With the democratisation of Internet access and the advent of e-commerce, thousands of people and companies have seen this channel as another way of making their products and services available to a wider audience.
A quick search of websites and marketplaces is all it takes for a consumer to realise that, without leaving home, they can order food, buy clothes, buy a new car, take a training course or get tutoring in a particular subject.
Despite the fact that videoconferencing classes have, by and large, come to an end, the online channel is still extremely important for those who want to train or, as we mentioned, get tutoring.
If you are an expert in any subject (Biology, Chemistry, English, Portuguese, Maths, etc.) and would like to make the most of your knowledge by offering online tutoring, this article is for you.
Over the next few lines we're going to help you start an online tutoring business and, more importantly, succeed in the field.
How to tutor online and be successful?
To start tutoring online, it's important first of all that you have a thorough knowledge of a particular subject and, if possible, that you have a university degree in the area, as this will give you something that is extremely important in attracting clients: knowledge.
Once you've got past that, you have to get down to work and start:
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Define the target audience
With the subjects to be taught well structured, it's important to define who you'll be tutoring: Only primary school students? Only secondary school students? Only higher education students? Everyone?
This is important because it will help you structure the right teaching approach and marketing strategies to attract customers.
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Define whether you want to tutor independently or be part of a tutoring centre
The main differences between one option and the other lie in the freedom to set prices and timetables, since in legal terms you will always have to opening a business at the tax office to be able to invoice your services (it's unlikely that a study centre will give you a contract).
When opening an activity, choose CAE 85593 - Other Educational Activities.
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Define which online platform you will tutor on
The choice of the online platform where you will give your explanations must meet certain criteria, such as functionalities, screen-sharing options, audio and video quality, security and the widest possible range, i.e. that it is the most widely used by the public.
Among the best known on the market are Zoom, Skype and Gogle Meet. There are also platforms specialising in online teaching (Aula Digital, for example), but many of them are paid for.
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Choosing the most suitable payment method
Better than doing what you love is getting paid for it.
By the nature of online explanations, very similar to the nature of those who sells online through marketplacesyou need to offer your students online payment solutions not only in line with the business, but above all with customers' consumption habits.
At this point, it is important to point out that in Portugal, according to Marktest's E-Commere Barometer, the Portuguese people's favourite online payment methods are ATM references, MB WAY and digital walletsApple Pay and Google Pay.
To offer these and other means of online payment your customers and receive the fruits of your labour simply and securely, REDUNIQ can help with its turnkey solution REDUNIQ@Payments.
Born out of a desire to simplify and diversify the work of those who sells products and services online, the solution REDUNIQ@Payments will make it possible to securely accept link payments via e-mail, SMS, WhatsApp, Multibanco reference, MB WAY or Visa and Mastercard.
With no membership fees, monthly fees or need for integration, by accessing a platform optimised for smartphones and tablets, your business will be able to charge per payment link, i.e. create a payment linkThis can be sent by e-mail, SMS or WhatsApp to the customer who, in turn, will be redirected to a secure REDUNIQ page, thus guaranteeing the security of the entire operation.
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Preparing materials and establishing flexible schedules
In order for online tutoring to run smoothly, it's important to equip yourself with the right teaching materials to develop structured and attractive lessons.
To engage students, organise the content clearly and provide them with practical exercises and video support materials.
In terms of timetables, establish a timetable that fits in with the students' school timetable, so that you avoid drop-outs or conflicts with classes at school. In this case, flexible hours can mean more students and maximising your own time.
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Marketing and Promotion
In order to make a profit with your online tutoring, you need to attract as many students as possible.
Fortunately, the online channel provides a wide range of marketing and promotional tools, such as the following:
- Have a page on the social networks most used by your target audience, such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, where you share tips, support materials and explanatory videos;
- Create a support blog where you write and share articles about the subject you teach;
- Bet on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to place your blog in the top spots of search engines, do e-mail marketing and offer promotions;
- Try to establish partnerships with schools in your area to promote your services to students.
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Offering personalised learning
Online tutoring gives you the chance to work on learning with your students in a more personalised way, so it's important that you adapt to their needs by offering them a more interactive teaching method and support materials, especially multimedia, that meet their difficulties.
In order to improve attention and reduce demotivation, one of the major problems behind learning difficulties, use motivation and gratification techniques that can include setting goals to be achieved within a certain timeframe, as if it were a game.
To improve your work, ask your students for feedback on their explanations.
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