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When I came across Dorm Room Biz, I was encouraged to find other students trying to start businesses from their dorm rooms. I thought that by sharing my story on this blog, we could get a good conversation going and help folks make some money…

The Inspiration

On a dollar per hour basis, tutoring is about as lucrative a job as any for most college students. Simply look at tutoring gigs on Craigslist about a month before SATs, and you’ll see what I mean. Neurotically ambitious parents will pay through the roof to get their children into a good school or to get good grades. Play an instrument? Interviewed for competitive jobs? Speak a foreign language? People will pay you for music lessons, mock interviews or even for talking to someone in another language! So why isn’t everyone doing it?

That’s exactly what my friend Pete and I were thinking about a year ago. Landing a tutoring gig involved persistent advertising on classifieds boards and guerilla-esque networking to find friend-of-a-friend students. If I was lucky enough to get responses, I’d be asked for references (which I don’t have), asked to work odd hours (that conflict with school) and commute to the students’ homes (I don’t have a car). Somewhat of an archaic process, isn’t it?

Fast-forward to today, and check out the solution we’ve come up with on www.Revoluminary.com. We created a site that allows students to essentially start their own tutoring businesses without leaving their dorm rooms. Here’s how it works.

Getting Started

Go to Revoluminary, create a profile and list a class. It can be anything: math, language, mock interviews, traveling tips to your home city… anything goes!

Advertise yourself

Make sure you list your credentials and set an attractive hourly price. Send invitations using our “Send to a Friend” button. Put together a YouTube commercial and embed it on the site (see mine for an embarrassing example). Add our widget on your Facebook page so your friends can see which classes you’re teaching. The more your do to get the word out, the more students you’ll get.

Build a Reputation

Make sure your tutoring sessions are high-quality and memorable. Test your webcam and microphone ahead of time. Use the shared whiteboard, video-feed and instant message tools wisely and your students will be impressed. To enhance your class, create a relevant file (slide presentation, spreadsheet, etc..) and upload it into your class ahead of time. Finally, encourage your students to provide feedback after the class. The higher your ratings, the more future students you’ll get!

Thanks a lot, Chris, for letting me guest-post. I look forward to hearing everyone’s feedback and to seeing you all on Revoluminary!

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