Monetise your skills and experience, so your business can transform your life. 

Are you ready to turn your freelance language teaching or training work into a fully-fledged, scalable, profitable business?
 

Deep down, you know your skills are valuable, and that you deserve to be earning more, without having to work (even) harder. 

With more than 120 successful alumni, over nearly 5 years, this hands-on mentoring, coaching and training programme is tried and tested, and genuinely changes lives. 

There are two things that pretty much all the freelance language teaching professionals I speak to really want to know. Exactly how to….

 

–  generate consistent perfect-fit clients without spending hours on social media.

 

–   optimise their business model and offer so they can take their foot off the pedal, and work less, while still earning more.

 

 

I’m happy to share the ‘secret’ to both these things, right here: 

1. An offer which is carefully designed to help a specific group of people with something they really want and that they understand will massively benefit them going forward so that it feels like a total “no-brainer”

2. Designing that offer in a way which truly leverages your time to the best effect, while still getting great results for your clients so that you can achieve more in less time

3. A repeatable, sustainable way of marketing and selling your offer, that attracts the right clients and feels natural – so that growing and scaling your business becomes easy

That’s what has helped my clients achieve results like:

  • More than selling out their first group programme, and going on to completely replace their previous full time income as a materials writer.

  • Bringing in all their own clients this year, instead of relying on an agency, thus making £600 more per client week, even before taking into account the higher prices they now charge.

  • Putting up their prices by 50%, while bringing in more and better quality clients.

But being a great teacher or trainer is only (a small) part of what creates a successful business.

 

You’re an expert at teaching or training, and you know exactly how to get your clients great results, but being great at this, and being great at creating and marketing and selling your offer, are two completely different things. This isn’t something you learn on teacher training courses.


As teachers we tend to be pretty self-reliant, and used to figuring stuff out for ourselves, but you wouldn’t advise your students to struggle on alone when they could be getting the results they so badly want much more quickly with the right support. 

But working out exactly how to achieve those three things is different for every freelance business, and can take a looong time to figure out through trial and error.

 

 And so many clients I’ve worked with have really struggled with the Catch 22 of finding enough space and time to design, create and build an offer that will blow up their sales when they’re on the constant hamster wheel of delivering lessons and finding new clients.

 

 And months and even years go by and you’re still working all the hours for really not enough cash….

…..you’re really SO ready to move past this.

It’s time to step into being a confident business owner, rather than a semi-apologetic freelancer, who fits in a bit of marketing on the side.

Imagine how different things would be for you, if you…


– Understood exactly who your ideal higher-paying client is, and exactly how to attract them to work with you. 

 

– Designed an offer which stood out in the marketplace, got great results, AND enabled you to work smarter, not harder.

 

– Had a clear marketing plan, and knew exactly what to say in your posts and emails to call in consistent, right-fit leads, rather than feeling the pressure to take on anyone who asks.  

– Knew how to not just attract perfect followers, but crucially how to turn those followers into perfect clients.

– Felt confident in your ability to consistently bring in a good income, doing what you love.

That’s exactly why I created my 6 month programme, Designed to Flourish, so that you can get the support and help you need to make it happen. 

ELT Coach- Rachael Roberts

designed to flourish

The deep-dive fully supported, hands-on group programme that will teach you EXACTLY how to design and market your language teaching related business to call in consistent right-fit clients.

 

 

 

Over our six months together, you’ll work through the six business-critical milestones of growing and scaling a profitable language teaching business that enables you to earn more, while working less.

 

With my personalised support and feedback every step of the way, by the end of our time together you will have: 

– Identified the ideal client that is a perfect fit for your skills, experience, and passion, and who is willing and able to pay for the premium, tailored service you offer, so that you can stop taking on anyone and everyone, and working all the hours for far too little cash.

– Designed a product or service or combination of both- to get your ideal clients the results they want, and get you amazing testimonials and referrals, AND enable you to work less and earn more.

– Developed a clear and ‘sticky’ message, and a personalised strategy to get that message out there, without spending hours on social media.

– Created a simple, repeatable framework for generating leads, and a confident Non-Sleazy Sales process that turns those leads into consistent clients you’ll love working with.

Here’s what our time together looks like. 

15 hours of step-by step pre-recorded materials.

Learn the exact steps to design, set up and market your profitable business, from defining a niche, through programme design, to building a mailing list, to selling effectively without the sleaze.

 This programme has been constantly tested and refined over the past four years, and covers pretty much everything you’ll ever need. With life-time access to updated versions, you’ll also always be able to refer back to it

Every module comes with a workbook, and specific tasks that mean you’re not just consuming content, but actually taking steps forward and implementing the advice.

Individual attention within a small group.

Three times a month we’ll have a group coaching session for all the cohorts together (between 9 and 15 participants) at either 9.30 am UK time or 4pm UK time, to account for time zones.

This is where you’ll get the opportunity to talk through your plans and get feedback and suggestions, and help if you’re getting stuck from me, my associate coach, copywriting expert Jennifer Murray, or occasionally a guest expert on a technical aspect such as setting up a website or creating video.

With a small group like this, there’s plenty of individual attention, as well as the opportunity to learn from others’ challenges and questions.

Detailed personalised feedback and guidance to create your business blueprint.

Through the six Milestone tasks (see below), I’ll give you feedback to help you work out step by step EXACTLY what you need to put in place for your specific language teaching related business, in order to successfully launch, grow and scale.

We will also be able to talk stuff through 1-2-1 on three 40 minute private calls. 

This level of support within a group programme is one of the key things that sets Designed to Flourish apart from other group programmes. I’ve fully got your back throughout the six month process. 

Even more support and accountability.

We have a lively community on Slack, where you can ask questions any time, share your wins and challenges, and get on-going support from me and the other participants. This is an amazing hive mind with tons of experience and expertise in a wide range of ELT and language teaching areas.

You’ll start the programme within a small cohort, and they’ll also form your accountability pod, helping you to keep motivated and on track as you progress through the programme.

The community, both on the programme and afterwards in the alumni community, is amazing for both motivation and creating opportunities for collaboration and faster audience growth.

 

Finally, even when the six months is over, you’re still not on your own. You’ll join my free Alumni group, for mutual support, networking and collaboration, and you’ll retain access to the programme materials for as long as the programme exists. You can even stay on within Designed to Flourish for a few months at a reduced rate, or come back and re-join us, if you find you need that.

 

Milestone 1- Discovering your perfect niche

Trying to please everyone makes it impossible to stand out and show your true value, and keeps you stuck in that race to the bottom.

When we nail what makes you stand out you won’t be competing in a saturated market any more, because people will instantly know why they should choose YOU.

Finally pin down that niche that is a perfect combination of your skills, experience and passion, and what your ideal clients really want and are happy to pay for.

Milestone 2- Designing your stand-out offer

Vague offers and promises of ‘fluency’ and ”confidence’ don’t sell.

Getting your offer spot-on is totally game-changing for your clients, and makes it crystal clear why they should invest.

As the writer of many published courses, an experienced CELTA/DELTA tutor, and someone with 30+ years of experience in the field, I’m exactly the right person to help you answer the question..

‘What should I include in my offer to help my clients get the best results, AND reduce the amount of work I need to put in?’

 

Milestone 3- Creating your compelling brand story

What do educators have to do with branding, you may be thinking.

But that’s a mistake, because your brand is everything you want your ideal clients to know (and love) about who you are and what you stand for.

Identify what those key messages are, and how to express them.

Learn the 5 key social media profile elements that ensure your potential clients will click to read more, instead of clicking away. 

Create a brand that makes you super visible, memorable, and the go-to person for your ideal clients. 

Milestone 4- Crafting engaging website copy

While you don’t have to have a website to get started, longer term it’s a vital part of creating that all important like, know, trust, so people ‘get’ why you’re the right person, with the right offer, to help them get the results they want.

And that means creating a website which isn’t just a place for information, but which takes your website visitor on a journey, shows them the difference working with you could make, answers all their questions, and helps them feel confident to take the next step.

We’ll do this together, with detailed feedback on your website copy, so your website works as hard as you do.

Milestone 5 - Effective audience growth strategies

What’s the secret to rapidly growing an audience of engaged, right-fit potential clients? Whatever people may tell you, there isn’t a one size fits all solution.

It’s about working out the best strategy for you, based on who your ideal client is, where they hang out, what they need to hear, and what your offer is.

When you get this right, you can stop worrying about where your next client is coming from, knowing that theree’s always a replenishing pool. 

Devise a sustainable and repeatable audience growth strategy that’s perfect for you and your business.

Milestone 6 - From followers to clients.

What’s the one thing that every language teaching business owner wants? Consistent right-fit leads and clients who are ready to pay your prices. 

Throughout the programme we’re putting all the foundations in place to achieve this, and in this final milestone we’ll create a personalised marketing, lead generation and sales strategy, leaving you crystal clear about exactly what you need to do next, and going forward.

o, how much is it? 

