Scaling a Tutoring Biz ~ Progress Thread

[DB1]

Hey all,

About time for a progress thread as I make the plunge into business development, inspired by @ValueSystems thread.

Current Situation:

So I've been 1 on 1 private tutoring for almost a year and a half and am now booked out for my capacity.

A couple of months ago I bought on two friends who aced their schooling and have been great tutors since. One of them only has one session each week (2 hours) (Tutor A) and the other does occasional drafting (Tutor B).

How I get Clients:

95% of my leads and business come from messages I've received from my Tutor Profile on a nationwide tutoring marketplace. Barely changed the copy since I first wrote it and have gotten around 15 regular students since then. $0 Customer Acquisition Cost: Total Profit $10k+. Currently reading Building a StoryBrand, and could definitely change the order and content of the post though.

How I retain clients:

Offering support with out-class help/texting if students need it, not strictly cutting sessions on the hour - I don't mind going a little over the session time if it means providing needed help to a kid at a pivotal time in their lives. Over-communicating with clients and being personable also helps while imparting my 'wisdom' on study methodologies in session from my experience/research (FYI, 'Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning' is a great read). As students start getting better grades they also want to stay and ultimately, building a friendship with the student and exchanging a few jokes is the best part.

I still tutor students who found me from the start so my churn is low with about 10 ongoing clients.

Recently as my total number of students has risen, word of mouth has been trickling in and I've started work with 3 new students in the past week. Have asked for reviews but not explicitly for referrals and that's definitely on the list which leads into the perceived predicament...

The Predicament:

Need to find and train local tutors (Tutors A and B live further out from where I get most of my business) to have the capacity for the current demand and further business/referrals.

Gross margins for tutoring per client are low when doing 1on1 ($50 Price p.h. - $36 tutor pay = $14 p.h.). I'm charging approximately market price but have some room and credibility to increase my prices further. Either way 1 on 1 is not sustainable and there are better ways for me and the team to provide more impact to more students.

Admin work also sucks but I'm about to try TutorBird and will post up how that goes.

Another growing issue is in my niche (and lack of). Currently, I've been offering Maths, Biology, English and a research subject for grades 10-12 and have started to feel like a 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. Up until now getting experience with students who've needed more broad help has been great but moving forward definitely need to niche down. I've always been more of a generalist but need to pick between the 3 core subjects so I can focus my attention, upskill, and build tailored resources rather than being somewhat good at all three.

I can aim to have other in-house tutors for a range of subjects or keep the whole agency subject-specific which is rare in my city's market, however, could be a good differentiator.

I've also always tried to focus on study approaches and techniques with students while trialing a 'Summer Study Workshop' earlier on. Branding myself as a 'study coach' could also be beneficial and lucrative as I can transition into a coaching model with better clients. There are good examples of this model thriving as students love working with a personable brand who they can relate to rather than a clunky business. This also targets the overlooked issue of students never really getting taught how to learn, only really what to learn. Something to think about.

Niching also helps to be seen as the 'expert' which will be great when I offer workshops and reframe my offer...

The Plan (6m-1y):

Transitioning into Productised Services and Differentiated My Offer:
A good next step in packaging my services is to reframe my offer into per-month services rather than per hour. This also leverages business assets I am building such as a discord group, study guides and checklists as I can provide students with access to this growing database as part of the service. This also prevents issues in cancellations and flaky parents. Will need to think about pricing but could do $449 p.m. for up to 8 sessions + full access to resources and have different tiers that are anchored. Any advice here would be much appreciated.

Study Workshops and Group Sessions:
As phrased by Alex Hormozi, in a video he did on tutoring/test prep, group tutoring is the way to go. This allows me to help more students in less time while also letting students form needed relationships with the other students and practice teaching and helping each other. Not to mention the benefit to the business is also great.
For this to work I'll need to focus on high-demand subjects/those not currently offered in workshops, work on my lead gen methods, be more active in FB groups, and potentially run some ads... I'll also start working on organic content alongside.

