[PROGRESS THREAD] Building a tutoring system for local examination

[EL_00]

I hope you could give 1/2 feedbacks on my current direction

I'm currently a tutor in English for elementary students. I only have 3 students, but the pay is good enough for my family food and insurance. For the house rent, I'm tutoring at tuition center for math and physic grade 9 and above. The money is tight but it is enough. Mind you that all of this comes from organic FB post that shared on local community group.

As fb post is less and less noticed, no lead comes, and no sales happened. I'm currently hitting my head to create an agency but there is a ton of them and they full of me too. It's hard to strive if I did the same thing as them.

So I have a plan. There is a final examination for grade 9 called ASPD. It is only conducted on my state, and happened on April. I'm planning to nich on aspd math and English only.
My system will be like buy my exam preparation practice questions book, got the book code to enter our WhatsApp group (everyday we could discuss questions together at 8 pm), and each week students could join free 2 hour zoom discuss on the subject matter and discuss the questions.

But the big questions for me what do I sell? The book, the free zoom class every week for 6 months?

I want to try what you write on many post, help others. Get paid. Help more.

So my first step, I'm planning to have free zoom meeting 30mins/day to help students prepare ASPD. I could share this through fb group, my students referral, and I believe I could get 100 students next week.

But how do I get paid after that?

I love teaching but I don't want to rely on it and becomes hate like Mj said.

Thanks to read until this. God bless.

 

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[Stargazer]

Film yourself answering the questions in your practice book.

Therefore anyone buying your book of practice questions (are they past papers as that is what would make logical sense in addition to topics in isolation?) could then log in to your website to see how you answer and talk through your workings

Dan

 

[EL_00]

Film yourself answering the questions in your practice book.

Therefore anyone buying your book of practice questions (are they past papers as that is what would make logical sense in addition to topics in isolation?) could then log in to your website to see how you answer and talk through your workings

Dan

Hi Dan,

I did think about that because there are already many people make YouTube videos about previous exam questions and selling their courses after that.

but I plan to do this after students buy the book and join my wa group and discussing their tough questions. For example more than 10 students say no 53 question is hard, the I will create specific video discussing that. Then next, next, next, like make video on demand. It gives me more time and energy rather than build it for all questions.

And at the end of the week, I will have 2 hour zoom with them review certain topic on the questions they found it hard or based on poll. So it will feel they r being listened and create more engagement in the community.

something like this. What do u think?

laras

 

[EL_00]

Film yourself answering the questions in your practice book.

Therefore anyone buying your book of practice questions (are they past papers as that is what would make logical sense in addition to topics in isolation?) could then log in to your website to see how you answer and talk through your workings

Dan

I will take a note.
1. add previous exam questions on the book

 

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[Stargazer]

Is your book directing them to your whatsapp or are they buying your book after joining your whatsapp?

ie How would someone buying your book know there is a whatsapp group to discuss questions?

Dan

 

[EL_00]

Is your book directing them to your whatsapp or are they buying your book after joining your whatsapp?

ie How would someone buying your book know there is a whatsapp group to discuss questions?

Dan

What I have in my mind now is selling the books through something like Amazon in my country. In the description I could tell about the plus point about wa and zoom that could only be accessed with the book code that will be sending after u buy the book.

Buy book -> send u a code & my number -> invite u to the wa group -> ask the questions & join the zoom

 

[Andy Black]

I hope you could give 1/2 feedbacks on my current direction

I'm currently a tutor in English for elementary students. I only have 3 students, but the pay is good enough for my family food and insurance. For the house rent, I'm tutoring at tuition center for math and physic grade 9 and above. The money is tight but it is enough. Mind you that all of this comes from organic FB post that shared on local community group.

As fb post is less and less noticed, no lead comes, and no sales happened. I'm currently hitting my head to create an agency but there is a ton of them and they full of me too. It's hard to strive if I did the same thing as them.

So I have a plan. There is a final examination for grade 9 called ASPD. It is only conducted on my state, and happened on April. I'm planning to nich on aspd math and English only.
My system will be like buy my exam preparation practice questions book, got the book code to enter our WhatsApp group (everyday we could discuss questions together at 8 pm), and each week students could join free 2 hour zoom discuss on the subject matter and discuss the questions.

But the big questions for me what do I sell? The book, the free zoom class every week for 6 months?

I want to try what you write on many post, help others. Get paid. Help more.

So my first step, I'm planning to have free zoom meeting 30mins/day to help students prepare ASPD. I could share this through fb group, my students referral, and I believe I could get 100 students next week.

But how do I get paid after that?

I love teaching but I don't want to rely on it and becomes hate like Mj said.

Thanks to read until this. God bless.

