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How to Write an Education Agency Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting an education agency? If YES, here is a complete sample education agency business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE . Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting an education agency. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample education agency marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for education agencies. So let’s proceed to the business planning section .

Why Start an Education Agency?

If you have a robust background in education matters, and you intend starting your business, then you should consider starting your own education agency. There are many would-be international students and students aspiring to go to colleges / universities, who are trapped simply because they don’t know who to talk to when they have challenges with testing and educational related issues that is why it is important to set up your own education agency.

Being an education agents means that you will help your clients handle all their educational concerns, help to gain admission to colleges or universities of their choice, help them process admission and help them package their applications and documents amongst other services. You can also help your clients (international students) obtain work permits in their new country of residence / studies.

Launching an education agency is not too expensive except for the money required to rent and furnish an office space. Running this type of business requires that you should be trained as an educationist and it is indeed a very lucrative business in the United States, Canada, Australia and The United Kingdom simply because of the inflow of international students from different parts of the world.

If you are truly convinced that starting an education agency is the right business for you to do, then you need to write your own business plan. Below is a sample education agency business plan template that will help you successfully write yours with little or no stress;

A Sample Education Agency Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Education agents or agencies are part of the Testing and Educational Support Services industry and establishments in the Testing & Educational Support Services industry primarily provide non – instructional support services for the education industries. The major segments of this industry are educational testing services and educational consultants; they assist students in securing admission, processing admission and other relevant services

If you are a close observer of the Testing & Educational Support industry, you will agree that the controversial No Child Left Behind Act in the united states has been an important driver of revenue for the Testing and Educational Support industry over the past decade. This is due to the fact that education consultants and agents play a prominent role in administering the assessments that ensure schools meet federal guidelines.

Hence, the industry will be heavily impacted in the next half a decade by potential education reforms and fluctuations in federal funding. Nevertheless, college enrollment will continue to expand over the period, and international student growth will continue, driven by high demand from students from Nigeria, China and India. Even though tighter state budgets will limit unnecessary expenditure, underlying demand for support services will still be sustained.

The Testing & Educational Support Industry is indeed a large industry and pretty much active in countries such as United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Germany,  Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Australia and Canada et al.

Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 7,639 registered and licensed education consulting firms and education agencies scattered all across the United States responsible for employing about 115,967 and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $15 billion annually. The industry is projected to grow at 3.4 percent annual growth within 2011 and 2016. It is important to state that ETS and Pearson PLC have the largest available market share in the industry.

A recent research carried out by IBISWORLD reveals that the Testing and Educational Support industry has expanded over the five years to 2016. The report stated that during this time, revenue grew at an average annual rate of 0.9 percent to $13.7 billion in 2016. The report pointed that the Testing and Educational Support industry is composed of three main segments: educational testing providers, educational consultants and student-exchange program providers.

While overall growth has been strong, these segments have experienced different levels of growth over the past five years, with educational testing services accounting for the largest share of revenue growth. The research further revealed that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 has driven industry demand during much of the past decade. Under NCLB, which was signed into law in January 2002, states had to implement major educational changes to remain eligible for federal funding.

Lastly, one thing is certain about starting an education agency, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies, you are more likely not going to struggle to secure clients because there are always individuals, and even educational institutions / schools that would want to hire your services from time to time.

2. Executive Summary

School Runs Education Agency® is a registered and licensed education agency that will be based in San Diego – California.

We have been able to lock down a standard office facility in the heart of the city. We will handle all aspect of education related services; services such as securing and processing admission for students, securing scholarship for students, providing college selection services, providing educational consulting services, providing educational guidance counseling services, providing educational support services, providing educational testing services, attending school buses and facilitating student exchange programs.

We are aware that to run a standard education agency can be demanding which is why we are well trained, certified and equipped to perform excellently well.

School Runs Education Agency® is a client – focused and result driven education agency that provides broad- based services at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients.  We will offer a standard and professional education support services to all to our individual clients, and corporate clients at national, and international level. We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass our clients’ expectations whenever they hire our services.

At School Runs Education Agency®, our client’s best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professionals who are well experienced in the testing and educational support industry

School Runs Education Agency® will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Our plan is to position the business to become the leading brand in the education agencies line of business in the whole of San Diego – California, and also to be amongst the top 20 education agencies in the United States of America within the first 10 years of operations.

This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely be realized because we have done our research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that San Diego – California is the right place to launch our education agency business before sourcing for clients from other cities in The United States of America and throughout the globe.

School Runs Education Agency® is founded by Clem Harry and Kennedy Bosch, his business partner for many years. The organization will be managed by both of them since they have adequate working experience to manage such business.

