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Franchising the Brand

G.communication has announced in a press release that it will open their first franchise school and franchise the neo-Nova schools. [PDF in Japanese].

The press release says that neo-Nova's current campaign to attract students is proceeding well and that as of the end of January, neo-Nova had 156 eki mae schools, 19 Juku Nova schools, and 33,282 students, of which, 28,747 who are from Nova before it went bankrupt. [Comment: Wow, that's pretty small when you consider Nova had about 350,000 students before it went under.]

Furthermore, g.communication plans is to open or relocate 200 franchises near major train stations across Japan with the goal of half of its business franchised and the other half directly managed. Regarding the business and controlling the quality of instructors, g.communications plans on　tightening up hiring and contract renewals and establishing a new department to develop human resources.

The first franchise school is to open on April 1 in the town of Togo, Aichi prefecture. Franchise affiliates include 16 schools and 10 restaurants. Those members, all of which belong to the g.communication group, are: ganbaru gakuen (7 schools), ITTO kobetsu shidougakuen (7 schools) TOPS (2 schools), Otaru shokudou (3 restaurants), SABI an (2 sushi restaurants), Cats Cafe (1 store), Haikaraya (2 restaurants), and Ahoudori (2 restaurants). [Comment: I don't fully understand what their role is supposed to be, but based on the photo on page three of the press release, it appears that the franchises may be co-located with the affiliates. The other assumption is that they will be franchise owners.]

The press release isn't very detailed, so it's difficult to say whether this plan will work. Given that Nova is an old and busted brand, I'm inclined to say no. The big IF in all this is the level of training and support g.communication will offer to its franchises. If they can provide quality lessons and instructor training, their plan might be enough to re-float Nova' boat. On the other hand, if g.communication doesn't offer much in terms of support and interferes with the running of the franchises, it's going to be more of the same old McDonaldized English lessons.

Japan: 
nova
g.communication

Comments

I suppose they will sell.

(a) You sell the shit out of your bulk packages in advance (500 EFL Burger Happy Meal Packages per student) – and take in all that spondula in advance (and get rid off it, offshore, or buried so far deep in a different Japanese company you have registered, no-one will ever find it (b) Thus post enormous profits for the quarter (because even though each student has only taken a few lessons, they have paid for the 500 deal, and then (c) when your schools are full and sales taper off, because the student find they can’t book lessons, you (d) sell your now leaking ship franschise, with glowing financials, even though it is a dead horse going backwards, to the next idiot in line (and they can screw the instructors to try and stop the bleeding).

It all depends on how to stash all that pay in advance cash, however.

Yep, good business.

Bring it on.

And G Comm isn’t stupid – they know the Eikaiwa business is literally built for implosion – and thus too risky - not their problem, however – it is the idiot who buys the franchises problem, in the most part (and, then of course, the students and instructors).

They will just have to be careful not to give the franchise owner too much credit, when it comes to supplying all those cruddy textbooks, usagi rabbits, and other assorted Nova tit bits.

And, I bet you, part of the franchise agreement will be that the franchise owner has to sell “X” giganet packages gratis, with G Comm running that side of the business solely, with G Comm thus apportioning the high overheads, market collapsing, risky side of the business to franchise buyers, and eating the low overhead, market expanding side of the business cream themselves (with Saruhashi still lurking in the background).

This is going to be hilarious.

Fuck Gcom.! They laid me off last month after I sold my soul for Nova. I wasted my 30's there and now I got nothing.They shit on me! After all I did for the schools and students over the years. It's like investing your soul into a relationship or a marriage and getting dumped just like that.

I've been looking for a job since Nova was still alive and with all the competion out there I can't even get an interview. The only place that would hire me was Gaba. I turned it down cause the pay was only 1400 a lesson. I was getting 345,000 monthly at Nova.... I wish I had taken it now. There's nothing out there for me. I think I may have to kill myslef. I'm serious. I am fucked. If I don't kill myself I will devote my time to destroying Gcoms reputation any way possible. A man with no job , no savings and no future will find ways to make sure they fail. Anyone with me

and in all seriousness..please get some help if you are thinking about killing yerself..permanent solution to a temporary problem..

yer not alone..

dave.

Dude, come on. Killing yourself may solve *your* problems, but will create the kinds of problems for the people you leave behind that you wouldn't want to wish on your worst enemies. Seriously, put that way of thinking aside.

