You’ve played with the idea of starting a micro-business teaching a preschool language class, but it just seems so overwhelming. How would you even get started? Who would you teach? Where would you teach? How would you find student? (When it’s a business, they don’t come to you just because it is on their class schedule.)
A few years ago, I was asking myself those same questions. Because I use Comprehensible Input, I knew I could make language learning much more fun and effective than with traditional methods. As the parent of two preschoolers at the time, I also knew that a lot of parents wanted their kids to learn a second language but didn’t speak one themselves.
There was market for language learning. But how on earth would I get started? Almost 5 years later, I looked back fondly on what accomplished in building the first part of my business, World of Wonders Learning, into a profitable micro-business. If you’ve been toying with the idea of using your teaching and language skills to create a side job that you love, here are some of the most important lessons I learned in the process.
Know your stuff, but don’t obsess over your plan
When I was still dreaming of starting a preschool language class business, I wanted to know what the options were. Online, I found a ton of info about other language classes and how they operated. Even though my situation was very different from theirs, knowing how others were making things work was a huge help in practical areas, such as pricing and scheduling. If you want to look at some similar business models, check out websites for companies that offer science parties, STEM enrichment, language summer camps,Spanish clubs, and soccer.
However, what I had envisioned at first changed as I began to actually take action. I discovered that people in my area were dying for their kids to learn Spanish, but kind of “meh” about French. So I switched. (I speak both, but my French is definitely stronger.) I pitched an after school care location that I thought was WAY out of my league, and they accepted my proposal. Which led to a couple of gigs teaching their staff Spanish for $95/hour.
But none of those things would have happened if I had been hung up on knowing exactly how things would go. I had to get out there and do it in order to learn what I needed to know.
Bottom line: do your research. Know what your first steps are. But don’t stress over knowing the whole path.
Ask for help from experts, but not competitors
One of the most amazing pieces of luck I had was to sit down with the amazing Olivia Roney of Crouching Tigers, who teaches karate in preschools across several states. She was doing almost exactly what I was hoping to do, but not with Spanish. She was so generous with her time and gave me tips that literally kept me from throwing in the towel before I even got my first class off the ground.
So how did I make contact with her? Simple, I posted a message to FaceBook. We lived in the same city, and I thought we might have some friends in common, so I asked my friends if any of them knew her well enough to introduce us on FB. Turns out the wife of the best man at our wedding was on a community committee with her and introduced me.
How I did it
When I contacted her, I gave her some very genuine but effusive compliments. I made sure that I had already learned everything I could about her company so she would know that I really had spent time researching and that I respected the work she did.
However, I made sure to respect her time and generosity. First, even though we were both in the preschool enrichment class space, we weren’t direct competitors. Additionally, her business was already massive, so I was no threat. And even though I couldn’t reciprocate by giving her advice or help, I did drop off a bottle of wine at her office and make sure that I paid when we went out to lunch. Also, I tried to mention her business positively whenever I could, which was super easy to do because she really is a class act.
Bottom line: ask for help, but appreciate the help you are given. Most people who build a business are incredibly proud of what they have created and are willing to talk about it with someone who is genuinely interested.
Educate parents
OMG. This one is huge. Let me tell you a little story here.
When I started my first language class, I was stunned to have 22 kids sign up. I was thrilled beyond words. That month I made almost 50% of my teaching salary doing just a2 hours a week after school. I thought I had this thing figured out.
But the next class cycle, my enrollment dropped almost 50%. When I asked the parents why, there were some kids who had legitimate conflicts and such, but there were other parents who said things like, “I asked them to say something and they couldn’t even say one thing.”
The parents didn’t understand how language learning (especially comprehensible input) works. And it was my fault. I knew what they should expect, but I hadn’t told them.
How I fixed it
Soon, I started sending them e-mails to explain the advantages of the methods I used. I told them that while kids wouldn’t be able to speak right away, they were already starting to actually understand Spanish and they would retain it much better than if we focused on lists of vocabulary. Slowly, I helped them understand how language acquisition works and how to best support their kids as they acquired Spanish.
But wait, there’s more
But there were other perks, as well. First, because I was communicating with the parents regularly and also teaching THEM, the perceived value of my classes went through the roof. Second, I became someone they trusted. No longer was I just some anonymous business. I was Jill, and I was invested in their kids and in helping them to give their kids the best. And the proof was in the numbers. My retention rates went from horrible to stellar, and I very rarely had kids drop my program once they started it.
