Home Tuition

[woodbrains]

Getting back to the question: I would definitely employ a cabinet maker on a flexible part time basis to help me with my personal projects. I would not consider paying an hourly rate but I would pay a day rate. I would expect the person to have clear skills and be reasonably available enough to be useful. I would not pay for travelling time. I would not have any concerns about teaching qualifications, and they would need to sign an indemnity so that I am not responsible if they injure themselves.

Hello,

You would pay for travelling times, whether you realise it or not; it would be lumped into the daily rate with umpteen other costs such as insurance, that had nothing to do with the tuition, but need to be paid.

There could be no such indemnity if it pertained to a disclaimer. You cannot overrule anything legally binding such as health and safety issues. If the tutor damaged himself because something did not comply to H and S rules any 'indemnity' would be worthless. It would be equally true for the tutor expecting the indemnity to cover injuries to the student.

You are right about the daily rate rather than an hourly rate, though. I can't imagine it being less than about £250 per day, though.

Mike.

 

[AJB Temple]

Well - I already employ 50 people so I expect I would manage. This person is looking for a retirement / wind down role and I expect there are others like him. I trained as a lawyer so I imagine I could work out a viable self employed contract that covered my risk.

The point I was making is that there probably is a market for skilled older people to use their skills profitably as well as flexibly, and rather than putting up barriers, some of which are imaginary, we could adopt a different approach and find creative ways of working with older craftsmen.

 

[shed9]

I think this is being slightly derailed a tad, the question was about a retired guy looking to make a little extra and keep his hand in woodworking as a means to keep mentally active. This isn't a hard fast sink-or-swim business venture. Admittedly the OP claimed a need for extra income but given the original premise, this doesn't naturally equate to a large sum.

Perfectly achievable and practical, just depends on expectation of teacher and student.

 

[thegsey]

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[Terry - Somerset]

Providing this is a part hobby, part little extra income there may be some opportunities.

A school or college workshop assistant probably involves machine and tool maintenance and setting, guidance to students etc. Would not include principle teaching responsibility. You may need to be proactive in finding opportunities rather than waiting for job adverts to appear.

As a visit your home workshop enterprise the hourly rate charged would not be great - £7-10 ph. Distance and travel costs may be an issue. I think it is not just beginners who would benefit - personal tuition on sharpening, wood working process, setting up equipment, workshop layout, etc - may be of real use to those with only a few years experience. £50 for some good quality advice may save £'000s on inappropriate kit. Similarly a second pair of knowledgeable hands setting up a new machine may be worth paying for.

 

[Alexam]

Mrs C, perhaps your friend could consider offering his services to the education authority or sixth form college. Possibly they could run a woodworking course, or do at present. A skilled cabinett maker may well be welcomed on a part time basis, which may fill your friends need?

Malcolm

 

[Richard S]

Sorry please ignore, I failed to read some of the previous posts and this would have taken the thread further off course
Apologies and good luck to the op

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Interesting thread

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Home tuition for kids is a big thing and it happens all of the time. Let's be honest, most of this is cash in hand work. A lot of tutors go to the student's houses. When I say student - could be from 8 to 18 years old. Some students go to their tutor's houses for music lessons or similar. I know using a compass or a double bass isn't as dangerous as woodworking but I think this is what the OP was thinking about.

Surely an experienced cabinet maker can visit someones house with a knock down bench and a couple of boxes of handtools and teach woodwork without a minefield of legal paperwork. Make it clear that a few square metres of clear space and a solid floor will be needed or time to clear that space will come out of the lesson!

Make an attractive folding bench, little saw horses and toolboxes (no buckets, workmates or battered toolbags!) and you have a product that could sell (or sell the plans for £10) to get them quickly set up in their own home.

There was a very good post earlier about the demographic. Is this person living in a built up enough area to have enough customers? I would also look into community level sites such as Streetlife/Next Door to advertise in specific areas.

Cheeky question - if you are doing the research, how computer literate is the tutor? They might need to embrace forums and Facebook and the like to deal with and attract customers.

Good luck - I hope this all works out for your friend.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I'll bet a pound to a pinch there are no cash in hand piano lessons for kids, or extra maths, like there was years ago; this poster is clearly not living in the modern world. Home tutors for the school aged do exist, after they have had their CRB disclosure documents, liability insurance, etc, then it cannot be cash in hand, these things have to go through the books. I think OFSTED may be involved in certain instances too. Most of these tutors these days are head teachers and the like, who do the teaching in schools, and much is now done in registered premises on the high street; people must have noticed the proliferation of these businesses lately.

I think the notion that people can just do as they like for a few quid is no longer acceptable. It would be a huge risk visiting clients workshops with no insurance, if either party injured themselves, could we trust them not to sue for damages? Medical bills loss of earnings etc. all add up and people get nasty when they become out of pocket. Then here is the rub, insurance will become null and void if the workshop did not comply fully with H and S directives. Is the tutor going to insist the client has a fully compliant For instance, my workshop has a few old machines that have no motor brake. It is fine for me alone, even in a business environment, but as soon as someone else joins me, I am breaking the law. Is the tutor going to check if the client's workshop is H and S compliant, so he can take out insurance? You might do hand tool only tutoring, but that will limit appeal; how many home woodworkers at not going to want help with projects that use the TS or router etc. etc? It is not really doable IMO.

Oh and my personal annoyance from a comment here.....Home woodworkers who want tuition should pay the going rate and not expect a skilled and experienced craftsman to work for £35 a day or £7-10 per hour. Less than minimum wage folks and still expected to pay their own travel and expenses! It might be a hobby and done on a budget for some, but it is disgraceful that some think this knowledge should come cheap. We should value our craftsmen and it should start with those here.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Hello,

I'll bet a pound to a pinch there are no cash in hand piano lessons for kids, or extra maths, like there was years ago; this poster is clearly not living in the modern world. Home tutors for the school aged do exist, after they have had their CRB disclosure documents, liability insurance, etc, then it cannot be cash in hand, these things have to go through the books. I think OFSTED may be involved in certain instances too. Most of these tutors these days are head teachers and the like, who do the teaching in schools, and much is now done in registered premises on the high street; people must have noticed the proliferation of these businesses lately.

Cheeky - not in the real world!

I know many people who tutor from their own home. They have a constant stream of students and it's all cash in hand. Many many teachers go to students houses and do cash in hand tuition. The government were actually trying to clamp down on it a few years ago. The big tuition centres that you see near supermarkets etc are just the tip of the iceberg. Trust me - head teachers do not do tuition (most don't teach either).

Any way - tea break rant over!!

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Sorry, I didn't mean to be insulting, I just think that the idea that little Jenny pops round to the friendly old piano teachers house after school is from tales of yesteryear and Enid Blyton novels. Even in state schools, if a kid (jokingly if maliciously) claims a teacher hurt or touched them and all hell breaks out. Even trade unions give little support to the accused. I have heard many tales of the wrongly accused being suspended for months or years until their innocence was proved. Imagine that happening to someone without any safety nets? Anyone tutoring kids without CAB and insurance is playing a VERY foolish game indeed. Once you get legal, you are a business and have the usual overheads and costs.

You'll be surprised how many deputy heads and SMT from schools tutor and provide 11 plus coaching, it is widespread.

Not that tutoring minors has anything to do with the OP's question, but does illustrate the need to be legal.

Mike.