How to plan your next course or service

First, listen to what your clients are telling you

Your business is up and running, and you've had some initial success – fantastic! The best way to decide what comes next is to listen to the people you're already helping. Planning your next course or service is all about using client feedback and your own observations to find smart ways to expand, whether that’s by teaching a new subject, offering a one-off workshop, or catering to a different age group.

Step 1: Gather and Analyse Feedback

Your first group of students and their parents are a goldmine of information. Don't wait for them to come to you; actively ask for their thoughts. You can do this through informal chats after a session, or by sending a short, simple email survey.

Look for patterns in the answers to questions like:

• What topics do students consistently find the most difficult?
• Are there other subjects or skills they wish you offered?
• Would parents value a one-off ‘revision clinic’ before exams or a short holiday course?
• What was the best part of the service for them, and what was missing?

Step 2: Identify Your Growth Opportunities

Once you have some feedback, you can start brainstorming. Based on what you've heard and what you know you're good at, list some potential new offerings. It’s helpful to group them into categories:

• Go Deeper: Offer a more advanced course for students who have completed your initial programme. For example, moving from GCSE to A-Level tutoring.
• Go Broader: Introduce a new but related subject. If you teach creative writing, perhaps you could offer a course on public speaking.
• Offer Something Extra: Create supplementary services that solve a specific, short-term problem. Think about intense exam preparation workshops, university application support, or practical skills masterclasses.

Think about logical next steps. If you're successfully tutoring GCSE Maths, could you offer an A-Level course? If your adult learners love your coding basics class, could you run an advanced workshop on a specific programming language?

Step 3: Test the Waters Before You Dive In

Before you spend weeks developing a full 12-week course, test your best idea on a smaller scale. This saves you time and money if the idea doesn't take off as expected. A great way to do this is to offer a single, low-cost taster session or a two-hour workshop on the new topic. Announce it to your existing clients first. If the session fills up quickly and you get great feedback, that’s a strong signal that you should develop it into a full-blown course.

Step 4: Plan the Details

Once you’ve validated your idea, you can confidently start planning the specifics. This is the point where you'll begin to outline the curriculum, create the necessary teaching materials, and decide on a fair price for the new service. Thinking about these details will help you launch your new offering smoothly and successfully.