If you have knowledge or a skill that others want to learn you can serve as a tutor. An example is a teacher who tutors on the side as an additional income stream.  But you don’t have to be a teacher or even have special certifications.  You just must know something that others want to know.  Tutoring makes a great retirement business or a side hustle for anyone.

Start by making a list of skills or specialized knowledge you have.  Then decide which of those skills others might pay to learn.  Do a little research to see what people usually charge for tutoring your skill, do a little marketing and you soon have a little side business.

It can be very rewarding to help someone learn something.  Ask anyone who is tutoring when they suddenly see the light bulb go on in one of their students!  Or maybe you tutor in social networking and help someone find forgotten friends.

So how do you go about marketing a tutoring business?

Referrals

Word of mouth will always be your best source of business.  Just help a few students and watch business start coming to you.  People talk.  In the case of children parents really talk!  If a parent has a child who is having trouble with math and you help them I guarantee they will tell others about you.

Business Cards

Spend a few dollars at Staples and get some business cards printed.  Let people know what you do.  List any certifications you have right on your card.  You will get business.

Flyers

Get some simple flyers printed that highlight the kinds of tutoring you can do.  Hand out the flyers in likely neighborhoods and hang them on community bulletin boards.

Online Website

This doesn’t have to be anything too complicated, but having one makes you look more stable and professional.  Make sure you list your credentials and when you have testimonials add them.

Online Listings

There are sites that list services online.  Some charge and some are free.  At least take advantage of the free ones.

Craigslist

Craigslist also is free so why not make use of it.  Make it easy for people to contact you and maybe include a link to your website.

Newspaper Classified

While the Internet has greatly reduced the use of classified ads, it still may make sense to buy small ads in their services section.  Remember the whole idea of most of these marketing efforts is to generate enough leads so that word of mouth can eventually take over as your primary source of customers.

Ask For Referrals

Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.  People actually like to help each other out.  And remember to especially thank the referring person.  Maybe even send a thank you note.  They’ll be surprised to get this and will probably refer even more people to you!

Social Media

I wouldn’t go crazy with this one but if you are already active on social media of course mention what you are doing.

Promote Yourself With Media Articles

Maybe write some short “How To” articles for local newspapers or websites.  It helps establish you as someone who knows what they are talking about.

PTA or other Parent Organizations

These organizations are always looking for speakers.  Volunteer to give a short talk and answer questions.  Give parents hints of what works.  It will be appreciated.

Talk to Teachers

If you want to reach parents, talk to teachers.  Parents will often ask them for advice and they may refer you.  And let them know it is a two way street.  Maybe they would like to try tutoring and you could refer students to them for skills that you don’t know.   Who knows, if you build up your network you might be able to expand to a bigger business and subcontract work to them!

We all have houses that need to be maintained and for most people the thing they most don’t have enough of is time, along with the required skills.  If you have some useful handyman skills this provides the opportunity for a great retirement business or side hustle.  Start by making a list of your skills.  Be honest about this so you don’t oversell yourself.  Here are just a few examples:

Install a door.

Fix a finicky garage door.

Hang some shelves on a wall.

Replace a door lock.

Repair a floor.

Replace broken glass or screens in a window.

You get the idea – the possibilities are endless. So once you decide to move forward with a handyman business how will you market your services?  Here are some ideas.

Referrals

Word of mouth will always be your best source of business.  I knew someone who worked full time as a programmer.  He was handy and started doing little jobs for people from the office.  Word got around and he soon was so busy he had to raise his rates and still he was busy.  People were so happy that he did good work and actually showed up on time. He did the job for the amount he quoted and they kept using him over and over, and referring him to their friends.  He eventually did so well that he quit his well paying programming job and hired a few employees.  Last I heard he was still doing quite well.  And he doesn’t even advertise!

Business Cards

Spend a few dollars at Staples and get some business cards printed.  Let people know you do handyman work and pass out the cards.  You will get business, and if you do a good job you will get referrals.

Flyers

Get some simple flyers printed that highlight the kinds of jobs you can do.  Hand out the flyers in likely neighborhoods and hang them on community bulletin boards.

Online Website

This doesn’t have to be anything too complicated, but having one makes you look more stable and professional.  So make sure it looks like you are a real business.  You eventually may want to add some testimonials 

Online Listings

There are sites that list contractor services online.  Some charge and some are free.  At least take advantage of the free ones.

Craigslist

Craigslist also is free so why not make use of it.  Make it easy for people to contact you and maybe include a link to your website.

Newspaper Classified

While the Internet has greatly reduced the use of newspaper classified, it still may make sense to buy small ads in their services section.  Remember the whole idea of most of these marketing efforts is to generate enough leads so that word of mouth can eventually take over as your primary source of customers.

Ask For Referrals

Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.  People actually like to help each other out.  And remember to especially thank  the referring person.  Maybe even send a thank you note.  They’ll be surprised to get this from a business and will probably refer even more people to you!

Social Media

I wouldn’t go crazy with this one but if you are already active on social media of course mention what you are doing.

Promote Yourself With Media Articles

Maybe write some short “How To” articles for local newspapers or websites.  It helps establish you as someone who knows what they are talking about.

Yard Signs

If you do a substantial job it might pay to ask your customer if you can leave a yard sign advertising your services for a few days.

Sign On Your Vehicle

You can buy magnetic signs for your car or truck.  This serves two purposes.  First it advertises your business.  But it also shows neighbors why a strange vehicle is parked on their street!

There are probably many more creative ideas to market your business.  Hopefully those I have highlighted will get you thinking!