How to Start a Foreign Language Instruction Business

Part 1 - How to start a Foreign Language Instruction business - Background

When it comes to our mother tongue, most of us don’t give language a second thought. However, without language, almost all aspects of life as we know it would break down. Teaching foreign languages gives others access to a completely fresh perspective on human life, as seen through the lens of a new language. With today’s growing rate of globalization, starting a foreign language instruction business can offer you an exciting and profitable career.

You may also be interested in additional home business ideas.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Foreign Language business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening a foreign language instruction business?

Costs for starting a foreign language teaching business could be as low as zero dollars, for those who choose to teach out of their own home, or visit students’ homes, instead of renting office or classroom space. The internet has some great free instructional materials, and youtube is filled with clips of foreign language music and films to supplement your lesson plans.

What are the ongoing expenses for a foreign language instruction business?

Expenses can be kept relatively low for those working with a modest budget. As your business expands, you may decide to rent out office and / or classroom space. Costs vary greatly depending on your location and desired square footage. Companies with an average of ten employees spend around $6,000 a month on rent. However, creative use of space, or sharing space with another company, can significantly reduce costs.

Who is the target market?

A foreign language instruction business can attract a wide variety of students: children and adolescents, business professionals, doctors and nurses, or people who simply enjoy the adventure of travel.

How does a foreign language instruction business make money?

A foreign language instruction business makes money by offering lessons in one or more world languages. Students may pay for one class at a time, or purchase a certain number of classes up front. An additional source of revenue could include the sale of language-learning materials, such as books, CDs, and DVDs.

How much can you charge customers?

Language classes can range from approximately $20 – $70 an hour, depending on the instructor’s level of experience and the class size.

How much profit can a foreign language instruction business make?

Your ability to generate income will depend on how many teachers you have on your team, and how many classes you are able to schedule each week. As your business’ reputation grows, you can expect to increase profits considerably.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Group classes bring in more students and require less class time than one-on-one sessions. To offset the challenge of handling multiple students at a time, have two teachers lead the class.

Another option is to assign a certain part of your teaching team to the higher end of the market: doctors, business professionals, military personnel, etc. This can increase revenue and also diversify your client-base.

Carry an inventory of language learning books, cds, and software for your students to purchase, to supplement their in-class study.

Offering online classes can expand your reach virtually unlimitedly. Skype, Google Hangouts, and other internet platforms offer convenient and effective ways to host classes on the Internet, and online learning is a quickly growing market.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at a foreign language instruction business?

The models for a foreign language teaching business are varied, and so are the general activities one would expect to encounter as a business owner. Typically, foreign language instruction business owners are also teachers themselves. As such, common activities include:

• Evaluating students’ language proficiencies

• Preparing individual or group lessons

• Correcting students’ in-class or at-home assignments

In addition to these tasks, a foreign language instruction business owner should set aside time to find interesting and relevant learning material to share with his or her students. This might include foreign language films, music, artwork, newspapers, or magazine clippings that not only provide an opportunity to improve one’s language skills, but also give students a chance to learn more about the customs and lifestyle of the people who speak their target language.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful foreign language instruction business?

The most important skill in foreign language teaching is the ability to connect with people. Whether teaching a large group or working one-on-one with a student, a foreign language teacher must find a way make the material fun and relevant for each individual.

You should also be passionate for learning languages and exploring other cultures. At least one person on your team should be fluent in the target language, as this will give your business credibility and quality instruction.

Generally, foreign language teachers should have a bachelor’s degree in the target language. Alternatively, teachers may be native speakers of the language. Still, it helps to possess a foreign language teaching degree or certificate, as this is required of nearly all teachers at public and private schools and universities.

Adventurous persons may choose to instead spend time living and working or studying abroad while they attain fluency in their target language, before returning to the US to start their business.

What is the growth potential for a foreign language instruction business?

It all depends on your ambition and organizational skills. Foreign language learning is now in higher demand than ever, as international travel and communication becomes easier and more vital to the global economy. Some may prefer to keep their business local, while others may choose to branch out over time and develop a worldwide brand.

How and when to build a team

Teaming up with other language teachers, either at the beginning of your business, or after establishing your own student-base, is a great strategy to reach a much wider audience. By building a strong team of teachers, your business can offer a variety of language courses, and ultimately attract more students.

As your business expands, you will want to consider hiring more staff to help take care of scheduling, marketing, and managing finances.

Average annual salaries for these positions are:

• Secretary: $30,500

• Accountant: $49,000

• Foreign Language Teacher: $46,000

Part 2 - Is a Foreign Language Instruction business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Foreign Language Instruction business in 90 days