Complete User Guide

Installation (App Mode)

For the best experience, you can install this platform as an app on your computer or phone:

1. Open the Dashboard in Chrome or Edge.
2. Wait for the "Install App" button to appear in the top-right corner.
3. Click it to install the standalone version.

Dashboard Overview

Your dashboard provides real-time insights into your tutoring business:

• Active Students: Total number of current students
• Hours This Month: Total teaching hours completed this month
• Next Session: Your upcoming scheduled lesson
• Projected Income: Forecast of your earnings for the next 30 days based on scheduled sessions
• Recent Activity: Timeline of recent sessions, payments, and communications

Adding a New Student

Navigate to Students → Add New. Enter the student's name and the parent's email address. The default hourly rate will be applied automatically but can be overridden.

Recurring Schedule Setup

Set up automatic session generation for each student:

• Add Recurring Slots: Click "Add Slot" to create recurring patterns
• Day & Time: Select which day of the week and time sessions occur
• Frequency: Choose Weekly, Fortnightly, 3-Weekly, or 4-Weekly sessions
• Duration: Set session length (default 60 minutes)

Digital Contract Signing

When a student is created, a Welcome Email is sent automatically containing a unique contract signing link.

• The parent receives an email with your full terms and a digital signing link
• They review the contract and sign online — no email replies needed
• Once signed, the student's contract status updates automatically
• Both the parent and you receive confirmation emails
• The amber warning icon disappears once signed
• Resend Contract: Use the blue contract icon button to resend with a fresh signing link if needed
• Signing links expire after 90 days for security

Rate Changes & Contract Updates

When you change a student's hourly rate:

• System detects the rate change and offers to resend the contract
• If you choose "Yes", the contract is automatically emailed with updated pricing
• Contract status resets to "Unsigned" until parent signs the updated contract

Prepaid Wallet System

Parents can prepay for multiple sessions. To add funds:

• Open the student's profile
• Click "Add Funds" in the Prepaid Balance section
• Enter the amount and confirm
• All transactions are recorded with timestamps

When logging sessions, you can choose to deduct payment from the wallet balance.

Student History & Reports

View comprehensive session history for each student:

• Open a student's profile and navigate to the History tab
• Filter by date range (defaults to current month)
• View all sessions, payments, and transaction details
• Click any session to edit or view details

Student Status Management

Students can be marked as "Active" or "Archived". Archived students are hidden from the main list but their data is preserved.

Deleting Students

When you delete a student, the system performs a complete cleanup:

• All sessions are permanently deleted
• All wallet transactions are removed
• Student profile is permanently erased
• Warning: This action cannot be undone

Bulk Communication

Send emails to all active parents at once:

• Go to Students → Click the envelope icon
• Compose your message and subject
• Click "Send Broadcast" to reach all parents
• Rate-limited to 2 emails per second for reliability
• Confirmation shows how many recipients received the message

Logging a New Session

Use the "Log Session" button on the dashboard. Required fields:

• Student: Select from your active students
• Date & Time: When the session occurred
• Duration: Length in minutes
• Rate: Hourly rate (auto-filled from student profile)
• Status: Scheduled, Unpaid, Paid, or Cancelled
• Notes: Optional session details

Session Status Types

• Scheduled: Future sessions that haven't happened yet (auto-generated or manual)
• Unpaid: Completed sessions awaiting payment
• Paid: Completed and paid sessions (receipts sent automatically)
• Cancelled: Sessions that didn't take place

Automated Session Generation

The system automatically generates future sessions based on student schedules:

• Rolling 8-Week Window: Sessions are created up to 56 days in advance
• Smart Duplicate Prevention: System won't recreate sessions you've moved or edited
• Daily Auto-Generation: Runs when you log in (if 24+ hours since last run)
• Weekly Scheduler: Cloud function runs every Sunday at 3am to generate sessions
• Status Notifications: Get toast notifications showing how many sessions were created

Wallet Payment Options

When marking a session as "Paid", you have two payment methods:

• Direct Payment: Standard payment outside the wallet system
• Wallet Payment: Automatically deducts from student's prepaid balance
• System shows available balance and warns if insufficient funds
• Partial/negative balance payments can be authorized with confirmation

Quick Confirm Feature

For efficiency, click any "Scheduled" session in the Recent Activity list to open the Quick Confirm popup. This allows you to:

• Mark a lesson as completed and paid in one click
• Automatically deduct from prepaid wallet if available
• Add session notes
• Send payment receipts instantly

Editing & Deleting Sessions

To modify a session:

• Click on any session in the Recent Activity list
• Make your changes and click "Update Session"
• Use the "Delete" button to remove sessions (permanent action)

Late Cancellations & Fees

If you mark a session as "Cancelled" within 24 hours of its start time, the system will prompt you to apply a late cancellation fee:

• Automatic Detection: System calculates time until session starts
• Configurable Fee: Set your percentage (0-100%) in Settings
• Wallet Deduction: Fee automatically deducted from student's prepaid balance
• Smart Confirmation: Shows exact fee amount before applying
• Automatic Receipts: Parents receive email notification of the cancellation charge

Copy Session Summary

Quickly create shareable session summaries:

• Open any session in edit mode
• Click the "Copy Summary" button
• Pre-formatted text is copied to clipboard
• Includes student name, date, duration, cost, and notes
• Perfect for quick parent updates

Prepaid Wallet System

The wallet system allows parents to prepay for sessions:

• Add Funds: Credit money to a student's account (recorded as transactions)
• Automatic Deduction: Sessions can be paid using wallet balance with atomic operations
• Partial Payments: System handles insufficient balance scenarios with confirmations
• Balance Tracking: Real-time balance display in student profiles
• Receipts: Automatic receipts show wallet deductions and current balance
• Top-Up History: Track when funds were added with timestamps

Transaction Tracking

All financial transactions are automatically recorded:

• Session payments (direct or wallet)
• Wallet top-ups (credits)
• Late cancellation fees
• Refunds and manual adjustments
• Each transaction includes timestamp, amount, type, and related session reference

Payment Receipts

Professional payment receipts are sent automatically:

• Automatic Triggers: Sent when sessions are marked as "Paid"
• Detailed Breakdown: Shows session date, duration, rate, and total
• Wallet Integration: Displays payment method and remaining balance
• Professional Format: Branded HTML emails with tutor information
• Email Retry Logic: 3 automatic retry attempts with smart delay for reliability

Expense Management

Track all business expenses:

• Categories: Software, Travel, Equipment, Marketing, Tax/Admin, Other
• Receipt Upload: Attach digital receipts for record-keeping
• Recurring Expenses: Set up weekly, monthly, or yearly recurring costs
• Expense Reports: View and manage all expenses in one place

Other Income

Log additional revenue streams:

• Resource sales
• Consultation fees
• One-off payments
• Any other business income

Analytics Dashboard

The Reports section provides comprehensive business insights:

• Revenue: Total income over selected period
• Hours Taught: Total teaching hours
• Pending Pay: Outstanding payments
• Net Profit: Revenue minus expenses
• Projected Income: Next 30 days forecast

Visual Charts

• Revenue Trend: Line chart showing income over time with interactive tooltips
• Student Split: Pie chart of revenue by student to identify top contributors
• Time Period Selection: View data for 30 days, 3 months, or 1 year
• Real-Time Updates: Charts refresh automatically when new data is added

Projected Income

See your expected revenue for the next 30 days:

• Based on all "Scheduled" sessions in the next month
• Helps with financial planning and forecasting
• Updates automatically as sessions are created or modified

Activity Filtering

The Recent Activity list can be filtered:

• All Students: View sessions from all your students
• By Student: Filter to see one student's sessions only
• Quickly identify pending payments or upcoming sessions

Data Export for Taxes

Go to Settings → Export Data to download comprehensive reports:

• CSV Format: Compatible with Excel, Google Sheets, and accounting software
• Tax Year Selection: Quick selection for UK tax years (April-April)
• Custom Date Ranges: Export any specific period you need
• Complete Financial History: Includes:
• All sessions with dates, durations, rates, and amounts
• Transaction ledger with wallet operations
• Business expenses with categories and receipts
• Other income sources
• Monthly breakdown summaries
• Composite Index Optimization: Fast exports even with thousands of records

