Kick These Excuses to the Curb: 5 Online Tutoring Business Myths Debunked
Have you ever thought….I’ll just wait until it’s perfect before I show anyone?
If your answer is yes, then you, my friend, are in good company. The good news is perfectionism is great for lots of things like attention to detail and teaching a difficult concept.
What it’s not great for is pushing the start button on your online tutoring business.
Annnnd if you’re waiting until everything is completely figured out, then you’re just delaying the start of something truly magical.
In my years of being a classroom teacher and running my own successful tutoring business, I’ve learned a few things a long the way.
There’s a myth that you have to have it all figured out to start a business. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to have it all figured out to get started. In fact, starting before you’re ready might be the very thing that saves you. My business helped cure my teacher burnout. You can read that story here.
Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of myths in the tutoring industry that I’d like to share with you and debunk. This list will help you with actionable steps so you can quit the excuses and start today. If you’re dreaming of becoming an online Tutorpreneur who has more financial and time freedom than you ever thought possible, then keep on reading because I’ve got you covered.
Myth #1: Starting a tutoring business takes too much time
Let me be candid with this one. Of course starting a tutoring business takes time. Anything worth doing takes time. Close your eyes and think about one of your biggest accomplishments. Did it take time? I’ll bet so. Where I disagree with this myth is that it takes too much time. Time is relative and if you’re spending your time wisely, you’ll find you have the time and it’s time well spent. If you want to create a successful tutoring business, you are going to have to devote time and effort to it.
Myth #2: You need a ton of clients to make money
This is totally untrue! Ya’ll know I’m a full-time teacher and I only tutor a handful of students at a time. I consistently made $1,000-$1,500 this entire school year and was 100% in control of the hours I worked tutoring. Setting your own tutoring rate is key. Curious what you need to charge to meet your monthly income goals? Use my FREE Tutoring Income Calculator to do the math for you! Charge your worth and you’ll never feel like your time is wasted. That’s the magic of a tutoring business.
Myth #3: You have to be a teacher to tutor
As a teacher, I do think we have a set of skills that we work extremely hard for. That’s why tutoring is the perfect side-hustle for teachers. That being said, just because you’re not a teacher doesn’t mean you can’t tutor! Maybe you have a degree in chemistry and are a whiz at helping students ace their exams. Or maybe you have siblings that you helped with their homework and have a gift for working with kids. The possibilities are endless for tutoring. My only advice for a non-teacher would be to make sure you are an expert in your tutoring niche. Not sure what your tutoring niche should be? We cover that in Module 1 of the Tutorpreneur Academy™!
Myth #4: Finding clients is hard
If your dad is anything like mine then he mostly likely enjoyed hiding your presents on birthdays or holidays. If you’re anything like me, you could stare right at one and miss it! The same thing goes for finding tutoring clients. My guess is you're overthinking how to get clients and they are literally right before your eyes. If you’re a teacher, former students are the best place to start. Read this blog post to get my email template to get your first 10 clients! I recently had a teacher on Instagram tell me that her school district doesn’t allow her to tutor former students. I encouraged her to check her contract. She told me her district doesn’t have contracts. So, her next step of action was to investigate if her school district could legally control what she does outside of school hours. It’s always best to check with an attorney if you’re not sure! Former students are a great way to build your client list, but if they aren’t an option, think of the kids you know in your family, friend circle and neighborhood. I haven’t worked with a tutor yet that wasn’t able to get tutoring clients. Commit to yourself and your business and you’ll be amazed how quickly you grow.
Myth #5: You have to have everything figured out before you get started
I saved the best myth for last because I imagine you’ve felt this way before or right now. I’ve been there too. Maybe you’re swept up in listening to podcasts and books and before you know it, you’ve got 10 great ideas and now you feel overwhelmed and completely confused. The truth is, most successful entrepreneurs saw green lights and hit the gas on their dreams. My best advice to you is to just start. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can start a tutoring business with just the skills you already possess as a teacher. If I can do it, so can you. The further along you get in your business is when you’ll start to see puzzle pieces coming together and real growth happen. It doesn’t happen overnight but with hard work and persistence, you’ll get there.
So there you have it. 5 myths of starting an online tutoring business completely debunked. Of course, there’s got to be more, but time and time again these are the myths I see from people interested in starting their own tutoring business.
Just remember that the successful people are the ones who took initiative and started before they were ready. You can do the same thing, my friend.
I’m cheering you on!
Did this blog post completely pump you up and you want to get started RIGHT NOW? I thought so! Grab my FREE 10 step guide with actionable steps and a workbook to get you started right now.