Thursday, June 30, 2011

5 Ways to Supplement Your Tutoring Business

Enhancing your tutoring business effectively will keep clients coming in. Moreover, it provides you with that professional disposition you desire, especially if you develop your tutoring business periodically. In order to effectively supplement your tutoring business, here are 5 important ways you can engage in.

Online Tutoring Functionality

Traditional tutors should engage in different avenues of providing their businesses. If you continue to handle tutorial sessions by visiting your client’s homes, then you should expand your business by offering online tutoring amenities. This will help you develop your business quite effectively, especially in accessing a new avenue of clients in the mix.

Offer Paper Writing Services

As a tutor, you should not restrict yourself to providing lectures on topics. You have the ability to guide people on writing their papers, especially for essays at school. As a result, you can help them by editing and providing advice, which is another service that can enhance your tutoring business.

Offer Promotions and Analyze the Market

Clients love opportunities when they can get more for a lower price. In order to expand your business, especially if you’re starting out, offer promotions in order to attract clients. This is an effective marketing tactic that can develop your business better. Furthermore, hiring a market specialist can interpret the market pattern via the promotions. You can understand which particular service of your business is in demand, which allows you to develop that particular aspect at hand.

Offer Tutoring Products

Lecture material and other products can enhance your business by providing you with another avenue of earning more for your business. These products can benefit your clients because they learn more through the added material you have up for offer.

Expanding your business can mean more income, but it also imposes more challenges. In order to handle this effectively, you should implement these strategies one at a time so that you won’t be overwhelmed by the preparation process. These five ways to supplement your tutoring business allow you to develop your business quite effectively, especially when it comes to more income opportunities for your tutoring company at hand. 

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Developing a Brochure for Your Tutoring Business

Getting your business out there involves marketing tactics that you can employ. Making a brochure is one of the strongest points of marketing that can convert interested individuals into clients you can tutor. In developing a brochure, you should know what information to put and other technical aspects. If you need to create the most appealing brochure, you need to consider these factors.

Technical Specifications

Brochures usually come in three sizes: letter, legal, and tabloid. For your tutoring business, it is advisable that you get a half-fold brochure, otherwise known as a book-fold, with the specifications of 5.25" x 8.5". This is mainly for the reason that being compact is important when you're on the go, especially since you have to move around to get to your clients. For promotional purposes, you can have larger brochures (8.5" x 11") that you can place in schools and other establishments where students frequent.

What Information to Put

Make sure to include your business name, your name, contact details, and service details. Depending on the number of pages, you should be clear and direct on what services you offer. Always keep your contact details clear so that people can contact you easily. Some businesses do not explicitly mention payment information. The safest thing to do is to present payment information for discounted services, because, remember, promotions always attracts people.

Where to Have it Published

Search your local directory for printers that take in publishing jobs. You should expect to print a lot of brochures, so make sure you set aside a budget dedicated to this. It is important that you consider the quality of paper and the design elements because you wouldn’t want people not taking interest in your brochures, now would you?

A brochure for your tutoring business is a step to providing prospective individuals with the services you have. You can leave some at your client’s home in case a friend drops by and wants a tutor. Furthermore, you can endorse schools with your brochure in order to garner that extra input of clients. Make sure you properly develop your brochure to receive the success that your business deserves.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

How to Plan Ahead for Fall Tutoring Sessions

Fall is the highlight of most tutors because it is the season when enrollment usually starts, so students are looking for ways to get prepared for the upcoming semester. In order to grab the opportunity for the busy fall season, you should plan ahead in order to prevent those chaotic outbursts of sudden tutorial sessions. Here’s what you have to do to be organized and prepared.

Scout in Demand Subjects

In order to plan ahead, make sure you ask around on what subjects are up for next year during the summer. This will allow you to know what books to purchase in case you get clients during this busy season. It is important to take the initiative should you wish to be organized for your tutoring sessions.

Create Respective Lesson Plans

Once you understand what subjects are in demand, structure a lesson plan so you can incorporate the tutorial sessions during the busy season. Time management is the key here and with the right lesson plan, you won't face any troubles at all.

Purchase Supplies

Do this before the season, because books and other materials may be difficult to access due to the immediate need of such. It is important that you secure everything for the fall season so you won’t end up wasting time – that is, if you have much due to how hectic fall can be!

Offer Promotions
In fact, you can make your business boom even more with promotions offered to clients. The busy season also welcomes tight competition. With clients searching for the best service there is, offering a discount or two won’t hurt, especially if your tutorial service provides the quality they need with the cost that fits their budget.

