If you want to make some extra cash, try working as a private English tutor. You just need a few books, some knowledge and a quiet place to do it. It could be in your home or in your students' home.

Before you get started, take a look at what other private tutors are doing. Look at other people's ads, check how much they charge and what they offer. Try to find out their level of experience and decide whether you can charge the same rate as them; you might want to charge more or less than the competition depending on how much experience you have. Also check whether others have a cancellation policy. Think about whether you'll ask students to pay one month in advance or pay each lesson separately. If they pay a month in advance, will you refund any lessons that are cancelled? You might decide to refund if they give you sufficient notice and/or have a very good reason for the cancellation. You might want to charge a different rate depending on whether the students come to your home or whether you go to theirs. Remember: going to a student's home will take time. If you find 2 or 3 people who want to study the same subject, you could charge a special group rate instead of the individual rate. Think about these things before placing your ad.

Once you've decided what to put in your ad, you need to get it visible. You can place it in your local library, newsagent, or on specialist websites. Anywhere people might look for info about your chosen subject.

When students first call you to fix a date for a lesson, remember to ask if they know what their level is. Ask them if they've studied the subject before. If they have, ask them the level of the material they were using previously and whether they found it difficult. This will help you get an idea of their level before you start and will help you choose the book you use with them in class.

If potential students say they know absolutely nothing, you can look for beginner's material and work on that. I suggest you take a book out of the library or look for free material on the internet before buying a book. Often students say they know nothing when really they do have some knowledge of the subject. Once you're sure of their level, then you can choose a course book to work with.

Lucy Pollard has worked in TEFL for over 18 years. She has worked as a teacher, teacher trainer and school manager in France, Spain, Turkey and Poland. She has taught children and teenagers as well as general English and business English to adults. She has also helped many teachers develop new skills.

You can follow Lucy on http://newteflteacher.com/blog/

You can buy Lucy's guide to teaching English at http://newteflteacher.com/