Build a Website, Trial Ads, and Getting the Word Out:
Having control of my primary client acquisition channel is vital so building a website is a must. I've built a few other sites and have the skill to also incorporate WooCommerce if I want to sell digital products or courses later on as a passive income source. I've already mapped out the website structure for the site and will give updates on the progress. Once I get a landing page up, I can test a small FB ad budget for specific local areas.

Down the track, I plan on utilising and building the second connections I have with schools and educators and really see if I can provide a streamlined package/offer related to study methodologies at a broader and larger scale to tackle some of the systemic educational issues as best I can.

Next Steps:

- Continue building high-value resources for students that can also be used as lead magnets on my site.
- Get the site up and running and trial ads
- Consult with other tutors and niche-down
- Reach out to current contacts and try to find 1-3 local tutors who can start work with new students.
- Trial an MVP of group tutoring - upsell/cross-sell to current students, grow a following...
- Work on a training system for tutors
- Continue to broaden my vision and adapt as I progress.

Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Action faking, over-reading before acting, perfectionism instead of testing and iterating, not getting feedback or help, getting distracted with other tasks and not having a clear focus, and under-utilizing pockets of time across my other commitments.

Rain, hail, or shine I'll post an update once a week for the next 6 months, even if progress is slow and we'll see how we go.

Alright time to get back to work!

 

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[Hurks2048]

Hey all,

About time for a progress thread as I make the plunge into business development, inspired by @ValueSystems thread.

Current Situation:

So I've been 1 on 1 private tutoring for almost a year and a half and am now booked out for my capacity.

A couple of months ago I bought on two friends who aced their schooling and have been great tutors since. One of them only has one session each week (2 hours) (Tutor A) and the other does occasional drafting (Tutor B).

How I get Clients:

95% of my leads and business come from messages I've received from my Tutor Profile on a nationwide tutoring marketplace. Barely changed the copy since I first wrote it and have gotten around 15 regular students since then. $0 Customer Acquisition Cost: Total Profit $10k+. Currently reading Building a StoryBrand, and could definitely change the order and content of the post though.

How I retain clients:

Offering support with out-class help/texting if students need it, not strictly cutting sessions on the hour - I don't mind going a little over the session time if it means providing needed help to a kid at a pivotal time in their lives. Over-communicating with clients and being personable also helps while imparting my 'wisdom' on study methodologies in session from my experience/research (FYI, 'Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning' is a great read). As students start getting better grades they also want to stay and ultimately, building a friendship with the student and exchanging a few jokes is the best part.

I still tutor students who found me from the start so my churn is low with about 10 ongoing clients.

Recently as my total number of students has risen, word of mouth has been trickling in and I've started work with 3 new students in the past week. Have asked for reviews but not explicitly for referrals and that's definitely on the list which leads into the perceived predicament...

The Predicament:

Need to find and train local tutors (Tutors A and B live further out from where I get most of my business) to have the capacity for the current demand and further business/referrals.

Gross margins for tutoring per client are low when doing 1on1 ($50 Price p.h. - $36 tutor pay = $14 p.h.). I'm charging approximately market price but have some room and credibility to increase my prices further. Either way 1 on 1 is not sustainable and there are better ways for me and the team to provide more impact to more students.

Admin work also sucks but I'm about to try TutorBird and will post up how that goes.

Another growing issue is in my niche (and lack of). Currently, I've been offering Maths, Biology, English and a research subject for grades 10-12 and have started to feel like a 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. Up until now getting experience with students who've needed more broad help has been great but moving forward definitely need to niche down. I've always been more of a generalist but need to pick between the 3 core subjects so I can focus my attention, upskill, and build tailored resources rather than being somewhat good at all three.

I can aim to have other in-house tutors for a range of subjects or keep the whole agency subject-specific which is rare in my city's market, however, could be a good differentiator.

I've also always tried to focus on study approaches and techniques with students while trialing a 'Summer Study Workshop' earlier on. Branding myself as a 'study coach' could also be beneficial and lucrative as I can transition into a coaching model with better clients. There are good examples of this model thriving as students love working with a personable brand who they can relate to rather than a clunky business. This also targets the overlooked issue of students never really getting taught how to learn, only really what to learn. Something to think about.

