Grow Your Tutoring Business Podcast

September doesn’t start in September. If you want a calmer, more predictable start to the new academic year, you need to start thinking about it now — not when parents hit panic-points and your diary turns into chaos. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I’m recording on 26 March 2026 and I’m talking you through the thinking (and the simple plan) that’s helped me have my best September...

Grow your tutoring business by learning why trust, visibility and relationships matter more than quick wins. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I share a conversation I had with a close friend who has built a career as a session guitarist, guitar teacher and performer. Parents often ask him how their child can “make it” in music, and his answer was a powerful reminder that success ra...

Growing a tutoring business in the UK gets more complicated when you start a second venture alongside your tuition business. In this special episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I’m joined by Vicki for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to build another business while still running everything else. We talk about the excitement of launching something new, the pressure of div...

Failure in tutoring business is something most tutors experience, but few talk about honestly. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I’m sharing some of my own mistakes from the last seven years of running a tuition business — from freezing after research, to pricing errors, to shrinking part of my business at the wrong time. This episode is all about what failure really means in busine...

Leaving teaching identity can be one of the hardest parts of starting again. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I’m talking about what happens when so much of who you are has been wrapped up in teaching, and why leaving the classroom can feel like grief, loss, uncertainty, and a complete shake-up of self. If you’ve ever asked yourself Who am I now? , this episode is for you. I share...

You can be brilliant at tutoring and still struggle to grow a business. That’s the truth. A lot of tutors are working hard, doing right by families, caring deeply about their students… and still feeling stuck. Not because they’re bad at what they do, but because being good at tutoring is only part of the job. This episode is for tutors who need a reality check. We’re talking about the hard truths...

Tuition is not just about helping children get better marks. It also has the power to build the skills that matter long after school: confidence, resilience, communication, curiosity and initiative. In this episode, I explore where tuition can fill the gap when schools are under pressure, why the jobs market is changing so quickly, and what that means for the children and young people we support....

If sales makes you feel awkward as a tutor, this episode is for you. I’m unpacking the most common objections parents give — from price and “we’ll think about it” to group vs 1:1, online vs in person, and emotional worries about whether tuition will work. The key point? Most objections aren’t a no — they’re a sign that something still feels uncertain. I’ll show you how to respond without being pus...

If your enquiries feel inconsistent, you don’t need a new logo or another random post, you need a clearer trust journey. In this episode I map the parent pipeline from first awareness to advocacy (referrals) and show what to put in place at each stage: proof, clarity, boundaries, packages, FAQs, responsiveness and onboarding. We also tackle the big myth: price isn’t usually why parents don’t buy —...

Thinking about naming your tutoring business? In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I break down why your business name matters, but also why it’s almost never the reason someone hires you. Using a real question from Make It Happen Monday, I talk through what your name is actually for (making the next step easy), the three main routes you can take (personal brand, descriptive name, or a...

This week’s SEND reform has landed — and it’s already sparked a lot of heat. In this episode (recorded on Monday 23rd February ), I cut through the political noise and look at what’s being proposed through the lens of the tuition sector. From inclusion and “SEN is everybody’s job”, to a stronger push on attendance and behaviour, I share what feels promising, what feels like lip service, and why “b...

Personal brand has become a business buzzword — but what does it actually mean, and why does it matter so much right now? In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I break down personal branding beyond logos, colours and “pretty posts” and get to the real stuff: the gut feeling people have about you, the values you won’t compromise on, who you help, what you’re known for, the way you show u...

In this episode, I unpack what real leadership looks like when you’re running and growing a tuition business — the kind that builds a strong culture, keeps standards high, and helps people around you improve. Drawing on experiences from education and social services (and a recent conversation with the CEO of a large MAT), I share the power of “open leadership”: being visible, approachable, and gen...

In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , Richard explores the balance between automation and the “human touch” in a tuition business. He shares a real story of getting stuck in life-admin limbo for eight months caught in an automated loop, repeatedly asked for proof of address he couldn’t provide, with no real way to speak to a person—until one phone call finally came through and the whole...

Longevity in tutoring isn’t just about being great at teaching — it’s about being great at relationships. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , Richard explores how strong rapport and open communication reduce friction in your business, making it easier to handle the everyday flashpoints that can trip tutors up: late payments, mixed messages, cancellations, and awkward conversations. He...

In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , Richard tackles a topic that can feel a little controversial in the tuition world: negotiation. If you’ve ever seen tutors compare their rates to plumbers, hairdressers, or other trades as a reason to “never budge”, this conversation is for you. Richard explains why that comparison is often a dead end — not because boundaries are wrong, but because...

In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , we’re talking about scaling — and not just the obvious routes like hiring tutors or buying into a franchise. This one came from a Make It Happen Monday question sent in by Jigna, asking what other realistic options are out there if you want to grow beyond “doing more hours.” We start by reframing the whole conversation: instead of asking how to scal...

In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business , I share how my approach to business strategy has evolved over the last six or seven years—and why a 5–10 year “North Star” plan can sometimes feel too vague to be useful for tutors and education business owners. I talk about why a one-year aim still matters, but how breaking it into 90-day strategy cycles creates clarity, momentum, and focus. If you...

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, fair...

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 flexib...

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,...

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,...

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...

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...

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...