Blog Posts
The problem of low pay in ELT and how to solve it
Most teachers are working a lot of hours, at unsociable times and, crucially, for very low pay. No wonder they’re overwhelmed and stressed. What can we do about the problem of low pay in ELT?
How to manage your comfort zone for success
I’ve recently been thinking about why it is that some freelance language business owners implement away, and get great results, while others seem to find it harder to actually get stuck in and taking action.This is not to try and make anyone feel bad, by the way,...
Why I decided to close my membership
Having a successful membership is the dream for a lot of people. There's a lot to be said for it in business terms. First and foremost, the recurring income. (Notice that I do NOT say passive income, more later on this). My membership, The Confident ELT Freelancer...
How to set better boundaries in your freelance business
Freelancers often see setting boundaries as being a bit 'mean', creating walls and barriers between themselves and their clients, when their goal should be to be as helpful as possible. This is reinforced by the fact that, as a result of not wanting to be 'mean', most...
Annual business review 2023
For the last four years now I’ve written an annual review blog post, looking back at my year in business, and sharing what’s gone well, what hasn’t gone so well, and, most importantly, what I’ve learnt from it.One of my core values is authenticity, and I believe that...
5 clients with a successful freelance niche
If you're a company like Coca-Cola, with a massive ad spend, you don't need to niche. Coca-Cola appeals to (almost) everyone, everywhere. However, if you're running a small, probably one person ELT/ESL freelance business, the only real way to stand out is to get known...
4 reasons why ELT Freelancers don’t want to niche- and why they’re wrong.
Of course there can sometimes be good reasons why it isn’t a good idea to narrow down your niche. However, having spoken to literally hundreds of ELT freelancers about niching, I’d say that at least 9 times out of 10, a reluctance to niche is based on misunderstanding...
10 ‘good mindset habits’ that could have a big impact on your business
When we think about developing good habits, we often think about things like drinking more water, getting up more often from our desk, eating more healthily and so on. These kinds of things are important, but something which is often overlooked is the importance of...
Effectively market your ELT freelance business: 5 quotes to learn from.
1. Running a business without marketing will kill it - Paul Cookson It might seem a bit over-dramatic, but the bottom line is that if no-one knows about your business, you won't have any clients. Word of mouth is, of course, a form of marketing too, but, while it's...