brucetefl

Yes here in Thailand on a B visa with valid work permit that expires in 5 weeks.

I am not planning to teach--I actually was in the position of Marketing Manager for my last school. This is NOT a school, it is a limited company with 2 million capitalization. Not a partnership. We have five Thai employees.

For the past several years I worked for a Thai school that supplied my work permit and visa. That school is being closed.

I have just created a Thai limited company with 2 Thai partners. Its finished as of last week.

Now.... how do I prepare new work permit and visa for the new company? My Thai staff need some advice.

What are you missing? After reading your posts, probably quite a lot my friend. All I asked was for some info on targeting the Thai market.

Actually in his case it was only when he was offered a "too good to be true" deal that he smelled a rat. Like the other big scams mentioned in earlier posts, they were just showing decent returns.

Many have given some very sound advice. Arrogantly (and I have certainly been accused of being arrogant before) I have already thought of most of this. However, this being a forum, its likely very good information for the next person who comes along.

I have already met with one of the major franchise-marketing organizations now. I am preparing the information they want but they seem confident this will be a hit. Time will tell.

If you do not know who I am then don't worry about it. I will only say I have been around for a number of years and have been relatively successful. Forums are just what they are. Useful to an extent. And a convenient place for trolls to thrive.

If you do not know who I am then don't worry about it. Not really important in the grand scheme of things.

Then the definition of "sure thing" in Thailand is ANOTHER coffee shop. LOL

No offense but dont people who buy franchises want a sure thing?

I agree completely. I have begun a correspondence with this guy and am trying to offer advice and assistance. These scumbags give the rest of us a bad rep.

Its easy to say this guy was a fool but these guys do a good job of making themselves look legitimate. Fortunately I have never been scammed. But the fact is these boiler rooms do well for a good reason.

Unless they are in Rayong its not likely they can study with us!

www.soundsocietythailand.com

for those who do not want to watch the video, this guy got scammed out of over $100,000 from some boiler room in Thailand. He went to Chiang Mai to confront them at their condo but no one as home.

Lots of differences from the main-stream music schools, both in pricing and costs. If you can get 80 students you will earn a profit of about 90,000 per month. Cost to the student is the same if not less per hour.

I want to open 50 in Thailand, 200 in China and 50 in other SEA countries. Doing that would require huge outside investment. I am not dead set on franchising but that seems like the best model.

By the way, also not my area of expertise other than sending a few kids to music schools and being very disappointed.

Not very easy to copy actually. At least I think not. Unless one of the big boys decides to copy me.

I just hope Phronesis does not think I am numpity!

Thanks for the heads up on the thaifranchisecenter (US Commercial Services had made that suggestion only a few days ago) and dealfish, which I knew about but, oddly, never considered. I will give it a try.

For those interested, this is a totally new area for me, so I literally spent the first year experimenting and perfecting things. Its taken some interesting turns.

Its a:

Music school, with live teachers but also all the exclusive, proprietary lessons are from the US and on video, tablets and online, both to support the teachers and to allow the students to review the lesson at home via Moodle.

Level testing for each instrument.

Al the students are put into bands and they are pushed to perform. This gives them social interaction with other kids and motivation to practice.

Here is an example:

After they have been performing we send them to the studio and have their songs recorded and professionally mixed by a prominent producer (formerly for both Sony BMG and Grammy). Here is an example of a band of kids 14 to 16 years old.

https://soundcloud.com/soundsocietythailand/memories-of-you-by-superteens

The songs have turned out pretty well so we can get them on the radio.

We produce music videos too, as well as our own TV show which can be shown on local cable.

We have our own line of musical instruments (King USA) and also sell other select brands at the school.

I am sure I am leaving some details out but thats the gist of it.

i would start with a website and youtube video in thai explaining the business in thai and put a poster up in your business location. can't sunbelt recommend a thai firm if they are only interested in farang customers? maybe start pm'ing all the guys starting topics about "starting a restaurant/bar/coffee shop".

one last thing, what would the benefit be of starting a franchise with you be over just starting the business by themselves?

Thanks for the suggestions. I did manage to find a company in Thailand that specializes in selling franchises to Thais. Website is all in Thai but I managed to get an appointment and will visit them next week.

yes, one, music, yes, yes.

Do the business you want to franchise is already operating successfully? How many locations? What kind of business? It is above board legally speaking? Paying taxes? Etc.

I have developed a new kind of company and I want to sell franchises. I think the target is Thais. Its not an insignificant investment--about 2 million baht.

I spoke to Sunbelt but they seem more focused on the farang market.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where this kind of opportunity can be advertised and promoted?

Unpaid salary--go straight to Labor.

The Educational Service Area (ESA) is the place where you should go. There are 1-3 ESAs in each province. About 185 nationwide. If the school in question is a government school, it can all be handled there. If it's a private school, the ESA might direct you to the OPEC.

Really? We contacted the regional education office some 9 months ago regarding unpaid salary. They have their own lawyer, you know?

Several letters (as requested) later, they now refer us to some other government agency, as the school has been stonewalling.

More to the point, it's surprising that some foreigner wants to get paid for time worked.

This school doesn't give two hoots about the law, the TCT's license program or stuff like Work Permits or Immigration laws.

There are all these laws & rules - and then there is what goes down.

I am looking for video production and editing. We have an in house team that are very average--they can do the basics. We have an iMac and use Final Cut Pro X. Music videos and short videos.

Hi! I am making a lot of short videos these days, things like music videos and short TV programs. We use an iMac and Final Cut Pro X. The work my in house guys do is... adequate. Its minimually professional. I would like somehting more. Higher production value (maybe using After Effects).

Does anyone know where I could find some help with this? Or does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking of giving the "finished" working file to someone who could then make it more interesting.

But where to find this person?

Thoughts?

So the answer seems to be "no". But thanks to the few posters who did attempt to give a legitimate answer.