I presently educate round 15 college students on-line. I’ve been instructing a small variety of them for over 5 years. Although each freelancer all over the world appears to have raised their charges, I’ve determined in opposition to growing my non-public lesson costs for already enrolled college students.
The state of play with my costs
After I began instructing English in Poland in 2006, my charge for personal dialog lessons was 60 PLN per clock hour. Superb cash in these days. This grew to become 65 PLN in round 2012 once I taught college students face-to-face in Lódź, Poland. After I reverted again to instructing largely Polish college students of English on-line in 2013, I dropped my charge again to 60 PLN.
Final 12 months, my charge went as much as 70 PLN and it now stands at 80 PLN. I cost 90 PLN for extra specialised programs, comparable to my CPE (C2) Talking Examination preparation course. As you’ll be able to see on my costs web page, college students even have the choice to pay in British kilos both by financial institution switch or by way of PayPal.
That is the important thing factor, nevertheless. There’s a distinction between growing my non-public lesson costs for present college students and elevating charges on my web site for individuals who want to enrol in considered one of my programs.
Frankly, I don’t assume I might educate greater than 20 college students per week. So if one other 5 college students come alongside and are comfortable to pay 80 PLN for 60 minutes of examine time, then that’s as much as them. I shouldn’t really feel dangerous about having raised my costs.
By the way in which, I educate brief 15-25 minute lessons with a lot of my college students a number of instances per week. I’ve lengthy believed that the perfect size of a non-public language lesson is between 15-25 minutes. The regularity of contact with a language means a lot greater than the size of a lesson. Which trainer or pupil might endure two 90 minute on-line lessons per week? I actually couldn’t.
There’s no want to leap on the bandwagon simply but
As of July 2023, the minimal hourly wage in Poland will improve to 23.5 zloty gross – a rise of three.8 zloty in comparison with the earlier 12 months. To place issues into context, my (web) price for an hour of sophistication time is round FOUR instances larger than the minimal hourly wage in Poland. Due to this fact, because it’s not my purpose to purchase a brand new Audi or dwell a lifetime of luxurious, I believe that I earn very respectable cash – by Polish requirements.
For now, I’ve kept away from leaping on the bandwagon of elevating costs for the scholars I presently educate. I’ve already talked about that I earn fairly properly by Polish requirements. It’s true that the price of residing has gone up in Poland, notably in terms of grocery procuring. Petrol costs have stabilised although. My electrical energy, water and heating payments aren’t a lot larger than what they have been just a few years in the past.
In abstract, I don’t assume that inflation has eaten away at my wage all that a lot. So why ought to I punish my college students for “the state of affairs”?
Instructing English as a non-public tutor in Poland
I’ve simply checked out e-korepetycje – considered one of Poland’s largest non-public tutoring databases – to see what a few of my colleagues (or “opponents”) cost for English language lessons.
So, regardless of all my expertise and {qualifications}, I’m among the many most cost-effective lecturers available on the market. I’m additionally a local speaker. No offence to the numerous wonderful non-native English lecturers on the market.
Academics on e-korepetycje are asking for foolish cash. I’m not positive whether or not they get any college students in any respect. I’d by no means pay over 150 PLN (33 EUR) for a language class. If push actually got here to shove, I’d put all my efforts and assets into turning myself right into a formidable unbiased language learner.
There’s no jealousy at play right here in terms of these English tutors. If I have been jealous, I’d put my costs as much as 150 PLN an hour on my web site simply to check the water. After all, I wouldn’t do such a ridiculous factor.
General, I imagine that tutors can dwell very properly in cities comparable to Gdańsk and Warsaw in the event that they earn between 80-100 PLN per 60-minute class.
Are you able to elevate your tutoring charges with out dropping any of your college students?
If I set my coronary heart on growing my non-public lesson costs, I’d go about it in as moral a approach as potential:
1. Restrict the rise share
Though elevating your charges by 25-50% would have a big affect in your general revenue, I’m not satisfied that your whole college students would really feel that you simply’re value such an increase – even for those who assume you do.
I’d advise you to restrict your will increase to between 5% and 12.5%.
To place issues into context. A good variety of my college students be taught with me for round 150 minutes per 30 days. So a ten% improve in my charges would give me an additional 15-18 PLN per 30 days per pupil relying on how a lot they pay per hour.
General, my wage would go up by round 225-270 PLN per 30 days which I’d be happy with.
2. Give college students loads of advance discover
Some of the vital insurance policies you must comply with to assist efficiently elevate your tutoring charges is to present your college students enough advance discover. Nobody relishes shock charge will increase.
