If you are a talented craftsman, skilled instrumentalist or have a grasp of a particular subject in the academic field there is no better time to start a tutoring business. The popularity and demand for online and offline tutoring businesses has been growing at a fast pace over the years. Also, the easy and affordable access to technology has played a major role in the growing need for tutoring. A tutoring business is a profitable business that can provide income for a lot of people, especially online tutoring. There is a huge market for this type of business. The working class, businessmen and women are always looking for ways to upskill and students; whether in college, high school or primary school, need assistance with their academic studies. The potential of running a successful tutoring business whether online or offline is unlimited. As such, this article is about how you can successfully run a tutoring business in South Africa.
Location & Premises
For a tutoring business, where you will be conducting lessons matters, whether your lessons are online or offline. You need to be close to your target market so that your potential students can easily locate you. There are several possible locations, that you can consider when locating your offices depending on the kind of services you offer. For online tutoring you need a quiet place with a stable internet connection so that you can conduct your lessons with ease. For a tutor that will travel to the students homes, or offices you need to be close to your students’ location so that you do not travel too far. If your students will travel to where you are, you need to be close to where they stay or work so that travelling to you does not become an inconvenience. Ensure that your classrooms or wherever you will conduct lessons is quiet and not crowded. A learning environment should be peaceful with no disturbances or distractions from other people or surrounding businesses.
Equipment A Tutoring Business
A tutoring business does not need complicated tools and equipment. This of course is based on what you will be teaching. On average you will need material such as books, instruments, and stationary for the specific subject that you will be teaching. You may also require a laptop or computer, internet access and may also need a car to enable you to travel. Basically, the equipment you need is determined by what you plan to teach. Ensure that your business plan caters for the type of equipment, tools and other requirements as well as the costs associated with obtaining the equipment and tools for your tutoring business.
Products and Services
The products and services for a tutoring business may include the course content which comprises of the material and lessons you will provide and testing or exam preparations, among other services. Your business plan should clearly outline the type of services you plan to offer, as well as the specific subject you will teach, be it college courses, high school materials, self development courses or a new craft among other things.
Staff & Management
Your staff and how you manage your business is essential. It is important that you hire tutors that are competent and efficient if you are not going to be working alone. If you want to hit the ground running it is better to hire a team of people who have experience in tutoring business. Your staff should be able to accommodate students from different backgrounds. Inexperienced tutors will need extensive training before they can be given teaching duties. Depending on the size of your tutoring business, the actual number of your staff will vary. You can be a one man band at the initial stages and employ other tutors and extra staff as your business grows. Your tutoring business plan should include how you will structure your business and cater for the salaries and day to day expenses of your operations.
Market
There has been an increase in the demand for online learning since most people find it convenient and manageable. The flexibility that comes with studying anytime and anywhere with online lessons allows workers and students to work, and attend to other activities. Also, there are a lot of South African students from disadvantaged backgrounds with socio-economic conditions and inferior schooling who benefit greatly from online learning. There is still a large number of tutors who travel and provide lessons in person but the number has been declining. Also, online tutorials are much cheaper and give students from all backgrounds the opportunity to access competent tutors located across the globe.
Is A Tutoring Business A Good Investment?
There are a lot of online and offline tutors in South Africa with a large market share but there are still a lot of opportunities in the educational sector. Opening a tutoring business can be a lucrative business. Investing in a tutoring busines can be a profitable venture, but this will depend on many factors such as your target market and your products and services. Apart from the advantages of becoming financially independent and becoming your own boss, running a tutoring business can be a rewarding way of uplifting your community. Given that the South African market is one of the leading emerging economies on the African continent there is potential when it comes to the education sector. Tutoring is broad, there are so many courses you can teach from, personal self development to crafts as well as academic coursework. People all over the country are always looking for ways to develop themselves and their skills.
A Tutoring Business Plan
If you want to succeed in your business one thing that can help you stand out and equip you for a profitable tutoring business is developing a business plan. A well-researched, and well thought out business plan will help you in both the short term and long term. There are various risks associated with running a tutoring business like any other venture, so your business plan should clearly state these risks and the different ways you plan to minimise them. Also, you need a comprehensive tutoring business plan before you venture into this type of business so that you can develop your strategy and outline the steps that need to be taken to make your business a success.
