There comes a certain point in every teacher’s business journey when they realise that teaching only 1:1 lessons is unsustainable.
When that happens, many teachers ask me what they should do next. And my answer is almost always to create a group language course.
Group language courses give you so many opportunities to take your business to new heights. And in this article, I want to explain exactly what they are so, like my clients, you can enjoy the benefits of having a profitable, sustainable group program.
Here are 6 amazing things that happen when you start a group language course.
1. You save yourself so much time
If you are feeling overwhelmed with a schedule that’s full of 1:1 students, then this is probably the biggest, most valuable benefit of starting a group language course.
Group courses allow you to increase the number of students you are teaching without increasing the number of hours you are working to an unsustainable level.
That means you could, in theory, still teach all the same students (maybe even more) in a few sessions per week and earn a similar amount of money while reclaiming TONS of time. Read how that happened for my client, Elisabetta.
2. You can better serve your students
You probably think that I’ve gone mad saying this. But hear me out.
Group language learning has many, many benefits for your students. Feeling part of a community, being accountable to study, collaborating with others and hearing different perspectives.
All these things add up to create a more enjoyable learning experience, where you are not the sole source of information for your students. Not only does this take the pressure off you, but it also gives your students a more well-rounded learning experience that I guarantee they will enjoy.
Plus, let’s face it. If you’ve got more time to plan and relax, you’re going to be TONS more engaged in the lessons. Which they will totally notice, by the way.
3. You can increase your income
You may worry that you cannot charge as much for a group program as you can for 1:1s. And maybe that’s true. But there will be a time where you cannot increase your private course fee any more without making it unaffordable for your ideal students.
And although I am the biggest supporter of teachers earning more, this also has to be in a sustainable way that keeps your courses accessible to the right people.
Group courses keep everyone happy. By increasing the number of students you are teaching at one time, you remove the income cap that comes with 1:1s, which means you don’t need to charge astronomical rates to reach your income goals. AND you can continue to make a positive difference to people’s lives.
4. You can create a community
Community is now a bit of a buzzword in the online business world, but it’s true that there is real value in creating one.
For your students, it means they can get to know other people who are working towards a similar goal as them. And for you, it means you can create a certain exclusivity around your business that people want to be a part of.
When you are only teaching 1:1s, your students are very isolated from one another. Even if you create a Facebook group that everyone can join, it is much harder to get them to interact with each other because they are all basically strangers.
When they meet every week on live calls, on the other hand, they create more of a bond that is easier to carry over to an online community.
5. You can build anticipation for your offers
Once you have a group program up and running, it’s really easy to create a sense of FOMO around it that builds desire in other ideal students to join.
You can share weekly updates of what you are talking about or student wins or even a group photo from your Zoom call from time to time.
And yes, you should also be doing this for your 1:1s. But there is a lot of power in your ideal students seeing groups of people just like them benefiting from your courses.
Not to mention, if you are only accepting new students once or twice per year, this can create a natural urgency around joining that means you can sell out more quickly when the doors are open. Win win!
You may also enjoy: When is the best time to launch an online language course?
6. Allows you to grow your business
Finally, all of these benefits add up to give you the space, money, time and visibility that you need to scale your language teaching business to new heights.
When your income is more predictable and you’re spending less time actually working for it, you can finally act on all those wonderful ideas you’ve got sitting in your Notes app.
And you can progress from feeling like a freelance teacher running on a hamster wheel to a full-blown business owner with multiple income streams and a thriving community who is making a real difference in your world.
Ready to scale your business with a group language course?
If you feel like you are drowning in 1:1 students and have no time to market your business (or spend time for yourself), then you are most likely ready to take this next step.
Scary? I know. But I promise you that once you find that group course idea, you will never look back.
That’s the case for all the teachers who have been through my Rocket Accelerator program. And it can be for you too! Get on the waitlist and let’s plan, create and sell a signature group course your students will be begging to join. ?