Changing the Tutoring Business

The role of technology in the tutoring business is not to supplant the tutor, but rather to support and automate the business of tutoring. Let's take a look at a modern tutoring company both in-center or in-home. Here is the typical work flow.
Take a parent's phone call. New clients are usually the result of a recommendation from a current or past client. Because the tutor / student relationship is built on trust, recommendations are by far the most common way to gain new business. Parents and students know this so they seek out recommendations from trusted friends. The first challenge for an education center is capturing the parent and student information and recording the parent's concerns and objectives. The intake must gathering key data about the student, including current and past performance, challenges and motivation.
Schedule the student. Most tutoring companies are staffed by tutors with unique availabilities, varied qualifications, and schedules that change daily. This leads to a scheduling headache at best if not a scheduling nightmare.
Communicate information to the tutor. If the parent is going to pay hefty hourly fees, they want to make sure that the tutor has the information needed to work with their child. Making all information necessary to properly tutor a student available to the tutor is critical.
Record the results of tutoring sessions. What happened during the session in detail. Is the student progressing? Does the tutor need assistance? Are there ares the student needs to work on.
Communicate progress to the parent. Tutors and students have ample time to communicate. However, parents are not always available to talk between sessions. Many times students drive themselves to sessions, or the parent charged with managing the student's education is not always present.
Capture ongoing conversations with parents. What was said two weeks ago? A month ago? Are there multiple administrators in a center communicating to the parent and and those messages consistent? What has been agreed upon? What message resonated with the parent?
Handle billing. Does the parent prepay? If so, then the center has to document how many sessions were purchases and when the credits run out. At that point the center has to get the parent to pay for more. Does the parent post pay? Then the center must create invoices and statements. Figuring out what is owed can be complicated.
Handle payroll. How much does each tutor earn? How many hours did each work? Does payroll match up with the sessions paid by the parent?
Get stuff done. Who is going to follow up with a parent that needs a call back? A parent wants to discuss summer programs in two months. Who is going to call them?
There are endless ways to drop the ball in operating a tutoring center. It's enough to make one's head spin. Keeping the plates spinning was certainly not what motivated educators and entrepreneurs to start their business. Yet, that is precisely what most owners are faced with. Technology can help them pursue their passion for education and make more money doing it!
Most tutor management issues are information management which can be addressed using a variety of software applications and services. There are several choices when choosing technology to automate the business of tutoring. A solution can be assembled using separate software and online services. Centers can use a commercial online service designed for tutor management and test preparation centers. They can also design and build their own online system.