I got asked this question from a friend of mine who is starting a new language school.The reason he asked was that for him, language centers in Vietnam are many but good ones are few and far between. And he wants to establish a language center that can create the best opportunities for teachers to work and learners to learn, a language center with a difference if you may.
Being a lecturer of 30 years of experience in the field, this question however got me hesitate for a long while. For even though I believe I kind of know what a good language school look like and can recognize a good one when I see it, but to tell the truth I don't have a very clear framework in mind of the essential components of a language school. It's because in all of my training in the field of TESOL and education, I have never had an opportunity to learn anything about establishing and running a language school The only book of this kind that I have scanned through is entitled something like "Management in ELT" written in the 1980s, and it is not part of any training that I have received, but only stems from my personal interest.
Fortunately in this age of information revolution, as the saying goes in Vietnamese, "Trăm năm trong cõi người ta/Cái gì không biết thì tra google", I can always search the web for any information that I need. Below is an article that I found very useful for someone who is starting a new language school like that friend of mine. Only a framework, but that's just what I need now. I will look for more later.
----------
How To Set Up a Language School
Tips and pointers on starting, equipping and promoting an ESL
school
By Lucy Pollard
The aim of this article is to give you pointers and ideas about
which issues you should be considering. You might find that the article
provides you with as many questions as it does answers! This is a good sign as
it gets you thinking about your specific situation and will remind you of
aspects you had possibly forgotten. I wish you luck with any project you
start.
LOCATION
Things to consider here include choosing an area that is close
to or easily accessible to your target market. Do you prefer to base the school
close to your competition? Or do you prefer an area that doesn't have a
language school yet? Also consider public transport facilities. If you want to
work with young learners, parents also need facilities for dropping off and
picking up children.
LAYOUT OF ROOMS
Consider how many students you will have in each class and plan
the space needed in classrooms. You might decide to target business clients
which means some of your classes will be taught in their company. The advantage
for you is that less room is needed on your premises. Also consider how much
room you need for teachers and resources. Admin staff need a work area, too.
Furthermore, you need a reception area for receiving clients and giving them
information.
RESOURCE ROOM FOR STUDENTS
Do you want to have a self-access centre for students to learn
independently? (Also known as a multi-media centre). This can be a good selling
point for the school. Busy clients might appreciate the opportunity to drop-by
and study at times other than those set out for them in the traditional
classroom setting. Teachers can be timetabled to oversee the centre which can
be seen as a bit of "downtime" for them. You might decide that it can function
without the presence of a teacher which makes it more economical. However,
you'll need somebody nearby to solve technical difficulties.
WHICH CLIENT GROUP TO TARGET
What kind of teaching will you focus on? Do you want to be
specialised in teaching business clients? Do you focus on exam preparation? Or
is your focus children and teenagers? Remember the additional considerations
when teaching children e.g. security in the building and supervision at all
times for the younger ones. The type of work you do also contributes to your
corporate image, you can start thinking about this now.
HOW TO FIND YOUR CLIENTS
Think about where and how to advertise. How can you get your
school known? The choice of publicity space will depend on your target market
and the country you are in. What specialised press exists for your target
market? Do you also want to contact Human Resource managers and/or training
managers in large companies? Does the local Chamber of Commerce (or similar
organisation) have a list of companies that you can target?
MARKETING
This is covered more fully in the article
Marketing Your Language Program
101 by Sarah Elaine Eaton, available at Tefl.net.
RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT
Teachers usually need access to a photocopier and a computer.
You need to decide how much to invest in these items and whether it would be
easier to rent them. If the equipment is rented, you might get quicker
after-sales service. So look into this area. Also contact large computer
manufacturers directly and ask whether they are willing to give you computers
at a reduced price.
Explaining who your target clientele is might help you get
computers at discounted price. The advantage to the supplier being that your
students become familiar with the computer brand and therefore would be more
likely to purchase one at a later date.
As for books, you need to decide whether you give the course
book out to students. If so, this is factored into your course fees. The
advantage here is that all students will have the book at the same time, making
it easier for teachers. Alternatively, you can ask students to buy their
coursebooks.
As supplementary resources, I suggest that at the very least you
need a book that covers each of the skills (reading, writing, listening,
speaking) for each level. Grammar reference books and books that develop
vocabulary and pronunciation are needed, too. Remember to buy cassettes and CD
Roms to accompany coursebooks. Check with publishers and bookshops, they
sometimes give discounts to schools.
If you decide to teach Young Learners, you'll need other
resources such as card, scissors, glue etc. A large quantity of toys, eg
puppets, plastic fruit and veg will also come in useful. Story books and
activity books will also be needed with YLs.
HOW TO FIND YOUR TEACHERS
You'll need to consider where to advertise and what experience
and qualifications you consider desirable. I've written two articles on
recruiting teachers; these are available at Tefl.net.
ADMIN AND SUPPORT STAFF
You need to consider the job description of admin and support
staff. What exactly will you expect them to do? Do you need staff who speak
English? Or is the local language sufficient? What about cleaning staff - will
you employ them directly or will you outsource this work? You'll also need to
consider where to advertise for your admin and support staff and the same tips
for recruiting teachers apply here.
