How to find new students

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum, so thanks in advance for all of your help (and patience if I make any mistakes). I have recently started up my own international school in Nagoya and although there are some students signing up, I was wondering if any other business owners could give me some advice as to how I can build my customer base. So far I have tried Facebook ads on our page (facebook.com/epicnagoya), Google Adwords and printing out flyers that we inserted in Newspapers around the local area (the last tactic seemed to be the most effective). I also try to update our website (epic-school.com) as often as possible, and although we get a fair amount of traffic, very few people contact us through the website.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, if you want to learn more about the school, please just let me know.

Thanks again everyone, have a great day!

Adam

Is it a complete school? What curriculum do you use? I wish I had information for you but unfortunately all I can think of is offering services other schools don't offer and promoting based on that.


Sent from my fingers using the internet.

It's a preschool during the day and we have other services like playgroup, Saturday school and adult classes too. I'm following the British EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum...and I think I am the only person in Nagoya doing so, although I might be wrong.

I've tried using the curriculum, and my own qualifications/experience as selling points on our advertising...but it's just working out what advertising is actually seen in the first place. Might try posting flyers in people's postboxes; hopefully that won't just annoy people!

This may be a silly question, but did you do market research prior to opening which led you to believe there was a demand?

If so I'd expect that in that research are the answers for which you're looking. If not, maybe it would be a wise thing to do before you sink too much time and money into the project.


Sent from my fingers using the internet.

Print 2000 flyers and put them in mailboxes in every residence around you.
Post in supermarkets and malls. Use pictures, not just text. Use Japanese text.
Set up a table in a mall or dept store to show yourself.

Is this just something you dreamed up and labeled as an "international school" or are you for real? There are so many businesses out there with that false label of "international school" that you might not be taken seriously for that reason. Incorporated? Limited partnership? What is your visa status?

I agree with the other poster about market research (if you are indeed a serious entity). That should have been done far in advance.

What exactly do you tell prospective customers about yourself (training, experience, etc.)?
What do you tell them about the curriculum? (free trial lesson? discount on groups? all-English lessons?)
What kind of staff do you have? foreign or Japanese?
Location central to many people? Good access to transportation? Any parking?

Thanks for all of the feedback guys, I will try and get to each point individually:

As for the market research, we went to local ward offices and found a location with a high number of children, some great elementary and junior high schools nearby, but no direct competition (just Japanese day care). I also spoke with a number of people in the area who have started up their own school and had them check out the area and give me some brutally honest feedback; we had three locations in mind and I'm certain we chose the right one.

As for if we are the real thing, I'd say a profound yes for that one; I've worked in a couple of international schools in Japan before where no-one was formally trained. I have a Diploma in Early Learning and Child Care as well as child first-aid training. Every other staff member has to be trained as well (we are still a small school, so not many employees to worry about at the moment). We follow the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, and lucky for me my brother is a Deputy Headmaster in London, so we are officially partnered with his school...all of these points we have put in the flyers and on the website.

In regards to access, there is paid parking nearby, but not an official parking space for the school, but it is on a quiet street which is wide enough for cars to park up and drop off their kids. We are also right outside a train station (Morishita), so access is pretty good.

With free events, we had a Christmas party as a trial run for the school, to make sure I didn't need to change anything before the real lessons started, and I give out trial lessons for free to all potential customers.

I hadn't thought of getting a table at a local supermarket, I will look into that. I've also only really had flyers inserted into newspapers, I haven't gone round door-to-door as of yet, I will also give that a go.

I hope I replied to all of your points...let me know if I left something out!

Adam

Nice site, good vids. You seem to be in a good location. If you haven't already done so, get yourself a business card printed up. Doesn't have to be fancy (I use a black-and-white one with a cartoonish caricature of myself on it). Include a link to your website on the card itself so people can check it out for themselves. Print up hundreds and start handing them out liberally to anyone you meet in your immediate area who might meet the clientele you are aiming for or people who you interact with frequently (convenience cashier, post office teller, etc).

I used to hand out brochures myself in front of the local train stations in my area (I would hit all of them that were no more than 15 minutes away by train). Had a nice full-color brochure printed up complete with images and graphics and put in a lot of hours handing them out in the mornings, during afternoon rush hour, and in the evenings. I included a discount coupon in the brochure so that I could keep track of how many respondents I had and even though it was almost a decade ago I still remember the exact number: 26. Was it worth it considering the exorbitant costs that damn printer charged me lol... I don't know. I do know though that those first 26 were essential to getting my business up and running and even now two of them are still my students. If I had to do it again I would definitely skip the fancy brochure and go for something simpler.

Good word-of-mouth is the key to getting up and running and staying that way. Also, don't be afraid to ask your current students to help you promote the school. Most moms have very good networks to draw from. All my advertising efforts were done the first two years or so but thanks to my monstrous network of moms (lol) I haven't had to advertise at all in the last eight or nine years. Good luck with the school and don't be discouraged if you are in the red the first year. In fact it is probably best to expect it but you'll be fine in the end. Cheers!

That's brilliant advice, thank you very much, and thanks for being so cool! I was always a little bit terrified of standing outside a train-station handing out flyers, but if you got 26 students out of it, it is well worth a go! My wife also suggested attaching some candy to draw in the crowds...but I was always told never to take candy from strangers!

I completely agree about the powerful networking skills of Japanese mums! I had a trial lesson with one mum last week, she's coming again this evening with three of her buddies!

Thanks again for the tips though everyone, I will keep you posted with how things turn out and which methods were the most effective.