Hey Mamas!
Many of you may have heard that it is possible to go "independent" as an online teacher. If you haven't, girl, where have you been? Being an independent online teacher simply means that you do not teach for an ESL company that would find the students for you. ESL companies are kind of like a middle man that would find the students, give the lesson plans, handle the payments ..etc.. When you are an independent ESL teacher, you handle all of that on your own!
If you have been keeping up with my blog posts and YouTube channel, then you know that I advocate viewing your ESL career as your own business. I truly believe that when you start to view your online ESL career as your own business, you allow yourself to evolve in the industry and grow instead of remaining stagnant and sticking only to one thing. There are many ways to grow your business in the ESL industry and being an independent teacher is certainly a great way to do so!
Firstly, let's understand exactly what it means to be an independent online teacher.
Your Online Independent Teaching Career Is Essentially Your Very Own Language School.
Yes, the bottom-line is that you have created your own business and language school. It's important that you view it in a serious manner and take every aspect of your new business very seriously, considering each decision carefully!
Going independent means you are in charge of finding your own students, ways of marketing yourself, deciding on pricing, payment plans, and payment methods. You will have to create OR source your lesson plans, decide what kind of and how often you will give feedback or homework and of course what platform you will use to teach. Yes, there's a lot to think about and decide but don't let that discourage you, instead let that empower you! The benefits far outweigh any fears and anxiety you may have!
Why Go Independent?
As an independent ESL teacher, you are fully in charge of your schedule. You get to choose your own flexibility, the kind of teacher you want to be, the students you want to teach (kids/adults), and the values for your own business. When you go independent, you make a lot more money than what the ESL companies pay you and you are fully in charge of what you make. Of course, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration when you are deciding your pricing structure but from my research, most independent ESL businesses charge on average around $30 USD per lesson, some even more (pricing is heavily dependent on your niche).
How To Start An Independent ESL Business
Honestly, you're gonna run into a lot of issues now or later down the road if you try to cater to the needs of every single type of ESL student there is in the world. Your processes will run smoother, you will be less stressed and your business will grow even faster if you have one or two specific niches. Not to mention, you will be able to focus your marketing efforts to a specific group of potential students.
A few niche ideas:
-IELTS and TOEFL Examination Preparation
- Private One-On-One Tutoring
-Business English
-Conversational English
Before you start to market yourself, I would suggest that you have your ducks in a row first. Create or Source great lesson plans that you would be happy to teach and that are natural to you and your style of teaching.
Resource for Business English Lesson Plans + Worksheets: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english
Resource for Conversational English Lesson Plans + Worksheets: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/esl-course-plans/general-english-course-plans/english-speaking-and-conversation/intermediate
Next, you need to choose your schedule. This is something I would definitely recommend before you start to market yourself because things can potentially get crazy and you need to make sure you have your working hours set and firmly decided on before students start approaching you!
This goes without saying, but you need to figure out what you will charge students based on your niche/niches, your experience, education, length of classes and your own monetary goals. Think about how much you would need to make to sustain your business, the costs of running an online business, possibly paying for lesson plans, your precious time and what you need to make to live comfortably after that. I would suggest having your structure typed out, saved and even printed out for quick reference. Take your time with this one. Make sure it works for you, your business and your target audience. You're also going to need to decide if you will offer any payment plans and how you will track it. Make sure your processes are streamlined for optimum efficiency.
Now, you need to decide on your method of payment. There are a few payment methods you can choose from. My two top recommendations are Paypal and Payoneer.
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com
Payoneer: www.payoneer.com
Of course, there are other methods out there but make sure to do your research and choose a payment method that is right for you.
One of the best ways for you to get yourself and your business out there is to create a website where students can easily learn more about you, your business, the lessons you offer and your payment structure. It's basically a one-stop-shop for students to quickly ascertain if you and your business are right for them. Create a website that is easy to navigate, easy to understand and clearly explains what you and your business are about. Be sure to upload a picture, a bio and maybe even an introduction video depending on the business model you have chosen.
Please make sure to choose a domain name that is relevant to your business, your niche or the outcome you want for your students! This is an important step, so don't rush it. Do your research and think about it carefully!
Make sure to get your business out there! Create Facebook ads, put out classified ads, post flyers, join Facebook groups where you can find your target audience and engage in those groups! Another great tip is to market in your target audience language and not just in English. Also, you can create a mailing list of students and keep in contact with them regularly.
Going independent as an ESL teacher and building your business takes time and effort but it's all part of the fun of being an entrepreneur. Always remember that once there's a will, there's a way and determination is the key to success. You will meet roadblocks, you will have challenges and sometimes you will have no idea what to do in a particular situation. But that's not the time to give up! Keep on working hard and meet each challenge head-on. View every roadblock as an opportunity to grow and learn more. Remember the internet is your friend, use it! Everything is online! If you don't know what to do, google it! But don't ever stop.
With all my love,
Becky xoxo