The tight season of fall can really help for tutors experiencing a slow business season. Make sure you know your market, create lesson plans, purchase supplies, and offer a discount or two to enhance your business factor. Fall can be a tough season to tutor in because of the competition, so step it up and take the opportunity to put your business out there for your clients!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Message from Alise--Join Us on LinkedIn!

Hey there, Readers, J

Happy Friday! It’s a beautiful, hot day  here in Round Rock, Texas.

I just wanted to drop a few lines to let you all know that we have started a group on LinkedIn that discuss various aspects of tutoring.

If you are interested in joining our group discussions, please join us at the group “Becoming a Better Tutor”.  

We do have members that have already joined and look forward to you joining us as well.

As always, please know that we welcome any guest posts from individuals who have great tutoring strategies to help us grow our tutoring businesses.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Tutoring,
Alise

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Hiring 112: What Legal Documents Should You Ask Tutors To Provide Before Hiring Them

You can’t just hire anyone who says that he or she can tutor. It is important to take preventive measures in order to secure the employment status and your business’s protection. It is important that in doing so, you request for legal documents from the tutors in order to provide evidence that they have credibility and are authorized to work for you.

Are You Looking for Employees or Independent Contractors?

Make sure you differentiate this because the legal documents needed for employees are more than for independent contractors. It is imperative that you determine what kind of tutor that will work for you, especially in line with the obligation the tutor has for you. Employees tend to require more documents because you will be taking them in with you being the employer. For independent contractors, the work they are doing for you will be somewhat similar to just providing services without any control over hours they should work and other factors.

Legal Documents to Provide

Employment Agreement

This covers employer and employee contracts with job description, duties, title, pay details, vacation pay, and insurance data for the tutor.

Independent Contractor Agreement

This is for independent contractors who won't work with you full time. The following document will provide the necessary information needed for the individual to maintain his or her position as such.

Employment Nondisclosure Agreement

This is needed by both employees and independent contractors. This document ensures that information used by the tutor will not be disclosed to anyone, especially after the tutor has been terminated.

Employment Rules of Conduct

This document sets the rules for the service, which maintains effective duty and other factors in the business. This document also states the mutual agreement terms that will keep business relations between the tutor and the employer at a fair standpoint, where each of the involved party’s rights are upheld throughout the service duration.

In order to prevent any legal issues to occur, privacy compromise, and other factors that may damage you or your business, you should request the legal documents for the safety of both parties to handle the tutoring business effectively.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

10 Business Websites that Can Help You Thrive

Are you stuck not knowing what to do about starting your tutoring business up? It may be difficult if you want to find out trends and sample business plans to help you in writing up your own. The following 10 business websites are geared to provide you with the advice and guidelines you need in starting a tutoring business.

Passion for Business - This website contains information on starting your business with ideas and strategies you should check out if you plan to go serious with your passion for tutoring.

The Tutoring Business  - Very specific in content, you can check out guidelines in starting a tutoring business at home, and expanding it later on.

The Home Tutoring Business - This website offers you comprehensive instructions in starting a tutoring business. It contains a business package to help you out and even a few tools that are used to recording finances, making this site great for serious tutors who want a comprehensive approach to their business.

Entrepreneur - One of the best sites for economic and business knowledge, Entrepreneur contains a whole section on business ideas and other plans to help you start out your business right. This reference is handy for taking note of business trends to consider while you're at it.

Home Business Center - This website walks you through the many concerns you may be having in starting a tutoring business, like rates and other factors to consider..

Starting a Small Business - Outlining the job duties along with other important resources, this business website is your key to effective tutoring.

Wealthy Tutor - This website contains a lot of resources you can purchase for your tutoring business, especially in getting your business out there. With this, you can easily engage in proper business matters in no time.

Business Insurance - Your one stop for news on business insurance policies, this site contains information on how you can insure your business properly. You can apply these for your tutoring services, to ensure that you have your business covered.

BS Free Marketing - In maintaining your business's success, learn to market properly with these tips and considerations you can engage in.

The Dollar Stretcher - Full of advice on how to start your tutoring business among other tips, you can find the information you need for the whole process which is very effective if you don't know what to do when you want to expand your tutoring services.

These 10 business websites can help you out when you’re wondering what to do for your tutoring business. Learn the ropes of your tutoring business and do it properly with the guidelines presented to help you thrive.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Hiring 111: Should I insure my practice? You Betcha!

Since you’re running a business, you must know how to immediately cover for any losses that may occur any time. Tutorial business insurance is important, because you should protect your business from the widespread losses, especially regarding any liability you may have to commit to. With this in mind, you should consider the right policies so that you can properly protect your business in case of any untoward incident.