One thought to warn college students of what’s to return is to ship an electronic mail notification to make sure they obtain the discover. Make full use of the topic line by writing one thing apparent like “Change in charges” in an effort to get your college students’ consideration.
I personally imagine that an advance discover of between one and three months is ample time to inform your present college students and permit them time to work out whether or not they are going to settle for the speed improve. This advance discover interval additionally offers you loads of time to promote for brand spanking new college students if just a few of your present ones resolve to cease taking lessons.
3. Deal with each long-term and new college students with the utmost respect
I’d contemplate 4 or 5 of my college students to be long-term purchasers. Simply because I’ve been instructing them for over 5 years doesn’t imply that I wouldn’t notify them about any potential forthcoming charge modifications. Although I believe they’d all be prepared to pay no matter charge I demand, I wouldn’t run the danger of displaying what they could understand as disrespect by giving them brief discover a couple of rise in my non-public lesson charges.
Once you start to show a brand new pupil, I’d allow them to know that you simply often reassess your charges, often in December or on the finish of the ‘monetary 12 months’ (i.e. ‘tax 12 months’).
Associated so far, you don’t wish to improve your charges for brand spanking new college students too quickly. As an illustration, if a pupil begins taking lessons in November, and your coverage is to reassess charges each December, it might be clever to keep away from elevating the speed that exact pupil pays. In spite of everything, how do they know you’re value this rise for those who’ve solely had 5 or 6 periods with them?
Endurance is a advantage. Wait till the next 12 months to lift charges for brand spanking new college students who, by that point, could have realised you’re value each penny. Simply give attention to honing your new college students’ language expertise and proving your worth.
4. Improve the standard of service your present to college students
For those who elevate your tuition charges, upgrading the standard of service you present to college students will give them the sensation that they are getting further worth for cash.
I imagine that my college students get very respectable worth for cash. For instance, I report lesson notes for them on a Google Doc whereas a category is going down. These notes element new phrases and collocations, pronunciation errors and grammatical errors which they’re anticipated to mirror on and proper earlier than the next class. Furthermore, for lots of the articles I cowl with college students, I share audio information which I’ve personally sound recorded.
I hope these two concepts have given you some meals for thought.
You’re entitled to guard your self with out elevating your charges
I’m positive that almost all freelance language lecturers don’t sit up for the summer time months when many college students disappear for 2 or three weeks. Or perhaps a few months.
Proper now, I’m extra all for defending myself throughout the summer time months (or any month for that matter) moderately than growing my non-public lesson costs. I’ve outlined the next situation and supporting arguments in a letter to college students I’m presently placing the ending touches to:
… I do want to guard myself, notably throughout the summer time months. Therefore, the next situation shall apply from July 1:
– Minimal 65 PLN (14 EUR) fee per 30 days, no matter which month it’s:
Logic 1: Most of you meet me twice per week (7-9 instances per calendar month). Reaching 65 zl ought to by no means be an issue, even when you go away for two weeks throughout a selected month.
Logic 2: After all, it might be unfair of me to take a 3-week vacation (not prone to occur!) and count on this minimal month-to-month charge to use. Due to this fact, if, throughout any month, we don’t meet for at least 4 instances because of a sequence of cancellations on my aspect, the price will NOT apply. If we now have to fulfill lower than 4 instances a month by means of my very own doing, you’ll be credited with a FREE LESSON within the following calendar month.
I believe it’s a very reasonable deal all spherical. In spite of everything, the minimal month-to-month price will nonetheless most likely not have an effect on college students who take a two-week vacation. For many who plan to vanish for just a few months, I don’t assume they’ll lose sleep over paying 65 PLN (14 EUR) per 30 days. Lastly, I’ll sleep simple figuring out that I’ll be capable to pay my payments and my college students have dedicated themselves to studying with me for the long term.
Elevating my non-public lesson costs remains to be not on the forefront of my thoughts
As I alluded to on the finish of the earlier part, I’ve all the time been extra all for stability. By that, I imply creating and sustaining long-term cooperation with my college students moderately than growing my non-public lesson costs.
I really feel privileged to be doing what I’m doing. For one, it’s not disturbing work. Secondly, I set my very own work schedule. I don’t educate between 11am and 6pm day by day. Lastly, I can take a day or week off once I need, all the time protected within the data that my college students received’t bat an eyelid.
I haven’t dominated out the idea of accelerating my tutoring charges subsequent 12 months or in years to return. For now, I’m comfortable the way in which issues are. Judging by my college students’ dedication to having lessons two, three and even 4 instances per week, they appear to be happy too.
Why rock the boat in any approach?