DRAWING UP CONTRACTS
You'll need to consider the legal aspects of work contracts in
your country. I can't go into all the details here as labour law changes
according to the country. If you are unsure about any aspect, get professional,
legal advice. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Aspects to consider in the contract include: are you offering
full-time, part-time or hourly-paid work?
Is a trial period necessary before
the contract is confirmed? What salary are you offering and what exactly is
paid for, e.g. are planning and travel time paid and if so are they paid at the
same rate as teaching? Will you pay for attendance at staff meetings?
Also consider what provisions you need to make for paying into
pension schemes, health benefits, holidays and possibly luncheon vouchers.
LEGAL ASPECTS
You need to consider certain legal aspects of being an employer
and providing a service. Your building will be used by the public so consider
health and safety. This should be considered at the beginning, not later. It
can be more costly to put something right once it is in place. Public use of
the building also raises issues about insurance.
As for employees, you need to consider equal pay, maternity
leave and the right to return to work. Think about issues concerning the
termination of contracts. This may seem strange when you are about to recruit;
but it's better to know how to end a contract before you enter into it.
Legal concerns vary from country to country. Get legal advice on
any subject you are unsure about.
COMPETITION
You need to think about your competitors and how to position
yourself in relation to them. What is the added advantage of studying with you
rather than a competitor? This is your selling point. Gathering information
about other schools helps you fine tune which products you offer and helps you
find a niche in the market.
FEES
Issues to consider here include: will individuals be charged the
same rate as companies? Will evening classes be the same price as mid-morning
classes? How will prices vary according to whether it's a group class or a
one-to-one class?
You need to cover your costs, so factor in teachers' salaries,
overheads such as rent and electricity. Also consider the cost of materials
(books and handouts) and admin salaries.
ACCOUNTS, BOOK KEEPING AND FINANCIAL ASPECTS
These are essential aspects and ones that differ from country to
country. You need to understand the systems in your country and where necessary
get advice. You need to find out about tax benefits and about anything you can
write-off against your taxes. You also need budgets for different areas, e.g.
training, resources.
BUSINESS PLAN
It's wise to have a medium-term development plan. Think about
your objectives over the next 3 or 5 years. You might need to produce such a
plan in order to get a bank loan. It will act as proof that you have thought
out your project thoroughly. It's also beneficial to you as it will keep you
focused on your priorities.
LEVELS AND TESTS
You need to decide what sort of test to use for placing your
students in classes and consider how students pass from one level to the next.
Also, what is your policy on repeating a level? If you're working in Europe,
you need to think about the work being done by the Council of Europe to
standardise language testing across the various member states.
STORING INFORMATION
You need a way to store information on your students. Essentials
include name, address, contact telephone number (useful in case a class needs
to be cancelled and a number for a parent is essential when teaching YLs). You
also need a record of the entrance test score. Useful info includes profession,
age and known illnesses (e.g. epilepsy, essential if teaching children).
Remember that the information you store will be covered by a data protection
law and deal with it accordingly.
The information provided in this article is
intended for guidance only. We can only provide general information as contexts
vary from country to country. Situations also vary according to the individuals
concerned. Tefl.net cannot be held responsible for any decisions you make based
on the information provided here. It is your responsibility to gather
information about your particular situation.
----
From http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-language-school-12245.html
Things Needed
- Business plan
- Capital
- Classroom space
- Teachers
- Teaching resources
Tip
When establishing your fee schedule, consider
both your teachers' compensation as well as overhead costs such as rent,
electricity and teaching supplies.
Hello, my name is Richard. You are about to learn the secrets that will
allow you to become fluent in one of the most amazing communication mediums
on the planet, the English language. 
Anyone can become good at English. You can become good at English. Race
does not matter. Millions of Americans speak fluent English, yet thousands
of them are biologically exactly the same as you. Where you were born does
not matter. Most of the English speakers in the World today learnt English
as a second, or even third language. Even in your country there are many,
many highly proficient English speakers. Where you live does not matter.
Whilst going to live 5 years in Hawaii may make you fluent more quickly,
in this age of the internet, TV and travel it's quite possible to get fluent
at English simply by living at home. Just look at how many foreigner speakers
get along so well here without speaking the local language at all! It's
not where you live, it's how you think.
How good do you want to be? Without a goal, however hard you try you will
never achieve anything. You need a decided, specific, written goal. Maybe
you have one already? Maybe you need a certain level of English for a promotion
or pay rise? Maybe there is a special girl or boy you want to speak to
in English? Maybe you have a big business trip coming up? Set that as your
goal. See yourself with that promotion, with that pay rise, with that boy
or girl or talking effortlessly during that business meeting. Set the goal,
work everyday towards it and you will achieve it. 
In my first couple of days in a new country I was out drinking with some
English friends. There were some local people in the bar, and naturally
we were keen to meet some of the locals and have a chat and maybe share
a beer or two. We were quite lucky in that one of the guys in the groups
was not only really fun and friendly, he also spoke quite good English
( well, I think the beer helped a little!). When we had finished it was
decided we would go to another bar. So we all got on the train. The shocking
thing was that this fun, friendly, English speaking business man suddenly
told us not to speak English to him on the train. He was embarrassed that
other people may hear him speaking English! Wow. 