Get a Business Insurance Policy
Most tutors start their businesses at home, but you should get the right policy, which is the Home Business Insurance policy for the most case. However, if you actually have an office, then you should get the proper business policies in order to cover any losses at hand.

What You Should Include in the Insurance
There are eight major components when it comes to business insurance, namely the: Business Interruption Insurance, General Liability Insurance, Workers Compensation, Life Insurance, Auto Insurance, Property and Casualty Insurance, Umbrella Insurance, and Disability Insurance.
These components must be present with your business insurance at all times, so make sure that the company you are applying your insurance with should have each of them.

Always Consider its Importance
Most small business owners do not value insurance much because of how they think it will be unnecessary for the business. Adding to that, the cost can be too steep at times, especially with the complex system of business insurance.

Never let this notion stop you from getting your business insurance as soon as possible. Risks and other forms of losses can happen to a company even one that is a few days to months old. In order to combat this, you should make sure that getting business insurance is one of your top priorities, especially in order to keep your business safe and secure.

In the event that your business may encounter damages, losses, and other factors that may hinder your progress, a business insurance is surely your key to overcoming such hindrance. Always consider your priorities, and make sure that your practice is insured, especially in the case of losses and other untoward incidents that may slow you down.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

5 Must Know Educational Theories to Help with Tutoring

Educational theories shape your tutoring session by providing you with the background concepts necessary to administer the right lecture. With taking into consideration the educational theories that will enhance the tutoring scheme, it is important to determine which 5 important educational theories you should keep in mind at all times. Educational theories that are found in the following areas are beneficial as a tutor. 

Curriculum Theory

This theory focuses on the structural aspect of the tutor and student relationship. It involves the reference details and the capacity of the student by indicating what needs to be learned by the student. This theory enhances the interaction between the tutor and student in verifying the material needed to be learned during the tutorial session.

Instructional Theory
This theory addresses the means of instruction in the given setting. It involves teaching methods and particular approaches that will ultimately develop the student’s understanding in the most effective way

Nature of Learner and of Learning

By cultivating the learning means of the student and the material at hand, this educational theory develops the insightful aspect of determining how to effectively convey the given material. Similar to educational psychology, this particular theory represents how tutors should understand their students in order to teach them properly within the students’ capacity range.

Organizational and Leadership Theory

This develops a hierarchical order of the tutor having ascendancy over the student. By that virtue, the tutor has the obligation to lead the student appropriately, with correct intention, and proper knowledge imparted.

Sociology of Education

By understanding the social factors in the educational theory presented, the tutor can learn to adapt to the attitudes of the student in order to effectively handle tutorial sessions. This, as a result, will provide the tutor the leverage of a successful tutorial lecture without any misunderstanding.

Educational theories are important in the development of a tutor in his or her discussion of the topic at hand. By focusing on the social and cultural dynamics of educational theories, a tutorial session can easily be handled quite conveniently as the tutor is more aware of how the session is functioning from a critical analysis taken place via understanding the development of the educational theories involved.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Filing 102: Five Ways to Organizing Your Tutoring Resources

Organizing your tutoring resources is important when it comes to allowing you to access them effectively. You never know when you need an important file and you are faced with the hassle of searching through a pool of documents that can hinder your search. With these five ways, you can surely organize your tutoring resources effectively, which can save you a lot of time in the process.

Labeled Folders

One way you can organize your tutoring resources is to have folders labeled for specific portions like lecture materials, client data, financial documents, and other important information you may have. This light weight form of organization is useful if you are starting out in the tutoring business.

Labeled Drawers

Once you have things settled, like an office, you can now use drawers for specific organization of your tutoring resources. It may be bulky, but it is effective in separating documents, especially once your tutoring business has grown into a working office. With your drawers, you can incorporate specific client files in a pattern of your choosing, whether alphabetical or by date.
Some tutors like to keep soft copies of their documents in their tutoring business, so here are three file management software programs that you can use for your file organization.

Drop Box

Although it does not contain a specific file organization medium, you can easily organize files into folders. It comes free with 2 GB of space and it can sync over different devices, allowing you access to your files on the go!

Paper Tiger

This online-based file management system is relatively easy to use and incorporate your files with. It provides you with the organizational amenities with a trusted service for your data management scheme.

