Need some advice on researching the market; private language school.

IrishExpat

In the last few days I've meeting with a potential business partner, discussing and bouncing around ideas. I'm really at a crossroads with life in general, and trying to justify staying in Ireland for a while longer, and running a business seems to be the best option.

Based on our shared experience and interests - we're now seriously considering a private language school - in a town and catchment area with very little 'serious' competition.

Private language schools are dime a dozen in the city center, and there 'is' quite a demand, especially with the influx of Spanish and Italian students in Dublin, specifically to learn/improve their English. I know this as I attend and sometimes organize language exchanges, and this is the general feedback.

Now - we're ready to get stuck into the research, and currently working on customer-profiles (LC students, recent graduates, potential emigrants, retired with interest in languages, professionals with a need for a 'business' level.)

On quite a small budget, where would be the best place to start?

We've looked into one option of old-school, door-to-door surveys in the area, which can be time consuming, but also very one-to-one with potential customers.

We just want to test the water and get some feedback to justify any serious investment.

Between us we have the contacts with native teachers (qualified) of Spanish, Italian, German who would be willing to come on board, both physically at the school and also online (if it goes that direction).

So, on a budget - and 'perceived' low competition (which could also mean low demand). Where would 'you' start with market research?

Thanks in advance.

dublinwp

This is what I would suggest. check google how many searches are there for language school and similar keywords. you will know how many people are looking. then you can create simple landing page to check demand. all the best

The_Poznan

dublinwp wrote: »

This is what I would suggest. check google how many searches are there for language school and similar keywords. you will know how many people are looking. then you can create simple landing page to check demand. all the best

I have a similar problem to IrishExpat but with a completely different idea...how do you check google for what people are looking for can u provide the steps? Thanks

dublinwp

it is a bit complicated to explain here. Nevertheless, you can check on youtube.com how to do that or pm your target keywords and I will let you know

riveratom

The_Poznan wrote: »

I have a similar problem to IrishExpat but with a completely different idea...how do you check google for what people are looking for can u provide the steps? Thanks

Google Keyword Tool.

The_Poznan

riveratom wrote: »

Google Keyword Tool.

Good stuff...cheers pal very handy to know this

IrishExpat

To follow up on this with an update:

Based on extensive online (Google Keywords, Trends and RavenSeo) and offline research (surveys, talking directly to business owners, parents of JC/LC students),

there is an general understanding of the need for a second language, but across the board it comes down to money - and the location, times of classes, even quality of the teachers appear as secondary concerns.

Quite a few have expressed an interest in an online course, working as independent learners with follow up advice from teachers via email and Skype.

The way I see it is that other nationalities (Spanish, Italian etc) invest in this life-skill as where they emigrate, they will need the language, and there's no way around it.

We, on the other hand have English as our primary language and - at some level - expect those doing business with us to use English, and our emigrant's destinations are English speaking countries.

Anyway; the good news:

I have organized a small group of five, signing them up for group classes, renting a small meeting room at popular, local hotel (at very fair rates) and have organized a qualified, native teacher to travel down from Dublin and take them over a 3 week period (6 classes).

This is the trial period.
No investing in marketing, or logos or even premises.

I may not turn a profit with this trial. Aiming to break even, but it's solely to learn what I can.

I just have this gut feeling that there 'is' a need for this type of business, outside of the major cities, so I'll keep you updated on progress.

Graham

Best of luck, for what it's worth I think you're going about it the right way.

I'll keep a look out for your progress updates. Will you add them to this thread? (if so I'll follow the thread).

IrishExpat

Thank you Graham,

Yes, I'll keep the thread updated, obviously omitting some of the more specific details, but keeping a fair balance of what works, and mistakes along the way.

101 things going on atm, but I reckon I'll update it once a week with the good, bad and the ugly.

IrishExpat

Quick update: as promised.

It was a slow week with a lot of back and forth between myself and two teachers, based in Dublin (Italian and Spanish). Both are interested and willing to give up to 3 group lessons at a reduced rate, as they know it's a trial. And both have no problem travelling down to the Kildare area, if it becomes a regular thing.

So that's one half of the equation.

Students: I've the posters designed and printed and up in a few busy locations around the towns, and have received a few answers, mostly asking about (in this order) price, location, times and size of groups.

Awaiting responses based on this and have offered a low-rate for first time students (the first 15).

All going well, first group class - will be next Saturday, and now I'm organizing short, 15 min email/phone-based 'level tests' with the students and teachers. It was a common tactic as part of the sales process in schools I've worked in before.

The other good news; though it's only ideation and 'talk' for now - I've been in contact with a school I used to work for in Madrid and they're asking me to look into the possibility of organizing short trips, Spanish students to Ireland.

Nothing to do with host families, but short trips for exec's for team-building mixed with English lessons. Just ideas for now.

Overall: as usual, it's progress, but I get annoyed when I think things should be moving faster.

The Apprentice

Theres a language and business school for sale in the back of the sunday business post this week .. might be worth a look for more information.

Idbatterim

ok, with the popular languages EVERYWHERE offers them, the likes of the Goethe Institute, Cervantes Institute, Confucius Institute, Alliance Francaise and Italian Cultural Institute have natural competitive advantage, are all based in town and are not for profit. You then have the VEC's who offers courses for nothing and also a few smaller language schools doing groupon, living social promotions offering the courses for peanuts. The English as a Foreign Language Market is ferocious for competition...

