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8balldeluxe
Joined: 03 Jun 2009
Posts: 64
Location: vietnam
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 Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:57 pm Post subject: How to set up private classes? |
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| Where to get students? Is it viable? Is it real? Who is making a living on this? How can I? |
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just noel
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 168
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:12 pm Post subject: Re: How to set up private classes? |
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| 8balldeluxe wrote: |
| Where to get students? Is it viable? Is it real? Who is making a living on this? How can I? |
I presume you are in Saigon or Hanoi like most instructors.
I have privates, and know people that do.
It seems to be word of mouth. Provide a good service and get a good name out and you'll be busy, and possibly turning down classes / privates b/c you're so busy.
Many students and parents are now setting up groups for small classes, by-passing the middle-man school and paying the teacher directly.
If you choose to teach at a room at your home, get the basics: white boards, suitable tables/desks, CD player and other technology.
Price is important: note the pooling cost of each student per hour and keep it reasonable. If you add all of the students hourly cost for your lessons you do well.
I know a couple folks in Hanoi and Saigon who are exclusively doing private classes and one-on-ones. |
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LarueLarry
Joined: 05 Jul 2013
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:58 am Post subject: Re: How to set up private classes? |
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| just noel wrote: |
If you choose to teach at a room at your home, get the basics: white boards, suitable tables/desks, CD player and other technology.
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Be careful teaching out of your house as you could get fined if your nosy neighbors call the cops. I avoid it because of this.
I also don't put together classes myself. I wait for groups of students who organize themselves, that way they can pay together and I don't have to collect money from each individual. If one of them is short one month, they can deal with it and cover each other.
Get money up front or at least on a weekly basis.
Privates are a good way to pad the income, but wouldn't want to rely on it for my sole source of income. Too much work, lack of resources that schools (usually) provide, and students can be flaky. |
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ExpatLuke
Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:06 am Post subject: Re: How to set up private classes? |
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| 8balldeluxe wrote: |
| Where to get students? Is it viable? Is it real? Who is making a living on this? How can I? |
If you can find out who's in charge of your district or ward... offer him or his children lessons and you'll never have to worry about the police showing up at your door. I know a guy who does that here, and the guy actually helps him by recommending more students. The only time the police have come to his door is to ask for lessons for their children. |
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TRH
Joined: 27 Oct 2011
Posts: 340
Location: Hawaii
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 2:26 am Post subject: |
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I live in a medium sized apartment house with about 300 units, and I think I could make a fair living without taking a single student from outside the building. Most of my neighbors are middle class white-collar workers, which is an ideal demographic. I am currently teaching three students, twice a week. I have had several more ask but I really have enough to do at my regular job. There is someone else in the building, presumably Vietnamese, who put a flyer written in Vietnamese under every door. They had a regular morning and afternoon schedule. I may have my wife call surreptitiously and inquire as to how full the classes are.
Managed properly, I really do think you could have as much work as you like. I have thought about doing only private lessons after "retiring." Luke's suggestion for staying out of trouble with the police is very true. Once when my wife was getting something stamped at the ward station, the policewoman there asked if she could take private lessons herself. If you are married to a VN citizen, the two of you could set up a corporation of some sort, and then establish yourself as the only employee. If done properly this could make you eligible for a work permit and residency card, but you would need the assistance of a local lawyer. The other downside of doing it legally could be that you would end up paying some taxes. |
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just noel
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 168
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:40 pm Post subject: Re: How to set up private classes? |
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| LarueLarry wrote: |
| just noel wrote: |
If you choose to teach at a room at your home, get the basics: white boards, suitable tables/desks, CD player and other technology.
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I also don't put together classes myself. I wait for groups of students who organize themselves, that way they can pay together and I don't have to collect money from each individual. If one of them is short one month, they can deal with it and cover each other.
Get money up front or at least on a weekly basis. |
I didn't give enough info in the beginning.
Yes, I have the groups organize themselves - let them do the work - they are better at it than us and more efficient. They are the learners after all.
Also, I collect pay as a group and not fro individuals.
Almost all pay after each lesson, but a couple of trusted ones pay every 4 lessons. That said, it's better and always safer to professionally ask for pay after each lesson. If each student pays a certain amount, it's not much on their end of things.
Privates can work. Deliver a good quality product and word of mouth will work wonders for you. |
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