 

⭐ Life time access to 12 recorded modules taking you through everything from niching, to creating your offer to marketing it, with over 15 hours of video content (worth at least £2K)

 

⭐ 19 x 90 minute small group coaching sessions (worth at least £2K) 

 

⭐ Access to a professional copy coach, specialising in working within the ELT field (worth at least 1K)

 

⭐ 3x 1-2-1 private coaching sessions (worth at least £600)

 

⭐ Feedback on your niche, vision statement and business model (worth at least 1K)

 

⭐ Feedback on your Linked in profile (£170)

 

⭐ Feedback and copy suggestions for three website pages (worth at least 2K)

 

Canva one page website template that you can use and adapt if you’re not yet ready to create a full website (worth £49)

 

⭐ Feedback on your content pillars and marketing plan (worth at least £500)

 

⭐ Bonus free access to my paid mini courses, Attract New Clients with a Lead Magnet (£79) and the Non-Sleazy Sales Call Kit (£17)

 

Bonus ‘tech vault’ with a growing collection of how to videos and walkthroughs, showing you exactly how to set up the tech you need. (worth at least £250)

⭐ Support from me and your peers and the ability to ask anything any time over six months and get ongoing community and support in my alumni group after you finish (priceless)

 

Total value around 10K (and that’s about what you would pay for this if you went to a non-specialist coach)

 

Your investment will be £2997.

Pay in full or pay £333 a month for nine months.

 

Longer payment plans may also be available., just ask. 

 

😍 LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT GUARANTEE

 

If after the first three months, you don’t love the programme, or feel you’re not getting what you needed, you can leave with no hard feelings, and not owe the final three payments of £333.00

 

Note that in that case you won’t retain ongoing access to the programme.

See what my clients think.

I already had my own ELT business but I was working a lot of hours and not charging enough. Sometimes I wasn’t charging anything because I thought it would be rude to ask. I was not sure how to market my work and I was trying to cover too many bases.

I am now much more confident about setting prices that reflect the true value of my work, and negotiating better fees when necessary.

I would definitely recommend you and the programme, to anybody who feels a bit stuck, either in business or in life.

Anne Margaret Smith

ELT and SpLD specialist, www.eltwell.com

You care so, so much, and you really know you stuff. It’s clear that you have been walking the walk, and are actively tinkering, experimenting, innovating your business constantly, drawing your conclusions to then share them with your clients as well.

If you’re on the fence I’d say unless you need the money for food or rent right now, go for it. It’ll pay off multifold

Fatime Losonci

ELT Teacher Trainer Specializing in Teaching Sub-Skills for IELTS

When I started the group programme with Rachael I had some ideas floating around in my head, which had been there for about 6 or 7 years! I debated about signing up to the programme for a while as I felt it was an added expense that would be tough to meet at a difficult time in my career after losing my job.

However, now, at the end of the programme,  I can see how much value the course has and how much I have learnt, done and accomplished. 

It’s been one of the best things I’ve completed because it’s been such a practical and inspiring course. It has enabled me to both learn a lot about business and to create something uniquely my own.

Clare Hayward

Teacher trainer , www.hayward-training.com

A lot of people in our line of work are brilliant, creative, knowledgeable and passionate and many don’t have the deal they deserve. The programme is perfect for anyone working in our field who has an idea, feels passionately about what they do and would like to be more successful in an increasingly competitive freelance world.

Rachael will help you see for yourself what you can offer clients, what your strengths are, and what you need to do (and not do) in order to get to where you want to be. 

As I said to someone recently who asked me about the course, ‘You should do it because you are worth it, the money you spend is an investment which you’ll recoup and some of what you’ll come away with will be priceless.’

Katherine Bilsborough

ELT materials specialist, www.creatingELTmaterials.com

Like many EFL freelance teachers I was mainly reliant on language schools with zero hours contracts. This worked quite well and I had a fairly good hourly rate, but my hours fluctuated and I didn’t feel I had much control other than the content of the lessons.

I’d had an idea in my mind for a couple of years, but I wasn’t sure if I could actually see through. During the course, as each element of growing business has been explored and given clear examples, I’ve realised that it is within my capabilities to make a success.

I think what this course has done is show me how to utilise all my skills, experience knowledge and personality to its best potential and I feel so positive about this project now.

This course has been transformational for me and I think it is perfect for anyone who is either feeling a bit defeated in their freelance work or has an idea that they’d like to explore but just don’t know how to get started.

Clare Catchpole

Founder of English in Nice, www.englishinnice.com

A little bit about me

 

When I  started working as a coach for ELT professionals, after nearly 30 years in the business, I quickly realised that the single biggest cause of stress and burnout was the fact that almost everyone I spoke to was over-worked, underpaid, and undervalued.