Bottom line: Don’t expect the parents to understand what you understand. Start from the basics, and explain what they should expect and why.
Hold yourself to high standards, but give yourself grace
My goal was always to leave parents with more value than they were expecting. If I had a parent complaint (and you will, because you are learning), I tried to figure out what I could do to fix the problem. And I always looked at dissatisfaction as a marketing opportunity. What could I do to fix the problem and turn the parent into a raving fan? Of course, it depended on what the complaint was, but my goal was to never leave a parent dissatisfied.
The Hand, Foot, and Mouth Debacle
For example, my daughter came down with hand, foot, and mouth disease. I had to reschedule 2 weeks of classes. Since it is contagious and symptoms don’t’ show up right away, I couldn’t possibly set foot in a daycare center until I knew I didn’t have it. So I rescheduled the classes that we would be missing AND offered parents a refund on those two classes if their child was for any reason unable to attend. I also explained that I wouldn’t normally cancel, but I was doing it in the best interest of their children. I had one parent e-mail me back thanking me profusely for cancelling since she had a newborn and didn’t want to take any chances on him getting sick.
Make like Elsa: Let it GO!
With that said, I also made a point of letting it go when I did make a mistake. I had to give myself the grace to make mistakes without shame. Sometimes I got overwhelmed and didn’t communicate as well as I should have. There were other minor mistakes. Since I’m a recovering perfectionist, I had to really struggle not to let those mistakes get in my head and bring me down. Beating myself up wasn’t going to make me a better teacher or business owner. But learning and changing was.
Bottom line: Do your best, and accept that your best will never be perfect. Talk to yourself like your best friend would. (Assuming your best friend ROCKS like mine does. And if not, I’ll be your surrogate best friend. Talk to yourself like I would. Note: I’m honest, but affirming.)
Have you ever noticed that when you start looking at new cars, or maybe buy one, it seems as if that you notice that same make and model everywhere. Suddenly the roads and parking lots are filled with Camries, or Volvo station wagons, or Odysseys. You just can’t believe how many there are. There were never that many of them before, were there?
Actually, there were. This is explained by something psychologists call “selective attention.” It basically means that your brain filters out the majority of stimuli so it can focus on what is important. Once you’ve chosen a specific model of car, or you have recently bought one, that becomes “important” and your brain takes notice of it.
So what does that have to do with transitioning out of teaching or starting your own business? The possibilities for making money on the side – or creating a business to support you and your family – are limited by only one thing : your mind. As you start focusing more on moneymaking ideas, you will train your brain to see them, and train your brain to look at your skills from a new perspective. Things that you never would have considered before will make you think, “I wonder if…” And that ‘s a great thing, because people have made successful businesses by using an amazing range of skills and ideas. Let me give you a few examples that I never would have thought of, but that have been built into successful businesses.
Karate Kids
Olivia Roney was putting herself through college when the karate school she worked for bounced a couple of her paychecks. Since she was paying her own way, she knew she had to fix the situation – and FAST. So she started contacting daycares and preschools and offering to teach on-site enrichment classes. She found one, and grew from there. Today, Couching Tigers is offering karate classes in almost 100 locations in Indiana, as well as licensing its curriculum. Her programs now include character development and have touched the lives of thousands of children. What’s more, her eyes light up when she talks about her company.
How you can make this side job work
So you don’t know karate and you don’t like preschoolers? How could this idea work for you? I don’t know karate, either, but for about 4 years, I taught Spanish and French to both adults and preschoolers as a side job/micro-business. Preschools were definitely my biggest and most reliable locations, but I also taught adults at wineries and after-school caregivers as a professional development option.
Is there something you love to teach that others would pay you for? Art? Soccer? Computer skills? Knitting? Vegan cooking? Couponing? (No joke, a lady in my hometown was advertising couponing classes and a lot of people seemed interested.) How about pet training?
The point is that if you have a skill that others want to learn and you can find a way to share it, you can earn great money per hour AND have fun at the same time. Cause let me tell you, teaching French at wineries to people who actually WANT to learn it?!? That is a French-teacher dream come true. For more ideas on locations, check out the blog post I wrote for The Comprehensible Classroom or for Fluency Matters. And if you want details on my Spanish classes, here are some posts on switching to preschoolers from older kids, pricing (part 1, part 2 and part 3), and tips for getting started.
