I cost 900 an hour. My students dont’ complain about paying it either. Because I make sure I am worth it. I read up on things they are interested. I stay focused and energetic throughout the class.
I ask a lot o questions and am gentle when I correct them.
I think 500 is pretty low. Actually, I think 500 is obscenely low. That’s what I pay for my chinese lessons.
Every private I have gotten has been through friends, contacts, or people approaching me in public (especially in Kaohsiung) myu is good, they will fall on your lap if you do one good private and it could grow through their friends…
I put up a profile on Myu.com.tw and they took down my profile picture 
(it’s my current avatar.) I thought that one would have got me more private action than I could handle. Ah well…
When I started out in Taiwan, I would check out bulletin boards at various hostels and restaurants to see if anyone had called offering a job. I also went through agents like Jenny Lai on Roosevelt Road. Are there still agents like that around?
A few things:
#1 If you are not a foreigner you can not charge as much. If you don’t look like a foreigner that will work against you.
#2 If you are a foreigner and speak Chinese you can charge more and you will get more clients.
#3 You can offer a discount to people who bring you more clients.
A suggstion to get yourself known quickly: Offer a free English conversation class (45mins-1 hour). Do this once per week and advertise about it. Pick a topic and discuss it, but use the class to pass out your name cards (give the students extra cards).
I got most of my privates through my former school. The families were either moving or were fed up with my school and asked me to teach them instead. After having to turn down a number of families while I was still employed there, I have happily taken up the offers that have come since I left. It helps that I know where they were when I taught them and have an idea of their interests and personalities so when we started, I had an advantage of getting materials that would work for them. I have used myu.com.tw to get students, but the ones who have lasted the longest have been the ones that I knew IRL first.
I charge 900- 1200 or so an hour, depending on where I have to go. I give a small discount for “long-time”. My current job gave me a bit of work because they didn’t have the classes for them and I got a really lucrative gig through MYU as well. I find that if the students think you’re good they will will tell their friends and send you more work. I’m going to lose a lot of business when school starts and I’m too busy and they’re too busy. I hope I can restructure. I am such a whore. I like it!
When I used to teach I’d go out partying with my adult students–mainly to KTV’s. We’d get shitfaced and I’d sing songs and chomp a few betel nuts.
Not only did I have plenty of students through them introducing me to all their friends; I also got good deals on apartment rentals, trips as a personal tour guide and alot of other benefits.
So basically; try to become best friends with those students you like alot. And I don’t mean just young hot babes.
Well, if I were you I’ll first to post my interests on newspaper or Free ADs board like [url=http://orioncity.virtualave.net/cgi-bin/Ads/atl.cgi]OrionCity’s Classified.
Start from 1-to-1 first, I’ll say.
Cheers, :bravo: