Developing relationships with local teachers and schools has been HUGE for me! 90% of my business comes from direct referrals from teachers.

How do I know what rates to charge your tutoring clients?

I made calls to other tutoring companies to see how they charge. For my area,I would consider myself to be a “high cost” tutor and I am okay with this. I think many times tutors price themselves too low and end up attracting the clients that are not truly committed to the end result but strictly focus on the price per hour. These aren’t the parents or students I want to work with on an ongoing basis.

How can I retain clients over the long term?

Most parents will stay with you if their student is improving and enjoys the tutoring sessions. It’s important to communicate with the parents after each session as well as the student’s teacher and be sure everyone is on the same page and parents will start to rely on you doing this and appreciate this interaction.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have had with your tutoring business?

Not getting paid up front and then having to collect after already providing the tutoring session. This is a challenge but if you offer incentives for parents to pay upfront, you won’t have a problem.

Do you have a website for your tutoring business?

Yes! Having a website makes you appear professional and legitimate and sets you apart from the 10.00 per hour tutors. It also comes up on the first page of Google when potential clients are searching for a tutor online.

What is your favorite part about having your own tutoring business?

I love that I get everything back that I put into this business and the best part of tutoring is that you have the wonderful feeling of knowing that YOU made a direct difference in a student’s life. Not only are you helping them with their knowledge of a particular subject but you are giving them confidence and empowerment that will have a direct effect on their self esteem.

For more information and a free video about becoming a successful tutor go to http://www.YourTutoringBusiness.com

A good place to start when working with a new student is to ask them questions about where they are struggling, what do they find the most difficult.  On the flip side, ask them what subjects they do like and find easier – it may be that your approach in teaching them can be geared towards subjects they find easier.  For example if you are tutoring a language and the student excels in math, you can approach learning grammar structures more like a math problem instead of making it more language based.

Most important is to remember to have fun – students will want to come back if they find your sessions helpful as well as enjoyable.

To find out the secrets to starting your successful tutoring business go to:

http://www.YourTutoringBusiness.com