(I amended your opening post so it's less a message to me. You may want to check/edit it so it reads right.)

There's a couple of other Maths books/courses/tutoring progress threads at the moment. I'd tag their forum handles but I can't remember them. Maybe tag those forum members?

What about giving the first class for free and people pay for subsequent ones?

I worked with business making €1m/year doing weekly Zoom maths classes. Their first class is free, then it's €148/week. They don't have a free community. They get signups from Facebook Ads where they get in front of parents of school kids.

 

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[EL_00]

(I amended your opening post so it's less a message to me. You may want to check/edit it so it reads right.)

There's a couple of other Maths books/courses/tutoring progress threads at the moment. I'd tag their forum handles but I can't remember them. Maybe tag those forum members?

What about giving the first class for free and people pay for subsequent ones?

I worked with business making €1m/year doing weekly Zoom maths classes. Their first class is free, then it's €148/week. They don't have a free community. They get signups from Facebook Ads where they get in front of parents of school kids.

Sure, thanks for that.

It looks like the business model of superprof, brightchamps, and Kodlan in my country. And I did ever freelance for 3 of them and didn't like it

I got it that their aim is to show how they will deliver the material, set the expectation, and do the sales at the end. But I'm bad at doing face2face sales. At that time I am the freelance they ask to deliver the materials and the one who did the sales is another person, so I haven't learn yet how they close it.

Most of them join through referral and fb campaign too, but almost 90% just apply to see and then left. Mind u it is 1-on-1 so I wasted my time so much.

If I plan to do similar things, I might just give free lessons to my previous students and their friends on zoom. E.g 1vs20. But to be honest, it's so hard for me to convert them become sales. It's my problem with words or rather I'm more confident doing it via text

 

[Andy Black]

What's ASPD by the way?

Could the thread be renamed so it's more descriptive?

 

[StrikingViper69]

Sure, thanks for that.

It looks like the business model of superprof, brightchamps, and Kodlan in my country. And I did ever freelance for 3 of them and didn't like it

I got it that their aim is to show how they will deliver the material, set the expectation, and do the sales at the end. But I'm bad at doing face2face sales. At that time I am the freelance they ask to deliver the materials and the one who did the sales is another person, so I haven't learn yet how they close it.

Most of them join through referral and fb campaign too, but almost 90% just apply to see and then left. Mind u it is 1-on-1 so I wasted my time so much.

If I plan to do similar things, I might just give free lessons to my previous students and their friends on zoom. E.g 1vs20. But to be honest, it's so hard for me to convert them become sales. It's my problem with words or rather I'm more confident doing it via text

No-one is born good at face to face sales.

I was teaching guitar locally and started doing ok. The "first lesson free" is a classic sales hook for this type of service business and you're going to struggle to find something better than that.

My "funnel" was:
Advert with offer of free lesson > Phone to book free lesson > Do free lesson and have them write down CC info on a form at end of lesson > I go home and put their info into Stripe, they start lessons

Advert can be flyer in the mail, FB ads, Google search ads etc.

While you may be more confident doing sales by text/email, you will always be less effective than face to face.

It may be awkward at first, but if you start getting leads you can start getting practice at doing it, and you'll improve.

To learn how to close:

• Take a genuine interest in the other person
• Ask questions to clarify what they want to get
• Ask questions to clarify what they struggle with
• Be prepared with basic info on scheduling etc
• Once you know what they need to know, explain how you'll help them
• Make an offer

Don't teach people for free unless it has a specific purpose (e.g. first lesson free to demonstrate competence).

Are you teaching on Zoom, in person, or both?

Are you doing group classes or just 1-2-1?

Is this something that people study all year for, or just for 6 weeks (or whatever) prior to the exam?

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I hope you could give 1/2 feedbacks on my current direction

I'm currently a tutor in English for elementary students. I only have 3 students, but the pay is good enough for my family food and insurance. For the house rent, I'm tutoring at tuition center for math and physic grade 9 and above. The money is tight but it is enough. Mind you that all of this comes from organic FB post that shared on local community group.

As fb post is less and less noticed, no lead comes, and no sales happened. I'm currently hitting my head to create an agency but there is a ton of them and they full of me too. It's hard to strive if I did the same thing as them.

So I have a plan. There is a final examination for grade 9 called ASPD. It is only conducted on my state, and happened on April. I'm planning to nich on aspd math and English only.
My system will be like buy my exam preparation practice questions book, got the book code to enter our WhatsApp group (everyday we could discuss questions together at 8 pm), and each week students could join free 2 hour zoom discuss on the subject matter and discuss the questions.

But the big questions for me what do I sell? The book, the free zoom class every week for 6 months?

