key considerations in starting or growing your tutoring business

Becoming a Tutor: The power of relationships

August 05, 2026•2 min read

I think that when we start tutoring one of our biggest assets that we often over look is our ability to build relationships. Personally, I think this is so much more powerful that any marketing could ever be.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1231634/episodes/19293456

It starts long before we start working with the child, just proving that we are here to help and genuinely care.

Then as we move forward grow that rapport so that the child knows that if they have a question they can ask if they need to. If they don't understand something they can ask and not fear ridicule.

Building that relationship with the parents is also vital as they are the ones who are inviting you into their child's life to build their knowledge, their confidence, to help them to achieve their dreams.

But also, by getting to know them and building that relationship will increase the likelihood of them recommending you forwards, because they like you, you're more than "just a tutor". Or, if money is tight and something needs to give, they will be less inclined to get rid of you first, because they care about you.

I think I realised how much people genuinely cared and didn't just see me as the tutor was last November when mum unexpectedly died, the love I felt was completely unexpected and it meant the world.

So, please as you step into the world or tutoring or travel further into it, never underestimate the power of the relationships that you build.

One last point. I think this is also the superpower of many teaching assistants, because they work every day with a small group of children or may be even 1:1 working with a child and getting to know them becomes second nature and a strength that they can build on as they go forward.

I recently wrote a book: Become a Tutor. Build Confidence. Change Lives. It answers the questions that I had when I first started tutoring. If you would like a free copy (no strings attached just a gift from me to you) drop me an email at[email protected] and I will happily drop a copy in the post for you

Dawn Strachan

For the past 20+ years I have been a firm believer that learning should be an enjoyable experience. I appreciate that traditionally education has revolved around worksheets, textbooks, listening to teachers. But a grounding in early years and working with children who had a variety of learning styles from I learned that it is an individual activity that is personal to all of us. We don’t all learn in the same way. Our influences, our experiences, our capabilities all influence how we retain information. But through it all, I believe that if we can make it enjoyable and engaging, they will want to participate. With participation comes practice which in turn boosts skill and confidence. With an increase in skill and confidence comes a willingness to have a go. This in turn leads to more practice which leads to a positive spiral of success. The moral, we need to make learning fun, engaging, use a range of techniques.

Back to Blog