Niching also helps to be seen as the 'expert' which will be great when I offer workshops and reframe my offer...

The Plan (6m-1y):

Transitioning into Productised Services and Differentiated My Offer:
A good next step in packaging my services is to reframe my offer into per-month services rather than per hour. This also leverages business assets I am building such as a discord group, study guides and checklists as I can provide students with access to this growing database as part of the service. This also prevents issues in cancellations and flaky parents. Will need to think about pricing but could do $449 p.m. for up to 8 sessions + full access to resources and have different tiers that are anchored. Any advice here would be much appreciated.

Study Workshops and Group Sessions:
As phrased by Alex Hormozi, in a video he did on tutoring/test prep, group tutoring is the way to go. This allows me to help more students in less time while also letting students form needed relationships with the other students and practice teaching and helping each other. Not to mention the benefit to the business is also great.
For this to work I'll need to focus on high-demand subjects/those not currently offered in workshops, work on my lead gen methods, be more active in FB groups, and potentially run some ads... I'll also start working on organic content alongside.

Build a Website, Trial Ads, and Getting the Word Out:
Having control of my primary client acquisition channel is vital so building a website is a must. I've built a few other sites and have the skill to also incorporate WooCommerce if I want to sell digital products or courses later on as a passive income source. I've already mapped out the website structure for the site and will give updates on the progress. Once I get a landing page up, I can test a small FB ad budget for specific local areas.

Down the track, I plan on utilising and building the second connections I have with schools and educators and really see if I can provide a streamlined package/offer related to study methodologies at a broader and larger scale to tackle some of the systemic educational issues as best I can.

Next Steps:

- Continue building high-value resources for students that can also be used as lead magnets on my site.
- Get the site up and running and trial ads
- Consult with other tutors and niche-down
- Reach out to current contacts and try to find 1-3 local tutors who can start work with new students.
- Trial an MVP of group tutoring - upsell/cross-sell to current students, grow a following...
- Work on a training system for tutors
- Continue to broaden my vision and adapt as I progress.

Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Action faking, over-reading before acting, perfectionism instead of testing and iterating, not getting feedback or help, getting distracted with other tasks and not having a clear focus, and under-utilizing pockets of time across my other commitments.

Rain, hail, or shine I'll post an update once a week for the next 6 months, even if progress is slow and we'll see how we go.

Alright time to get back to work!

Awesome stuff DB1!
What caused you to start the tutoring business in the first place?

 

[ValueSystems]

I feel honored

I was gonna mention Alex Hormozi's book to help with your predicament but I see you've already integrated a bunch of his ideas, awesome!

Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Action faking, over-reading before acting, perfectionism instead of testing and iterating, not getting feedback or help, getting distracted with other tasks and not having a clear focus,

^ Totally resonate with these pitfalls, stay strong!


See you next week for the next update

 

[DB1]

Awesome stuff DB1!
What caused you to start the tutoring business in the first place?

Thanks! Yeah, good question.

I did quite well with my end-of-year schooling results so had some credibility there which helps. I also got some tutoring myself in the past and roughly knew what makes a high-impact tutor. But really when I started tutoring I didn't intend to grow it into a business. I just looked at my current skills, put a few ads up on the popular tutoring marketplaces and then started with those students. Later as demand grew it made sense to start thinking about transitioning from self-employment/freelancing to more of a business/agency. Action parallel with adaption is a far better model from my stance.

In terms of why tutoring over other businesses, the education industry definitely stands out as a market for skewing value, with a truckload of issues.
To name a few, from what I've seen firsthand, students aren't taught how to learn, methods of teaching are ineffective, and there's a massive discrepancy between the goals students have and the methods/approaches/habits to achieve those outputs. And parents are desperate for solutions.

There are of course political and government factors at play here but nevertheless, tutoring I see as a great stepping stone for a bigger education business potentially in EdTech...

At this point as well, I crunched some numbers, looked at what's being offered, and found the next steps for the business as mentioned above are feasible, profitable and can help solve these problems at a larger scale.

