Small language school

Parents, adult learners, and local businesses that want staff language training.

Term fees for classes and one-to-one lessons, plus corporate training contracts. Margins depend on filling classrooms and paying tutors fairly.

• Teaching and course design
• Managing and hiring tutors
• Marketing and enrolment
• Basic bookkeeping

• Check planning use class and whether the premises can be used for teaching, with your local council
• Public liability insurance, and employer's liability insurance once you hire staff
• DBS checks and safeguarding policies for tutors working with children
• Business rates and a long lease commitment, so take advice before signing
• Employment rules and payroll if you take on tutors as employees, and check self-employed status carefully
• Data protection for learner and parent details

Startup costs are typically around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on the premises you rent, how you fit them out and how many tutors you bring in at the start. These are estimates, so test them against real quotes.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,000 to £10,000, depending on the number of courses, learners and tutors. These are estimates, not guarantees, and revenue is not profit once rent, rates and tutor costs are covered.

Check the planning use class and whether the premises can be used for teaching, with your local council. Also check insurance, DBS checks and safeguarding for tutors working with children, business rates, lease terms, employment rules and data protection.