Teaching French at a Winery
This is one I have done personally, and you want to talk crazy AWESOME! This is it. I’ve taught French for over 15 years in high school, but teaching French to adults who actually want to learn it at a winery and having them pay you? Trust me, it doesn’t get much better than that!
“But I don’t speak French,” you say. Well, the same winery where I taught French offered a ton of other fun stuff to get customers in during off-peak times. Tuesday? Henna tattoos. Wednesday? 10-minute chair massages. Another night it was tarot card readings. Each of us partnered with the winery to provide our service. The winery generously swiped payments through their system, and then cut a check. We had no overhead and the winery had an ever-changing line-up of attractions with no up-front cost. They just passed through the payments to us.
How you can make this side job work
Get creative. Do you have a trendy or unusual skill? Find a winery that offers fun activities, and see if they are interested in offering yours. You’re probably not going to be raking in the cash at first, but as you develop a clientele and they tell their friends, your numbers grow and it can be really lucrative.
Will Caricature for Cash $$$
When I heard of a woman who has created a side business around drawing caricatures, I knew I had to check it out. She was frustrated by her $8/hr job working for an amusement park as a caricature artist, so she decided to strike out on her own. Now she charges between $150 and $300/hr. drawing caricatures at weddings, corporate events, and other venues where people are looking for a unique and fun party favor.
After doing a little research, I found out there is actually a centralized web site where caricature artists can advertize. Who knew? You can check it out here. If you think you might be interested in being a caricature artist (or caricaturist, as they are actually called), face-painter, balloon animal creator, clown or other type of party entertainer, you can read the story of how Jeremy Drysdale started the Phoenix Caricature Company here.
How you can make this side job work
The point here is taking a common skill and niching it down. Maybe there are a ton of caterers in your town, but you just focus on selling your amazing frozen cookie dough. Maybe you do only vegan or gluten-free foods. Sometimes niching down and focusing on one tiny segment of the market actually sets you apart.
Cinderella Carriages and Horse-Drawn Wagons
A friend of mine since childhood (yep, we actually went to the junior prom together back the day!) supplements his yearly income to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars a year by building horse-drawn wagons and carriages. He makes both really practical people movers for country-themed resort areas and fancy “Cinderella” carriages. He also offers carriage rides at weddings and other special events. He has welding and woodworking skills and has always had horses, so what started as a novel idea has become a large portion of their family’s income. Because of this extra income, his wife (who is a big part of the business) has been able to stay at home with their kids for the past several years. You can check out boylebuiltwagons.com for some inspiration.
How you can make this side job work
And this is the example of super niching down. As far as I know, Tony Boyle is one of the only people in the US who makes custom people movers. There were times he wasn’t getting a ton of orders, but he didn’t give up or offer to make other items. He just stuck with what he washing and trusted that he would built a following. last I heard, he had as much work as he wanted and even some names on his waiting list.
The last word
So there is a good chance that you don’t feel like welding and hammering together a wagon is part of your skill set. And you might not be someone that others would willingly pay for their art. (Lord knows I’m not!) It’s even conceivable that the idea of teaching karate to 3 year-olds makes you break out in hives. So why did I even mention these ideas if they will work for only a small fraction of people?
Well, there are two reasons. The first one goes back to the very first few paragraphs of the post. Hearing about the ways other people have created a side job – even with unusual skills – trains our brains to start thinking in that way. What could I do with my skill set, that I would really love doing, and would also make me some crazy awesome extra money?
The second reason is it shows us how to niche down. There are a ton of welders and woodworkers out there. But how many of them weld Cinderella carriages and horse-drawn wagons. Artists? A ton! But people who will come to your wedding reception, give your guests a truly one-of-a-kind favor, and have them asking, “Do you remember so-and-so’s wedding where we got those hilarious caricatures?’ for the next 20 years? Not too many of those! Tons of karate teachers, too. But ones who will come to your kids’ preschool so you don’t have to drive across town? Um, I think you get the picture, right.
Here are the two takeaways: get creative, and niche down. Oh, and one more thing: don’t dismiss ideas too quickly. Who would have known that horse-drawn wagons could be a viable home-based business? What’s your crazy awesome talent?
