Being a parent is a career for life.
However, sometimes our childcare commitments and life don’t allow us to go to the school every day and spend 8-10 hours away from home. If you don’t want to give up your career, and would like to carry on doing what you like, you can set up your tutoring or blogging business from home. Whether you provide childcare and after-school activities or only teaching online, educating through blogs, you will find that setting your own hours and having more time to spend with your family has its perks. If you are thinking about this option right now, check out the tips below.
Consider Space
If you are looking to teach and coach kids or adults from home, it is important that you will create a welcoming space for your students. At the same time, you will have to separate your teaching or tutoring space from your home, so you will not get distracted. You can create a separate entrance or a professional environment in a spare room, so you are able to keep an eye on your family members but don’t have to interrupt your own lessons every few minutes. Alterations to your home can help you separate your living and working space.
Create a Comfortable Environment
If you would like to focus on your students and get them engaged with them, you will need to make sure that the environment you teach in is comfortable. Take care of the ventilation and heating, and consider getting an oil heat for your home so you can keep the temperature level and make your students feel comfortable in the classroom. Decorate the space with inspirational quotes and personalize it so you can connect with people in a personal level.
Try Online
If you have made your assessment and simply don’t have the space, you might consider teaching online. This can be much more comfortable for you, and you can set your own hours at the same time. People will be able to schedule their lessons through the internet, and – due to the latest communication technology developments – they will feel as if they were in the room with you. Find an app that allows you to share your screen with others, and you can even set up your virtual classroom from home.
Don’t Start Too Big
One of the mistakes people make when starting teaching from home is that they start with too many students. You will need to get used to the new method and environment, so don’t go out chasing clients, instead allow yourself some time to develop your methods and routine. A couple of students a week will give you a good idea of how much you can take in later once you are used to doing the job, so make sure that you don’t over commit.
Include Additional Services
If you would like to enter the market in a way that you stand out from the competition, you might consider including additional services. From picking up kids from home and dropping them off, providing light refreshments and drinks, or offering individual homework, there are plenty of ways you can differentiate your services on the market.
Language Skills
If you would like to offer additional services, you might want to target bilingual or ESL students. If you can offer English courses or teach in a different language, you will be able to tap into a market that is under-served. There are plenty of parents who would be happy to get help for their children do better in school by getting them up to speed with reading and writing in English. Consider taking an ESL course, so you can support children who are struggling with their language acquisition.
Interactive Environment
If you would like to be an amazing home school teacher, childminder, or freelancer, who is recommended by clients, you will need to make the best use of technology. An interactive classroom or collaboration space with all the tools, apps, and educational games will help you attract new clients and improve their experience. You will – after all – want them to look forward to coming back.
Regulations and Certifications
It is also crucial that you check with your state and your local authority which qualifications and certifications you will need to teach from home or provide any childminding services. If you are planning on offering light refreshments, you will need to get a food certification, and a hygiene certificate, too. It might be a good idea to take out a professional liability insurance, too, so you can prevent legal issues and cover the expenses. If you have accredited qualifications and up-to-date degrees, you are more likely to get the business permit.
Setting Your Fees
Once you have started your business, it is important that you do your market research. Check how much other people in your area are charging, and make sure that you are comfortable with your earnings before you create a price list. If you would like to get started straight away, you might want to offer an initial discount for the first 10 students or for a limited time, so you can get testimonials and feedback and attract more people in your business.
Taking Extra Courses
You will also have to understand that teaching and coaching people from home is completely different from being a part of a team in a school. You’ll have more freedom, but fewer guidelines. You will have to create your own lesson plans and develop methods to manage your classes and one-to-one sessions. But you can look for free or low-cost courses that will help you manage your time and resources better, plan ahead, and improve your personal productivity, too. If it’s been a couple of years since you graduated and got your teaching degree, you can also enroll in refresher courses.
Teaching and coaching are some of the most rewarding careers. If you would like more freedom and autonomy, you might build a business around your experience and knowledge. Create a business plan and make sure that you can keep your promises. Create a point of differentiation, and you can have the freedom and job satisfaction you’ve been dreaming of.
