Job Discussion Forums

[englishgibson]

On the forums I have read a few times about how some would begin their own operations and go into business here in China, however I have not read from the same ones how they have done after their opening days.

I have helped open three language centers in China. In two cases, they had connections, in the third one however they did not. And, I posed as the manager, which was a great mistake (in China). Officials got to me and business did not come easy.

Now, are there any brave souls out there that have been running their language centers in this lovely 5,000 years old country??? If yes, could you share your experiences on this site without trying to recruit anyone in. Or, if anyone knows of any foreign owned language centers or schools, will you be kind enough to share what you know on here???

I just would like to know how our business advantures go and see if we get opportunities in this country. I believe that experiences of others might encourage foreign teachers into the business and help them see a light in their bright future.

Cheers and beers to all hard working foreigners in China

[DistantRelative]

EG, no offense meant, but are you frigg'in whacked? Really, if most of us had that kind of money to invest do you really think we'd spend it on a school?

Zhuhao,

Shawn

[PattyFlipper]

[Voldermort]

englishgibson, I looked into the idea of opening a training center a couple of years back and let me say, it was a headache. You need a license for this and a permit for that not to mention some guanxi for the other...

In the past, foreigners have partnered up with a local who is able to get all the required documents since us laowai don't have a hope in hell. But, about 3 years ago the government stamped down foreigners co-owning schools. This is why I gave up at the time.

As it happens, I am going to try again this year.

[vikuk]

One of the main reasons for local popularity of investing in English training schools is that its regarded as an almost no skill industry. This means that that in the Chinese market where the customer has a very primitive appreciation of what constitutes good and effective language schooling - good teaching (coupled up with interested, enthusiastic students) - is a factor where the employers often skrimp and save. The result is usually the typical joke of a Chinese English language school with its array of unqualified, Short term foreign teachers, and host of local ones who often have a job stringing a fluent sentence together.
If those students (or their parents who may be fronting the bills) ever started in an interested and enthusiastic mood - then this is often smothered out in their disappointment over results, which may lead to anger regarding a perceived waste of fee money. This attitude is very often fueled by the unrealistic expectations - encouraged through false and misleading advertising -of these customers (I want guaranteed quick results - why haven't my kids learnt to speak English in 3 months). This irritation factor means that most of a school owners energy is spent on gimmicks to attract new students to replace those who're always leaving. These ploys result in a lot of undercutting of competition - and in areas where the market is over-saturated with this type of business - some go under and many barely survive.

Since the above factors means that the main investment criteria switches focus from good teaching to plush, well equipped school interiors (even if the staff aren't qualified to operate the school) and loads of money on advertising - well to enter this game you need big bucks (this money makes that one time payment for a license look peanuts). And because all you need is money - and at the moment that growing band of rich Chinese are just desperate to find new sources of investment - well if you want to start an English school - just join the rate race.

By the way another big focus point with these schools - to maximise any potential profit - is of course economy in the form of paying low wage rates to workers. So if you enter this game as a teacher - don't expect many of those big bucks to fall on your head

[englishgibson]

interesting replies above

[Brian Caulfield]

The amount of money required is enormous. In Taiyuan I helped a Taiwanese person start a school and just the piece of paper allowing you do do it cost 200,000 rmb. Then you must go to the local schools and pay the headmasters money. Owning a school is a license to be rich in Asia. Why would they give a foreigner this license?
By the way when I worked for this rich Taiwanese person she kept on saying the same thing everyday. "Why do the Chinese keep giving me garbage?" She was referring to the people they gave her for adminsitrative duties.

[tw]

Baidawei Foreign Language School in Changchun is owned and operated by an American and his Chinese wife.