After we had our dog for about a year, I had to arrange for dog care while we were out of town on a family vacation. This was a whole new deal for me because I grew up in a close-knit community with loads of family around. When we’d travel, we just had neighbors or my grandparents take care of our pets. So I was calling around like a crazy woman (I didn’t realize you had to book more than a week out) and was lucky to find a kennel that would keep Sasha. However, taking her there just about broke my heart. She was fearful, stressed-out, and confused, and I felt like a massive jerk leaving her there. Even though the kennel was clean and the caregivers kind, I decided I would never do that again. So I started looking for another option.
After some digging, I did find an alternative. I could have her stay in a person’s home. She’d still be scared and confused, but somehow I imagine that being in a home with people and lots of petting would be a lot less stressful than being in a kennel, even a nice one. And besides overnight care, you can also offer dog walking or drop-in visits.
The best parts of pet sitting as a side job
Income
If you love pets, pet sitting could be a side job that would add $1500 or more to your monthly income. Rates for overnight care (per dog) in Indiana ranged from $20-55 in a small town, and $28-55 in a large metro area for normal dates. Sumiko, a dog sitter I spoke with, said that with work to build up your clientele, pet sitting could realistically add $1000 or more to your monthly income. That’s no small change for doing something that you enjoy anyway!
Flexibility
While you will want to accept as large of a variety of pets as possible, you can set some parameters as far as size, breed, and number. You can also block out dates that you aren’t available, so you don’t have to forego your own vacations or visits to family. (Of course, the more dates you are available, the more you will make. That’s only common sense.) Finally, you set your own price. If you have a lot of experience with dogs, you can charge higher rates. Many of the online pet sitter sites also allow you to list reviews, so as you gain more positive comments and review, you can also adjust your rates upward.
Meaning
As teachers, we know that giving back sometimes matters just as much as the money you bring in. (Boy, do we know it!) If you really love animals, offering a loving home or a fun walk is a way to serve animals and their owners.
Ease of start up
While anything that has a realistic chance of being a good money maker is going to take some commitment, thiWhat’s more, it is a low-commitment gig. You don’t have to have a ton of money up front, just a love of animals. Finally, there are nWhile ow websites available, so you don’t have to do it all on your own (although putting the word out there to family and friends is probably a very good idea). And if you use rover.com
Of course, there are some cons, too. It’s hard to know how other people’s animals are going to act. Sumiko had been hosting with Rover.com for over a year when I talked to her, and she says that sometimes her yard has gotten pretty torn up by energetic dogs, especially when it’s pretty muddy out already. A second down side is that the high-demand times (when you would make the majority of your money) are also the times when you might want to travel or have houseguests – holidays and weekends. Finally, if you use a portal like rover.com, they take 20% of your fees, so be sure to figure that in.
Sumiko has really enjoyed her time pet sitting. She told me, “The best part of hosting is getting to sample every breed imaginable as your pet, the companionship/ playtime, and income. We’ve had some challenges with high energy dogs such as muddying the yard when it’s rained a while, dogs hopping baby gates in the house…but it’s not constant and you can restrict breeds, size…” She estimates that people who commit to building their clientele and really treat it like a business could make $1000 a month or more. Of course, it will take some time to get to that level, but it’s one of the few businesses you can start right away with very little investment of time or money.
So you want out of teaching? Scratch that. You feel like your life will end if you have to teach for the rest of your career, but you see no way out financially. Maybe you have a spouse who works or another source of income, but you continue to teach because of a budget gap of $500. Or maybe $1000. What if you could earn extra money, pay off some bills, and between those two things close that gap? “But I don’t want to drive for Lyft or Uber,” you say. “And I do NOT want to open an in-home child care center or trade teaching for another rat race. I just want to retire, or stay home with my kids, or not have to teach.” You get the picture.
So get creative. Here are some ideas to get your income-creating ideas flowing. Not all of them will work for everyone, of course. However, there might be a gem in here to get you started. Or a gem that gives you exactly the idea you need to put your own unique talents to use and start your journey to freedom.
Extra space? Rent a room to a student
Have a spare bedroom or two? Enjoy meeting new people and learning about foreign cultures? Everyone has heard about AirBNB, and that’s one option. But there are others that no one seems to know about. For example, you could look into home stays for English Language Learners. Schools such as ELS language school, American Language Academy, and others have locations in over 40 US cities. Many of their students prefer staying with an English speaking person or family to further practice their developing skills. With only 1 spare bedroom, you could earn between $400-$600 per month. Also, don’t assume that there isn’t an English school near you just because you’ve never heard of it. My husband works only 10 minutes from an English school, and I lived here for 5 years before I knew that.
