Changes to a Tutor Business?
These changes may mean that the support which Tutor Agencies can give to Tutors is changing. This impacts on every Tutor business. Let us explain how:
Tutor Agencies now have to decide whether they are an
- An Employment Agency or
- An Employment Business.
Tutor Business – Traditional Approach
Most Tutor Agencies have traditionally been operating in a way which is more like an Employment Business. For example, the Agency will
- take payment from the Client/Student and then pay the Tutor
- deal with admin, such as organising tutoring sessions between the Client/Student and the Tutor.
Operating this Employment Business model may no longer be right for some Tutor Agencies who will have to operate as Tutor Agencies.
What will the changes mean?
From a tutor’s viewpoint, the support that an Employment Agency can give tutors is now going to be more limited. For example, a Tutor Agency can’t:-
- Allow a client to directly pay an agency for the tutor’s fees.
- Be involved in day-to-day running of the Client/Student and Tutor relationship such as dealing with rescheduling tutoring sessions.
Tutors running a business
Whichever business model that they are operating, more Tutor Agencies are looking at contracting with freelance or independent tutors. These tutors won’t be employed by an Agency. The tutors will be running small business. They will usually be registered as self-employed. However, some may choose to work in partnership or establish small, limited companies.
Tutors will need to make sure that they understand their own responsibilities as a business.
Should Tutors be worried?
Not at all.
Don’t think of this as something you HAVE to do. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to review how you are operating. Is it tutoring services that you want to provide? Are there any changes you’d like to make?
All too often we keep doing the same thing. This isn’t because it works best. It’s usually because it’s what we’ve always done.
Take a look at how you are running your tutor business. Is this working for you? What tweaks can you make to improve things for you and your students?
How can Tutor Employment Agencies support their tutors?
Most Tutor Agencies understand that change can be uncomfortable for anyone, including tutors. Tutors may be feeling concerned about some of the things they have to do. Things like
- Issuing invoices
- Chasing unpaid invoices
- Doing admin, like cancellations and rescheduling.
Some Tutor Agencies are offering Tutors access to resources they may find useful. For example,
- Basic business terms between Client and the Client/Student and the Tutor. Templates which can easily be adapted by the tutor to suit their needs
- Suggested emails to send Clients when an invoice hasn’t been paid.
There is no reason why a Tutor Employment Agency can’t do this provided that the Agency DO NOT
- force the tutor to use the resources. It has to be completely up to the tutor.
- don’t charge the tutor for using these resources.
How can we help your Tutor Business?
Tutors
We have developed a Tutor Hub. It has all the essential documents that a Tutor in business needs. Individual Tutors can access it for a full 12 months for £125 + VAT. This includes any updates.
You can find the Tutor Hub here
Tutor Agencies
We can work with Tutor Agencies to provide them with a licence to use the Tutor Hub. That means that all the Tutors working with an Agency can use those same resources – email us at support@lawhound.co.uk
If you’d like some help with the documents which you will now need as a Tutor Agency, please look at our Tutor Agencies template legal documents which are suitable for you whether you are an Employment Business or an Employment Agency.
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