 

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[DB1]

Update - Week 1:

So a decent week – the most hours tutored to date.

I worked on the site more and talked with a few key contacts. and business owners about the next steps regarding the biz. I also gained some good pointers on group tutoring in that a referral program will likely yield greater benefits than ads will since tutoring can really propel with good word-of-mouth. Have had this on the back burner for a while but will need to get something going soon and make sure I have the capacity to deal with any new students.
Also have increased my prices as a way to slow down any additional demand.

Continued to work through FB ads training and researched more for the creation of the study guides. Have realised I need to definitely continue my own learning regarding advanced learning methodologies to continue to provide the most value I can for my students.

Another good step forward is setting up the TutorBird managing platform. From the onset, this tool is a game-changer and will really save time on admin-related tasks plus provides insight into other stats and dimensions not available before. Integrating systems and automation is definitely a step forward.
A little cherry on top for the week was a student coming back with A+'s in a big subject of his. This subject I'm most confident about so will be one I keep tutoring.

Challenges:

I'm really feeling the classic dilemma of working 'in' the business rather than 'on' it. The many hours of tutoring, in the library and driving around have started to take their toll. I've been in a 3-day seminar in a different city so needed to get another tutor on the team to help out with a student. The session went well so continuing to delegate work will help from now.

Other challenges include having a singular line of focus when I do get to work. Little tasks pile up and there's always. urgent, low-importance tasks that prevent me from working on those of higher importance. I've been reading 'Make Time' and have taken on board some good tactics such as batching small tasks and picking one day to get those done early as a daily highlight.

The week ahead:

Once I get back home, I'll continue to document advanced study techniques as I chip away at the guide. Also need to finish setting up TutorBird and trialling the scheduling and invoicing system with a student. The main other tasks include FB ads training, learning CSS for the site, upskilling in the areas I teach and putting together some resources for students that can be used for group tutoring as well. Will think about the best way to bring on new tutors as well.

Until next week!

 

[Mo Joe]

Update - Week 1:

So a decent week – the most hours tutored to date.

I worked on the site more and talked with a few key contacts. and business owners about the next steps regarding the biz. I also gained some good pointers on group tutoring in that a referral program will likely yield greater benefits than ads will since tutoring can really propel with good word-of-mouth. Have had this on the back burner for a while but will need to get something going soon and make sure I have the capacity to deal with any new students.
Also have increased my prices as a way to slow down any additional demand.

Continued to work through FB ads training and researched more for the creation of the study guides. Have realised I need to definitely continue my own learning regarding advanced learning methodologies to continue to provide the most value I can for my students.

Another good step forward is setting up the TutorBird managing platform. From the onset, this tool is a game-changer and will really save time on admin-related tasks plus provides insight into other stats and dimensions not available before. Integrating systems and automation is definitely a step forward.
A little cherry on top for the week was a student coming back with A+'s in a big subject of his. This subject I'm most confident about so will be one I keep tutoring.

Challenges:

I'm really feeling the classic dilemma of working 'in' the business rather than 'on' it. The many hours of tutoring, in the library and driving around have started to take their toll. I've been in a 3-day seminar in a different city so needed to get another tutor on the team to help out with a student. The session went well so continuing to delegate work will help from now.

Other challenges include having a singular line of focus when I do get to work. Little tasks pile up and there's always. urgent, low-importance tasks that prevent me from working on those of higher importance. I've been reading 'Make Time' and have taken on board some good tactics such as batching small tasks and picking one day to get those done early as a daily highlight.

The week ahead:

Once I get back home, I'll continue to document advanced study techniques as I chip away at the guide. Also need to finish setting up TutorBird and trialling the scheduling and invoicing system with a student. The main other tasks include FB ads training, learning CSS for the site, upskilling in the areas I teach and putting together some resources for students that can be used for group tutoring as well. Will think about the best way to bring on new tutors as well.

Until next week!

Hi DB1!

Its fantastic to read your thoughts and journey as I'm also a tutor, I'm tutoring mostly math locally approx 2 years already full time. I have lots of similar wall to destroy, the face to face, personal tutoring has a limit and we need to be honest, its not a fastlane. It could be high level and need maximum value as I think we both agreed, but I was also thinking for monthly service and digital products.

