachers and subject-area experts, thus you should have earned at least a high school diploma and sometimes tutoring certifications.
Tutors who want to work individually do not generally require further training beyond the high school level education. However, if you want to work in a school or an institution, you usually have to pursue formal education training, such as a teacher’s aide certificate or a teacher preparation associate degree, as well as other specific training programs.
Certifications are not required for tutors, but they can improve one’s chance of landing a high-paying job or charging a better rate for classes. It is worth noting that tutor certifications are supplied by different organizations in different countries.
Generally, you need to find a place in your home or studio to conduct online tutoring. The “classroom” should meet some basic requirements: away from ambient noise, sufficient light, as well as a clean background for teaching.
You should also make sure that you are equipped with adequate hardware to support online tutoring. A stable network connection and a computer that meets the basic configuration requirements are essential. You should also have a webcam and a microphone – remember to adjust and test in advance to make sure the devices are working properly. Sometimes, you may need a tablet or digital drawing pad to make full use of the virtual whiteboard. Some software also supports mobile devices, you can refer to this manual for equipment requirements.
Picking an online education software for online tutoring is an important yet overwhelming decision. A suitable platform enables efficient and productive teaching and effective learning outcomes. More importantly, the right platform helps achieve better delivery of your prepared course materials. Many online tutoring services may have designated virtual classroom software, but if you are looking for one, you can refer to Best Virtual Classroom Software of 2021-2022.
an online class using ClassIn
Start by making a list of the courses you can teach. For example, if you can teach any English topics to anyone, list the courses you can teach, and to whom. The following are some angles to determine the niches.
By level
English for kids
English for middle school
English for adults
By module
English listening
English reading
English writing
By certification
IELTS
TOFEL
GMAT
You got a general idea of the subjects you can teach and the target student, now let’s do some research to find some more specific keywords.
You can type “English tutor for” on Google or on other search engines and to look through the autocomplete suggestions. These may give you some inspiration, now you know what other people are looking for. You can even cycle through the alphabet to see what comes up, How To Start An Online Tutoring Business In 5 Simple Steps provides a very detailed tutorial, so we won’t elaborate on it here.
If you are new to this business, you probably don’t have a large enough base of students to begin with. Therefore, registering with an established online tutoring service may be the fastest way to enter the market. The platform can connect tutors with potential learners, which saves you the energy from building a client base from scratch. If you are looking to jump-start an online tutoring career, the article 12 Best Online Tutoring Websites for Online Tutoring Jobs at Home may help. To register, you need to submit your personal resume, copies of your credentials and certifications, and sometimes a profile picture and a copy of your ID card.
After filling out relevant forms and submitting all the materials, the platform’s verification group will check the authenticity of the information, some may even do a background check or an interview. Once you pass the verification step, your profile will be made public on the website.
Once you are verified as an official tutor, you should get ready to conduct live classes to your students according to the platform’s guidelines. If you have any questions about the features of the software, most tutoring companies would have a technical group to support you. It is also advisable for tutors, especially those who handle subjects like math and science, to get familiar with the whiteboard function, which helps illustrate course content and further student understanding.
a ClassIn virtual classroom
There is another way to start an online tutoring business – to launch your own online tutoring platform. In this case, you are the owner of the business, and you do not need to turn in a percentage of your earnings. You may choose to set up your own online tutoring platform if you have a small and growing client base.
A good plan makes a good business. Before getting started, you need to have a clear vision of how your platform will be organized as well as how it will operate and make profits. An insight into the business model and key features is important, you can find information online and write your own business plan. Your local chamber of commerce and government economic development agencies may also provide support and resources.
A business plan generally includes a summary, company description, market overview, sales & marketing strategy, operating plan, finances, etc. Since you are just getting started, your business plan does not need to be too specific and detailed. The most important aspects are goals, strategy and initial funds.
You have to register your business to make it a distinct legal entity. The process of business registration varies depending on the type of operation, how big it is, and the region you live in. Therefore, the first step is to decide on a business structure (tutors who decide to operate as sole proprietorship or partnership may not have to register their business), you should also consider the Trademark or Entity Name for your business, and register with different departments and agencies before you get the licenses and permits. For more detailed information, you may refer to the article How to Register a Business.
It is important for an online tutoring business to have a strong online presence, and a professional and well-designed website adds credibility to your business and facilitates publicity. You can hire a web designer to develop your website, purchase a ready-made platform, or create a website on your own.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to code and design as there are many user-friendly and cost-effective website builder tools to help you set up a site in a couple of days.
There are many channels to market and promote a business. Firstly, you can set up business accounts on social media that the clients are most likely to use (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc.), and you should encourage comments on the social media page, so parents and students can review and leave testimonials.
It is also recommended to make the most of top review sites. Adding a page on Google My Business or Yelp encourages more clients to leave reviews, and it also helps direct new potential clients to the business. Here are also some other popular review sites for you to choose from.
With more time and funds, Google ads, email marketing, newsletters, and blogging are also effective marketing methods for greater exposure and retention.
How To Start An Online Tutoring Business: Prerequisites & 8 Steps To Success
12 Best Online Tutoring Websites For Online Tutoring Jobs At Home
How to Build an Online Tutoring Website Platform – Business Model and Key Features
Top 10 Review Websites to Get More Customer Reviews On (2021)
How to create EDB files Tips for an Effective One-to-one Online Lesson with EDB Files ClassIn Teacher Manual: An Ultimate Guide to ClassIn Online Learning: What Have We Learned in the Past School Year
*ClassIn is a leading edtech company that provides a one-stop solution for digital learning.
ClassIn software enables interactive classrooms, in-school social app, lesson scheduling, homework management, and school management dashboard, which start free and scale up to meet our customers’ needs at any stage of teaching. Today, thousands of schools and institutions around the world benefit from ClassIn’s powerful and easy-to-use tools to teach online and offline.