Profile Settings

• Display Name: How you appear in the system
• Phone Number: Contact information
• Default Rate: Your standard hourly rate

Cancellation Policy

Configure automatic late cancellation fees:

• Enable Policy: Turn on/off automatic fee application
• Fee Percentage: Set the penalty percentage (0-100%)
• Automatic Application: Fees applied when cancelling within 24 hours

Email Preferences

• Welcome Emails: Automatically send contracts to new students (can be disabled)
• Receipts: Automatic payment confirmations with detailed breakdowns
• Low Balance Alerts: Parents are automatically emailed when their wallet balance drops below the cost of the next lesson
• Cancellation Notifications: Parents receive automatic email notifications when a session is cancelled
• Broadcast Communications: Mass emails to all parents (rate-limited)
• Contract Resending: Manual and automatic contract resend when rates change
• Email Reliability: Built-in retry logic ensures delivery

Automated Email Summaries

Receive regular business performance reports automatically:

• Weekly Summary: Every Monday at 9am with previous week's statistics
• Monthly Summary: First day of each month with full monthly breakdown
• Tax Year Summary: April 6th each year with full annual report
• Metrics Included: Revenue, expenses, net profit, hours taught, and session count

Data Management

All your data is securely stored and backed up. Export options include:

• Complete financial records
• Student information
• Session history
• Tax-ready reports

Boost your productivity with keyboard shortcuts:

Data Security

Your data is protected with enterprise-grade security:

• Encrypted Storage: All data encrypted at rest and in transit
• Secure Authentication: Firebase Auth with multi-factor options
• Automatic Backups: Daily backups of all your data
• Access Control: You control who can access your account

Email Communications

All emails are sent securely and include:

• Professional branding with tutor name
• Payment receipts with transaction details
• Contract agreements with clear terms
• Session confirmations and summaries
• Rate Limiting: 2 emails per batch with 1.1-second delays (Resend compliance)
• Retry Logic: Failed emails automatically retry 3 times with smart delays
• Error Detection: System identifies permanent failures vs temporary issues

Firestore Security Rules

Database access is protected by comprehensive security rules:

• Tutors can only access their own data
• Admins have elevated permissions for management tasks
• All Cloud Functions validate user permissions before execution
• Input validation prevents malicious data injection

Performance & Reliability

• Composite Indexes: Optimized Firestore queries for fast data retrieval
• Atomic Transactions: Wallet operations prevent race conditions
• Session Storage Caching: Reduced database reads with smart caching
• Loading States: Skeleton screens and spinners for better UX
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error messages and user feedback

Data Export

You maintain full control of your data:

• Export all data at any time
• GDPR compliant data handling
• Account deletion available on request

Common Issues

• Can't install app: Ensure you're using Chrome/Edge and HTTPS connection
• Emails not sending: Check internet connection and spam folder
• Charts not loading: Enable JavaScript in browser settings
• Data not saving: Verify internet connection and retry
• Sessions recreating after moving: Fixed! System now detects moved sessions
• Wallet double deductions: Fixed! Atomic transactions prevent this
• Student creation failing: Ensure valid email format and all required fields

Best Practices

• Set Up Schedules: Configure recurring schedules for automatic session generation
• Use Quick Confirm: Fastest way to mark scheduled sessions as paid
• Enable Wallet: Encourage parents to prepay for smoother cash flow
• Regular Exports: Export data monthly for backup and accounting
• Monitor Projected Income: Use forecasting for financial planning
• Archive Old Students: Keep active list manageable without deleting data
• Review Automated Emails: Check spam folders initially to ensure delivery

Performance Tips

• Use activity filtering to focus on specific students
• Clear browser cache if experiencing slow loading
• Leverage keyboard shortcuts for faster workflow
• Use date range filters in reports for targeted analysis

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

• Check this guide first
• Contact support via email: admin@jcolliertutoring.com
• Include screenshots and error messages when reporting issues