If they were freelance or had their own business, they were over-delivering and undercharging.

I realised that I could combine my coaching skills with my business skills training and experience as a successful freelance business owner to help all the incredibly dedicated and talented freelance or would-be freelance educators out there design their business so that they could stop working all the hours, start to get paid properly, and feel really valued.

Since 2019, I’ve helped hundreds of language teaching freelancers to achieve this, and I know this is the most worthwhile  impact I’ve been able to have throughout my career. And I absolutely love that! 

.

My associate coach, expert ELT copywriter Jennifer Murray. 

I’m Jennifer Murray. I’ve been in ELT for over three decades now (!). First in the classroom, then as a DOS, a trainer, an editor, a publisher and more. I’ve certainly seen our industry from very different angles. I went freelance in 2019 and now own Best Words Copywriting. This is where I create online content and copy for ELT freelancers. And support business owners with their words in 121 copy coaching sessions. This part of my work is my happiest place.

It’s been a journey to get here, and not always easy. But I’ve been lucky enough to benefit from Rachael’s programme and her knowledge and ongoing support in the Alumni group. This has been absolutely crucial to building my business confidence. So, I’m thrilled to be an associate coach in Designed to Flourish.

In our sessions, I’ll:

  • Dissect common myths about (copy)writing.
  • Examine the differences between content and copy.
  • Provides guidelines for writing online content.
  • Share my top copywriting tips and formulas.
  • Give friendly, focussed feedback on your content and copy.

The aim is to get all your best words in the right places. Helping you to connect with your ideal clients. Already looking forward to it. See you soon!

My in-company teaching business was thriving before the pandemic, but I was dropped like a hot stone by companies in March 2020.  

I felt a huge shift in my confidence through the course.  I relearned that I absolutely have what it takes to have a great business that I enjoy running.  Two weeks ago I had a big meeting with a television company to open various workshops and classes online.  I did my sales pitch with confidence – I really believed in myself and what I was selling.  When prices came up, I used a few techniques I learned on the course and stuck to my guns. It felt so great when the email came in saying I had got the contract.

If you’re on the fence, do it, do it, do it.  This is one of the best investments I’ve made in myself in my life.

Sarah Kay Laird

Owner and Director of Perfect Lingo, Mexico City, https://www.perfectlingo.com.mx/en/

Before I started the group programme, my business was doing fine. I was working 6-7 hours a day and charging between 35 and 65 euros an hour. But I wanted to be able to create a sleeker, more profitable business model and hopefully scale up.

I now feel more equipped to organize my business in a modern and professional way. The content was good – a very thorough insight into how I am working and how I need to move forward.

I think you are a very kind and understanding person. You have a wealth of knowledge and experience that you are happy to share. With you, the more I saw, the more I liked.

I initially hesitated over the price of the course vs the benefits of the course. It’s expensive and I trusted you to make it worth my while.

And you did.

Andrew Howarth

English language trainer for academic and business professionals

I was worried about spending what seemed like a lot of money for the group course and on the fence myself for ages. I knew Rachael would be able to help me, but committing to all that cash was hard!

It’s a cliche, but every penny really was well spent. Rachael has helped me to understand what I want from my business and given me the tools to put the plans into action. It’s not a course that you finish and forget about – it’s really practical and gets you making changes as you go. Highly recommend!

Catherine Stevenson

Teacher trainer and interactive learning specialists

When I started the programme I was teaching general English online on Preply but also on my own private website/scheduling system. I worked about 25 hours a week on average excluding planning. I was charging on average $30 an hour.

The programme has opened the door to many subjects such as marketing and messaging that I had no idea about. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is the course has pointed me in the right direction and given me the confidence to go for it.

I had 1000 ideas in my head of things I COULD do. Now, I have something concrete to focus on.

While this is the most expensive thing I have ever bought, I think it would have taken me over four times as long to get to the position I am today without the course.

Sam Venables

English language trainer and podcast

I get that it can be really hard to commit to investing in your business, whether that’s an investment of time, money or both.  It’s natural to hesitate and to focus on the cost.

But what people don’t always consider is that there is also a cost when you don’t make that investment. 

 

Doing this programme is what will enable you to get off that hamster wheel, and start earning more, without having to work harder and harder to stay afloat.

I’ve honestly lost count of the number of times I’ve heard, ‘I wish I’d done this sooner…’ 

FAQ

who is designed to flourish for?

