Start a School
START A DISTANCE LEARNING SCHOOL
Business Opportunity
–Start your own School
Opportunities exist for businesses (including established schools) to work with ACS Distance Education.
ACS was founded in 1979 by John Mason, (Australian author, horticulturist and IHA member), and now operates schools both in the UK and Australia. The school has developed around 350 courses, software (providing student support services), web sites (that receive millions of hits each month) and a range of publications. The school has around 4,000 students spread over 70 countries. A group of affiliates/partners are now being developed to deliver ACS courses in different parts of the world.
ACS is keen to work with industry groups and more specifically other businesses across the world.
Cross Promotion
ACS Web sites receive millions of hits every month. Automated systems have been added to most sites where colleagues can submit links for listing on the ACS sites.
A garden ezine (www.acsgarden.com ) welcomes contributions, media releases, listings of events and even advertising.
WebPhotos
This is a relatively new service: an online library of high quality photos and articles.
Some publishers and nurseries have been buying photos through the service. Others have developed contra deals providing promotion for ACS in exchange for access to intellectual property. See www.webphotos.com.au
Watch this site over the coming months as the content is set to expand.
Affiliates Program
ACS can provide new courses to established schools; or help businesses such as nurseries or herb farms set up a new school. Starting to supply ACS courses through an established business can be a very easy, inexpensive and simple exercise, particularly if the start up is limited to CD courses without tuition.
Affiliates Program information: see https://www.acsedu.co.uk/affiliates/default.aspx
How CD Courses Work
A CD provides a guided learning program with things to read, photos, practical tasks to undertake, assignments to complete, and interactive self assessment tests (ie.questions are answered on computer, then the computer tells you whether the answer is correct or not).
These CD courses can be readily branded for any new affiliate or licensee to appear as their own. They can be sold as a stand alone product with or without tutor support (if without, an option to upgrade and have assignments marked by ACS or the affiliate can be easily built into the product).
New affiliates can take CD’s, and sell them on at a very good profit as substantial training program, without the hassle of needing to provide a student support system. If the enterprise takes off, the option exists to expand the services and range of product.
Range of Courses
ACS’s best selling Herb course is Herb Culture, a broad based 100 hour entry level course. There are in fact seven different herb courses though, including Culinary Herbs, Lavender and Medicinal Herbs; and lots of other courses that may be of interest to herb enthusiasts including: Organic Plant Culture, Permaculture Systems, Growing Roses, Aromatherapy, Cut Flower Production, Garden Design and Self Sufficiency. The range of courses covers most areas of Horticulture (over 150 courses), Business, I.T., Health Sciences, Tourism, Psychology and Environmental Management.
For a full range see www.acsedu.co.uk
How ACS Courses Work
A couple of free sample courses are provided on line at www.acs.edu.au/bookcourse
For more information, email John Mason (john@acs.edu.au) and be sure to say you are an IHA member.
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