To overcome the challenges the pandemic brought them and to help adapt to the new normal in terms of education, three graduates from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Family Life and Child Development started Tutor Lab Manila, an online tutoring hub.
Before the pandemic, Francesca, Samantha, and Paulina were all employed. However, the lockdown significantly decreased the working hours of Samantha and Paulina.
Francesca’s case was different. She had to resign from her ESL teaching job due to stress. “So, I decided to leave that job and create something that I would be happy and fulfilled with, and that’s when I thought of building Tutor Lab,” she shared.
Image: Facebook/Tutor Lab Manila
She then reached out to Samantha and Paulina, who were both her batchmates in college.
“We shared the same amount of passion for the business,” Francesca said.
Adjusting to the new normal
According to Francesca, the idea behind the Tutor Lab is to help children and parents adjust to the new normal.
“Lots of children, especially preschoolers, decided not to enroll in actual online classes. Some parents opted to have one-on-ones instead, and that’s what we built this for—as an alternate and supplementary learning scheme for families, at the comfort of their own homes,” she added.
They also thought of teachers and tutors who might be in the same situation with them, and those who might be struggling even more so. She said that they wanted to give these teachers side hustle opportunities while providing quality service to their clients.
Image: Facebook/Tutor Lab Manila
“We believe this is what sets us apart—ours is a response-based company to all those involved, both tutors and clients,” Francesca said.
She added that they strive to keep their processes as hassle-free, as possible, given that parents and guardians are also preoccupied with their own work.
They initially spent P3,000 for their business which they used for business registration, consultation, drafting, and notarization of legal documents.
The trio built everything from scratch, spending days and nights of writing policies, services, operation manuals, tutor handbooks, and session routines.
For fellow entrepreneurs, the Tutor Lab Manila founders have this advice—act on your ideas and execute your solutions.
“We live in a fast-paced world and thus, learn to adapt to it,” Francesca said.
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