How Much Does It Actually Cost to Start and Grow a Successful Tutoring Business

If you want to find out how much it actually costs to start and grow a successful tutoring business, you’ve come to the right place, friend.

There’s a lot of information out there and it can be intimidating to start. It’s also hard to get a straight answer from all the places you’ve likely searched. I’ve been where you are and I don’t want you to make all the mistakes I’ve made. So let me backup a bit.

It was two years ago I was sitting in my car in my elementary school parking lot about to reply to an email committing to working with a branding company.   I’d just started my tutoring business and was determined to make it work (even though I had no idea what I was doing).

I was about to invest in a huge cost for my business.  Looking back, I’m glad I did it because I learned a lot and it led me to my amazing website designer (and friend), Erica. 

That being said, knowing what I know now, I made a lot of mistakes along the way.  Mistakes I’m hoping you’ll avoid with the roadmap I’m going to lay out for you.

You’ll want to grab a pen and notepad because I’m going to give you the guidance I never had to a very important question:

How much does it actually cost to start and grow a successful tutoring business?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve fallen victim to shiny object syndrome once or twice.

Annnnd let’s not even mention those online courses that we haven’t even finished yet. #guilty

Here’s the thing, knowing exactly what to spend money on in your business when you’re first getting started is no easy task.  Your journey won’t be linear but if you can formulate a plan, you’ll be on the fast track to growing your tutoring business with ease.

I’m sure we’ve all Googled “How to start a business with no money.”  Something I’ve learned along the way is it’s pretty darn difficult to not spend any money. 

In fact, once I fully embraced the saying “You have to spend money to make money”, I started seeing real results in my business.

As tough of a pill as that is to swallow, it was true.  Now, I’m not saying go out and spend a bunch of money on things your business doesn’t need.  I want you to spend wisely and this blog post will help you figure out what is important to your success and what is not.

When you’re first starting out, time and money are going to be your biggest investments.  The great thing about a tutoring business is that you can start small and grow over time.

Figure Out What You Really Need

My first piece of advice is to figure out what you really need.  In a tutoring business you need: clients, email service, a comprehensive list of your services and the perfect pitch.  (Read this blog post to create your perfect tutoring business pitch.)  Technically, none of these things cost money.  An email account is free and almost everyone has a computer to make a list of services.  If you start here, that’s completely fine.  

If your tutoring business is in a place where you’re able to invest in more systems and processes to make your business more money and work efficiently, this next list is for you. 

If you’re just starting out, this list will be for later on in your business.  If you already have clients, an email service, a comprehensive list of your services and the perfect pitch, you’re definitely ready for more.  

Let me start by saying at this stage, you have to spend money to make money.  Considering you’re already bringing in tutoring clients, you’re in a perfect position to start spending money wisely.  

How to Spend Money to Make Money

I mentioned earlier that spending money is a next level step.  Of course there’s a few things you can do to start your business that won’t cost money like setting up a Gmail account and sending emails to former student’s parents.  So you might be wondering, how and what do I spend money on that’s going to help me grow a successful tutoring business?

A scheduling service is going to eliminate back and forth emails between potential clients.  I personally use Acuity.  Acuity syncs to my work calendar and allows clients to book appointments when my schedule permits.  

The next thing that will help grow your business is a website provider that isn’t free.  In order to have a user-friendly website that accommodates your ideal customer, I’ve found that the free options just don’t cut it.  I use Squarespace and think that WordPress is a nice option also.

Online resources like a Raz-Plus subscription have hands down been worth every penny to tutor my online students as well as printing books and materials for my in person tutoring clients.

I go into much more detail in Modules 3 and 4 of the Tutorpreneur Academy™.

Be Intentional With Your Money

This one probably goes without saying, but make sure you are spending your money with intention.  I’m not a financial advisor, but I can tell you offers will come your way and some might be tempting.  Set aside money to pay yourself first and then see what you have left to allocate to reinvesting in your business.  For example, learning how to navigate Pinterest was a nightmare for me.  Once my business started making money, I paid myself first and then hired someone to take over my Pinterest account.  That’s where spending a little money makes you a little money comes in handy.  I get a lot of traffic to my business through Pinterest and I’ll teach you how to do the same in the Tutorpreneur Academy™.

Want to get started tutoring but have no idea where to begin? I’ve got you covered with my FREE 10 step guide that will help you with the first 10 things you need to do to get started.

What business expenses have you had with your tutoring business?  Tell me in the comments!