I want to try what you write on many post, help others. Get paid. Help more.

So my first step, I'm planning to have free zoom meeting 30mins/day to help students prepare ASPD. I could share this through fb group, my students referral, and I believe I could get 100 students next week.

But how do I get paid after that?

I love teaching but I don't want to rely on it and becomes hate like Mj said.

Thanks to read until this. God bless.

Here's what my ChatGPT AI says about your idea, the AI has been trained on my philosophy...

Analyzing your business idea through the lens of MJ DeMarco's principles, particularly those from "Unscripted ," provides a valuable perspective for evaluating its potential for asymmetric wealth creation and 'Fastlane' viability. Let's break down your idea and strategy:

### Business Idea: ASPD Exam Preparation Agency
- **Niche Focus:** Targeting ASPD Math and English for grade 9 students in your state.
- **Product/Service Offer:** Exam preparation practice questions book with added value through WhatsApp group discussions and weekly Zoom sessions.

### Evaluation Using CENTS Framework
1. **Control:** You have control over the content and delivery of your services, but ensure you aren't overly reliant on platforms like WhatsApp and Zoom, which you don't control.
2. **Entry:** The barrier to entry appears moderate. While others offer similar services, your focused niche on ASPD sets you apart.
3. **Need:** There's a clear need, especially if ASPD is a significant examination in your region. Ensure your content quality and teaching methods meet and exceed expectations.
4. **Time:** Your model doesn't fully detach time from income since it involves your active participation in discussions and Zoom sessions. Consider ways to create more passive income streams.
5. **Scale:** The business can scale, especially if you develop a system for recording and distributing your sessions and materials widely.

### Major Obstacles and Solutions
1. **Market Saturation:** Differentiate your service by offering superior quality, unique teaching methods, or additional resources.
2. **Customer Acquisition:** Use your current network for referrals. Leverage social media, local advertising, and perhaps partnerships with schools.
3. **Content Development:** Continuously update and improve your materials to stay relevant and effective.

### Profit Margins and Sales Volume
- Calculate your costs (material creation, advertising, platform fees) and set a price point that covers these while remaining competitive.
- Estimate the number of sales required to reach your financial goals (e.g., $10,000,000) and develop strategies to achieve this volume.

### Marketing/Advertising Mediums
1. **Social Media:** Targeted ads and organic posts in local community groups.
2. **Referral Programs:** Incentivize current students to refer others.
3. **Partnerships:** Collaborate with schools or local educational institutions.

### Actionable Steps for Execution
1. **Market Research:** Understand your competition and customer needs in-depth.
2. **Content Development:** Create high-quality, engaging materials for ASPD exams.
3. **Platform Setup:** Establish your online presence for distribution and interaction.
4. **Marketing Strategy:** Develop a comprehensive plan including social media, referrals, and possible partnerships.
5. **Launch and Feedback:** Start with a small group, gather feedback, and iterate before scaling up.

### Ethical and Legal Considerations
- Ensure all your materials are original and do not infringe on copyrights.
- Be transparent with your pricing and the nature of your services.

### Analysis and Grade
- **Numerical Grade:** 7/10 - Good potential but needs refinement in scale and time independence.
- **Letter Grade:** B - A promising start with room for growth and optimization.

Your plan to start with free Zoom meetings is a great way to build a customer base and gather initial feedback. To monetize, you could offer a subscription model for continued access to premium materials and sessions after a free trial period. Remember, the key is to provide exceptional value that makes students and parents see your service as indispensable for ASPD exam preparation.

 

[EL_00]

No-one is born good at face to face sales.

I was teaching guitar locally and started doing ok. The "first lesson free" is a classic sales hook for this type of service business and you're going to struggle to find something better than that.

My "funnel" was:
Advert with offer of free lesson > Phone to book free lesson > Do free lesson and have them write down CC info on a form at end of lesson > I go home and put their info into Stripe, they start lessons

Advert can be flyer in the mail, FB ads, Google search ads etc.

While you may be more confident doing sales by text/email, you will always be less effective than face to face.

It may be awkward at first, but if you start getting leads you can start getting practice at doing it, and you'll improve.

To learn how to close:

• Take a genuine interest in the other person
• Ask questions to clarify what they want to get
• Ask questions to clarify what they struggle with
• Be prepared with basic info on scheduling etc
• Once you know what they need to know, explain how you'll help them
• Make an offer

Don't teach people for free unless it has a specific purpose (e.g. first lesson free to demonstrate competence).

Are you teaching on Zoom, in person, or both?

Are you doing group classes or just 1-2-1?

Is this something that people study all year for, or just for 6 weeks (or whatever) prior to the exam?