I would like to provide value for students, the demand is high, but I have only one mouth .

I'm waiting for your updates!
Joe

 

[Subsonic]

Hey all,

About time for a progress thread as I make the plunge into business development, inspired by @ValueSystems thread.

Current Situation:

So I've been 1 on 1 private tutoring for almost a year and a half and am now booked out for my capacity.

A couple of months ago I bought on two friends who aced their schooling and have been great tutors since. One of them only has one session each week (2 hours) (Tutor A) and the other does occasional drafting (Tutor B).

How I get Clients:

95% of my leads and business come from messages I've received from my Tutor Profile on a nationwide tutoring marketplace. Barely changed the copy since I first wrote it and have gotten around 15 regular students since then. $0 Customer Acquisition Cost: Total Profit $10k+. Currently reading Building a StoryBrand, and could definitely change the order and content of the post though.

How I retain clients:

Offering support with out-class help/texting if students need it, not strictly cutting sessions on the hour - I don't mind going a little over the session time if it means providing needed help to a kid at a pivotal time in their lives. Over-communicating with clients and being personable also helps while imparting my 'wisdom' on study methodologies in session from my experience/research (FYI, 'Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning' is a great read). As students start getting better grades they also want to stay and ultimately, building a friendship with the student and exchanging a few jokes is the best part.

I still tutor students who found me from the start so my churn is low with about 10 ongoing clients.

Recently as my total number of students has risen, word of mouth has been trickling in and I've started work with 3 new students in the past week. Have asked for reviews but not explicitly for referrals and that's definitely on the list which leads into the perceived predicament...

The Predicament:

Need to find and train local tutors (Tutors A and B live further out from where I get most of my business) to have the capacity for the current demand and further business/referrals.

Gross margins for tutoring per client are low when doing 1on1 ($50 Price p.h. - $36 tutor pay = $14 p.h.). I'm charging approximately market price but have some room and credibility to increase my prices further. Either way 1 on 1 is not sustainable and there are better ways for me and the team to provide more impact to more students.

Admin work also sucks but I'm about to try TutorBird and will post up how that goes.

Another growing issue is in my niche (and lack of). Currently, I've been offering Maths, Biology, English and a research subject for grades 10-12 and have started to feel like a 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. Up until now getting experience with students who've needed more broad help has been great but moving forward definitely need to niche down. I've always been more of a generalist but need to pick between the 3 core subjects so I can focus my attention, upskill, and build tailored resources rather than being somewhat good at all three.

I can aim to have other in-house tutors for a range of subjects or keep the whole agency subject-specific which is rare in my city's market, however, could be a good differentiator.

I've also always tried to focus on study approaches and techniques with students while trialing a 'Summer Study Workshop' earlier on. Branding myself as a 'study coach' could also be beneficial and lucrative as I can transition into a coaching model with better clients. There are good examples of this model thriving as students love working with a personable brand who they can relate to rather than a clunky business. This also targets the overlooked issue of students never really getting taught how to learn, only really what to learn. Something to think about.

Niching also helps to be seen as the 'expert' which will be great when I offer workshops and reframe my offer...

The Plan (6m-1y):

Transitioning into Productised Services and Differentiated My Offer:
A good next step in packaging my services is to reframe my offer into per-month services rather than per hour. This also leverages business assets I am building such as a discord group, study guides and checklists as I can provide students with access to this growing database as part of the service. This also prevents issues in cancellations and flaky parents. Will need to think about pricing but could do $449 p.m. for up to 8 sessions + full access to resources and have different tiers that are anchored. Any advice here would be much appreciated.

Study Workshops and Group Sessions:
As phrased by Alex Hormozi, in a video he did on tutoring/test prep, group tutoring is the way to go. This allows me to help more students in less time while also letting students form needed relationships with the other students and practice teaching and helping each other. Not to mention the benefit to the business is also great.
For this to work I'll need to focus on high-demand subjects/those not currently offered in workshops, work on my lead gen methods, be more active in FB groups, and potentially run some ads... I'll also start working on organic content alongside.