Where are you located? Where -- and *how* -- are you looking for work? How are your Japanese skills? All these can determine the kinds of jobs available to you. The boards have seen plenty of posts of folks finding work...better work...outside of G-Nova. Post on the boards and let us know.

345,000 monthly at Nova? What, did you work there for a century? Jesus man.

If your are legitimate, and not a troll, you are much better off being broke, and out of mind-mushing Nova, than in it - that's for sure.

OK, you will suffer some withdrawal now that there is no more Nova medication time, meaning, your eight lessons of complete and utter mind mushing bullshit per day, just to get enough money to pay the rent, and go to bars here and there, and may be fly home once a year.

When you have been living in the fantasy of what is EIKAIWA - it really is just one giant money pinching comedy act really (with you being the underpaid clown), although the admission fees are a lot more expensive than what you would find at your local comedy club - well, waking up to the real world and having to smell the roses may be one hell of a rude awakening.

Any person who had your salary - man, you must have put in years for that dirt bag Saruhashi. Perhaps you should find out where he lives, and give him a piece of your mind. Take him out for a drink perhaps, his shout.

However, thank your lucky stars - you could have been living in Nova's sick little world for eternity, doing the pizza lesson, over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

While not having an income might be a piss off, I would embrace the reality of being out of that nuthouse once and for all, and loving it.

4 months and no interviews? You are not trying very hard in my opinion. Quit jerking off or whatever ou are doing every day and get out there. There is a lot of private work. You can ALT. Gaba is always hiring. Or...instead...you could just GO HOME! Instead of hurting anyone who might still benefit from g-com and NOVA why dont you leave? Why do you stay with no savings or money? Why do you feel it is your job to remain here and spread negativity? I know I am being drawn into this by a troll but it goes for everyone out there who is constantly bitching. You have choices people. choose something constructive. I had a hard time when NOVA went under. What did I do? Kill myself? Complain about my lot in life? NO! I put my head down and called every school in my area. I found about 30 people who wanted private lessons. 30!!! Life is too short to spend it online complaining and trying to drag others into the pit of my own self pity. Get off your rear or go home. Make a choice.

but the best line from Rocky Balboa is when he talks about life being not how hard you hit, its the number of hits you take, and keep moving forward..

life isnt about having it easy all the time..

denis leary said that happiness comes in small doses..5 second orgasm, chocolate chip cookie..and so forth.

what everyone else said on here is true..Nova dying is the best thing that could have happened to a lot of people..me included..Nova turned your brain into mush...and turned ordinarily nice folks into total cunts...and after a while you just put up with it..cuz it was so INCREDIBLY easy a job...well..you NEED hard work..people NEED challenges in their lives..

you didnt waste your 30s, you gained invaluable life experience..that only YOU could get for yourself!..think of all the folks back home that will never get a chance to come to a different country to do what you did...I am thinking about my aunts and uncle, and me ma..they worked their whole lives back home..so that my brothers and I could have the luxury of doing something like this..NO its not some wild "Shogun" adventure...but you left your home to try something different.

you wont be on your deathbed (which wont be for a long LOOOONG time) saying to yourself; "God damn that life enriching experience...damn those many friends from AROUND THE WORLD whom I would have otherwise NEVER had a chance to meet...fucking stupid good-looking girlfriends which are the envy of the world, damn invaluable experience against the next bunch of cunts who try to screw me over...fucking great food!...stupid damn temples and culture!..motherfucking kind bastard who spent 2 hours helping me when i was lost that one time."

yeah sorry a bit of a rant..hope it helps

I assume that is sarcasm, but there really were people dumb enough to devote themselves to scummy Nova and not save a dime or get anything out of it at all.

As for the franchise, at least one of the posters is giving g spot way to much credit. They are just stupid. They thought most of the students would stay with Nova. Looking at the numbers, obviously, they did not. Worse for them still, they have found less than five thousand new ones so far. That is what is really going to kill them over time. I think they are deeply regretting taking over Nova now (or they sure should be).

Who in the world would want to put money into a Nova franchise? Maybe I am missing something here, but Nova has a pretty bad name now and English schools are a dime a dozen. Unless they are offering something really super, anyone wanting an English school so badly would be better off just starting from scratch and making one (as I did). What in the world is Nova going to offer them to make going through the franchise bit worth it? It does not take that much to open a school....

