Why Tutors Leave Wyzant
Wyzant connects tutors with students, but at a cost: 25% of every dollar you earn goes to the platform.
For a tutor charging $50/hour teaching 20 hours/week:
- Annual gross: $52,000
- Wyzant's cut: $13,000
- Over 5 years: $65,000 to Wyzant
That's a house down payment. That's retirement savings. That's your money.
The Challenge: Wyzant's Lock-In
Wyzant, like all platforms, creates dependency:
- Communication filtered — All messages go through their platform
- Payments controlled — Students pay Wyzant, not you
- Relationship owned — If you leave, connections stay behind
- Terms restrict — Soliciting off-platform technically violates TOS
But there's good news: you can transition ethically and legally.
Step 1: Build Your External Presence (Before Anything Else)
Before you transition a single student, create somewhere for them to find you:
Essential setup:
1. TutorBoost profile or simple website
2. Professional email (yourname@gmail.com is fine)
3. Booking system (Calendly, Cal.com — free)
4. Payment method (Venmo, Zelle, Stripe, PayPal)
Why this matters: When students Google your name, they should find YOU, not just your Wyzant profile.
Step 2: Deliver Exceptional Value (Always)
Students who love working with you will follow you anywhere. Students who see you as interchangeable won't.
Build loyalty through:
- Remembering personal details
- Going above and beyond
- Celebrating their successes
- Being reliable and professional
- Actually caring about their progress
Step 3: The Natural Transition
After building relationships and external presence, students often find you naturally:
- They Google your name
- They see your TutorBoost profile or website
- They reach out directly
This is the cleanest transition — they found you, you didn't solicit them.
Step 4: The Direct Conversation (When Appropriate)
For long-term students with strong relationships, you can have a direct conversation:
"I wanted to let you know I'm transitioning to teaching independently. I've really valued working with you, and I'd love to continue—at the same quality, often at better rates, with more scheduling flexibility. Would you be interested in continuing directly?"
Key points:
- Be honest and professional
- Don't badmouth Wyzant
- Make continuing easy
- Respect if they prefer to stay on platform
Step 5: Replace Wyzant's Student Flow
The biggest value Wyzant provides is finding students. You need to replace that:
Option A: TutorBoost (Easiest)
- We run Facebook/Instagram ads for you
- Students contact you directly
- No commission on lessons
- Keep the relationships forever
Option B: Your Own Marketing
- Social media presence
- Google ads
- Local networking
- School partnerships
- Referral program
Option C: Hybrid
- Keep a Wyzant presence for new students
- Run TutorBoost for direct student acquisition
- Transition Wyzant students to direct over time
The Numbers: Wyzant vs Independent
Scenario: $60/hour tutor, 20 hours/week
On Wyzant Forever
- Year 1: Keep $46,800 (Wyzant takes $15,600)
- Year 5: Keep $234,000 (Wyzant takes $78,000)
- Year 10: Keep $468,000 (Wyzant takes $156,000)
Transition to TutorBoost After Year 1
- Year 1: Keep $46,800 (Wyzant)
- Years 2-5: Keep ~$60,000/year (TutorBoost)
- Year 10 total kept: $526,800
10-year difference: $58,800 more in your pocket
What About New Students?
Wyzant is still valuable for one thing: visibility to new students. Consider:
Hybrid Strategy
1. Keep Wyzant profile active
2. Get initial students through Wyzant
3. Build relationships
4. Transition long-term students to direct
5. Run TutorBoost ads for net-new students
Over time, your Wyzant dependency decreases while income stays stable.
Common Concerns
"Won't Wyzant ban me?"
If you explicitly solicit on-platform, yes. But students finding you externally? That's just having an online presence.
"What if students don't follow?"
Some won't. That's okay. The ones who do are your most loyal. And TutorBoost/marketing replaces the ones who don't.
"I don't know how to do marketing."
That's exactly why TutorBoost exists. We handle the ads, you handle the teaching.
"What about payment processing?"
Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal are free for personal transactions. Stripe costs 2.9% (still way less than 25%).
Timeline for Transition
Month 1-2: Setup
- Create external presence
- Set up booking and payment
- Start TutorBoost profile and first ads
Month 3-4: Soft Transition
- Some students find you directly
- First TutorBoost students arrive
- Continue normal Wyzant teaching
Month 5-6: Active Transition
- Conversation with long-term students
- Reduce new Wyzant availability
- Scale TutorBoost ads
Month 7+: Independence
- Majority of students direct
- Wyzant becomes backup, not primary
- You own your business
Checklist: Ready to Leave Wyzant?
- [ ] External profile/website exists
- [ ] Google your name → you appear (not just Wyzant)
- [ ] Booking system set up
- [ ] Payment processing ready
- [ ] Marketing plan in place (TutorBoost or DIY)
- [ ] Emergency fund for transition period
- [ ] Long-term students identified for conversation
If you've checked all boxes, you're ready.
*Stop giving 25% to Wyzant. TutorBoost runs your ads and lets you pay no commission on lessons. [Start your transition →](/onboarding)*