Build a Website, Trial Ads, and Getting the Word Out:
Having control of my primary client acquisition channel is vital so building a website is a must. I've built a few other sites and have the skill to also incorporate WooCommerce if I want to sell digital products or courses later on as a passive income source. I've already mapped out the website structure for the site and will give updates on the progress. Once I get a landing page up, I can test a small FB ad budget for specific local areas.

Down the track, I plan on utilising and building the second connections I have with schools and educators and really see if I can provide a streamlined package/offer related to study methodologies at a broader and larger scale to tackle some of the systemic educational issues as best I can.

Next Steps:

- Continue building high-value resources for students that can also be used as lead magnets on my site.
- Get the site up and running and trial ads
- Consult with other tutors and niche-down
- Reach out to current contacts and try to find 1-3 local tutors who can start work with new students.
- Trial an MVP of group tutoring - upsell/cross-sell to current students, grow a following...
- Work on a training system for tutors
- Continue to broaden my vision and adapt as I progress.

Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Action faking, over-reading before acting, perfectionism instead of testing and iterating, not getting feedback or help, getting distracted with other tasks and not having a clear focus, and under-utilizing pockets of time across my other commitments.

Rain, hail, or shine I'll post an update once a week for the next 6 months, even if progress is slow and we'll see how we go.

Alright time to get back to work!

I'd advise you to change to one to 5 or 8 tutoring and reduce the cost per student to like 35 an hour.

That's going to make scaling much easier since you make way more per hour of work (be it done by you or by someone else).

 

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[Jrjohnny]

Update - Week 1:

So a decent week – the most hours tutored to date.

I worked on the site more and talked with a few key contacts. and business owners about the next steps regarding the biz. I also gained some good pointers on group tutoring in that a referral program will likely yield greater benefits than ads will since tutoring can really propel with good word-of-mouth. Have had this on the back burner for a while but will need to get something going soon and make sure I have the capacity to deal with any new students.
Also have increased my prices as a way to slow down any additional demand.

Continued to work through FB ads training and researched more for the creation of the study guides. Have realised I need to definitely continue my own learning regarding advanced learning methodologies to continue to provide the most value I can for my students.

Another good step forward is setting up the TutorBird managing platform. From the onset, this tool is a game-changer and will really save time on admin-related tasks plus provides insight into other stats and dimensions not available before. Integrating systems and automation is definitely a step forward.
A little cherry on top for the week was a student coming back with A+'s in a big subject of his. This subject I'm most confident about so will be one I keep tutoring.

Challenges:

I'm really feeling the classic dilemma of working 'in' the business rather than 'on' it. The many hours of tutoring, in the library and driving around have started to take their toll. I've been in a 3-day seminar in a different city so needed to get another tutor on the team to help out with a student. The session went well so continuing to delegate work will help from now.

Other challenges include having a singular line of focus when I do get to work. Little tasks pile up and there's always. urgent, low-importance tasks that prevent me from working on those of higher importance. I've been reading 'Make Time' and have taken on board some good tactics such as batching small tasks and picking one day to get those done early as a daily highlight.

The week ahead:

Once I get back home, I'll continue to document advanced study techniques as I chip away at the guide. Also need to finish setting up TutorBird and trialling the scheduling and invoicing system with a student. The main other tasks include FB ads training, learning CSS for the site, upskilling in the areas I teach and putting together some resources for students that can be used for group tutoring as well. Will think about the best way to bring on new tutors as well.

Until next week!

Like subsonic said, you can lower price for a group session. Its what I wanted to do for dog walking, i did private group(your familys dogs) semi private(2-3 families) and group walking(4-6 families) i think it was 25 for private an hour, 20 for a semi and 15 for public per dog. I didn't go through with it though. Something else you can do is virtual so you dont have to travel, you can set up parental controlled packages, where you send the lesson through a pdf, with a separate pdf with the answers for the parents to print for the kids, you can charge for the pdf files.

 

[DB1]

Update - Week 2

Bit overdue post but a decent week, not a spectacular effort but kept the ball rolling on things.

