Job Discussion Forums

[BritishEnglish]

Well I'd like to think I was an experienced teacher (what with over 3 years of teaching an all) but I don't know about the rest of you but you get to that point where working for eikawa (I worked for NOVA for 2 years and 10 months) and then relocating to Mexico to another conversation School (Wall Street) that it all suddenly becomes unfulfilling.
So I have now been thinking "Why should I work for others when I can work for myself" so my question being I'm thinking of starting an English school in Japan probably in the Nagoya area (as that's where I lived and still have contacts and potential students) but being pretty naieve I have no idea what hurdles I have to jump, rules and laws I have to follow and basically the whole caboodle.
I would appreciate any advice anybody could give me regarding this type of endeavour.
The Man in Mexico

[JimDunlop2]

Simple. Unless you have a Japanese spouse, you will have to come on a business visa. Anyone can do it -- but you have to prove capability of supporting yourself. 5,000,000 yen is the magic number (what I've been told by a foreign businessman). Most people borrow the money -- but nevertheless you will have to prove that you have it to the government.

The next step is a much more practical one -- how's your Japanese? I know a number of small English school owners and ALL of them either have: a Japanese spouse or hired receptionist, OR their own Japanese level is a minimum of 2-kyu or higher. Otherwise, realistically speaking, you have no way to communicate properly with your clientelle.

Second, WHERE are you going to open up shop? In your apartment? There may be zoning/business license issues in your community to prevent you from doing so. And even if there weren't, you still need sufficent space for your students to park their cars, bikes, what have you.... If you are teaching kids, parents will likely give rides to their kids. Such a revolving-door coming and going may irritate your neighbours something terrible if it's a small area.

Finally, developing a steady, sufficient source of income is very challenging. My friends who own their own schools generally took at least 6 months or so to build up a minmal clientelle to keep from starving and the business from going under. In the mean time they were supported by (Japanese) family members.

Those are just the things I can think of the top of my head. Certainly it is not impossible, but it is also a bit more than most people can realistically handle as well.

[cafebleu]

Not contradicting Jim Dunlop here but I have some info for British English that's a bit more optimistic.

1) If you marry a Japanese woman (man if you're female!) then that makes things much easier. Not only do your in laws help out with money and other things, it gives you the spouse visa to be in Japan and own a business.

2) How about the business arrangement where a Japanese national becomes the owner of the business for the legal side but you actually are half the owner or the actual owner?

To do this you'd have to trust the Japanese person concerned - don't get a business partner who you don't know well. All sorts of complications can happen otherwise.

I heard of this kind of partnership when I lived in Japan. In one case the Japanese manager of the eikaiwa was actually the paper owner of the school and was pissed off at the Englishman who was the real owner. He put all his own money into it - and apparently she held him to ransom for more and more money.

She could do this because legally she was the owner though he had paid for everything and started the eikaiwa. I heard it all ended in tears a few years later.

[BritishEnglish]

Cheers guys for both responces.
THey have given me some things to think about. What with finances and stuff this might have to be put a bit further down the line. Also the bit about a Japanese spouse. I do have a Japanese girlfriend but spouse....not for the foreseeable future. Although I do have some very trustworthy friends for the potential partnership.
So just as a check is it possible to start in a more illegal way. Would it be possible to use and abuse a work visa provided by one of the big schools and then set up a network of privates to a point where I was earning a comfortable amount and then try to legetimise or formalize my own school? Or would this be treading on too many toes.
Cheers
BE