March 2020: lockdown announced. My in-person IELTS tutoring business needed to become a fully remote learning platform by Monday morning. No pressure.
The challenge
COVID forced immediate changes:
- Lessons had to go online
- Payments had to be digital
- Materials had to be delivered remotely
- Student progress tracking had to be automated
- Compliance requirements for online education changed
I had a weekend to figure it out or lose all my students.
What I built from scratch
1. Rapid platform development
Weekend sprint approach:
- Friday night: researched learning and payment systems
- Saturday: set up video conferencing and payment gateways
- Sunday: built course materials and portals
- Monday: launched with existing students
Core components:
- Video lesson delivery
- Automated scheduling & booking
- Digital resource library
- Student progress tracking
- Automated reminders & follow-ups
2. Financial automation
Needed full restructuring:
- Automated enrollment and payments
- Invoicing and payroll
- Compliance reporting
- Refund and dispute handling
Result: 20% reduction in operational costs.
3. Scaling the remote team
- Standardized training materials
- Quality control processes
- Automated scheduling across time zones
- Performance tracking and feedback systems
The numbers
- £20,000 revenue in the first year
- 10% annual growth
- 20% cost reduction through automation
- 95% student retention during transition
Tech stack
- Google Workspace integration
- Automated booking and calendar tools
- Digital resource distribution
- Payment integration and compliance tools
What made this work
- Speed over perfection: launch first, refine later
- Student-first approach: focus on outcomes and experience
- Automation where it mattered: admin automated, teaching human-centred
Long-term impact
The platform became more successful than the in-person model:
- International reach
- Higher IELTS score outcomes
- Scalable and location-independent
Lessons learned
- Crisis accelerates innovation
- Automation enables scaling
- Students care about outcomes, not delivery method