Clem Harry has well over 5 years of experience working at various capacities within the testing and educational support services industry in the United States of America. Clem Harry and Kennedy Bosch have the required experience and qualifications to build a world class education agency business that can favorably compete amongst leaders in the industry.

3. Our Products and Services

School Runs Education Agency® is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the testing and educational support industry in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our education agency business is to favorably compete with leading players in the testing and educational support industry both in the United States of America and in the world at large.

We are well prepared to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the United States to achieve our business goals, aim and ambition. Our business offerings are listed below;

• Assist students in securing and processing admission
• Assist students in securing scholarships
• Assist schools in marketing local and international students
• Providing college selection services
• Providing educational consulting services
• Providing educational guidance counseling services
• Providing educational support services
• Providing educational testing services
• Attending school buses
• Facilitating student exchange programs

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build an education agency brand that will become the number one choice for both individual and corporate clients in the whole of San Diego – California. Our vision reflects our values: integrity, service, excellence and teamwork.
• Our mission is to position our education agency to become the leading brands in the testing and educational support services industry in the whole of San Diego – California, and also to be amongst the top 20 education agency brands in the United States of America within the first 10 years of operations.

Our Business Structure

Ordinarily we would have settled for a hand full of full – time staff members, but as part of our plan to build a standard education agency in San Diego – California, we have perfected plans to get it right from the beginning which is why we are going the extra mile to ensure that we have competent, honest and hardworking employees to occupy all the available positions in our organization.

The picture of the kind of education agency we intend building and the business goals we want to achieve is what informed the amount we are ready to pay for the best hands available in and around San Diego – California.

We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer
• Education Agents / Consultants

Admin and HR Manager

Marketing and Sales Executive

• Customer Care Executive / Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Office:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Education Consultants / Agents

• Assists students in securing and processing admission
• Assists students in securing scholarships
• Assists schools in marketing local and international students
• Responsible for providing college selection services
• Responsible for providing educational consulting services
• Responsible for providing educational guidance counseling services
• Responsible for providing educational support services
• Responsible for providing educational testing services
• Attends to school buses as it relates to students under our care
• Responsible for facilitating student exchange programs
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
• Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of relevant projects.
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy
• Responsible for handling business research, marker surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the organization in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the organization
• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• creates reports from the information concerning the financial transactions recorded by the bookkeeper
• Prepares the income statement and balance sheet using the trial balance and ledgers prepared by the bookkeeper.
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the company
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Client Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

• Welcomes students and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organization’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
• Receives parcels / documents for the organization
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned the line manager

6. SWOT Analysis

With respect to our vision, our mission and the kind of business we want to set – up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our business.

School Runs Education Agency® hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias in start – ups in the United States to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating other business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in the testing and educational support services industry.

As an agency, we look forward to maximizing our strength and opportunities and also to work around our weaknesses and threats. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of School Runs Education Agency®.

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of highly qualified education consultants / agents and support staff members that can go all the way to give our clients value for their money; a team that are trained, qualified and equipped to pay attention to details and to deliver excellent education consulting cum agency services. We are well positioned and we know we will attract loads of clients (students and international students alike) from the first day we open our doors for business.

As a new education agency, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from international students in the already saturated testing and educational support services industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. So also, we may not have the required cash to give our business the kind of publicity we would have loved to.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the testing and educational support services industry is massive considering the number of local and international students who can’t do with key services provided by only education agencies. As a standard and well – positioned education agency, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as an education agency operating in the United States are unfavorable government policies, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operations and global economic downturn which usually affects purchasing / spending power. There is hardly anything we can do as regards these threats other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for our good.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

If you a closer observer of the trends in the Testing & Educational Support industry, you will agree that the controversial No Child Left Behind Act in the united states has been an important driver of revenue for the Testing and Educational Support industry over the past decade. This is due to the fact that education consultants / agents play a prominent role in administering the assessments that ensure schools meet federal guidelines.

Although it is cheaper to start an education agency business, but the fact remains that it is a bit challenging for new entrant to come into this industry, the primary barrier to the entry for new establishment is the stiff registration requirements applicable in most countries not just the United States of America.

As a matter of fact, education agencies must comply with local licensing criteria set out by registration boards and professional associations to obtain registration in their country or the state they want to operate from. This usually requires applicants to hold an accredited tertiary qualification before they can undertake written tests of skills, knowledge and abilities.

Lastly, the geographic distribution of education agencies and revenue in the industry is based on population levels and business locations. education agencies tend to be located in areas with high populations students, and such areas tend to have higher level of students who would want to sit for college exams, apply for international studies or for student exchange programs.

