It seems everyone today wants to work from home, be their own boss, and make a positive impact through their work. But where are the opportunities to actually do that? One great possibility is math tutoring. Eric Earle has built multiple successful tutoring businesses and in this video he explains the benefits of being a math tutor. STEM jobs are increasing by 8% to 9% per year and demand for math education is on the rise. There are two main ways to approach the business of tutoring math, as well as a third, hybrid model. Eric breaks down the differences in this video.
Show Notes
So, why should you be a math tutor? Math is one of the most important subjects. Many families are interested in getting their math issues solved—and they can pay a good amount for it. If you have some skill in math (and it doesn't even have to be much skill), you should be able to make 30,000 to $70,000 as a math tutor, working for yourself or for a tutoring company. The majority of tutoring involves just algebra and geometry. Rarely you'll get into some calculus with certain more advanced students.
There are two main types of tutors. There is the rogue tutor who is out making a living and finding clients on their own. And there's a company tutor who works for someone else and has more steady work that way. Both lifestyles can provide significant freedom and flexibility, which is one nice thing about tutoring in general. There's even the opportunity to do a combination of these, working for a company while you also build your own business on the side.
Jobs in STEM fields are increasing right now by 8% to 9% per year. So there's demand for learning mathematics, and it's one of the toughest things for people to learn. For whatever reason people get stuck in algebra and geometry. So there's high demand for tutors in those areas. And parents want their kids to do well in math because STEM jobs are great and are on the rise. So, if you like mathematics and you've always done well in it, this could be a good job for you. Many people find meaning in being a math tutor, because you're helping people one-on-one to grow and expand.
So, if you have solid skills in geometry and algebra, the other thing you’ll need is some communication skills and empathy. That's an overlooked area of math tutoring, which can set you apart. There are many people who can do math, but few who can teach it.
Speaking of teaching, who am I to be teaching you about running a tutoring business anyway? I've owned multiple tutoring companies. I started my first company six years ago, and before that I was freelance tutoring for years. So I've been involved in tutoring for over a decade. And I have many stories to share. I've hired quite a few math tutors because I own a company now that specializes mainly in mathematics. In my first company I found math was about 90% to 95% of our business, so I focused my second company just on math.
One of the great things about tutoring as a business is that you can build long term relationships with your clients. We’ll see in a later lesson that building these long term relationships is a big key to growing your business. Many tutors miss out on that opportunity.
Math is really set up well for long term relationships because kids are enrolled in various courses simultaneously. And improving requires significant effort. So kids often need help for years, or even all through high school.
I've hired people with PhDs who weren't great tutors. The best tutors are people with the ability to communicate. You don't have to be the most polished speaker in the world, but if you have genuine desire to help people and empathy, you should be able to make good money as a math tutor. And it doesn't have to be full time. You can do this 20 hours per week and make a good living while pursuing other interests. We have tutors who love music and are constantly creating. They spend more hours making music than they do tutoring! They have good lives.
Tutoring gives you freedom because you're either going to be an independent contractor or working for yourself.
These are just some of the reasons for being a math tutor.
We're going to go over all the tips, tricks, and tools of the trade in this course. I’ll show you how to make yourself stand out. And one of the most important things to know is how to get your first clients. Then we’ll see how to keep those clients on a long term basis, and how to get them on a steady schedule from week to week.
What is Earn $30k to $70k as A Math Tutor Part Time?
This podcast will reveal some simple strategies to get your first clients, grow your business, and market your services online as a tutor in any subject. There are five mistakes even experienced tutors make that can be costing you a LOT of money. Are you falling into any of the common traps? You might be surprised.
Eric Earle has started 4 different tutoring companies and been working in the tutoring industry for over a decade. Currently he runs his tutoring businesses remotely and travels around the world looking for awesome surf spots.
Along the way, Eric has discovered some tactics that are insanely effective to establish a tutoring business from literally nothing and grow it into a full time enterprise.
One of the biggest myths he came across is that you have to lower your rates when you’re first starting out. This is super pervasive and it’s simply not true. You can charge premium hourly rates right from the start, you just have to do it properly. Eric will show you a foolproof method in this podcast. Don’t discount yourself. Charge what you’re worth.
Whether you’re just starting out as a tutor or a seasoned pro with a thriving business, the hacks and secrets in this podcast will help you land more clients and scale your tutoring more effectively. You can use these strategies regardless of whether you’re meeting clients in-person or tutoring them online. This podcast will make you money!
Eric Earle is a tutor, entrepreneur, and investor. After science and math tutoring changed the course of his life, Eric saw the potential of tutoring to make a significant positive impact. He grew his tutoring business in Portland, Oregon, and soon needed to hire a staff of other tutors to meet all of the demand. He is also the founder of mathtutoraustin.com and the national tutoring platform zoomtutor.com as well.
It was at a neurology clinic high in the Himalayas that Eric had an epiphany: he realized he wanted to go to medical school. The problem was, he’d already graduated from college and hadn’t taken any of the math and science classes required for admittance. He went back to school to work his way through calculus, physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry but the topics were unbearably difficult. Eric hired a tutor and, with diligent work, was able to turn himself into a top science student.
This experience with tutoring showed Eric that there is no limit to what we can become with the right teachers. He now supports tutoring and education through his businesses. He is here to share what he has learned about business, investing, tutoring, and life though this podcast. Hopefully you find some of his teachings valuable.