Marketing a Startup International School

[higgsboson]

I've been brought into management at a startup international school in China and we are brain storming ideas to recruit students for next year. It is a boarding school that caters to well to do Chinese students.

On the off chance that there is someone out there in admin that's worth a damn, any suggestions?

[Danda]

I'd recommend you include Harvard in the name of the school. That seems to attract the big Chinese money.

[wrldtrvlr123]

[quote="higgsboson"]I've been brought into management at a startup international school in China and we are brain storming ideas to recruit students for next year. It is a boarding school that caters to well to do Chinese students.

On the off chance that there is someone out there in admin that's worth a damn, any suggestions?[/quote]
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Thank you for making my morning during a very bad week for me. I almost had to windex coffee off of my computer screen.

In light of your many posts on the subject of school owners/admin (and your screw them before they screw you philosophy), you are in a perfect position to know which teachers to avoid recruiting, when you get that far.

As for marketing a new school, good luck to you. From my time in Beijing and working with small special needs schools in other places, it can be very tricky getting things running and self-stainable.

Obviously partnering with an organization with name recognition and/or helpful resources would be beneficial. Mainly though, I would say really know the community you are marketing to. What about the new school, or the area will compel your target market to entrust you with their money and their children? Are you expecting local students at all? If so, why would they come there over other IS in the area?

Find a niche or gimmick and promote the hell out of it (after finding some amazing research based benefits of course!):

IB, ENC, life skills, partnerships with educational organizations, English immersion, culinary/vocational skills, hands on practical experiences, yellow brick road to college acceptance in fill in the blank country....anything...something to make yourself stand out.

And really make certain your backers have adequate funding and realistic business plans. Nothing sadder then seeing "schools" with more teachers than students try to struggle through one more surrealist year.

Good luck and do keep us posted.

[tdaley26]

So, you've been brought into management!!!!!!!!!

Only in China!!!!!!!

[AnnieT]

I have always thought that Higg's self-serving, cinical attitude was perfectly suited to management and marketing. :D :D :shock:

[grdwdgrrrl]

Please don't lie to the parents. I was part of a start up team for a name brand school catering to local (rich) students and the admin just lied to the parents . The expat staff were really uncomfortable and lost all respect for the higher ups. One reason we left was because it just seemed like they were trying to fleece the locals.
I think it's a great opportunity for kids that are bright but just don't fit into the mainstream Chinese system. We had a few students that kept failing locally but came to us and really developed and now one is at Oxford studying Art, a subject he would never had the same opportunity to explore at his local high school. So, a way to market it would be to offer an alternative educational experience to bring out the best in the child. It's important that the parents have realistic expectations so even though you want to razzle dazzle, keep in mind that you have to live up to your promises.
And don't lie to the prospective teachers. Start ups are really difficult, no matter how famous the name of the school is and that's the truth. However in many ways it was the best experience. We really created something.

[higgsboson]

Thanks wrldtrvlr123 and grdwdgrrl for the helpful comments.
As I suspected, the work of admin is about 1/2 the work of a good teacher although its no doubt about twice the work of teachers like of T.Daley and AnnieT.

[tdaley26]

Well done Higgsy!!!! You've mastered the first skill of an ineffectual administrator. Having an opinion without any solid data to base it on.

[Nomads]

So you insult someone and then ask for their advice. Interesting approach.

On the off chance that I might be able to contribute something, how do I know if I am worth a damn?