Anyone remember American Club? That was a franchise years ago. Are there still any around? I remember interviewing at two very different American Clubs in Sendai. Each was owned by a different company and each was totally different and they were competing in exactly the same market!

I finally worked for an American club in Tochigi. They had about 10 branches or so but finally went under. It was pretty much the same story as Nova and was owned by a man named Sugimoto too! At the end the manager / front man took what assets he could, put them in his wife's name, divorced his wife and ran off to the Philippenes. We teachers sued and won. big deal.

I think some of the above comments are right on target. The franchises will not prosper but G. comm might be able to keep spinning them off.

On another note I've known people who have killed themselves. I've been depressed over Nova too, but dude, there is too much beauty and wonder in this world to end it all over the end of a job. Go out and find something good!

Today's MMC not-yet-official news.

GCom is currently in the process of translating an official document which will be forwarded to all employees probably as soon as Monday....
A friend of mine was asked to assist in the translation so he told me what it was about.
Basically,
GCom says that they're trying very hard to get the new-Nova working and making profits (re-opening branches, trying to get new students, etc..), however, they gave themselves a time limit on the date of march 31th, so salary payment for the months of February and March will be assured to everyone whose old nova contract doesnt expire before that date.
After March 31st it will be either regular work like it used to be or bust.
If everything goes well (Gcom doesnt decide to call it quits) there are 120 instructors whose contract renewals are due in April. Among these Gcom will rehire the ones who show the best record in terms of C penalties, call-ins, leave earlys, etc... so popularity among students, complaints, etc wont matter that much (you gotta be a good "employee", not a good instructor)...
Moreover, they've already decided that they won't renew the contract to 7 of these 120 instructors (the names of course are not being disclosed yet).

One last thing... Gcom says that many of the branches they've already opened are not yet fully operative due to shortage of instructors in more rural areas.. so any instructor who's willing to relocate will be well accepted, they probably will ask you to relocate and if you opt not to they might as well kiss you goodbye...
that's about it... just a preview
Cheers

you probably didn't get an interview because you were a shitty nova teacher and other companies didn't want another shitty nova teacher. go home.

How many resumes did you send out? No really?

FUCK G.education, and I am saying this from the bottom of my heart. I've been sacked at the end of January (the end of my old NOVA contract), but although I am still fighting over this decision through the General Union, I am glad of being out of that shit.

I feel that finally I've got my life back and I am looking for a new job and making several plans for my future. This is my message to all of you who are still there: GET OUT, and do it as soon as possible. These G.coN people are a bunch of fuckers, and as a bunch of fuckers will go down pretty soon. I can't believe that they are still finding students willing to pay money for this shit they call "language lessons", but hey, this is Japan ...

Most students seem unaware of what's going on at G Com Nova. I wonder how many of them have shelled out big loads of money in order to make each lesson as cheap as possible. If I were them, I would at least scan the internet (and find this website) to learn how stable it is. I feel sorry for the parents who send their children for KIDS classes at Nova, they obviously don't realise how useless the lessons are until after many years their kids finally get level checked for adult classes and are surprised that they end up in 7B.
But it's a fact of life. The average IQ of any country is 100 by definition. That's all.

I don't feel the least sorry for the students who decided to come back and fork out more money or for the parents that are sending their kids to NOVA classes again. They may not be aware of the real situation at G.education, but they sure would have lots of ways to find out if they were a bit intelligent and pro-active. This story has gone on for months and G.communication's problems have been reported by the Japanese media already in several occasions. We are talking about people who got screwed and have chosen to be screwed again. Sorry, no sympathy this time. Wake up Japan!

What situation? I work for G-teachers-are-monkeys and hate it but they are, if the stories are true, making some good decisions. For one, my school is doing excellent. I am not going to speculate on averages but today we had 4 demo lessons. Yes they were free, but just getting new people inside the ugly office is good; it will generate some kind of awareness and it already has demonstrated (in my area) that people are still interested in watching a monkey talk. You can't expect the company to be pulling down numbers like it is in its 10th year of business. What was the number? 5000 completely new students? Lets just say 200 schools which is 25 new students per school. That number seems bad but if they can post any kind of growth it means profitability in the future. On top of that franchising would help them as well (not sure about financial liability in Japan with franchises though). You know they are going to keep their most profitable schools and franchise all the high risk ones to the idiots who decide to buy it. People shouldn't even be mentioning the number of students who were at the old Nova. This is a new company (despite the name) and it is considering it's market as Japan as a whole. If you look at it from an unbias point of view having over 300,000 students who are more likely to come back is a positive thing, in fact an almost wonderful marketing edge. They don't need all the people to come back in order to be profitable.

