How to Start a BAR Tutor Business

Part 1 - How to start a BAR Tutor business - Background

A BAR tutor business prepares law students for the BAR exam. They work with students in both private and classroom settings. Tutors teach strategies for answering multiple choice and essay questions as well as sharpen students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Bar Tutor business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening a bar tutor business?

Launching a BAR tutor business requires very little starting capital. Your most valuable business asset is your legal knowledge and test-taking skills. Your startup budget will also include current testing and study materials, a computer, business insurance, and marketing materials.

Many BAR tutors elect to manage their business from a home office. This will significantly reduce your startup and ongoing expenses. As a result, you could launch your new tutoring business with a $1,000-$2,000 budget.

What are the ongoing expenses for a bar tutor business?

Much like the startup costs, ongoing expenses are directly tied to your business structure. A home-based business significantly reduces overhead expenses, putting more profit in your wallet. Your monthly home-office budget will closely resemble the business’s startup costs. It should include testing materials, business insurance, website maintenance, travel expenses, marketing, and continuing education.

As the business grows and you start to take on employees, payroll will be a large part of your monthly budget. To reduce those costs, consider hiring instructors on a freelance basis.

Who is the target market?

Your target market is law students who are preparing to take the BAR exam. While diversity is the key to any successful business, your initial focus should be on helping students in your home state. You can always expand to other states as your brand gains traction in the legal community.

How does a bar tutor business make money?

Your BAR tutor business will make money by charging a fee for your test preparation services. Many test prep businesses offer one-on-one coaching sessions and packages. This ensures every student has a positive experience and is set up for success.

How much can you charge customers?

BAR tutor pricing varies depending on the location and business model. When creating your price sheet, take a look at what the competition is charging. Most tutors charge a minimum of $200/hour, with some charging an hourly rate as high as $400. Prices for classes and workshops with multiple attendees range from $40 to $100 per hour.

Consider offering various packages. For example, you could charge a flat hourly rate of $250 for private tutoring. If a student commits to at least two hours, you could reduce the rate to $200/hour. Students that sign up for 10, 20, or 30 hours could save even more.

How much profit can a bar tutor business make?

The test tutoring conglomerate is a billion dollar industry. It is a competitive and recession-proof business that is poised for significant growth in the years to come. Industry leaders report monthly earnings in excess of $15,000. If your monthly overhead expenses are $1,400, this comes out to a monthly profit of $13,600 or over $163,000 in annual profits.

How can you make your business more profitable?

BAR tutors seeking opportunities to increase profits should consider hiring employees with expertise in other standardized tests. You could also sell recorded webinars and ebooks covering subjects ranging from the BAR exam to how to manage a successful tutoring business.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at a bar tutor business?

As a BAR tutor, you’ll help your clients prepare for the BAR exam. While each day will look a little different, let’s look at what will be expected of you:

• Identify the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning style in order to develop a study strategy based on your assessment.

• Teach innovative strategies for answering multiple-choice questions.

• Provide new study and memorization techniques.

• Analyze your student’s writing and work with them on improving their writing skills.

• Provide clients with study tools and handouts that outline topics in ways that better prepare them for the test.

• Hold students accountable for the work they put in.

• Answer BAR-related questions.

• Help students create and adhere to a study schedule.

• Provide encouragement and instill confidence in each of your students.

• Provide one-on-one coaching sessions.

Additional duties include marketing, communicating with prospective clients, and networking. Since the BAR’s testing standards change frequently, you’ll want to dedicate part of your schedule to researching these changes and collaborating with colleagues.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful bar tutor business?

Most individuals entering this industry have a legal background. You should also be well versed in test-taking strategies, problem solving, writing, and critical thinking. Success in this field requires patience and the ability to communicate difficult concepts in a way that works for various types of learners.

The energy you bring to each session will directly impact your client’s ability to learn. It’s important that you bring positivity to each session and create a safe and engaging environment.

While not required, business owners are encouraged to join associations that focus on standardized test preparation, as well as bar associations. Memberships offer networking opportunities, as well as support in business and brand development. The Association of Test Prep, Admissions, and Private Tutoring and the National Test Prep Association focus on test prep. This comprehensive directory of bar associations can help you find all the associations in your state.

What is the growth potential for a bar tutor business?

To keep up with the ever-changing legal and regulatory changes, the BAR exam test creators are continually updating the exam. This, coupled with the fact that 26% of law school graduates fail the exam the first time, leaves many aspiring lawyers insecure about the testing process. They are looking to you for guidance and support.

Advances in technology have helped position BAR tutor businesses for nationwide growth. You’re no longer limited by time or space, as classes and tutoring sessions can take place online. If you do elect to expand your business outside your home state, it’s important that the instructor be fully versed in the specifics of that state’s exam.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a bar tutor business?

In the legal field, standards and laws change rapidly. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that you remain abreast of any and all changes. Spend time every day reading up on recent changes and finding innovative techniques that can help your students be better test takers.

While it is important to instill confidence in your students, be careful when making promises regarding test results. You can set a student up for success in every way, but if they don’t put in the work, they aren’t going to get their desired result. Instead, help students set goals and support them as they work to conquer them.

How and when to build a team

If your business goals include expansion, you’ll eventually want to hire new team members. Every employee should have the necessary skills and qualifications. Additionally, employees should share your passion for helping others conquer their professional goals.

Part 2 - Is a BAR Tutor business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your BAR Tutor business in 90 days