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| How much do you charge your privates? |
| Y1,000-Y2,000 |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Y2,000-Y3,000 |
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16% |
[ 1 ] |
| Y3,000-Y4,000 |
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50% |
[ 3 ] |
| Y4,000-Y5,000 |
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33% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 6 |
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torentosan
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 54
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 Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 6:40 pm Post subject: What do you charge your privates? |
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| Also, does anyone know of an agency or website that helps you find privates? |
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thomthom
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Personally, I charge only 2000 if they come to my station, 2500 if it's 5-10 minutes on the subway, and 3000 if it's further. This is quite cheap but I think it's reasonable for a general conversation class. You might want to try to get away with whatever you can charge, obviously, but I think anything over 3500 an hour is excessive if it's just an open conversation lesson with no preparation on the teacher's part - I want my students to keep coming back for more lessons. However, I do charge more if they want a serious lesson with material (eg. TOEIC, IELTS). |
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thomthom
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Hello-Sensei is probably the largest and most well known site to use. I'd be interested to know of any others myself. Regarding pricing, through Hello-Sensei I receive maybe one new email a week from a prospective student with my prices set at 2500 a lesson. I'd imagine I'd receive fewer requests if my prices were set any higher.. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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This isn't just directed at you, thomthom. This is aimed at all the guys who think ¥4,000 / hour is an unattainable dream. You guys really need to wise up!
If you're desperate to pull in as many students as possible as soon as possible then, sure, charge rock bottom prices. But otherwise, ¥2-3000 per lesson means you're just leaving money on the table.
Sharpen up your image and specialise. |
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thomthom
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:10 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| This is aimed at all the guys who think ¥4,000 / hour is an unattainable dream. You guys really need to wise up! |
I'm sure it is possible to advertise yourself as a serious teaching professional, wear a tie, teach a fully planned and formal lesson, and receive ¥4000, perhaps more. But most teachers will be teaching a partially or totally unplanned open conversation class, wearing a tshirt, and doing so after they've already finished a day at their job. The question is do you actually have the time, energy, and inclination to make that extra ¥1000.
If you do actually make ¥4,000 or more just from informal unplanned classes, I'd like to know where and how you advertise your lessons! |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 6:07 am Post subject: |
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| thomthom wrote: |
| Pitarou wrote: |
| This is aimed at all the guys who think ¥4,000 / hour is an unattainable dream. You guys really need to wise up! |
I'm sure it is possible to advertise yourself as a serious teaching professional, wear a tie, teach a fully planned and formal lesson, and receive ¥4000, perhaps more. But most teachers will be teaching a partially or totally unplanned open conversation class, wearing a tshirt, and doing so after they've already finished a day at their job. The question is do you actually have the time, energy, and inclination to make that extra ¥1000.
If you do actually make ¥4,000 or more just from informal unplanned classes, I'd like to know where and how you advertise your lessons! |
I'd rather keep my finances opaque, but suffice to say that I think you'd be amazed at what is possible with just a little targeted self-promotion.
I've had a look at some of the on-line job-posting fora. A lot of teachers sell themselves with holiday snaps, or a blurry mobile-phone shots of themselves chilling out in a cafe. Well, fine, if that's what you wanna do. But if I offered you a 1000 to change into a shirt and tie, would you do it?
You asked where I advertise my lessons. oshierumanaberu.net are good. It's a pain in the ass to sign up, but that's the point. It screens out the less "serious" teachers. I also get classes through word of mouth and contacts. I don't market myself seriously because, right now, I have other things I need to concentrate on.
The main trick is to specialise. You're not an English Conversation teacher. You coach students through entrance exams for High Schools with Advanced English progrms, or you teach English for hydraulic engineers, or whatever. Find the students who have a clear need, and make yourself the go-to guy for them.
This is what you want your customers to think: "I have a specific goal, and I really, really need to succeed. Do I spend x yen per lesson on a generalist who might be good, or might be hopeless? Or do I spend y yen per lesson on a guy who looks like he's done this thing many times before. Well, y - x is a lot of money, but I'd kick myself if I failed just because I opted for the cheap English teacher." |
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1983rm
Joined: 03 Dec 2013
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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Without meaning any offence to anyone, I did a few 2000/2500 yen private classes when I first arrived, then once I'd settled into a job they just weren't worth the extra effort - plus I don't like just sitting there talking breeze about the usual chatter about "cultural differences"
I've thought about doing some private classes for pocket money but it'd have to be 3500/4000 as a minimum, and I'd think about getting the cash upfront as I found too often privates will cancel at a late stage.
What I've done with one and working on others still, is changing it from a private class into a language exchange, might as well get some Japanese practise rather than 2000 yen in my eyes |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| 1983rm wrote: |
| I've thought about doing some private classes for pocket money but it'd have to be 3500/4000 as a minimum, and I'd think about getting the cash upfront as I found too often privates will cancel at a late stage. |
I'll be interested to see how charging up-front works. That's roughly what the eikaiwa gakkou do, but they usually offer "catch up classes" for students who can't make it to the regular lessons.
In my experience, if you charge more you might find that charging up-front becomes less necessary. The students who pay more take their English classes much more seriously. |
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1983rm
Joined: 03 Dec 2013
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 11:19 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| 1983rm wrote: |
| I've thought about doing some private classes for pocket money but it'd have to be 3500/4000 as a minimum, and I'd think about getting the cash upfront as I found too often privates will cancel at a late stage. |
I'll be interested to see how charging up-front works. That's roughly what the eikaiwa gakkou do, but they usually offer "catch up classes" for students who can't make it to the regular lessons.
In my experience, if you charge more you might find that charging up-front becomes less necessary. The students who pay more take their English classes much more seriously. |
I haven't rolled it out yet to be honest just what's going through my mind. Does seem that it's a buyers market out there. Kinda think that people charging dead low cheapens the whole business though, I used to get twice what you'd get here in the UK if I did a private. I don't know who bothers to do a class at 2000 yen, not that I'm gonna judge anyone mind. Think it's students and so on? |
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