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Grow Your Tutoring Business Podcast
Your Tutoring Business Starts with One Family—Here’s How to Grow From There
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In this episode, I take a different tack and focus on the real-world challenges and opportunities that arise inside a tutoring business—particularly how we build strong relationships with parents and pupils. From onboarding new clients to setting clear payment terms and cancellation policies, I share practical advice for tutors looking to grow sustainably while protecting their time and values. This is all about laying solid foundations that reduce friction later and create long-term trust.
I also dive into how we communicate effectively with current clients, including how to keep parents informed, involved, and confident in the service you’re delivering. Whether you’re working solo or managing a team of tutors, you’ll find honest insights here about what works, what I’ve learned the hard way, and what I’m changing in my own business. It’s a grounded, behind-the-scenes episode that’ll help you refine your systems and strengthen your relationships.
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How Tutors Add Recurring Income Without Selling Their Soul
29:17|In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, Richard shifts the focus back to the “businessy” side of growth, without ditching the mindset foundations that make everything work. He unpacks why the phrase passive income can feel a bit icky (and why semi-passive or recurring revenue is usually a more honest way to think about it), especially for teachers and tutors who are wired for effort, fairness, and impact. You’ll hear a grounded take on what it really takes to build reusable digital assets, from recorded lessons to resources and memberships — and why scepticism is healthy when someone promises “money while you sleep.”Richard also explores how tutors can use one-to-many thinking to increase their reach without losing their purpose, sharing practical examples (like blending skill-based teaching with pre-recorded literature support for different texts and exam boards). He closes with a reality check on timelines, boundaries, and avoiding the trap of pouring 100+ hours into something nobody wants, plus two opportunities: Lisa Johnson’s upcoming “Race to Recurring Revenue” challenge (which Richard is an affiliate for) and his own step-by-step course on building pre-recorded lessons into your tuition business, planned for February. https://rcowell--lisajohnsonstrategy.thrivecart.com/one-to-many-elite-2026/Identity & Permission: Why Tutors Get Stuck (and How to Move Forward)
40:12|In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, Richard revisits a topic that quietly shapes everything in your tuition business: identity. If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncomfortable, or guilty for wanting more, it might not be a confidence issue at all. It could be an identity conflict. We explore how many tutors carry the “teacher identity” into business: being the giver, the helper, the flexible one who wants to be liked and avoids rocking the boat. Richard shares a real-time story of launching Students Who Thrive and catching his own self-sabotage, revealing how growth can feel hard not because you’re incapable, but because you’re stepping into a new version of yourself.You’ll hear how identity shows up in everyday tutoring business decisions, pricing, boundaries, being taken seriously, and the hidden habit of waiting for permission (or waiting for “the right time”). Richard also weaves in a thoughtful lens on the extra layers many women carry through caregiving roles and the tendency to wait until everyone else is okay first. Expect practical reframes and reflective questions to help you step into a stronger business owner mindset, charge with confidence, set professional boundaries, and grow your tutoring business without shrinking yourself down.Make contact richard@tutorswhothrive.comMake it Happen Mondays https://www.tutorswhothrive.com/make-it-happenSelf-Worth, Boundaries and Confidence for Teachers and Tutors
23:01|In this reflective episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, we explore where self-worth really comes from and why so many teachers and tutors struggle to feel valued. Sparked by a personal conversation with my sister-in-law, this episode looks at how education conditions us to give, adapt and overdeliver, often at the expense of our own time, boundaries and confidence. If you’ve ever felt unseen, under-appreciated or caught in imposter syndrome, this episode will help you reframe what value actually means and where it starts.I share three practical ways tutors and teachers can begin valuing themselves more in everyday life and business: protecting your time, owning your expertise rather than relying on kindness alone, and stopping the habit of outsourcing your self-worth to parents, results or praise. This episode is ideal for tutors, teachers and education business owners who want to start the year feeling more grounded, confident and aligned — not by changing who they are, but by valuing themselves properly.Make It Happen Mondays: Real Questions from Real Tutors
17:39|In this Q&A episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I answer real questions submitted during Make It Happen Mondays—my weekly live coaching session for tutors. We cover what to focus on when launching a new tutoring business or platform, how tutors can find their first clients, and how to design a simple customer journey that builds trust with parents. If you’re starting a tutoring business, relaunching your services, or feeling unsure where to put your energy first, this episode offers practical, experience-led guidance without the overwhelm.We also dive into some of the biggest growth questions tutors ask: how to move from 1-to-1 tutoring into group tuition, when (and how) to take on another tutor, how to fill daytime tuition slots, and the pros and cons of agencies, home education, and international tuition. This episode is ideal for tutors, teachers and education business owners who want to grow sustainably, increase income without burning out, and make confident decisions about scaling their tutoring business.https://www.tutorswhothrive.com/make-it-happenStop Relying on Last-Minute Enquiries