Use skills you already have to offer group classes
Use your special expertise and teaching skills to start a small educational or entertainment business – one that can grow. This is my personal favorite because it can be so many different things. I’m a foreign language teacher, so I offer enrichment Spanish classes at preschools. In a good location, I can bring in $400/month with minimal overhead and only about 8 hours of work. You could also offer group tutoring, ceramics painting, knitting or crocheting lessons, or computer instruction in your own home. Good with cars? Teach a basic car care class for women. Coach folks who want to improve their public speaking. If you use your imagination, the sky is the limit on this one. Just remember to begin with the end in mind. If you want to make money (and that is at least part of the goal, right?), you’ve got to structure it so you can earn some bucks. In other words, no one-on-one tutoring unless you are charging over $60/hr.
Love pets? Try pet sitting, dog walking, or doggie drop-ins. I never knew that there were people who would watch your pet in their own home until I was desperately searching for a kennel at the last minute. And as a pet owner, I’d much rather have my dog stay with a reliable person than shut in a dog run at a kennel. Sumiko, who has been hosting with rover.com since May of 2015, says, “The best part of hosting is getting to sample every breed imaginable as your pet, the companionship/playtime, and income. We’ve had some challenges with high energy dogs such as muddying the yard when it’s rained a while, dogs hopping baby gates in the house…but it’s not constant and you can restrict breeds, size…” Since the normal charge is over $20/night per pet, people who commit to building their clientele, can make over $1000/month once they are established.
Visiting the elderly
Not a fan of pets, but love people? Many people are looking for someone to stop in and check on an elderly relative or help them prepare a simple meal. Here, word of mouth is king, so talk to some folks you know at different houses of worship. They often know some people who need a helping hand, but not really nursing assistance yet – and they are more likely to trust you if you have a mutual friend. Alternately, you could contact senior centers or support groups for caregivers. The bonus here is that if you don’t want to pay for childcare, but your kids are reasonably well behaved, many older people see having children around as a bonus, not a drawback. Just be sure to spell out exactly what the expectations are and what you are comfortable doing beforehand. Light housekeeping? Help preparing meals? Or just a friendly person to chat with? Don’t be pressured into doing more than you are capable of. If you won’t give medications, state that up front and stick to your guns.
Search Engine Evaluation and other tasks
Work in search engine evaluation. Search engines use algorithms to rank the results they bring up. However, they also need actual humans to check those rankings. Leapforce, Appen, and other companies use people who can work from home to do just that. While it’s not a job with room for advancement, it is something that could be worked into an income of over $1000 per month. Some companies require that you pass a test, which by all accounts is challenging, but not impossible, if you have carefully studied the test materials. Another caution is that like any job that requires you to use your brain, there is a learning curve, and you will need to give yourself time to get to higher levels of earning.
(Insert YOUR idea here)
No, that wasn’t just a place-holder that I forgot to delete. It’s a reminder that your ability to think of side hustles or earn extra income is limited only by your imagination. So have we got you thinking that it might actually be possible for you to make the leap out of education? There is a lot to think about, and a lot of ways it can go wrong. If you want to make the switch out of teaching, but you are terrified to make the leap, click here for our free guide to the 4 biggest mistakes people make when leaving the classroom, and how to avoid each one.
The times are hard in the teaching world right now. It seems like everybody is just piling on: parents, politicians, and worst of all, payroll deductions. A lot of teachers I talk to love their profession, but just don’t feel like they can handle 10 or 15 more years (sometimes more like even 10 or 15 more MINUTES – ahem – I’m looking at you, Friday before Spring break!!!!).
So they dream of finding a side hustle that could give them money for some extras, or maybe someday even replace their teaching income. But every time they think they have found something, it turns out to be a scam or earns a whopping $1.50 per hour.
There is an option out there that no one seems to know about. And I wouldn’t know about it if it weren’t for my friend Meridith Murray, who turned it into her full-time(ish) job. It isn’t a get-rich scheme. It’s an actual side job that can replace a teacher’s salary with work and minimal investment, AND it doesn’t involve sales!
Here’s the best-kept work from home secret of 2020: Indexing. An indexer does exactly what it sounds like – create the index at the back of non-fiction books. While most publishers have in-house editors and proofreaders, indexing is a function they often prefer to contract out to reliable freelancers.
