Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

I've been working for others for about five years, and although it's great, it's been getting harder and more stressful. I'm well paid, but withour school starting the PYP, 31 hours, 5 different subjects, plus all the afterschool actitivies and meetings, I'm trying to get out. Plus, I'd like to stay home and raise a family. So I've been looking at becoming self employed. Here's some ideas I've come up with, hopefully they'll help other.

Teaching privates is a great source of income.
Try letting everyone know that you're looking for students.
Offer discounts for small group classes and for family members.
Look for country forums, and tell the people there that you're a private teacher.
Also try placing adverts in local papers.
Stand outside schools and give out business cards.
Contact schools and let them know that you teach private classes.
Ask them to put you on their list.

Subbing.
Contact schools and ask to be put on their sub list.

Publisher training sessions
Lots of publishers offer training sessions, some can pay 30 USD an hour. COntact publishers and ask if they can put you on their list.

Editing
Although getting a posiition in Oxford or cambridge press might be difficult, there are plenty of local publishers that would welcome a native speaker to help them out.

Translating
If you're fluent in the country's language, you could translate, written or orally. Contact local businesses and offer your services.

Although it may take a few months to build up clientel, once you get going, you'll have more students than you need.

[Glenski]

Did you have a country in mind for any of this?

As for teaching private lessons, did you plan to make this the breadwinner salary in the family? (pretty tough)

Translating at home. If you really do end up with "more students than you need", you're going to be working 8 hours or more a day at home. Granted, there won't be the meetings to attend, but how will you handle the interruptions from family while you are racking your brain to find the right expression or word in a 25-page paper that is due tomorrow morning? My own experience with proofreading is like that.

[naturegirl321]

I'm in Peru, I'm hoping to make privates my main salary. YOu figure you can teach small group lessons with two or three students. I'd like to target young children, so there will be no 25 page essay. For editing, I'd hire a nanny to take the kids out while I worked, they're only about 180 a month and that's for a live in , six days a week.

And I wouldn't teach at my home, but at their. Privates pay about 15 to 20 here in Lima, but charging kids 40 from upper class families isn't unheard of either.

[Mike_2007]

You have to be a little careful. When I was working freelance in Turkey I just let the students dictate the time of the lesson and I ended up with all my evenings and weekends full and with lots of free time during the day. This probably wouldn't be too good if you had school-age children as it would reduce your time with them. Conversely, if the kids are at home, it could work out fine - you take care of them during the day while hubby works, and then you swap roles in the evening and he has them while you teach.

In Romania I strictly refuse evening and weekend lesson so now my schedule is pretty much office hours (with the occasional late start or early finish). It took a little longer to build up the client base, but I am much happier like this.

I think it would be wise if you decide on your particular policy at the beginning and make sure you stick to it.

Mike

[Stephen Jones]

As Mike says, teaching kids freelance is incompatible to having free time with your own. If you want time with school-age kids then the best job is to teach in a school. You and your kids will then both have time off that coincides.

Never wondered why there are so many women teachers?

[naturegirl321]

I teach in a school right now, thing is Lima's hge, which makes for long commutes. I think I'll try to fill up office hours and some Saturdays, just becuase that's the way things are in Peru. T

Is makes sense money-wise

Institute job, 5 dollars an hour, 30 hours a week it 150
Teaching privates, 10 hours a week at 15 dollars is 150
Add a couple of small groups, with 2 students, 10 hours a week at 10 dollars a student is 200.

So you could make 350 a week compared to 150 Works for me

[Kootvela]

I have been self-employed since October 2007. If you have any questions, please PM me and I will be glad to help. Alternatively, you can visit my blog at http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/kootvela/ where I post about my experience.

[blackmagicABC]

It may not be exactly the same situation as yours but there may be some things to consider.
I started a language school about 2 years ago and while I love the fact that I get to choose the teachers, material, etc etc. the stress level is a lot different. Yes, you make a lot more money but be prepared for extra headaches.

[Vanica]

Don't assume that your freelance earnings are not taxed. They might be more heavily taxed. You would be able to deduct your housing, transportation, food, electric and many other expenses, on the other hand.

Personally, I don't mind the accounting; sometimes the results are a pleasant surprise and sometimes not. But I greatly prefer being independent, especially since I have a child.

Translating has some other operating costs, computer and printing related. If you don't have a walk-in clientele, your very huge headache will be marketing and getting contracts.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[naturegirl321]

In theory they should be taxed, but what they don't know won't hurt them. I don't pay US taxes, just Peruvian ones.

[Teacher in Rome]

Be careful about avoiding taxes - there might come a time where you need to show audited accounts and declared income. I've been self-employed for just over two years, and needed to show "official" income in order to get a mortgage. You never know what you might need in the future! BTW, if you ever work for companies (rather than for individuals) you'll most probably need to invoice - so leaving a paper trail.

[Kootvela]