M-Files

For your document management solutions, this is a program that aims to provide convenience for your business documents through an interface that suits your liking. With the professional style for your file management solutions, you can surely keep your files secure and safe.
File management is important in tutoring businesses, and with the prospective means of obtaining such organizational pattern, you can guarantee your success in organizing your business files properly that way.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Message from Alise- 1 Day Before the Tutoring Webinar

Finding Opportunities to Supplement
Your Tutoring Income
Join us for a Webinar on June 14
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/410162830
Are you looking for ways to earn extra cash? Will your clientele decrease this summer?
If your response to these questions was yes, then these webinars are for you.
 Learn how to seek extra opportunities to supplement your income
and websites to help you find your next project.
Title:Finding Opportunities to Supplement Your Tutoring Income
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Time:1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information
about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Friday, June 10, 2011

Message from Alise- Still Time to Register!

Finding Opportunities to Supplement 
Your Tutoring Income
Join us for a Webinar on June 14
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/410162830
Are you looking for ways to earn extra cash? Will your clientele decrease this summer? 
If your response to these questions was yes, then these webinars are for you. 
Learn how to seek extra opportunities to supplement your income 
and websites to help you find your next project.
Title:Finding Opportunities to Supplement Your Tutoring Income
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Time:1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information 
about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Thursday, June 9, 2011

How To Tutor College Students

As you engage with more mature individuals,whether the students you are tutoring are in a traditional college or taking accredited online college courses, the level of seriousness in tutoring college students differs from those in high school. For instance, the subject matter you will be teaching is integral for the career development of these individuals. Moreover, you will be dealing with individuals that may handle high amounts of pressure. Here are important considerations you should engage in to effectively tutor college students.

Learn Your Material Well Beforehand

For high school and elementary tutorial sessions, getting a glimpse of the idea can set you off for the tutorial session quite easily, since the level of difficulty isn’t that high. For college students, the comprehensive discussion on the topic will be present, so you should study the material critically again to get a better grasp of the subject matter at hand.

Public Place Tutoring

With high school and elementary tutoring, you usually take the tutorial session at their home. For college students, their independence allows you to be more flexible in choosing the location to tutor them. Pick a public place in order to be convenient for the both of you, especially if the student has study material lying around home that can add pressure and sometimes anxiety to him or her.

Know your Limits

Since the test and assignment answering business is pretty much lucrative for college students, especially regarding the fact that they have no more time to do them, you may find yourself asked to do this for your students at a price. It all depends on your business pattern, so make sure to expect this kind of work if you tutor college students. This will help you shape a better understanding of how to handle your students that way.

By taking these points into mind, you can surely engage effective tutoring with college students. You are also able to help them manage their stress and thus allowing them to learn the subject matter quite effectively. Make sure to set your limits and assist college students when necessary. After all, this portion of tutoring is one of the most lucrative options any tutor can consider.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Substitute Teaching: Is it for Tutors? You Betcha!

When teachers are off to seminars or are just not plainly feeling well, tutors can easily take their place and substitute. You can gain experience and even do a little marketing with substitute teaching, helping your business in the long run. After all, you should grab every opportunity that comes your way in order to improve your business standing.

Active Experience

Primarily, working as a substitute teacher can help you gain experience in tutoring, as you give lectures and handle material. With this experience, you can integrate it in your tutoring business later on.

For example, handling a whole classroom can effectively give you experience in handling group tutorial sessions. You can have an idea on the type of concern most students would have by evaluating how they perform when you substitute for a teacher. The experience counts toward your performance rating as a tutor once the substitution session is done, so make the most of it.

Subliminal Marketing

One advantage of a tutor substitute teaching is that you can subliminally advertise your tutoring services. Mention how that after the class, if the students wish to learn more about the topic, then they can contact you for more information.

It is important, however, that you inform the teacher of your act so that he or she knows what you’ll be doing. This will be an effective marketing tactic that will garner you more clients, especially if they like your teaching style. Take advantage of the opportunity to improve your tutoring business, especially if you’ve hit a slow month.

As both a learning experience and a business opportunity, substitute teaching can help you improve your tutoring abilities, especially with the provisions present in the classroom setting. With this in mind, take advantage of the opportunity as you can very well substitute teach! As a tutor expanding your business, it becomes imperative that you immerse yourself in a classroom setting to get a feel of what students demand and need for effective tutoring. Make sure to utilize the skills you obtain from this experience.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Why Are Educational Theories Important in Tutoring?

As a tutor, you will be lecturing students on topics that they need help in. In order to do so effectively, educational theories are guidelines in understanding the interaction between tutors (educators) and students. Thus, it is highly important for tutors to engage in educational theories to understand their students better and implement teaching strategies to improve the tutorial session.

Understanding Student Capacity
Using the nature of learner and of learning theory, you can understand the capacity of your students to learn a given topic at hand. Moreover, you can structure your lesson based on this factor, so that the tutorial session will go smoothly. You should understand the capabilities of your student in order to teach effectively.

