Online mandarin tutor

Adult learners, university students, parents of school-age children, and professionals who travel or work with Chinese-speaking clients.

An hourly rate per lesson, often with discounts when students buy a block of lessons upfront. Regular weekly students give steady income.

• Fluent Mandarin and good English
• Patience and clear explanations
• Lesson planning
• Comfortable with video calls and online tools

• Check whether you need to register a sole proprietorship with your province and a Business Number for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Consider whether a teaching qualification or certificate is expected by your students, even if not legally required
• Tutoring platforms usually take a commission, so check their fees and terms
• If you teach under-18s, check whether parents expect a police record check
• Time zones and cancellations can disrupt income, so set a clear cancellation policy

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $100 to $800, depending on your equipment, teaching materials and any platform or registration costs. Tutoring platforms usually take a commission, so check their fees and terms.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $400 to $3,000, depending on how many hours you teach and your students. Many tutors start at about 5 hours a week. Time zones and cancellations can disrupt income.

Check whether to register a sole proprietorship with your province, and a Business Number for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold. Also check home-based business licences, whether students expect a teaching qualification, and police record checks for under-18s.