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Are you looking for a career that allows you to work out of your home and set your own hours? One that will cost you almost nothing to start? Tutoring may be that career for you. 

When I became pregnant almost six years ago, my spouse and I decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom. However, we also realized that I would still have to make an economic contribution to our family. My solution: I run a successful tutoring business from my home, earning between ten and fifteen thousand dollars a year. 

Qualifications

Becoming a tutor is as simple as saying: I'm a tutor. There are no state or licensing requirements. Of course, parents usually won't pay much for a tutor who has less than a four-year degree. And the more qualified you are to teach your target group, the more successful you will be. 

Consequently, if you are interested in making tutoring your at-home occupation, begin by creating a list of your one-on-one, small group, or other teaching experience. You should include any: volunteer teaching you did at your child's school or in a local GED or ESL program; extra income you picked up in college by tutoring; peer-tutor or peer-helper programs you participated in during high school; on-the-job training seminars you presented; etc. 

If you've spent years at the kitchen table helping your kids or the neighbors' kids with their homework, you've already begun to establish yourself as a tutor. I grew up helping my siblings do their homework. When I was in high school, my friends would schedule their study periods to match mine so that I could help them. 

In addition, before I became pregnant I was a classroom teacher. Because I'm certified (through the State of Nebraska) as a Grades 7 - 12 Math Teacher, many of my tutees come to me for math help. However, you do NOT need to have a bachelor's degree in education to become a tutor. Any BA or BS will do, as long as you also have a knack for presenting material in ways that your target students can understand.

Targeting

After developing a list of teaching experiences, you will use it to decide what age group you want to teach as well as what subjects you can teach. I tutor Kindergarten through Junior College, all subjects, but this is not the norm. Most tutors niche themselves: one of my friends does strictly Elementary School reading/writing while another colleague only does High School science.

A common error for many beginning tutors is assuming that they must be versatile. If you know you can't teach math higher than PreAlgebra, define your tutor offerings in terms of arithmetic assistance. If you simply don't have the patience for the pace of elementary students, define yourself as a Junior High/Middle School or High School tutor. 

After you have established yourself, you can expand your repertoire. When I began tutoring, I targeted: high school math students who needed homework-assistance. Within a few months, some of these kids' parents asked me if I could help them prepare for the math portion of college entrance exams. This in turn led to my helping them with the verbal portions of the exam.

Eventually, my math students began asking for help on their English homework. As the students continued to do well in their schools, their parents began asking me to help their younger siblings. It was because of my success with each topic and type of student that I was asked to take on a greater variety of subjects and kids.

Success

Success for a tutor is usually defined by the increase in their tutees' school grades. One of my first students was getting a D in Eighth Grade Algebra. I worked with her twice a week for three weeks. Then, she brought home an A on a test. Her parents were pleased and I've been working with the family ever since. She's in college now but I tutor both of her younger sisters. 

It only takes one satisfied parent to begin building your tutoring business. When parents are pleased with their child's progress, they are eager to pass along the name of their tutor. Thus, success is also measured in the number of queries a tutor gets from potential clients.

Promoting Your Business

Word-of-mouth is the biggest marketing tool a tutor has. Most of your clients will come to you because somebody who has already hired you to tutor their child recommends you. But getting those first few clients is almost as easy · even if you haven't got any friends or neighbors who've already hired you and who can spread the word about your availability. 

Simply devise a resume. Although the top item will naturally be your name, phone number and address, the most prominent item should be your target statement: the ages or grades and the subjects you will to tutor. This should be followed by the dates and brief descriptions of any teaching experience you deem relevant. (Unlike a regular resume, a tutor resume can have gaps between dates of experience.) The last item on your resume should be your education. Next, take your resume to each of the local schools from which you want to attract your clientele. Stop in at the office and introduce yourself to the school clerks -- parents often ask them if they know of any tutors. Then visit that school's counselor(s) -- describe your teaching abilities and your target students. If the school doesn't have a counselor, visit the principal instead. Finally, put a resume into each teacher's school mailbox. 

After you've visited all the schools in your target area, take your resume around to the local grocery stores. Many have bulletin boards on which people place sale or service fliers. Other places to post your resume could include: dance or martial arts or gymnastics schools; the recreation offices of local parks; children's play centers or child-oriented restaurants. Some of these places have policies against posting fliers but many are accommodating.

Costs

There are almost no expenses in a tutoring business. You don't buy textbooks because the students bring their own. Some tutors provide writing utensils and paper but I expect my students to bring this equipment to their sessions. You don't have transportation or site-rental costs because tutees come to your home. You don't even need a special room in your house: I set up a card table in my living room but most tutors use their kitchen or dining room tables. 

Just about the only expense you have is the printing of your resume. One batch of a thousand one-page resumes should last you about a year. After that, you'll want to update it before reprinting. 

Rates

You may be tempted to include your rates on the resume but I advise against it. Wait until the potential client has shown enough interest to call you. Often, during your phone conversation you will make an impression on them which will establish your value before they ask your rates. Then, they are more likely to consider you worth your fees. 

And you're not cheap. You're not a high school student who will typically tutor for five dollars an hour or a college student who usually gets about ten bucks an hour. Although rates will vary from region to region, a general rule of thumb for college graduates is: start at $15/hour. After my first year, I raised my rates to $20/hour and two years later went up again to $25. 

Currently, because I have established myself in my target area and because I have a master's degree in Educational Psychology, I charge $28/hour. In my region, that's the high-end fee for tutoring. However, about two hours away from my home, in the Los Angeles Basin, a high-end tutor can earn around $50/hour, if s/he goes to the student's home rather than having the student go to the tutor's home.

Hours

When tutoring became my major occupation, I was pregnant. The summer before my baby was born, I tutored about 20 hours a week, usually mornings. My students were either preparing for college entrance exams or taking make-up courses at their high schools. That autumn, after Morgan was born, I began after-school tutoring -- conveniently, it was her nap time. She generally awoke around the time my spouse got home from his job and he assumed her care while I continued tutoring. 

During the school year, prime-time hours for homework-assistance tutoring are Monday through Thursday, 2:30 PM through 9 PM although you will find that some families prefer weekend tutoring. 

During the summer or during off-track (for those schools that are on year-round schedules), you will probably be asked to tutor mornings. The thrust of your tutoring will usually turn away from homework-assistance and towards either remedial or enrichment subjects. Those are the times when I present college entrance exam Mini-Courses or help students review completed courses or preview upcoming courses. Or I guide tutees through self-paced study-skills or reading comprehension packets.

Rewards

My 'baby' is five years old, now. She started kindergarten this fall and it's time for me to think about resuming my teaching career and going back into the classroom. However, I've enjoyed tutoring so thoroughly that I'm considering continuing it for another year or two instead. 

The rewards I've experienced are both big and small. My favorite is watching the 'light bulb' turn on when a child suddenly grasps a concept. Another is the occasional dinner to which parents take me when their child has a success they attribute to my tutoring. Other rewards include the birthday and valentine cards I receive from 'my kids' as well as the special thanks they give to me when they get a good report card. 

And, of course, the money's nice. 

Daa (pronounced day) Mahowald has been a successful tutor in Lancaster, California for over six years. She currently tutors about 20 hours a week and charges $28/hour. For $15 (U.S. currency only), she will send you a sample tutor resume and a five page Introductory Packet she has developed to market herself to prospective clients. Send Check or Money Order to: 

Daa Mahowald
Tutor Packet
1221 West J-15
Lancaster CA 93534 

(Note: Daa requests that, if possible, you include a brief note saying how you located this page.)