Now with that being said, this fucking company is going to fail but not fall hard because they have enough sense to abandon ship (leaving the monkeys onboard of course) before things get tight. They are treating teachers like, to say it again, monkeys in a cage. No management, just some careful prodding when we get restless. Eventually when teachers have the options (ie, another job) they are going to shit on the fucking voice log and smile while doing it. I know I am, once I get confirmation that I got this new job. G-Comm is treating us like Japanese staff, and despite the losers that work there (yeah me too) we are from a culture where generally we don't take much shit without saying something. They are expecting the same loyalty that those flower-arrangement-studying j-staff turned businesswomen (who are now effectively our bosses) give to the company. I can't wait for the student complaints to come in when teachers quit and there are not enough to handle the initial success that they had. If one of those fuckers up there just once, I mean just once, says to themselves "Man, maybe this would have worked if we treated the foreign staff like....well...people this would have worked...but we fucked up". It's not going to happen but I can dream.

(ready for the attacks, just keep in mine i'm willing to admit I made an error in logic as long as it is clearly shown)

_and yes, I am enjoying like all you other fuckers out there the ease in which it is to enter the panties of some 20 year girl who wants to learn English_

If and when G Com Nova goes under I'm sure they'll blame it on the instructors. Some press statement like "It is truly regrettable that we are forced to close, but our instructors left and we couldn't get new ones...Foreign instructors have little loyalty to their employers, unlike Japanese workers...We had no trouble keeping our Japanese staff who often did voluntary unpaid overtime without taking holidays..."

All I have to say in response to your statement above is EXACTLY!

I think Travesy is right. I was at the MMC until the end of last month and I know for sure that every single teacher is looking for a new job, and many have already found one. Just wait for April and the start of the new academic year, and students' complaints will start pouring in as, apart from a few losers, there won't be enough instructors left. G-shit-education can write whatever they want in their press statements, but we all know that it will go under because they failed to properly look after their most precious asset: language instructors.

First reply excepted, most of you barely post-adolescent tools should spare him your crap advice because you aren't qualified to give it. He wasn't asking for your advice, he was asking if anyone was WITH HIM. I'm with you buddy, I want to bring 'em down to for their spurious promises.

Hear hear!, I think that the end of this company will be a lack of workers. The ESL business is over. Over seas, people do not want to come and teach in Japan. It is not worth it. The cost of living is too high and there aren't any companies willing/able to sponser people.

That last point is true, but I know first hand that they've relocated many teachers from rural areas to Nagoya. Two weeks ago they put half our instructors on standby in accordance with their brilliant 40/1 rule, and then offered most of them work at newly-opened branches in Nagoya (they were given two days to get there and start work). The remaining standby instructor has just bought his plane ticket home so now we have no teachers to bring back, just as we're coming into the peak time of year for sales.

I think the above comments summarize the situation well. G.Communications have already blamed their difficulties on instructors despite having broken promises within weeks of making them. I would say instructors have had no hand at all in causing the collapse of NOVA (a company's employment conditions and management determine the quality of it's instructors) and any difficulties G.education has are self-inflicted.
I think we may need some major action to get the truth across to the people and government of Japan. Not only for the sake of foreigners coming here but for the future of this country. If something isn't done the actions of this company will further impact negatively on english education in Japan.

Why should you really care about Japanese ESL? Actually, I do not like it when the speak English to me.

I do the best I can with the lessons. However, my concern only goes as far as making sure the students like me and keep coming back. That way the money keeps coming in. If that means teaching them, then so be it. I could care less about ESL in Japan (after I get my cut) though.

Stop kidding yourself. You are just a cog in the machine.

I had a new job for ages. A much better job, but I still got Option B from g-Comm. Took a nice little vacation. I lived rent free in a nice Nova apartment for three months. And now, that I have saved some money and am ready to go home - guess who bought my ticket home? G-comm. Seriously, I waiver between complete shock and hysterics at the people who still work there. Not to mention the people who still defend it. My job and overall experience are significantly better since I left. I reiterate what those who say Novas bankruptcy was the best thing that ever happened to them - get out! seriously, it is not difficult to find another job. That guy who posted that suicide comment above, dont be gullible - I dont believe it. If you want a new job - you can find it. Its been almost six months - move on, you will be so much happier, and your experience of Japan will be that much more incredible. wake up!