We
all start from different points in life. Some of us are born rich, some
are born poor. Some have influential parents, some have no parents at
all. Some have been seemingly been given great chances on a plate, some
have had to work extra hard for everything they have achieved. This is
life. And there's nothing to do but accept it. If we constantly say
"yes, but he was born in America so of course he can speak English", or
"Yes, but he went to the best university and had the best teachers" then
we are blaming other people. Blaming other people is to make excuses,
and making excuses is to open the path to failure. First we must take
responsibility ourselves. How good you are at English is all up to you.
There are millions of people in underdeveloped countries who have no
food, no education and no resources, but they simply decided to learn
English and did it. They took responsibility and took action. You are
exactly the same, if you take responsibility and take action you will
succeed. Maybe you feel you have no time? That you are too busy? But who
decides how you spend your time? Don't blame other people. How you
choose to spend your time is entirely decided by you. So take
responsibility and take control, acknowledge that you control what, when
and how you do things, and make the best use of your time to achieve
your goals. Take time where you can, five minutes after taking the kids
to school? A 20 minute commute to work? An extra 10 minutes while eating
lunch? Your time is yours. Five minutes before breakfast? Your time is
yours. Everything starts with you. You are the master of your destiny,
only you can determine how good you wish to become. Decide today you
wish to be brilliant. Take responsibility. Make it happen. Become a
brilliant speaker.
Get as many English Language CDs as you can. Listen to them all the time.
"But I'm too busy!" you say, and I quite understand! That's why
I recommend listening to them on your way to work or school, either in
the car or on a portable music player. It's your time, use it. Do it everyday
and you'll soon see how much you can learn.
One of the biggest shocks that people have about high school English is
that although everyone has studied English at school, hardly anyone speaks
it. I'm sure you had English classes for many years in high school, yes?
And can you speak fluent English? Just imaging if you had studied your
own writing for 6 years in Elementary School and couldn't write a single
word! So why can't you speak English? Well, the reason is that you were
working hard, but not smart. You had the wrong goals and targets in mind.
Up until now the High School English system was built on ideas from the
Victorian period. In that time the target wasn't communication English,
because there was no-one to communicate with! The aim then was to learn
foreign knowledge. People would read books in German or English or Dutch
about arms, or medicine or engineering. They would dissect the grammar
and translate it into for everyone to read and understand. If you think
about your high school English, it was probably something just like that.
And in that respect the world has succeeded. But it's not the Victorian
period anymore, it's now about communication. Unfortunately the school
system hasn't caught up yet, but it will! So realise that what you learnt
in high school won't really help you. But don't feel bad about the time
you spent, you were just working towards an unsuitable goal. And now things
are different, now you have a new goal, a new motivation, and a new determination
to achieve that goal!
Every chance is a gift; you'd be a fool not to take it. If you are asked
to speak to some people in English, if you see someone lost on the street,
if you are on holiday and want to order some food. Take the chance and
do it. Speak English. Don't give into the easy path of being embarrassed
or afraid. This is the new you and you take every chance you get. Who cares
if you make mistakes, you will have learnt something from the experience.
Taking every chance you get increases your confidence. And increased confidence
leads to more chances and opportunities appearing. People will see how
you are eager to help people, you will be asked to help out more and people
will respect you for it.
This is another great trick that people have always used to practise writing.
But here we'll use it to get your speaking to a fantastic level. All you
do is grab yourself a tape player or audio recorder and speak into it all
the things you did today. If you can't say something, look it up. It's
great practise and is a great source of materials if you have English lessons,
simply bring a copy along with you and get the teacher to go through it.
Remember, a little everyday is your key to great English skills.
I always say this to people and they always say "It's too expensive!".
Not always, check online and you might find some amazing deals.
Thanks to satellite and bilingual TVs, as well as the internet & DVDs,
it's now really easy to watch programmes in English. But don't start off
by saying "right, I'm only going to watch TV in English from now on!".
Just like swimming, you don't start by jumping in the deep end of the pool.
Start off in the shallow water, just watch one programme a week in English,
then gradually move on, and eventually you'll be swimming on your own,
and be able to watch anything in the original English. Don't worry if you
don't understand it all, I only understand 80% of some American TV shows.
With practice, just a little every week, you soon figure out what the new
words mean, and eventually you'll be able to watch any programme or movie
you like in English, with no problems.
So you're all geared up ready to be able to speak English today? Well,
do it! Don't wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes! Don't think; do
it! There's never been a better time for you to start. Whatever you are
doing after reading this book, do it in English. If you are going to the
shops, call in at a bookstore and buy some CDs. If you are in the house,
put the TV on in English. If you are planning what to make for dinner,
think about what you would like - in English. If you are listening to this
book on CD, then let the English version play. The best time to start is
right now! You are the new you, the new you speaks great English and the
new you starts now!