Korean Job Discussion Forums

fiveeagles · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: Vancouver

Has anyone done it? I have; www.gatewaysinternational.ca. We have had our success from season to season, but it has been very difficult. I have had to expand into many more markets to keep afloat. If I had known how hard this would have been, I would never have opened an ESL school. We are finally getting some breakthough with some of our newer programs, but the ESL has been a tough sell on all levels.

Any success stories out there?

fiveeagles · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: Vancouver

Nobody?

Ok, how any successful international businesses between Canada and ASIA?

My friends own adventure teaching and they are doing very well. Anyone else?

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

There are a lot of these kinds of businesses already established run by various people from their own home countries. You are in a crowded market and it isn't going to be easy.

robot · Joined: 07 Mar 2006

Looks like a great school, 5E.

I taught for many years in Vancouver. One school was run by a brilliant and very passionate teacher, and in my estimation it had the best program in the city. But the ESL biz in Van is too tough, varying from season to season, and the competition is ridiculously stiff, so eventually the school folded. Meanwhile, a bunch of crap academies in the same area are thriving; it boggles the mind.

Makes me think twice about getting into the biz, even though I'd do it for the love first, and the money second.

Sody · Joined: 14 May 2006

It's really tough in Toronto and in Vancouver. Not sure about Montreal. Part of the problem is that there are so many free ESL classes students can take in many of the community colleges and also these colleges and many high schools offer night classes that are very cheap to attend. It's not a viable market at all.

fiveeagles · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: Vancouver

We are located in Abbotsford, 50 mins outside of Vancouver so we don't have that much competition. However, free ESL classes has been definitely hard to go against. It is why I have diversified into the other areas of business which are doing really well.

You really have to find niche markets that are difficult to develop and find innovate ways of being ahead of your competitors.

What program did that ESL chain use?