Find out how to start a tutorial centre in Nigeria.

Tutorial centers are extra morale lesson centre. This centre provide students with academic assistance outside the classroom.

Nigerian educational sector is fast-growing. However, there is need for continuous improvement. Most private and public school are no longer meeting up with the academic curriculum. This has led to most students seeking for extra moral lessons to help prepare them for both internal and external examinations.  Apart from schools not meeting up with academic curriculum, there are students who are slow learners that need a private tutor. By simply organizing tutorials in form of private or public tutorial centre for students preparing for WAEC, JAMB (UTME), Post UTME, ICAN, ILETS, Job aptitudes exams etc. you can be making fortunes annually. It is not difficult or expensive start tutorial centre because you don’t need accreditation from any agency, NUC or board whatsoever.

I started a public tutorial centre on 2008 with little or no money and since then the centre have been waxing stronger. If you’re ready to find out how I started the tutorial centre, just read on. At the end, all you need to do is to replicate the very step I take.  But before I proceed to show how I started tutorial centre, let’s see what prompted me into this tutorial business of thing.

What prompted me into starting tutorial centre

• I saw the opportunity
• There was serious need to fill this gap
• I can teach science subjects
• I understand the challenges

Now, let’s get started with how to start tutorial centre business in Nigeria;

How to Start A Private Tutoring 

• Visit different homes close to you.
• Request to start intensive private tutorial with their wards
• Fix your price
• Formulate your time table
• Get started

After a month of private tutorial at officers’ quarters, 82 Division, Enugu; my tutorial class grew to ten (10) students of both junior and senior secondary school class level. As the number of students in my private tutorial class continue to increase, I could no longer manage my class as private tutorial class. I HAD TO TAKE THE DECISION TO START A PUBLIC TUTORIAL CENTRE.

Recommended for your reading:  Cost & Challenges of Starting Public Tutorial Centre

How to Start Public Tutorial centre

Here are the steps I take to start up a public tutorial centre;

Carry-out a survey on tutorial centre

After I made up my mind to start a public tutorial centre, I conducted a survey on the demand for public tutorial around the locality. The results I got from the survey shows that the tutorial centre business is promising in the locality. I take a step further to find out how many tutorial centre was around the vicinity and the quality of their teachers. It was evident that there is serious gap I need to fill.

Put down a business plan

• I wrote down my public tutorial centre business plan. The business plan contains;
• The location/venue and class requirement
• take off capital requirement
• Initial capacity
• the amount per month to be paid by each JAMB (JAMBITES), WAEC or NECO Exam takers and mode(s) of payment.
• A variety of courses or subjects offered: English language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish, French, Psychology, Business, etc.
• Teacher per subjects – A teacher can specialize in chemistry and physics, another teacher may take biology and geography, another might take Mathematics, while literature and English can go to another teacher.
• Teaching pattern to be adopted also include – Research shows that students who attend extra morale lesson do better than their counterparts who attend school only. This is possible because the students that attend extra morale lesson learn at ease without any form of intimidation.
• Method/mode of my paying teachers – pay per class taught like say N750 per class with each class lasting for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Methods of supervising the activities of teachers to make sure they teach in accordance with what is in the syllabus. This will be done with respect and not with authority.
• Prospects
• Future targeted profits and methods of diversification. Etc.

Read more on… How to write a business plan that attracts investors

Name your public tutorial centre

I wanted the best, so I have to give my tutorial centre, ‘The Best Academy’. However, I know that name does not count as such, what count most is quality. So, I was out to put in my best to ensure quality.

Rent a space/venue

At first, I reached an agreement with Vice principal of National Grammar school to use three of the classrooms at national Grammar school as my public tutorial class for six months. It was somewhat a free space but I had to quickly rent a space before six months. The new venue is just a stone-throw from National Grammar school. If you starting anew and you don’t have money to pay for rented space, you can use your compound for a start or you can reach out to friends, relatives and family members for free space. This was my next alternative if I had not secured space at national grammar school.

Read more on…15 Tips on finding right location for small business

Register your centre name on CAC

I registered the name on Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria because I was out for a business not on jamboree.  Registering your business name is very important, the advantages can not be over emphasis.

Read more on… How to register a business name on Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria 

Get started

I designed the tutorial centre to run two classes in a day – morning and evening classes. Morning classes start by 9 am – 12.00 noon (Mondays to Fridays) and 10 am – 12.00 noon on Saturday. Evening classes run from 4 pm – 6:30 pm (Mondays to Fridays) and 4 pm – 6 pm on Saturdays.

When I rented a new space, I got a carpenter to construct some chairs and desk for me. The cost is about N150000. Other construction work I did cost about N50000. I also bought marker boards and other accessories.

Recruit qualify teachers

Teachers are the life-wire of any public tutorial/ lesson centre business. The quality of the teachers can either make or mar your public tutorial business. I don’t have problem with recruitment of qualify teachers.  You too will not have problem looking for teachers because immediately you start your tutorial centre a lot of applications will start coming in but the issue is getting qualify teachers because the more qualify teachers you have and teach well; the more students you will have and likewise the more your bank account grow……lol.

In recruiting my teachers, I focus on abilities and not certificates. I noticed that some graduates with “good” certificates are empty vessels. They possess these certificates but they cannot deliver in class. When employing teachers, employ graduates and non-graduates who are experienced. I knew quite well that if my students fail those exams, we prepare them for then my centre has automatically failed. So, on most occasions, I have to go extra mile to ensure my students pass the exams they are preparing for. You know what I mean, abi? I’m “after the result” and nothing more.

Put up payment method for teachers

I designed a payment system for my teachers in such a way that all my teachers receive their remuneration per each tutorial class. Usually, every tutorial class last for 1 hour 30 minutes. This helps to checkmate punctuality and lateness of teachers to class. It also encourages them to work harder as they are paid instantly at the end of each class

The above are the steps I took to start a tutorial centre. So, whether you’re reading this article from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Imo, Abia, Warri, Ibadan, Kogi, Abia, etc.; you can start your own tutorial business by simply replicating my steps. If you follow my steps judiciously; adding your own ideas where necessary, you will definitely succeed in tutorial center business.

How to get students for tutoring business

I didn’t do much of advertisement for my tutorial centre as our results speak for us. The students do the advertisement themselves. It was only on minor occasions that I posted bills and share flyers. My usually target are those students living within my locality or vicinity.

Add Outstanding Student Reward system

Outstanding student reward system is an encouragement system I developed to reward every of student with an outstanding performance in WAEC, NECO, JAMB, etc. This system pays every student who made an A in any subject in WAEC or NECO N5000, 2 A’s N10000, 3 A’s N15000, 4 A’s N20000, …………, 9 A’s N45000. Our JAMB/UTME pass mark is 300. Any student who scores above 300 will be rewarded accordingly.

Liaise with WAEC and JAMB to open a special Exam centre

I open a special examination centre for my students. The special examination centre was open for candidates who want to make A’s in all their subjects in WAEC and score above 300 in JAMB/UTME.

cost of setting up a tutorial centre

The cost of setting up a tutorial center in Nigeria varies depending on your entry point. You can choose to start as private tutorial like I do. In this case, you need no capital start-up. You can read more on ….. Cost and Challenges of Starting Tutorial Centre in Nigeria