Читать книгу Start & Run an ESL Teaching Business - T. Nicole Pankratz - Bodner - Страница 33

Turning to practical matters, your next step is creating a schedule that shows potential customers what your programs and services are and when they are available. Because the schedule will be used for marketing purposes, the information should be clearly laid out and easy for second-language learners to understand.

The schedule should include information on specific programs. For example, you might offer an after-school program for public school students, an academic English program for university-bound international students, or a “study buddy” conversation program where two students work with one tutor. Your schedule should also include hours of operation and fees, and any related services and activities you offer (e.g., transportation and accommodation services and extracurricular activities).

Because tutorials are typically one-on-one sessions, a “program” can last as many weeks or months as a student wants. Programs that have more than one student in a session may have start and end dates. Smaller operations, with a varied market but limited tutor availability, may want to reserve certain parts of the workday for a specific type of customer. For example, the 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. period may be reserved for public school students.

Normally, tutorial services are designed to accommodate any level of student. However, not all tutors are comfortable working with students at every level. To ensure a comfortable match, you may need to develop a student-assessment system that identifies a student’s strengths and weaknesses in English. Having information about a student’s language abilities can help a tutor better prepare to work with the student.

Assessment systems can be found in textbooks and on websites. You can also create your own signature assessment system, with your own brand of coding and criteria (see the next section, “Establishing an intake and assessment system,” for more information).

While some tutorial services have set times for specific programs (e.g., Academic Preparation in the evenings, Monday to Wednesday), many businesses keep their program times relatively flexible. What they monitor carefully, however, is their hours of operation. Smaller companies with fewer tutors available might only be open for business four or five days a week, but for 12 to 14 hours a day. For example, tutoring might be available from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Larger organizations with more staff are more likely to be open seven days a week.

Another thing that needs to be considered is travel time during the peak hours of the day. In small towns, commuting time is rarely an issue; tutors can move from one student’s home to another’s quickly. But in large urban centers, traveling during rush hour can be a nightmare. However, if a tutorial service has a fixed location, the onus is on the students to brave the traffic and be on time.

When developing your schedule information, ensure that your tutorial options and times are clearly coded and easy for language learners to read. Also include information about the other services you offer. For example, if you know your target market is interested in developing both language skills and social skills, you might offer a range of tutoring options, plus fun guided tours and activities that encourage communication between students and native English speakers. In addition to services designed to attract students with attendance issues and/or physical challenges, you could offer transportation and even accommodation.