Pros and Cons
Indexing has a ton of upsides, like good income potential, flexibility, and the ability to work from home. But it is a real job, and it requires hard work, a willingness to learn, and it doesn’t produce income on the first day. So let’s look at the pros and cons one by one to help you decide whether indexing might be your ticket to one again being the master of your own life.
Pro #1: Flexible location
Because the books indexers work on are sent via computer, you can work from anywhere there is reliable internet. Home: check. Starbucks: check. Tahiti: DOUBLE CHECK!
Pro #2: Flexible hours
Even though indexing usually has a firm deadline (and sometimes a short one, at that), the time you work on the project is up to you. Whether you’re a night owl or do your best work at 4AM before the family is stirring, there’s no problem for an indexer. As a teacher, you can also accept fewer jobs during the school year and more projects during the summer months.
Pro #3: #willreadforincome
Yes, you got that right. You get paid for reading books. OK, there is more to it than that, but reading books is definitely part of the job description. What’s more, you get to read and learn about topics from adoption to children’s book publishing to cookbooks to who knows what else, all while getting paid for it. If you are a book addict, it doesn’t get much better than that. Of course, since only non-fiction books have an index, you’re not going to be reading a page-turner novel, but once you have a steady stream of clients, you can actually choose which jobs to accept and which ones not to. A number of indexers are known for a specific type of work, often one that they really enjoy learning about.
The other side of the coin
“OK, sounds good,” you say, “but nothing is perfect.” True, that. This is a legitimate, long-term work at home option. And that means it’s going to take some commitment and investment before you see the money starts rolling in.
Of course, as with any legitimate work-at-home business, you will need to set up record keeping systems and have a quiet, distraction-free work environment. In other words, don’t plan on doing indexing while watching your kids out of the corner of your eye. That could be dangerous both for the kids and for the index.
Investment of money
Indexing is a side income that does require some up front investment and a little business acumen. First, you’ll need to learn to index by taking a class, which usually runs about $750 and can be done online in a self-paced course. Once you’re trained you’ll need to purchase indexing software, which varies in price from $225 to almost $600.
Investment of time
Besides the initial investment of money, you also have to allow time for your indexing business to take off. At first, you are not going to get many jobs because you are not well known and have no client base established. The jobs might trickle in pretty slowly, so don’t quit your teaching job after you’ve completed one project.
Unpredictability
Also, even though indexing is flexible, it is also somewhat unpredictable. The index of a book can’t be started until every other detail of the text itself is finalized, so if there is an unexpected delay, you might receive a project 1-2 weeks later than projected – quite a problem if you were counting on finishing it before a family vacation or if you have another big project that comes in at the same time.
And just like the timing, the income can’t always be relied on like a teacher paycheck can. There may be times when it seems like there aren’t any jobs coming your way, and others when you can’t accept all the jobs you’d really like to do. So if you are someone who spends money the minute she has it, indexing as a primary income could cause some pretty serious stress.
Paperwork
Unlike in teaching, you don’t have an employer who will be withholding your taxes, Medicare, or social security, you will need to educate yourself on how to set aside funds and avoid a big, nasty surprise come tax time – AND have the discipline to actually do it! If you have never had a side hustle before and that thought freaks you out, don’t get too worried. It is absolutely do-able. I just want to warn you beforehand.
The friend of mine who I mentioned earlier, Meredith Murray of MLM Indexing (her initials are MLM. Don’t worry. It has nothing to do with the MLMs that most people think of, I promise!), has been indexing either part-time or full-time for over 20 years. When we worked together, she did it as a way to make extra income. When she retired from the school system, she had established a reputation for timeliness and accuracy that allowed her to make a solid living through her indexing business. After 20 years, she is still enthusiastic about indexing and says she often has more work than she can handle.
In summary, if you are looking for a work from home activity that allows you some control over your work schedule, but is a legitimate way to potentially match a teaching salary, indexing is a strong option. It works better for fast, avid readers who are also detail oriented. For outstanding resources, check out the American Society of Indexing website.
And if you found this article helpful, please feel free to share it on social media. You might have a teacher friend who has been looking for a work at home side job exactly like this one.
When I began offering Spanish preschool classes, I thought I’d never find one with enough parent interest to make my efforts worthwhile. After flying out of the gates with high hopes, I was quickly shot down. It seemed impossible to get more than 4 kids enrolled in my classes. I told myself that the numbers would grow, but they just stumbled along, not really increasing at all. I started to wonder if this business of mine was just a pipe dream or really the viable moneymaker that I had dreamed of.
