A LITTLE MARKET RESEARCH PLEASE!! This year apart from the losses incurred due to my stepmothers health and hospitalisation over the summer months, I have had so many cancellations at last minute on courses this year that I am having to seriously rethink my operation here. 5 out of 8 have cancelled at short notice on the EE teacher training second module, all good reasons, but it sadly doesnt pay my bills. I have had 4 out of 7 drop out of the foundation course again at last minute, 4 out of 7 drop out of even a simulator day. It has been so frustrating as people seem to like my teaching, yet when it comes to the crunch, I am let down time and again! I do take full payment up front for the simulator workshops but because the teacher training and foundation course are rather more expensive- but the EETT for a career course is still extremely cheap in comparison to other organisations- I have let students pay last minute to ensure they had the money. But if something happens and they cant come, I have £1000 worth of bills to cover weekly without even paying me a wage. I always feared that if I made teacher training and foundation course students pay up front that they wouldnt book up. But in many respects I am better not having them book up than have cancellations at the last minute, meaning no chance of booking any other work! I know that if you are going on holiday, in general the monies have to be paid up front and you take out holiday insurance to cover any problems, so that the holiday company still gets their money and you get yours back. I am therefore going to have to charge full price up front because even a hefty deposit doesnt ensure the oerson attends ( I have even had a cancellation the night before the course and the person said they presume their deposit still stands for a booking next year?!!) \and doesnt in any way cover my overheads. People have no idea of the cost of insurances never mind wages, general running costs and this year another £10,000 just on building maintenance! So the next few months will see which direction I take. If bookings still do not materialise, I will sadly have to concentrate my efforts on saddle sales and largely give up teaching apart from the odd clinic and simulator workshop. So some feedback please, how many of you would be prepared to pay up front for a course and take out holiday insurance to ensure both parties are safe financially? I was told yesterday for instance of a saddlery company who sell s through agents. The agent has to pay £24000 up front and gets half a dozen demo saddles. They have some training, and then also have to pay monthly a share of the advertising budget. When they have committed this amount of money, they do their damndest to sell saddles and are all making a very good living. The company has pulled in close on quarter of a million pounds in this way which has given them a very good footing to employ the necessary admin to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Im sorry for the moan, but at 61, I need to know which direction I am taking for the rest of my working life!!
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 08:35:52 +0000
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