I asked Chat-GPT how to start an online tutoring business and it provided 8 initial recommendations. I noticed many of the recommendations were made from the point of view of a lone tutor so I asked it to provide additional steps from the point of view of a business owner with many tutors and clients.
Here is what it said:
Starting an online tutoring business can be a rewarding and profitable venture, but it also requires some planning and preparation. Here are some things you need to know before you launch your online tutoring service:
- You need to make a business plan that outlines your goals, target market, services, pricing, marketing strategy, and budget.
- You need to perfect your computer setup with a reliable internet connection, a webcam, a microphone, and a comfortable workspace.
- You need to find the right tutoring software that suits your needs and preferences. Some popular options are Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, and Lessonspace.
- You need to set your rates based on your qualifications, experience, demand, and competition. You can research the average rates for your niche and location, or use a pricing calculator.
- You need to register your business as a legal entity and comply with the tax and licensing requirements in your jurisdiction.
- You need to establish a web presence with a professional website, social media accounts, and online profiles. You can use platforms like Wix, WordPress, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tutor.com to showcase your services and attract clients.
- You need to choose a payment processing solution that is secure, convenient, and affordable. Some common options are PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Venmo.
- You need to market your business using various channels and strategies. You can use word-of-mouth, referrals, testimonials, online ads, SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing to promote your brand and generate leads.
These are some of the basic steps to start an online tutoring business. Of course, you also need to have the skills, passion, and dedication to teach effectively and provide value to your students.
HOW ABOUT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A BUSINESS OWNER?
If you are a business owner with many students and tutors working for you, you need to consider some additional aspects of managing an online tutoring business, such as:
- You need to hire and train qualified tutors who can deliver high-quality instruction and meet your standards and expectations. You can use platforms like Indeed, Upwork, or Tutor.com to find and recruit tutors, and provides them with orientation, feedback, and support.
- You need to manage your finances and keep track of your income and expenses. You can use accounting software like QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or Wave to record your transactions, generate invoices, process payments, and file taxes.
- You need to monitor and evaluate your performance and identify areas of improvement. You can use analytics tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Hotjar to measure your website traffic, conversions, retention, and satisfaction. You can also use surveys, testimonials, and reviews to collect feedback from your students and tutors.
- You need to scale your business and grow your customer base. You can use marketing automation tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, or ActiveCampaign to create and send personalized email campaigns, newsletters, and offers. You can also use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to optimize your website for search engines and increase your organic visibility.
These are some of the additional steps to manage an online tutoring business. Of course, you also need to have the vision, leadership, and passion to run a successful and sustainable business.
HOW DOES BIZSTIM FIT INTO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS?
Chat-GPT doesn't appear to know there are All-one-1 solutions available. It mentioned Zoom for online teaching, WordPress for website development, Stripe for payment processing, social media for brand recognition, Upwork for recruiting, QuickBooks for accounting, MailChimp for marketing and Ahrefs for SEO.
All of those tools are excellent platforms to use; they've been operating for some time, they're well known, well funded and their credentials are impeccable.
How many of you are eager to learn 8 new software platforms?
Raise your hand if you can't wait to roll your sleeves up and learn a minimum of 8 new software applications.
I'm going to guess the number of hands that went up is closely approaching zero.
What about if you could realize many of these outcomes with 1 software solution? Sure the options wouldn't be as detailed or as in-depth but the end result would be almost the same. Would that be more appealing to you?
It would?
Welcome to the world of the niche software service.
An All-in-1 business application would handle many of these recommendations with the added bonus of being much cheaper. The cost of using all of these applications could be as high as $1000 per month. Let's not consider all the training time needed to implement them successfully.
Using a niche service like Bizstim you would learn one application for as little as $40.00 per month.
Have you ever asked a question of one of these large companies before? How many days did you wait for an answer? How about waiting 15 minutes? How about getting your question answered that day by someone you can see on your screen? How does that sound?
Chat-GPT has a lot of great recommendations. I would follow them all. However, Chat-GPT hasn't discovered the benefit of niche companies like Bizstim.