You should target Saruhashi, and the old Nova management - they are the ones who have walked away with millions of dollars, leaving the mess and losses for instructors, investors, and students to swallow. More heat needs to be generated about getting a proper and thorough crimminal investigation underway with regards to those bastards, now swilling French champagne, and laughing in your faces.

I would hazard the suggestion that, unfortunately, it matters very little about whether or not instructors care about the quality of ESL language and competency in Japan because the Japanese themselves do not care about ESL.

I do care whether or not my students learn English; in my idealism, as quaint as it may be, I am invested into teaching and care deeply about education and my role as a teacher. But, I have been handicapped by a culture which seems to value form much to highly over actual function and an infrastructure ill-equipped to provide the resources - be that time, materials, or support - for a proper English education.

I would hazard a guess that language-learning in general and the style of education that the Japanese utilize are not terribly compatible. For example, throughout primary education, the single most important criteria used to measure academic progress are the yearly tests, notably the high school and college entrance exams. There is a great disconnect between the English on those exams (difficult and nuanced) and the English presented in the classroom (inchoerent, overly-simplstic, and often simply incorrect). Into that gulf between guide and measure, there is little practice and even less incentive given to students to invest themselves into learning English (being something of a Sisyphean endeavor).

Outside of the education environment, the lack of caring is even worse. Words are used incorrectly or butchered into unrecognizable abbreviations of their former iterations. At best, English is a pop-cultural affection pulled out of the closest only to impress friends and colleagues or to try and enamor potential foreign dates. I almost wish the teenage girl walking around town wearing the "Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck" T-shirt was trying to make some manner of socio-political statement. In truth, she is only vaguely aware that this may be some sort of taboo word in English, and by wearing clothing liberally adorned with said expletive she might just possibly appear rebelliously cool.

Do I care (or by now, perhaps I should say, "did I care") about the education of my students? Absolutely, with every naive ounce of my heart. But, it mattered not much more than dozens of instructors who didn't care. In the end, it is the Japanese who have to care about English if they truly wish to internalize it in their culture and country at large. It is the Japaense who have to care about the practices of their boards of education and their Japanese-owned eikaiwa schools. It is Japanese who have to care about their relationships with the global community. Until the Japanese care, and care in overwhelmingly majority (versus the rebel few who must not have been sufficiently enculturated as children, poor, beautiful bastards), whether we care or not won't matter worth spit.

Don’t be so quick to say that - EFL is over. Japan must internationalise, and follow the spirit of internationalization if, as an island nation, with little to no resources, they wish to carve out a future on the global stage.

English is a necessity!

I am thinking one possible solution will be to make English Japan’s national language, and to ban Japanese language outright – not just in the classroom, but on the streets, and in the homes as well.

Japan must look deep within itself, and re-invent itself, by embracing English language in a very heart felt fashion, and seek its place on the world stage.

People who can speak English fluently, whether they are native English speakers or not, should be given higher salaries, and granted tax concessions.

Those who can’t, should be punished, and I suggest in the first instance, by issuing fines for speaking Japanese, and then via punitive tax measures, if they fail English fluency tests, or are caught speaking Japanese.

English can be really good fun, and is rich with many adjectives and so forth – the Japanese must learn to embrace it totally, in a fun, but move forward and go ahead fashion, so as to move beyond the chains of Samurai era.

Banning Japanese in totality would greatly accelerate this cause.

To help the project, I also think it wise that all Japanese be photographed, finger printed, and DNA samples be collected.

Thank you.

I have to commend you: it's not often that a troll spends more than a minute or two firing of the random post here or there. If I knew what you were responding to, I might even think your rant worthy satire. But . . .

Who or what were you poking fun at anyway? Foreign English teachers? The Japanese? The idea of globalization? The emphasis of English as an "international" language? The people who read and post here at Let's Japan?

Without pointing out your target more directly, it is hard to know if you are wittily satirizing an opinion or ideal contrary to your own, or if you are just engaging in masturbatory attention-grabbing that trolls normally do to fill in the empty spaces within their lives.

I look forward to your next effort . . .

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