I might need to take a step back. What I have in mind right now is offering free classes via zoom for Students who like to study this exam early on. I will give priority to my previous students and their friends because they has higher chance to join rather than complete strangers. It will be 1vs20-50 students. But here's the catch, I think to only deliver it for 7 days/a week. And I only cover limited chapters from my book that I will sell. After 7 days, if they want to continue where we left on, they need to buy my practice book and later they could be invited to community group and get access to the weekly zoom.
Now, I'm in the step on breaking down the materials.

because this ASPD only a local examination for grade 9 to high school, they usually start learning 6 months before it.

will take a note on your approach to sales. It's good questions to ask when they start to ask me about the class.

 

[EL_00]

Here's what my ChatGPT AI says about your idea, the AI has been trained on my philosophy...

Analyzing your business idea through the lens of MJ DeMarco's principles, particularly those from "Unscripted ," provides a valuable perspective for evaluating its potential for asymmetric wealth creation and 'Fastlane' viability. Let's break down your idea and strategy:

### Business Idea: ASPD Exam Preparation Agency
- **Niche Focus:** Targeting ASPD Math and English for grade 9 students in your state.
- **Product/Service Offer:** Exam preparation practice questions book with added value through WhatsApp group discussions and weekly Zoom sessions.

### Evaluation Using CENTS Framework
1. **Control:** You have control over the content and delivery of your services, but ensure you aren't overly reliant on platforms like WhatsApp and Zoom, which you don't control.
2. **Entry:** The barrier to entry appears moderate. While others offer similar services, your focused niche on ASPD sets you apart.
3. **Need:** There's a clear need, especially if ASPD is a significant examination in your region. Ensure your content quality and teaching methods meet and exceed expectations.
4. **Time:** Your model doesn't fully detach time from income since it involves your active participation in discussions and Zoom sessions. Consider ways to create more passive income streams.
5. **Scale:** The business can scale, especially if you develop a system for recording and distributing your sessions and materials widely.

### Major Obstacles and Solutions
1. **Market Saturation:** Differentiate your service by offering superior quality, unique teaching methods, or additional resources.
2. **Customer Acquisition:** Use your current network for referrals. Leverage social media, local advertising, and perhaps partnerships with schools.
3. **Content Development:** Continuously update and improve your materials to stay relevant and effective.

### Profit Margins and Sales Volume
- Calculate your costs (material creation, advertising, platform fees) and set a price point that covers these while remaining competitive.
- Estimate the number of sales required to reach your financial goals (e.g., $10,000,000) and develop strategies to achieve this volume.

### Marketing/Advertising Mediums
1. **Social Media:** Targeted ads and organic posts in local community groups.
2. **Referral Programs:** Incentivize current students to refer others.
3. **Partnerships:** Collaborate with schools or local educational institutions.

### Actionable Steps for Execution
1. **Market Research:** Understand your competition and customer needs in-depth.
2. **Content Development:** Create high-quality, engaging materials for ASPD exams.
3. **Platform Setup:** Establish your online presence for distribution and interaction.
4. **Marketing Strategy:** Develop a comprehensive plan including social media, referrals, and possible partnerships.
5. **Launch and Feedback:** Start with a small group, gather feedback, and iterate before scaling up.

### Ethical and Legal Considerations
- Ensure all your materials are original and do not infringe on copyrights.
- Be transparent with your pricing and the nature of your services.

### Analysis and Grade
- **Numerical Grade:** 7/10 - Good potential but needs refinement in scale and time independence.
- **Letter Grade:** B - A promising start with room for growth and optimization.

Your plan to start with free Zoom meetings is a great way to build a customer base and gather initial feedback. To monetize, you could offer a subscription model for continued access to premium materials and sessions after a free trial period. Remember, the key is to provide exceptional value that makes students and parents see your service as indispensable for ASPD exam preparation.

Hi MJ, idk what to say. Thank you so much for this.

I did think about hiring a tutor for the WhatsApp group and zoom to make it more passive. I also think about tutoring agency after that for those who loves face2face. But it will be for later steps.

Will digest and comeback to this post frequently, if not I think I will get stomachache ahhaa, gosh. Thank you

 

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[EL_00]

Hi MJ, idk what to say. Thank you so much for this.

I did think about hiring a tutor for the WhatsApp group and zoom to make it more passive. I also think about tutoring agency after that for those who loves face2face. But it will be for later steps.

Will digest and comeback to this post frequently, if not I think I will get stomachache ahhaa, gosh. Thank you

If someone wondering how it's continue, I'm sorry to let u down

The money for printing out is spend for my brother's uniform. So I go back to collect initial money again. Idk if ebook even worth it, cause I were them I rather download random questions on internet