Modifying the Tutoring Strategy
Implementing the instructional theory can motivate you to tweak your tutoring strategy as you see fit. What must be learned during that particular tutorial session? This will allow you to effectively shape a tutoring strategy using the right media tools and other instructional aspects. The development of your student’s learning is based on how you handle the instruction, so make sure you do so by focusing on the strategic aspect of tutoring.

Implementing Interactive Learning
The highlights of educational theories are their importance in interactive learning. By understanding the situation and the subject matter, along with resources you will need, educational theories captivate these elements and create an educational setting that you can effectively tutor in.

Educational theories help your emphasize certain elements of the tutorial session, which include the subject matter, the approach, and the capacity of the student in learning. With this guidance at hand, the importance of educational theories becomes evident in tutoring, especially as it shapes your tutorial session with the concepts and practices in mind.

The facets of a tutorial session need the support of educational theories, mainly due to the conceptual framework they provide. They help you determine the kind of tutoring approach you should use and how to captivate your student effectively. In this manner, understanding the manner of interaction between you and your student can ultimately present a successful tutorial session.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Message from Alise-Tutoring Webinar Registration Information for June 14, 2011

Finding Opportunities to Supplement
Your Tutoring Income
Join us for a Webinar on June 14
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/410162830
Are you looking for ways to earn extra cash? Will your clientele decrease this summer?
If your response to these questions was yes, then these webinars are for you.
Learn how to seek extra opportunities to supplement your income and websites to help you
find your next project.
Title:
Finding Opportunities to Supplement Your Tutoring Income
Date:
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Time:
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information
about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Filing 101: What goes in a Client's Folder?

Proper file management is important for any tutorial business, especially in dealing with information of clients. It is both professional and convenient for tutors to organize their clients’ files so that it will be easier to retrieve them when necessary, especially when looking for a particular piece of information. What exactly does in a client’s folder? This will outline the important data that must be present in a client’s folder.

Educational Proficiency

This is important in gauging the current capacity of your student. This involves any aptitude tests, grades, or documents that become a basis for the tutor in handling the tutorial sessions. This also outlines how a tutor can develop his or her tutorial session within the client’s capacity.

Service Details

Depending on your business, you can have service details based on package or topic matter. This includes payment details and financial liabilities involved. Any contracts or important documents should be filed under this portion for easy location when necessary. The legality of your tutoring service shall encompass this portion of the client’s folder, containing necessary files in case of any dispute.

Timeline

It is important to adopt a timeline that outline how many sessions a week have already passed. This will help you gauge your frequency for that client and also tabulate the hours or sessions spent for payment recording purposes.

Progress Report

This is one of the important documents for the client’s folder mainly because it illustrates how far the client has progressed during the tutorial sessions. It is recommended that you give tests to evaluate the performance of your client. You can monitor his or her progress in order to recommend further tutoring or any other option your client may take toward the end of the session agreement.

In handling your documents wisely, you can surely find the information you need when handling your clients’ data. After all, being organized is critical in timeliness and effective file management. Pay attention to the data that must be present in your client’s folder if you want to ensure the smooth service of your tutoring business at hand.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Using My Time Wisely When Business Is Slow

There will come a time when your tutoring business isn’t meeting the productivity rate you wish. As a result, you will find yourself spending more time without a tutorial session than usual, and this can hurt the continuity of your business. In order to combat these slow business times, here are important ways in order to use your time wisely.

Engage in Marketing Your Tutoring Business

Slow business days mean more marketing time! You should involve yourself in making your tutoring business known. Don’t spend time lazing around waiting for business to flow in. Engage in email marketing, article marketing, and other forms of marketing that will get your business out there. If you don’t have a website already, now is the perfect time to start one.

Refine Your Business Strategy

Find what is wrong in your business strategy so that your business will get back its pace. Tap into your objectives, your service amenities, payment option, and pricing. Work from there to establish a redefined business strategy that can work in the future. It is important to assess your business strategy as it may cause worse scenarios later on. This preventive measure helps you determine why your business is slow during that moment, and you can make sure that things are kept at a high pace after that.

Expand Your Business Services

What is in demand right now? Check out additional services such as email/phone consultation, assignment help, or any tutor-related service that you can add to your list. This can be coupled with a promotion that can surely boost your business quite effectively. In the slow business times, you should invest in the right services so you can keep your business on top of its game, no matter how slow things may be.

It takes determination in order to use your time wisely during slow business moments. With these tips in mind, you can surely keep the momentum up while you’re handling things at a slow pace. Don’t forget to keep your business objectives in mind and secure its success as things will eventually pick up.