IrishExpat

Idbatterim wrote: »

ok, with the popular languages EVERYWHERE offers them, the likes of the Goethe Institute, Cervantes Institute, Confucius Institute, Alliance Francaise and Italian Cultural Institute have natural competitive advantage, are all based in town and are not for profit. You then have the VEC's who offers courses for nothing and also a few smaller language schools doing groupon, living social promotions offering the courses for peanuts. The English as a Foreign Language Market is ferocious for competition...

You're right, the competition is high, and that's down to the 'relatively' low barriers to entry.

I've been doing a lot of brainstorming with the other partner and the Spanish teacher, and the focus now will have to be blended learning; offering an online course to go along with the lessons. That and the Summer exchanges.

If everyone's doing the same thing (generally) and there's an all out price-war going on - as there is in Dublin right now - there's no sense in diving into that.

IrishExpat

Update:

I am over to Madrid early next week to meet with the owners of two schools. One has been 'extremely' open in letting me shadow him for 3 day in the running of the school, and the other is interested in organizing Summer exchanges for Spanish students.

On the Irish side: first group class (7 students) is set for Sat the 9th, and I'm busy writing material for a) the class and b) the follow up emails, as has been requested. The bad news, I may only make a small margin on this once the teacher has been paid and the room booked. Maybe 75eur or so, but it's a start

Busy busy.

IrishExpat

Update:
This project has been designated as another 'backburner'.

I received some great hands-on advice from others in the business, and ran a course (small profit, under €100) - but as it stands in our current environment, the money simply is not there for this, at least in the geographic area I was targeting.

I'll keep at the web design/development for a while longer, and the other few side projects, and possibly revisit this.

To summarize; the money seems to be in language schools in Dublin, targeting mainly Spanish and Brazilian students, and long may it last. I was targeting the native English speakers who might like to learn Spanish, in a large town outside of Dublin - but the demand wasn't there.

So, lessons learned, and onto the next venture.

micromary

The way I see it online is the way to go re foreign languages. I have had so many twists and turns with my school but as almost started. We are going to have a website better then the competition and will soon start actively marketing the product. When your online and have a good product the world is your oyster as far as I am concerned if you get it right.

IrishExpat

micromary wrote: »

The way I see it online is the way to go re foreign languages. I have had so many twists and turns with my school but as almost started. We are going to have a website better then the competition and will soon start actively marketing the product. When your online and have a good product the world is your oyster as far as I am concerned if you get it right.

Agreed ... and disagreed.

I would hesitate to take away the human element completely.

I have seen schools take this route before, taking their teaching completely online - one I worked in personally (on the material writing/IT side) - and it actually led to a decrease in their students. It would be worth your while reading into the case of the 'Wall Street Institute' of English in Spain.

May I ask if you are teaching English as a foreign language, or other languages to Irish people, or a combination? (edit: I found your site)

The best of luck to you.

peckerhead

micromary wrote: »

We are going to have a website better then the competition and will soon start actively marketing the product. When your online and have a good product the world is your oyster...

Eh, I hope it's not EFL...

Idbatterim

the other issue is not only competition from online learning, but also people offering their services by cutting out the middle man and paying cash,i.e. people offering their services on gumtree.ie often for E10 per hour or less. I work for a language school and before we make a cent profit, the following have to be paid for tutors wages, holiday pay, employers prsi, admin staff, office, insurance, room rental, phone, broadband, advertising to name some of the bigger ones. The problem is, that the only critical mass of any city in Ireland is Dublin and thats is where is saturated with competition... One of probably only 3 of the bigger private schools shut down sometime last year...

Eh, I hope it's not EFL...

we have effectively stopped our English tuition is it was only part time courses rather than full time. But a current EFL tutor we still have employed says there is major money in bringing over the foreign students, but also major headaches associated with it. So its fairly straight forward. The "easy money" stuff is saturated, as the OP quite rightly said due to the low barriers to entry & there is money to be made with bringing in the foreign students, but its fairly intensive and responsible work... The Vec's and local colleges are a real thorn in the side too, as they arent for profit and most likely subsidised, it devalues what we do and makes us look expensive...

micromary

We are not toughing English as the market is saturated here but also we need to either concentrate on foreign languages or on English. I could not do both. There is still a huge demand for languages or having quality teachers doing them online is the way to go for the future. I may be wrong and there is a huge amount of work involved in getting it right. We will wait and see and thanks for the good luck btw

Lyn256

Funny something similar came up in class yesterday that might be of interest to you (I'm gone back to college and am doing a business masters)
We were talking about nation branding and one area that is coming up is the fact that Ireland is positioning itself internationally as a provider of quality education.
Is there an opportunity for you to pursue the market for bringing students to Ireland to improve their english and get a further qualification.
In the college that I attend I am in the minority in being Irish-most of my classes are filled with French/German/Italian/Brazilian/Indian students.
Its amazed me as I didn't realise that so many students came to Ireland to study.
(These are all full time Masters students in Ireland for a year)
In speaking to my colleagues, the cost of living in Ireland was cited as a major influence as to why they chose Ireland (London or New York was the alternative choice)
Their year in Ireland costs them close to €25k-course fees are almost €10k and then living expenses are at least €1-€1.5k a month.

This might be worth investigating further for you