Continued working on the study guide lead magnet. Realised to make something high value and quality takes more research and writing time than I've allocated - even with AI

I've been aiming for a practical, direct writing style, using examples and anecdotes as needed. Currently writing on how a principle/rule-based learning approach trumps example-based and mass practice. I've also mentioned to a couple of students about this so got an audience in mind and can seek feedback on how the implementation went.

I've also spent a good chunk of time on a solid website wireframe - Figma is great for this btw. Have centred my value proposition and offer around group tutoring and workshops instead of 1on1 as emphasised. Also utilised the web design skills for some unique section layouts that should help with the clarity of message.

Also have been building systems and templates for using AI to cut down drafting time and for other work. There's a lot of noise out there with 'Top 10 AI tools' infographics and lists but as always practice and iteration has worked best.

Getting into holidays next week so sessions will tip down a bit but that leaves good room for getting the work above done. Gotten better at selling Zoom tutoring so that's definitely streamlined work - didn't do a face-to-face session all week!

Moving forward, for the next 2 weeks will keep chugging away, I'll have some other educational commitments but those pair well with the business work anyway.

Will try out this week @Andy Black 's advice of posting what I've already done rather than want to do as a way of avoiding action-faking and getting dopamine from vocalising my goals.

Until next week!

 

[Mo Joe]

Update - Week 2

Bit overdue post but a decent week, not a spectacular effort but kept the ball rolling on things.

Continued working on the study guide lead magnet. Realised to make something high value and quality takes more research and writing time than I've allocated - even with AI

I've been aiming for a practical, direct writing style, using examples and anecdotes as needed. Currently writing on how a principle/rule-based learning approach trumps example-based and mass practice. I've also mentioned to a couple of students about this so got an audience in mind and can seek feedback on how the implementation went.

I've also spent a good chunk of time on a solid website wireframe - Figma is great for this btw. Have centred my value proposition and offer around group tutoring and workshops instead of 1on1 as emphasised. Also utilised the web design skills for some unique section layouts that should help with the clarity of message.

Also have been building systems and templates for using AI to cut down drafting time and for other work. There's a lot of noise out there with 'Top 10 AI tools' infographics and lists but as always practice and iteration has worked best.

Getting into holidays next week so sessions will tip down a bit but that leaves good room for getting the work above done. Gotten better at selling Zoom tutoring so that's definitely streamlined work - didn't do a face-to-face session all week!

Moving forward, for the next 2 weeks will keep chugging away, I'll have some other educational commitments but those pair well with the business work anyway.

Will try out this week @Andy Black 's advice of posting what I've already done rather than want to do as a way of avoiding action-faking and getting dopamine from vocalising my goals.

Until next week!

Have centred my value proposition and offer around group tutoring and workshops instead of 1on1 as emphasised.

Hi DB1!

Great to read!

Whats your offer, or how do you "market" group tutoring? I feel big walls - in math tutoring - from parents. They need the 1on1 olds cool style... they say "my child can pay attention better"...........

Thanks
Joe

 

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[StrikingViper69]

Can you take your existing students and put them into small groups? Fill your groups then train teachers to take your groups. Profit margin should be pretty nice. Keep the group class rate the same as your current 1-2-1 rate.

Teaching a group class is:
5-15 mins new info, lecture style
40 mins working on examples and exercises where you go round helping them

It won't get you FU money, but when those classes start filling your income will explode and you'll have time and money to think about something else.

 

[EL_00]

What's

Hi DB1!

Its fantastic to read your thoughts and journey as I'm also a tutor, I'm tutoring mostly math locally approx 2 years already full time. I have lots of similar wall to destroy, the face to face, personal tutoring has a limit and we need to be honest, its not a fastlane. It could be high level and need maximum value as I think we both agreed, but I was also thinking for monthly service and digital products.

I would like to provide value for students, the demand is high, but I have only one mouth .

I'm waiting for your updates!
Joe

What is your funnel to get students? What grade r u targeting? Cause I'm in need of cash for saving and start something from there

 

[Mo Joe]

What's

What is your funnel to get students? What grade r u targeting? Cause I'm in need of cash for saving and start something from there

Hi Lara!

