slow patch...

[Carrie128]

Hi everyone I was wondering what to do when business is slow. I am a private tutor so naturally it does slow down but this year is the slowest ever! I have my name down to run stalls at school fayres to encourage parents to keep kids busy over summer, targeting 6th form colleges for A level, doing special offers and have a new website. Is there anything else I could do? Thanks for reading

 

[Simon.P]

Do you ask existing students/parents to refer you to others?
Do you advertise anywhere?
I have read an excellent book by Geoff Burch called self made me (which i would highly recommend a read for anyone self employed) who says a lot of people forget they need to ask people to buy something!

 

[louisaposh]

How about using this time to create online training and courses that you can create a monthly reoccurring income from?
Create and organise some free workshops/events to promote your services and because they are trying you out its easier to convert them to customers.
I worked for a client who offered online courses for students and they could market this service to the whole of the uk instead just locally so there is potential.
If you need any advice just ask, good luck!

 

[zimone]

Great idea there Louisa, by now you should have intimate knowledge of the most common problems students come to you with. How do you help your students get over these problems? I believe as Louisa has mentioned you have enough knowledge and experience to create an online course. All the best

 

[Bruno Domingues]

Have you tried Twitter and Facebook? It is a great place to find customers. Follow all your students and parents on Twitter and am sure they'll be happy to put a good word for you and retweet your offers.

 

[ServiceByteUK]

This time of year is always extremely slow for my business and I know this is coming every year. So I use this time to develop tech articles, tutorials etc for my customers plus preparing new marketing campaigns as I know come the end of August everything will start to pickup.

I'd recommend using social media whilst your "quite" to build new relationships, research different ways to do your work and possibly look at a range of offers you can offer for when school is about to start again?

 

[TODonnell]

How many tutor websites are you signed up with?

 

[Tom Smart]

Slow patches should be embraced. Don't take your busy times for granted. As long as you make a consistent effort to market yourself during these periods the work will return.

 

[Richard White]

I am guessing from your profile that you are a language tutor. Maybe there are people other than students who would like tutoring in languages? Get some leaflets done with a special offer for the parents - not just the students. Maybe even a special discount for adult and student?

 

[myfairworld]

Offer short courses for adults (and their children too if they wish to participate) in 'Enough x (whatever language you teach) to get you by in x y &z countries' Advertise along the lines of 'Have more fun, feel safer and avoid being ripped off by learning some basics of x language'. Produce a list of things covered in your short course e.g. what to do and say in shops, what to do and say if a member of your party has to go into hospital, how to order a meal, etc.

Okay many adults don't want to learn other languages and only want to go on holiday to places where all the staff speak English but some people do. A couple are friends of mine speak English + quite good French but don't have any real grasp of any other language but they never go to a new country without learning at least some helpful phrases.

I also think Richard's ideas are very good.

 

[dealmegood.co.uk]

You need to market the service on a portal where traffic is popular having your own website doesnt get you found because you need to spend money advertising the website which probably cost a couple of hundred pounds you need a service like freeindex, popular app directories we at dealmegood offer this service where you can provide a profile page like your website all your deals promotions and much more