| Tutoring, whether online or face-to-face, can | | | | familiar with your name and face. Inquire |
| be a very lucrative business, assuming you | | | | about their curriculum and the textbooks or |
| have the right number of clients. I recommend | | | | programs that they use. Explain to them that |
| sitting down and determining what your goals | | | | you will be striving to complement what they |
| are, how much you plan to charge, and how | | | | are trying to accomplish in the classroom and |
| many hours a week you plan to tutor. You | | | | that you hope to impact the school's test |
| should also take into consideration time | | | | scores by improving the skills of some of the |
| spent traveling if you choose to meet with | | | | weaker students. 5. Talk to members of the |
| students in person rather than online. Once | | | | PTA. Let them know that you are available and |
| you have an idea of how many clients you can | | | | are enthusiastic about helping members of the |
| comfortably handle, it is time to help them | | | | student body. Word of mouth is one of the |
| find you. The key to this is name recognition | | | | best methods of advertising. One happy parent |
| and building relationships with people. You | | | | will mention your name to parents of other |
| need to get your name out there and help | | | | struggling students and the number of people |
| people realize that you are available and | | | | who know your name and what you do will |
| willing to help their child succeed. Below is | | | | increase exponentially. Showing up at PTA |
| a list of advertising suggestions that have | | | | meetings will help these parents put a name |
| been compiled by successful tutors. 1. Print | | | | to a face and ask you questions directly. 6. |
| Business Cards - This is a MUST. Make sure | | | | Get involved in school activities. Volunteer |
| that in addition to your name, email address, | | | | to read in the classroom, work in the library |
| and telephone number, you indicate the | | | | an hour or two a week, help out in the |
| subjects that you are willing to tutor. Leave | | | | classroom, show up at school functions such |
| them in locations where parents and teachers | | | | as Back to School Night, etc. The more a |
| will easily find them. For instance, many | | | | school staff member gets to know and trust |
| people ask permission to leave a pile of | | | | you, the more likely they are to recommend |
| cards at the local library, with school | | | | you to one of their parents. 7. Try to get |
| administrators or guidance counselors, at the | | | | your name/email address on the school's |
| local gym or YMCA, even on a bulletin board | | | | website. It would be helpful to get a link |
| at the grocery store. Think about where | | | | from the school's website to your webpage or |
| parents spend a lot of time and inquire about | | | | email. This will probably only happen after |
| leaving some cards there. You can even | | | | you have built up a reputation with parents |
| include a discount code to encourage people | | | | and teachers at the school. Be patient but |
| to pass them around for you. If a new client | | | | diligent. 8. Try to get employed by the |
| gives you the code when they sign up with | | | | school system as a "homebound" tutor. You |
| you, they AND the person they got the card | | | | will get paid by the school system to tutor |
| from can get some sort of discount. 2. Get an | | | | their students that are unable to attend |
| email address that is easy to remember and | | | | school for one reason or another. This will |
| indicates that you tutor. Ex. Make sure that | | | | get your name and face out there and make |
| this email address is on your business card | | | | school staff members more likely to recommend |
| and any fliers you plan to distribute. 3. | | | | you. 9. Order yard signs and post them near |
| Print fliers and post them in locations where | | | | the school. However, before you do this, look |
| students and parents are likely to visit. | | | | into local laws regarding posting signs. Some |
| Great ideas are libraries, pizza restaurants, | | | | areas have specific rules about posting them |
| community centers, and gyms. Consider places | | | | while other areas outlaw them completely. 10. |
| where parents wait for children to practice - | | | | Get familiar with dates for progress reports |
| gymnastic and tennis centers, etc. Also, | | | | and report card distribution, Back to School |
| visit teacher stores and ask if you can leave | | | | night, Parent-Teacher conferences, and step |
| your business cards on their counter or post | | | | up your advertising efforts around these |
| a flier on their window/bulletin board. I | | | | times. Notice that advertisements techniques |
| know a tutor who went to Staples on their | | | | such as the yellow pages, the classified |
| annual Back-to-School day and introduced | | | | section of a newspaper, or even internet ads |
| themselves and handed out fliers and business | | | | were not mentioned. This is because they are |
| cards to each teacher waiting in line to get | | | | often costly and not worth your money or |
| in! Some were very receptive while others | | | | effort. Try the methods discussed above first |
| were indifferent. Give it a shot! 4. Talk to | | | | and I'm sure you will be satisfied with the |
| people at the local schools - principals, | | | | number of clients you attract. |
| classroom teachers, guidance counselors. | | | | |
| Provide them with copies of your flier and | | | | Free Report! Start your own online tutoring |
| business cards so they can hand them out to | | | | business & earn $25-$75/hour from home. Get |
| struggling students. Visit often so they get | | | | your free report at TutorFi. |