I started small, very small. With one student at the weekend, some months later, I got new one, so total two First, I dont wanted to tutor at full time, it was just a hobby, than in 2-3 years I decided to left my job and now I tutor at full time.

Here in Hungary facebook is the main place to make some marketing locally. Every city and village has their facebook page, so sometimes I post there "do you need some math tutoring?" but just so you know, its absolutely "sidewalk" if you can not "scale". I stepped forward with group tutoring, but it has limit also. My next move will be online group tutoring. It has no or few limit.

Have a great succes!
Joe

.

 

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[Andy Black]

Hi Lara!

I started small, very small. With one student at the weekend, some months later, I got new one, so total two First, I dont wanted to tutor at full time, it was just a hobby, than in 2-3 years I decided to left my job and now I tutor at full time.

Here in Hungary facebook is the main place to make some marketing locally. Every city and village has their facebook page, so sometimes I post there "do you need some math tutoring?" but just so you know, its absolutely "sidewalk" if you can not "scale". I stepped forward with group tutoring, but it has limit also. My next move will be online group tutoring. It has no or few limit.

Have a great succes!
Joe

.

I just finished working with a business doing online Maths tutoring that made €1m revenue last year. The founder doesn't do the classes now but has a team doing them. Facebook Ads gets most of their signups.

 

[Mo Joe]

I just finished working with a business doing online Maths tutoring that made €1m revenue last year. The founder doesn't do the classes now but has a team doing them. Facebook Ads gets most of their signups.

Wow! Its amazing!!! I would have never thought math tutoring could be so big. Sure it need thousands of courses to reach that level. I know you are a big online marketing legend, one of the kings of this forum Is that business a big website? How is this built? Can you pls share some info? Thank you

 

[Andy Black]

Wow! Its amazing!!! I would have never thought math tutoring could be so big. Sure it need thousands of courses to reach that level. I know you are a big online marketing legend, one of the kings of this forum Is that business a big website? How is this built? Can you pls share some info? Thank you

Facebook Ad to leadform to phone call to free online class to €148/mth subscription to weekly online classes.

The website is irrelevant. Classes are for about 7-8 people. It's in Ireland with a population of 6m.

I tried to get Google Ads working for them but the search volume wasn't enough for my style of campaigns.

 

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[EL_00]

Hi Lara!

I started small, very small. With one student at the weekend, some months later, I got new one, so total two First, I dont wanted to tutor at full time, it was just a hobby, than in 2-3 years I decided to left my job and now I tutor at full time.

Here in Hungary facebook is the main place to make some marketing locally. Every city and village has their facebook page, so sometimes I post there "do you need some math tutoring?" but just so you know, its absolutely "sidewalk" if you can not "scale". I stepped forward with group tutoring, but it has limit also. My next move will be online group tutoring. It has no or few limit.

Have a great succes!
Joe

.

Hi!

Yes, I did the same approach through fb, just got 4 students converted. In my area only some people got interested and most of them quite afraid of my fee (mind u cause tutoring is like a commodity now).

I believe in my skills to convert clients to students on first meeting. I have 90% success and tricks to do that. But people just ignore my message after I mentioned the price.

I did ever work as an online coding tutor, for college students and children. But the agency not really do the justice with the pay. So I resign. I did ever attempt to market it, but I guess fb is not the best place.

Right now i'm still getting my head around to scale it too!

Good luck with u 2

 

[EL_00]

Facebook Ad to leadform to phone call to free online class to €148/mth subscription to weekly online classes.

The website is irrelevant. Classes are for about 7-8 people. It's in Ireland with a population of 6m.

I tried to get Google Ads working for them but the search volume wasn't enough for my style of campaigns.

Now after thinking about it, most of my agency here use package system (like 60 meetings for $x) or the monthly subscription where they also charge registration fee. With the freelance, the agency charged based on how many meetings they did. I might try to use the model. But I think it's best targeting high school students and above(?)

 

[Andy Black]

They target parents of school kids.

 

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