# Notes on running an online academy > Practical notes on running an online academy: scheduling across time zones, teaching, billing, payroll and keeping teachers reliable. URL: https://halqora.com/blog/page/5 Classroom ## [Share PDFs in online classes: annotation and copyright basics](https://halqora.com/blog/pdf-books-online-classes-copyright) Share PDFs you have permission to use, sync the student's page, and annotate in a separate layer. Check copyright and Quran-text terms before uploading. 21 Oct 2026 6 min read Reliability ## [Student attendance tracking for online classes](https://halqora.com/blog/student-attendance-tracking-online-classes) Track online attendance with confirmed class outcomes, cancellation notice and wait times. Use join logs as evidence for billing and reports. 21 Oct 2026 6 min read Scheduling ## [Tutor availability across time zones: Pakistan, Egypt and beyond](https://halqora.com/blog/teacher-availability-across-time-zones) Collect teacher availability in local IANA zones, then convert each date for families. Pakistan stays fixed; Egypt, the UK and New York change clocks. 21 Oct 2026 7 min read Billing ## [How to invoice families in different currencies](https://halqora.com/blog/invoice-families-in-different-currencies) Set prices per currency, invoice families in their payment currency, and check conversion and receiving fees before choosing how to collect. 21 Oct 2026 8 min read Software selection ## [Online tutoring software: classroom vs management tools](https://halqora.com/blog/online-tutoring-software-explained) Online tutoring software covers live classroom tools and business management tools for scheduling, billing, and payroll. You need both jobs covered. 21 Oct 2026 7 min read Payroll ## [Teacher late to online class policy: grace and deductions](https://halqora.com/blog/teacher-lateness-policy) Give teachers 2 minutes of grace, deduct 5% for 3 to 5 minutes late, then deduct per minute. Record outcomes and review patterns fairly. 21 Oct 2026 6 min read Business ## [Register a tutoring business: UK sole trader, Ltd or US LLC](https://halqora.com/blog/register-tutoring-business-uk-us) UK tutors register for Self Assessment above GBP 1,000 gross trading income. US tutors can start without an LLC; liability and tax rules differ. 21 Oct 2026 7 min read Classroom ## [Virtual classroom features checklist for one-to-one teaching](https://halqora.com/blog/virtual-classroom-features-checklist) Choose a browser classroom with reliable audio, a shared whiteboard, PDF page sync, annotation, teacher controls, and consent-based supervision. 21 Oct 2026 8 min read Reliability ## [Teacher absent? Substitutes, makeups and credits](https://halqora.com/blog/teacher-absent-substitute-cover) If a teacher misses class, offer a suitable substitute, a free makeup, or a credit or refund. Record the remedy so families are not charged twice. 21 Oct 2026 7 min read Scheduling ## [US–UK time difference in March: the clock-change gap weeks](https://halqora.com/blog/us-uk-clock-change-gap-weeks) New York is 4 hours behind London during US–UK clock-change gaps, instead of 5. See the March and October–November dates for 2026 and 2027. 21 Oct 2026 6 min read Billing ## [Invoice references that make bank transfers easy to match](https://halqora.com/blog/invoice-references-bank-transfers) Use a unique invoice number as the bank transfer reference. Keep the reference consistent, check the currency, and review ambiguous payments. 21 Oct 2026 5 min read Software selection ## [Switch tutoring software without losing student data](https://halqora.com/blog/move-academy-from-spreadsheets-to-software) Freeze an export, clean and import a copy, then run both systems for 1 billing month. Switch after invoices, schedules and teacher pay match. 21 Oct 2026 8 min read