15:10|In this reflective episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I share something I wish I’d started sooner in 2025 — building an interest list for future students rather than relying on last-minute enquiries or traditional waiting lists. I talk openly about how this happened by accident, why it’s changing the way I grow Mr C’s Tutoring, and how nurturing parents early through content, workshops and light-touch offers can lead to stronger starts each September. If you run a tutoring business, offer 11+ or GCSE tuition, or rely on word-of-mouth marketing, this episode will help you rethink enquiries, demand, and sustainable growth.I also reflect on the wider evolution of my businesses, from setting clearer boundaries to rethinking memberships, courses, group tuition and long-term scale. We explore why waiting lists aren’t always a sign of success, how interest lists can support ethical growth, and what tutors should be doing now to prepare for 2026 and beyond. This episode is ideal for tutors, teachers, and education business owners who want to grow with intention, improve their marketing and onboarding systems, and build a tutoring business that feels calm, strategic, and future-focused rather than reactive.How Investing In Yourself Opens Doors
43:09|Investing in yourself isn’t just about spending money — it can be free, it can be paid, and it can be the daily choice to put time, effort and belief into your growth. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I share what investing in myself actually looked like while I was still teaching: the books, podcasts, YouTube and social media voices that shaped my thinking, the mindset shifts that helped me take a leap of faith, and why “skin in the game” can create the energy you need to move forward.We’ll also talk about the impact — how personal development and business development go hand in hand, how investing in the right people can bring speed, clarity and confidence, and why the real return often comes through relationships, community and opportunities. If you’re a tutor, teacher, or tutoring business owner thinking about leaving the classroom, starting a tutoring business, growing your tutoring business, building online offers, or joining a course or membership, this episode will help you rethink what investment means and choose your next step with intention.When Teaching Breaks You… and Tutoring Builds You Back Up
19:05|In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, Richard shares a powerful personal story about his mum and dad, a sliding-doors moment on a roundabout, and how heartbreak and hardship pushed his dad into action. He connects that family story to the journeys so many tutors and ex-teachers go through: the misalignment with school values, the pressure of targets, the emotional toll of staying in the classroom too long, and the moment you realise something has to change. If you’re a teacher thinking about leaving education, a tutor building a tuition business, or an online tutor wondering where your drive comes from (and why it sometimes disappears), this episode will really resonate.Richard explores how hardship can be the catalyst for ambition and legacy – whether that’s starting your own tutoring business, growing from 10 to 50+ students, or creating work–life balance that actually works for your family. He talks honestly about being “in the pit”, why you shouldn’t make big decisions when you’re at your lowest, and how to use frustration, burnout and “I’ll prove you wrong” energy as fuel to build something better. You’ll be encouraged to reflect on the stories, role models and key moments that shaped you as an educator, and be reminded that the work you do now as a tutor becomes part of your students’ stories – and sometimes, part of their children’s stories too.email: richard@tutorswhothrive.comTrust Your Gut: The Power of Instinct in Tutoring and Teaching
16:07|In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I’m talking about something we don’t give ourselves enough credit for: our professional instincts. I share a story from my early days in social services, where a primary mental health worker picked up on signs of domestic abuse before we’d even knocked on the door, just from subtle cues and experience. We dig into what that means for us as tutors, teachers and education professionals – how our brain, body and nervous system are constantly reading red flags and green flags in the children and families we work with, whether that’s safeguarding concerns, tricky parent conversations, or noticing when a child is actually ready to move on academically.We then bring it right into the tutoring room: spotting when a student is bored because the work is too easy, handling behaviour in small groups, recognising when a family isn’t the right fit, and noticing the things that quietly light you up in your tutoring business (hello, GCSE maths tutoring!). This is a reflective, honest episode for private tutors, tuition business owners and teachers who want to lean into their intuition, stay aligned with their values, and make better decisions about the students, parents and opportunities they say yes (or no) to.You’re Bloody Good at Your Job: Passion, Legacy and the Difference You Make
17:03|We forget how powerful our work is. In this solo episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I make the case that tutors aren’t “just tutors”—we change trajectories. From 11+ and GCSE breakthroughs to confidence, mindset and motivation, I explore the academic and emotional impact of tutoring: light-bulb moments, intrinsic motivation, and the long-term ripple effects into sixth form, university, careers and family life. If you’re a tuition business owner who needs a reminder of your value (and a few stories to share in your marketing), this one’s for you.You’ll get practical prompts to reflect on impact, build your “evidence bank” (testimonials, messages, results), and turn those into content that attracts ideal families. We’ll talk authentic branding, simple habits for consistent visibility, and why sharing wins (and the graft behind them) grows trust and bookings. Perfect for UK tutors, GCSE/11+ specialists, and tutoring business owners focused on client acquisition, student outcomes, and sustainable growth. Subscribe for more episodes on pricing, packaging, safeguarding, marketing and systems that help your tuition business thrive.