Well, after several centers and some advice from a friend who has a huge and profitable enrichment class business in preschools, I was able to tweak the formula. Now, I have a set process and timeline that produces higher enrollment numbers and amazing retention. I’ll bet you’d like to skip that learning phase I had to go through, and head right for successful start-ups. If so, here are three tips that turned my start-up process around. You can also get the Countdown to Class timeline I’ve found most effective for opening classes at a new center.
Offer a free class
So you’re getting ready to start a class at a brand new location, and you don’t quite know how to get the word out. You’ve done fliers and parent notes in each cubby, but it just seems as if there should be something more. Have you thought about offering a free class?
A free class can reassure parents that their child will enjoy learning Spanish. It also gets kids super-enthusiastic. (We all know that kids are truly the best salespeople, right?) It is a concrete reminder that a new opportunity is opening up. And it demonstrates right up front that you are interested in providing value. Finally, it is a chance for you to see which kiddos are interested in Spanish and help guide parents so they get the best value for their money.
So what can you do to make this introductory class the most effective?
Require parents to fill out a registration form for these three reasons
At the first few centers I partnered with, I simply offered do a free class for the entire group. I felt like I was truly offering them something of value, and I didn’t want any of the kids to miss out. It was a nightmare. There are three main reasons you should require a registration form.
It will be more like your actual classes
First, the centers often wanted to combine classes to save time. At one center, I ended up with 24 kids in one class. That’s a teacher-student ratio I would NEVER allow in my paid classes, because they would be totally ineffective. Consequently, my free class was totally ineffective. The kids were wild. I had to cut some of my most fun (and most active) portions because I knew that they would dissolve into chaos. My classes came off as boring and I had VERY low enrollment. And by the way, they never grew because the kids had decided my classes were boring based on that one disastrous free class.
Make sure the center director is on board with your Spanish preschool classes
Secondly, requiring registration can save you time. Let the director know that there is a minimum enrollment for the free class. This will encourage the director to encourage parents to sign up. Who wants 6 parents to be disappointed because the group was short 2 enrollments? So, you are more likely to have a set number of enrollments, the director creates a habit of nudging parents to get their registration in, and you don’t have to offer the free class if only 2 students sign up. And here’s a news flash: if only 2 kids sign up for your free class, this isn’t the center that you’re looking for anyway. (It’s good to mention up-front that your free class has a minimum enrollment so parents don’t feel cheated if there is low interest.)
Be able to communicate directly with parents
Finally – and this is the big one – by having parents register, you can get their e-mail address. Having the parents’ e-mail address lets you communicate directly with them. You send an update on how the free class went (more on that later). You can send a quick e-mail reminder on the final day of registration for your paid class. You can send reminders for future classes and quick tips for helping a child learn language at home. Of course, you always want to give them a chance to opt out, but these parents have expressed an interest in having their child learn Spanish. They value education. They are your target market. By sending value-packed information, you can show your commitment to providing high-quality instruction. That allows you to build trust, and THAT is the key to a long-term relationship.
Follow-up with parents (individually, if possible) right after the free class
So you’ve presented a great free class. The kids were into it, you had rockin’ activities, and you can hardly wait for the full session to start. Let the parents know. Send a quick e-mail as soon after your class as possible detailing the songs you sang, the books you read, and how the games went. You might even want to include a link or two to YouTube videos of those songs, if they are available. Convince the parents (in 100 words or less!) that you are an amazing professional and they do NOT want their child to miss out. Keep it positive and low-key, but definitely let them know that you are providing tremendous value.
If possible, make the notes individualized. You probably won’t remember the names of each child, but to the extent that you can, let the parents know not just how “the kids” did, but how Emma or Aiden did specifically. Again, this shows that you are more interested in the kids than in the money. If a child asked a question, or seemed particularly engaged, try to make a note of that child’s name, so you can mention it specifically in your note.
Of course, sometimes a child is truly disruptive or doesn’t seem emotionally ready for the class. I always let parents know that (nicely and tactfully!), as well because I want them to get their money’s work AND I want the other kids who enroll to have a great class.
Parents are interested not as much in the group in general as they are in their very own little angel. The more you can give them specifics, the more they will see you as a resource and not just a salesperson.
