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twowheel
Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753
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 Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Jmbf wrote: |
| As a teacher, offering IELTS prep classes could work as a profitable side venture. But if you are looking at establishing a business, focusing purely on IELTS would be a mistake as the focus is too narrow IMHO. |
Indeed. I agree with you as this is exactly what I have in mind (forming a profitable side venture, but not looking to establish a full-blown business). I don't plan to quit my day job.
twowheel |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Cultural prep would be another one. Even just being aware of time zones i.e don't phone home at 2am China time or worse have mum phone you at 2am your time.
I thinks IELTS would be the killer app though. |
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Jmbf
Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:07 am Post subject: |
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| twowheel wrote: |
Indeed. I agree with you as this is exactly what I have in mind (forming a profitable side venture, but not looking to establish a full-blown business). I don't plan to quit my day job.
twowheel |
What would you do in the theoretical situation where the income from this side venture overtakes the income from your main job and in fact your main job was actually holding you back from taking your overall income to the next level? |
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twowheel
Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| Jmbf wrote: |
| twowheel wrote: |
Indeed. I agree with you as this is exactly what I have in mind (forming a profitable side venture, but not looking to establish a full-blown business). I don't plan to quit my day job.
twowheel |
What would you do in the theoretical situation where the income from this side venture overtakes the income from your main job and in fact your main job was actually holding you back from taking your overall income to the next level? |
Ah ah! Good point! I would need to think that one over beforehand.
Here in Our China, that is definitely a possibility. One would have to formulate a game plan in advance on how to proceed in case that were to happen.
twowheel |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Limited availability + high demand = price increase. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2017 6:24 am Post subject: |
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I am sort of up in the air about the question of only offering IELTS. I generally am a fan of laser marketing. It also really increases the prep work on a teacher to have to offer real "expertise" on many tests. I say start with the IELTS and branch out depending on conditions.
Even if this is side work, as you make yourself more visible, you risk unwanted attention from your visa provider and the authorities. Any licensed Chinese schools that you are in competition with will do their utmost to stomp you out in the most Machiavellian manner.
I guess the other question to ask is if you do it on the ground are you willing to commit long term to where you are now? It takes time and effort to lift off a business, and can be painful to walk away from once it is earning a good penny.
Obviously, I am a fan of online ESL. Chines parents adore it as no travel time wasted. You may want to consider a hybrid approach of marketing locally and taking students face-to-face and on the Internet. The Net gives you a thin layer of protection from not being seen as a local non-authorized school. There is some affordable group classroom software services now that opens up possibilities for major income. Charge them 50 each for a group class and make more on numbers. It certainly is not going to offer the students the same quality as one-to-one IELTS tutoring, but I am sure it will help them infinitely more than the IELTS cram schools that are the norm.
You really should try to visit one of those and ask if you can observe the classes. The two times I did the schools were quite honored (LOL), so try not to laugh too hard at what goes on in the classroom. |
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twowheel
Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2017 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
I am sort of up in the air about the question of only offering IELTS. I generally am a fan of laser marketing. It also really increases the prep work on a teacher to have to offer real "expertise" on many tests. I say start with the IELTS and branch out depending on conditions.
Even if this is side work, as you make yourself more visible, you risk unwanted attention from your visa provider and the authorities. Any licensed Chinese schools that you are in competition with will do their utmost to stomp you out in the most Machiavellian manner.
I guess the other question to ask is if you do it on the ground are you willing to commit long term to where you are now? It takes time and effort to lift off a business, and can be painful to walk away from once it is earning a good penny.
Obviously, I am a fan of online ESL. Chines parents adore it as no travel time wasted. You may want to consider a hybrid approach of marketing locally and taking students face-to-face and on the Internet. The Net gives you a thin layer of protection from not being seen as a local non-authorized school. There is some affordable group classroom software services now that opens up possibilities for major income. Charge them 50 each for a group class and make more on numbers. It certainly is not going to offer the students the same quality as one-to-one IELTS tutoring, but I am sure it will help them infinitely more than the IELTS cram schools that are the norm.
You really should try to visit one of those and ask if you can observe the classes. The two times I did the schools were quite honored (LOL), so try not to laugh too hard at what goes on in the classroom. |
+1
These are excellent points to take into consideration for setting up such an endeavor.
I am at square one with this and am at least a year away from getting such prospects off the ground, so I am thankful for the excellent advice given here regarding this. Naturally, there is a lot to consider.
twowheel |
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Jmbf
Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:02 am Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
| There is some affordable group classroom software services now that opens up possibilities for major income. Charge them 50 each for a group class and make more on numbers. |
I agree with most of your post but I'm uncertain on this point. Group lessons can be very lucrative but you have to set them up correctly. At a rate of 50 RMB per head, you would need a class of 6 just to get to 300 RMB per hour (the minimum rate for a 1-1 class). Group lessons are hard to form (especially in larger numbers) and take time to arrange. What would you do if you only had a group of 2 or 3? Work for 100 - 150 RMB / hr until your numbers pick up? That could take a while. Or wait until you have an entire group of 6 ready to go? That could also take a while (and in the meantime people could get tired of waiting and leave).
In order to make group lessons really worthwhile (over 1-1's) you would need to charge more per head, 75 - 100 RMB each at a minimum I would think. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2017 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Jmbf wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
| There is some affordable group classroom software services now that opens up possibilities for major income. Charge them 50 each for a group class and make more on numbers. |
I agree with most of your post but I'm uncertain on this point. Group lessons can be very lucrative but you have to set them up correctly. At a rate of 50 RMB per head, you would need a class of 6 just to get to 300 RMB per hour (the minimum rate for a 1-1 class). Group lessons are hard to form (especially in larger numbers) and take time to arrange. What would you do if you only had a group of 2 or 3? Work for 100 - 150 RMB / hr until your numbers pick up? That could take a while. Or wait until you have an entire group of 6 ready to go? That could also take a while (and in the meantime people could get tired of waiting and leave).
In order to make group lessons really worthwhile (over 1-1's) you would need to charge more per head, 75 - 100 RMB each at a minimum I would think. |
Yes, this is a very valid point.
I didn't want to go into detail too much, but group classes are really best brought into the mix once you have some word of mouth going and a base of students. |
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