You gotta take the plunge!
Well, it's been a while since I've updated my blog here. And it's not without good reason. These last 4-5 months have been chaotic, hectic, unrelenting and absolutely BUSY! I've loved every minute of it.
For the longest time, I have wanted to start my own business. For years I have had ideas bouncing around in my head: what to do, how to get started, with whom, etc. Being in Bangkok and around education, I of course juggled the idea of an English school or program, but the idea never fully congealed.
In fact, the "congealing" or "solidification" of a business model occurred somewhat backwards. A good friend of mine, Fernando Parrella, and I had been talking over a meal back in May. I was telling him that my upcoming contract with my school was finishing and I was considering moving on to New Zealand or Japan.
He stopped me in my tracks and asked, "What about the future? What about long-term goals, what's next after those countries?" And suddenly it hit me: time to step up to the plate. Over the following weeks, we bounced around ideas and before too long we agreed to go into business together.
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| Look at these goofballs! |
And so, after lengthy research and much deliberation, Active Study Match was successfully formed.
"What do you do?" you ask. Well, we run the gamut. We are a full-service education solutions provider. We supply teachers and all levels of curricula to individuals, families, businesses and schools in Thailand. Our mission is:
"To create self-motivated, well-educated members of society through effective English and general education strategies, contributing to Thailand's growth and presence in today's global economy.
"To improve the quality of education through a results-driven approach to all levels and fields of study."
Most people when surveyed -- without a doubt -- said something needs to be done about education in Thailand, especially English. The statistics are staggering:
- Thailand ranked 50th overall (out of 65 countries) in the latest international PISA assessments (math, science and reading).
- University applicants scored an average of 28% in English for university entrance exams in 2012.
- A 2006 study of over 400 Thai teachers of English revealed that 60% had insufficient knowledge of the language. Only 3% had reasonable fluency.
- 28% of the Thai national budget goes toward education. Compare that with France or the UK, which is 11%.
- A 2010 international TOEFL test ranked Thailand 116th out of 163 non-native English speaking countries.
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| Our company logos |
As you can see, there is work to be done in all areas of education across the country.
We are a flexible solution to effectively improve the quality of education. Through our network of tutors, teachers, professors, translators, etc, we offer almost every study solution imaginable:
Small group and private tutoring in:
- English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, German and more
- Mathematics (all levels)
- Economics, accounting, statistics
- Music
- Biology, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology
- and much
We offer full, turn-key Business English packages where companies get:
- Translations
- English proofreading
- Business English classes with employee progress tracking
- Interpreter services
- One-on-one consultations
- Outgoing communication cross-checking and correction
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| With the CEO of Centercom, a recent Business English client |
And in addition to all of that, we've partnered with a doctor to create our own complete English curriculum.
Active English is a complete, step-by-step reading, writing and conversation program. Totaling 7 books and over 800 pages of exercises, reading, flashcards and more, these books bring students to a proficient level of reading and speaking of the English language. They can be taught privately, in small groups or in large classrooms.
This is me with my good friend and co-author, Sam Adams.
These books were printed just a few weeks ago and they're now being used in private lessons and small groups. In the coming months, we're going to implement them in Thai schools as either an after-school program or an add-on to their existing English curriculum.
Either way, the response from the books has been overwhelmingly positive. Students are understanding the materials, they're not bored and, most importantly, they're applying what they've learned in the real world.
And business is good! We're going to rocket this business across Thailand and in 2014 branch off into Cambodia and possibly Japan.
We've done a few photo shoots for our website and promotional materials. Here are some of the recent pictures:
There is a strong demand for quality education in this country -- a demand for RESULTS.
Our website is www.activestudymatch.com. For English, click "English" on the left side of the navigation bar. Each of our services and prices are explained in depth. Our address is 1 Silom Road, 8th Floor, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500. Currently we are serving the greater Bangkok area with our teachers, tutors and customized learning resources.
If you or anyone you know want to learn English or any other subject privately, in a group or as a business or school, we are the guys to talk to. Our tutors are qualified and trained in the subjects they teach. We arrange the best matches to ensure fair pricing and effective results in what each student is studying.
Our number here is +66 (0) 2-637-8646. My email address is tyler@activestudymatch.com and Fernando's is fernando@activestudymatch.com. Fernando is Senior Manager and I am Managing Director. We also have a Sales & Marketing Director who arranges consultations, student assessments and promotes our various services across the city.
I shall leave you with that. I hope you've enjoyed the blog. As you can see, these last several months have been "hyper-industrious". I haven't had the opportunity to do any traveling in the last 5-6 months. But hey, you've gotta make sacrifices in life sometimes when you want to succeed. I'm sure I'll be traveling again soon :)
Until then folks, thanks for reading. Catch you later!
