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hawaii4me272
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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 Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:19 am Post subject: Starting an English school in Korea |
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I am thinking seriously of starting an English school in Korea. I would like to model it after an English village type place.
FYI: I was in Korea for three years with the military and one year teaching and would not have any problems living there long term (20 years or more) |
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Big Mac
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:22 am Post subject: |
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You want to model it after an English Village??? Ha ha!
Have you been to one of those places? They're a joke!
Better have a better business plan than that! |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with the above.
That type just doesn't work. Unless you know the magic formula ofcourse. |
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KoreanAmbition
Joined: 03 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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I think if you want to start a school then you should try to find 2 or 3 major course-types that you can specialize in.
Maybe a certain test prep, or English for a specific purpose, etc. If you can find a couple of those classes, then you can have a reputation and a brand-image that will at least give you a bit of chance to build a reputation.
Without doing that, and just running basic conversation classes, then you will have to be very good and popular with the students.
The difference is either providing students with a need (test prep, ESP) they currently have, or designing something they want (a funny and interesting teacher).
Either way, you have to do a good job.
I suggest starting with lower prices and raising them after you build clientele. |
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youtuber
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: Starting an English school in Korea |
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| hawaii4me272 wrote: |
I am thinking seriously of starting an English school in Korea. I would like to model it after an English village type place.
FYI: I was in Korea for three years with the military and one year teaching and would not have any problems living there long term (20 years or more) |
The problem with an English Village is that the customers (students) are basically "one and done". They sign up for a week, stay, and then done. You are continually on the lookout for new students.
I worked at one and some weeks we were pretty hard up for students. Some weeks I barely taught at all. An English Village is a huge operation, and cannot be replicated at the Hagwon level.
However, a good idea may be to promote a theme based learning hagwon. But practically, I don't know how that would work.
The big draw for an English Village is the facilities. The library class, cooking class, ect. You would not be able to build the same level of intricate theme based rooms.
Maybe a cooking class Hagwon?? Where kids make western meals?? I think that could be popular. But hard to retain students I think. And it is capital intensive with the ovens, fridges, ect. But you could also sign up a lot of adjummas in the daytime and teach them western dishes. That could work, since I don't know of anyone offering that kind of class.
There, I just made you a million dollars. You're welcome. |
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tigershark
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject: ha ha ha |
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| Or you could just open a western style restaurant. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| KoreanAmbition wrote: |
I think if you want to start a school then you should try to find 2 or 3 major course-types that you can specialize in.
Maybe a certain test prep, or English for a specific purpose, etc. If you can find a couple of those classes, then you can have a reputation and a brand-image that will at least give you a bit of chance to build a reputation.
Without doing that, and just running basic conversation classes, then you will have to be very good and popular with the students.
The difference is either providing students with a need (test prep, ESP) they currently have, or designing something they want (a funny and interesting teacher).
Either way, you have to do a good job.
I suggest starting with lower prices and raising them after you build clientele. |
Listen to this guy, in just a few words he explained a lot of business sense. |
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youtuber
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: Re: ha ha ha |
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| tigershark wrote: |
| Or you could just open a western style restaurant. |
Yeah because Korea doesn't have enough of those  |
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Big Mac
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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I think you would need to marry a Korean for starters. Any foreigner that I've ever talked to who owned a hogwan was married to a Korean. Or at least had a Korean business partner. The Koreans aren't going to let a foreigner run a business on their soil easily. I would also think you would need to speak Korean fairly fluently if you were going to do it without a Korean by your side, because they will put up massive barriers for you if you don't.
You must have a pretty bad life back home if you plan on coming here to live long-term! |
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VorcePA
Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| Big Mac wrote: |
| You must have a pretty bad life back home if you plan on coming here to live long-term! |
-_-
Yeah, that makes sense.
To the OP: I think it's a good idea, and there have been some good suggestions in this thread, but, like with any business, it requires a huge capital to start with. |
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hawaii4me272
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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| So why are you there BigMac? |
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hobakmorinam
Joined: 22 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd go with a "Clown College" theme. |
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Big Mac
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:12 am Post subject: |
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| hawaii4me272 wrote: |
| So why are you there BigMac? |
I've never planned on being here for 20 or 30 years! For me it is a short-term thing (four years). It's a good place to save money quickly and now that I have enough money I'll be going to study in Australia for a year. I leave in February.
I think I would rather die than say that I would live in Korea for the next 20 or 30 years! |
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Chambertin
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: Gunsan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:01 am Post subject: |
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How much time have you spent sucking up to Korean mothers, in Korean?
It seems that is job one at any Hagwon. Seriously, I woulnt want job even for 1 million a month, in Euros. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Big Mac wrote: |
I think you would need to marry a Korean for starters. Any foreigner that I've ever talked to who owned a hogwan was married to a Korean. Or at least had a Korean business partner. The Koreans aren't going to let a foreigner run a business on their soil easily. I would also think you would need to speak Korean fairly fluently if you were going to do it without a Korean by your side, because they will put up massive barriers for you if you don't.
You must have a pretty bad life back home if you plan on coming here to live long-term! |
Simply not true.
The language barrier is a far greater problem. |
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