What do you know that others need to know? Perhaps you’re bilingual and could give language lessons, or you’re a musician and could teach others your own instrument. Whatever your subject, you can teach people in groups or one-on-one and charge by the hour.
What’s involved
If you’re good at something, you can put yourself forward as a tutor of almost anything from pottery to pop singing.
Keep your eye out for the next big thing that could pull a big, or even better, regular, audience. Musical instruments, languages, fitness or alternative therapies are all popular at the moment.
Families often employ private tutors to help children get up to speed in reading or other subjects.
Tutors with strong maths and science skills are particularly in demand as fewer people go into teaching these subjects.
You may need a teaching qualification if you offer to tutor through an agency or local adult education centre.
Advertise your services in local libraries, newsagents’ windows, local papers and even parenting magazines.
Approach schools and colleges to ask if they will publicise a revision course that relates to their curriculum. With the pressures of league tables, a school may even provide you with a classroom from which to work.
Or you can work from home or offer to go to the students’ house if there are only small numbers.
How much can you make?
Average rates range from £10 to £20 per hour, with the most common hourly rate being around £15 an hour.
Or you could charge a fixed rate, of say, £20-£30, for more comprehensive courses, where you’re effectively offering to teach a complete subject (for example revision of the entire year’s syllabus).
The amount you can earn a year will vary depending on the subject, the number of people in the class and where you live, but can be as much as £100 or more per hour.
Costs
Travel to and from your students.
Paper, ink and other consumables if you make up your own revision notes or books.
Training and qualifications
A qualification or solid experience in the subject you are teaching is a must.
You should also understand the currrent syllabus that students are studying at the time.
Liase with schools and study past exam papers which are available in most book shops.
Pros
Helping people learn new skills is a worthwhile cause, which conveniently makes you money.
Cons
You need a lot of patience.
This is Britain so people will complain. You may get disputes about whether or not your course/tutoring was worth the money.
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