It’s for if you have or want to have a freelance language teaching related business. You might be a teacher, or a teacher trainer, or consultant, or self-publish, or have an asynchronous digital course, or run a small bricks and mortar language school. One of the things which distinguishes me from other business coaches in our field is that my programme doesn’t focus on just one type of offer (not that there is anything wrong with that). 

My aim is to give you a clear understanding or exactly how to create, market and sell ANY kind of offer, as a confident and empowered business owner. Think DELTA not CELTA. 

It’s for you, whether you are experienced at what you do but new(er) to business, or if you already have a business that’s doing OK, but you know it could be so much more. 

I REALLY WANT 1-2-1 HELP INSTEAD OF A GROUP PROGRAMME

This is not your usual group programme where you feel lost in the group, and not sure if you’re implementing things correctly. The group is small (between 9 and 15), which means you’ll be getting 1-2-1 coaching within the group sessions, as well as learning from others in a similar position.

You also have the endless opportunity to ask me questions in the Slack group whenever you want (or you can DM me if it’s more personal) and I give you personalised detailed feedback through the six Milestone tasks.

On top of this, we meet for three 1-2-1 sessions, and you can add on more if you wish (but no-one ever does because the support is already second to none).

I used to offer a 1-2-1 version of this programme, and honestly, this is better (as well as cheaper). 

Very occasionally, usually if you’re already well established, 1-2-1 really is a better option, so ask me if you think that’s you.

What if I don't actually need six months?

Honestly, you probably do need six months. Even if you’ve worked with a coacxh before, here’s actually a lot to learn and implement, and most clients are surprised at just how steep the learning curve is.

However, if you do find that you already know a lot of it, and it’s more about filling in gaps, you can leave with no hard feelings after three months and not pay the final 3 x £999.

Do I have the time to invest in the programme?

People often ask me how much time they need to set aside to do the programme. It’s a bit hard to be completely specific, because it depends on what you already have in place, and the nature of your business, but on average I usually say around 4-5 hours a week.

Honestly, you need to be spending at least that much time on your business anyway, and investing this time is the only way you’re going to be able to get out of that Catch 22 of being too overwhelmed and busy to put systems in place to enable you to stop having to work too hard.

So one of the core things I’m going to help you with is not only reducing your contact hours (without a drop in income) but also learning how to prioritise and create systems to maximise your valuable time. 

Can you guarantee my return on investment?

You will see coaches offering these kinds of guarantees, but I don’t. Because, while I DO guarantee to to make you accountable and support, motivate, and encourage you, I can’t force you to make the changes need to increase your income.

That said, most of my clients absolutely do see a significant increase in income as a result of the programme. If you earned 50%, or even 25%, more next year, how quickly would you re-coup your investment? I also encourage and guide you to start earning money from your new offer early into the programme. 

What support do you offer after the programme has finished?

I recently tallied up that more than half my group programme clients have returned to work with me again in different ways. That’s quite an endorsement of my work. 

I offer a closed Facebook group just for D2F alumni, and this helps to maintain close bonds between me and the graduates, and between them as fellow business owners. 

I absolutely follow what people go on to do, and will often be found messaging with a quick bit of advice or a recommendation, as well as cheering them on on social media. 

Going forward I also plan to offer free quarterly review and planning sessions for alumni, and I have a higher level offer in the pipeline for those who have everything in place in their business, but want to grow or scale up further still. 

is now the right time?

If you already know that you’re going to be super busy for a large part of the programme, then it’s probably not the right time for you. However, the way the programme is set up is super flexible. You have access to everything from the start, so you can manage your workload to take advantage of quieter times, and slow down a bit when you’re really busy, or away.

I always take August off, so if your six months includes August you can choose to devote time to the programme or take the month off, and the extra month will be added onto the end of the six months.

And if you really need to go a bit slower, there’s always the option to add on extra time at the end for a reduced fee.

If you’ve been thinking about this for a while, and it’s never quite the perfect time, I’d encourage you to think about how much potential income you have probably lost out on over that time? The sooner you start, the sooner things can change for you. 

I DON'T THINK I CAN AFFORD TO SPEND that kind of MONEY

I totally understand how scary it can be to invest a significant sum of money into your business. And while I know that this is actually very, very reasonable for the individual support you get, and the potential impact on your earning power going forward, I also know that language teaching is not typically a sector where people have loads of money floating about.

If this is going to cause you hardship, don’t do it. 

But if you want to get out of that under-charging and over-delivering trap, and create a sustainable business, sooner rather than (probably much) later, if at all…. my clients consistently tell me that the training, support and help they got on this programme was more than worth the money. 

 Take a look at some client stories.