8. Our Target Market

The demographic and psychographics composition of those who need the services of education agencies cut across students and schools at all levels.

School Runs Education Agency® will initially serve students within our immediate community, but that does not in any way stop us from growing to be able to compete with the leading education agencies and education consulting firms in the United States.

As a standard and licensed education agency, School Runs Education Agency® offers a wide range of education support services hence we are well trained and equipped to services a wide range of clientele base.

Our target market cuts across students at different level of studies, but local students and international students. We are coming into the industry with a business concept that will enable us work with individuals, and schools in and around San Diego – California and other cities in the United States of America.

Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically design our products and services for;

• International Students
• Local students
• Schools (High Schools, Colleges and Universities)
• Tutorial colleges

Our competitive advantage

The level of competitions in the testing and educational support services industry depends largely on the location of the business and of course the business model. If you can successfully create a unique brand identity for your education agency or carve out a unique market, you are likely going to experience less competition.

For instance, if you are one of the few education agencies in your location that has the most qualified and experienced education consultant with successful track record under your payroll, you are likely going to have a competitive advantage over your competitors.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the testing and educational support services industry means that we should be able to deliver expected results, our clients should be able to pay for our services and we should be able to meet the expectations of clients.

School Runs Education Agency® might be a new entrant into the testing and educational support services industry in the United States of America, but the management staffs and owners of the business are considered gurus. They are people who are core professionals and licensed and highly qualified education consultants and agents in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (start – ups education agency business) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

School Runs Education Agency® is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the testing and educational support services industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract clients (local and international students) on a regular basis.

School Runs Education Agency® will generate income by offering the following immigration consulting services;

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be local students, international students, individuals, schools and tutorial colleges et al who would need the services of testing and educational support services providers.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in San Diego – California and other key cities in the United States of America and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base beyond San Diego to other cities in California and other states in the U.S.

We have been able to critically examine the education agency services market space and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projections are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in San Diego – California.

Below are the sales projections for School Runs Education Agency®, it is based on the location of our business and the wide range of education support services that we will be offering to our clients;

• First Fiscal Year-: $150,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $350,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $550,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same additional services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competitions amongst education agencies and other related educational support service providers in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developer to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. We will also ensure that our excellent job deliveries speak for us in the market place; we want to build a standard and world – class education agency that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients (both individuals and corporate organizations).

Our goal is to grow our education agency to become one of the top 20 education agency in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the San Diego – California, but also in other cities in the United States of America.

School Runs Education Agency® is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our education agency business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to migrant communities, schools, households and key stake holders in San Diego – California.
• Advertise our business in relevant magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our education agency business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local education, international studies and business expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients (local students and international students et al) in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality education agency services to them
• Leverage on the internet to promote our education consulting firm
• Engage in direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients
• Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of networking and marketing our services.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Any business that wants to grow beyond the corner of the street or the city they are operating from must be ready and willing to utilize every available means (both conventional and non – conventional means) to advertise and promote the business. We intend growing our business which is why we have perfected plans to build our brand via every available means.

We know that it is important to create strategies that will help us boost our brand awareness and to create a corporate identity for our education agency business. Below are the platforms we will leverage on to boost our brand and to promote and advertise our business;

• Place adverts on community based educational and related newspapers, radio stations and TV stations.
• Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms to promote our business.
• Ensure that we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around San Diego – California
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
• Contact migrant communities, schools, and households et al by calling them up and informing them of School Runs Education Agency® and the educational support services we offer
• Advertise our business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Brand all our official cars and school buses and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wears our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Fixed prices and commissions for services rendered is a long – time tradition in the industry.  However, for some types of education support services, flat fees make more sense because they allow clients to better predict service charge.

As a result of this, School Runs Education Agency® will charge our clients (students) a flat fee for many basic services such as securing and processing admission for students, securing scholarship for students, providing college selection services, providing educational consulting services, providing educational guidance counseling services, providing educational support services, providing educational testing services, attending school buses and facilitating student exchange programs et al.

At School Runs Education Agency® we will keep our fees below the average market rate for all of our clients by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.  In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to local and international students.

We are aware that there are some clients that would need regular access to education support services, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such clients’ needs.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by School Runs Education Agency® is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that School Runs Education Agency® will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards / Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our testing and educational support services without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash or make online transfer for all education consultancy and advisory services rendered.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

When it comes to calculating the cost of starting an education agency, there are some key factors that should serve as a guide.

Besides, in setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting / leasing a big facility, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business.

The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked. As for the detailed cost analysis for starting an education agency business; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money.

Below are some of the basic areas we will spend our start – up capital in setting up our education agency business;

• The total fee for incorporating the Business in the United States of America – $750.
• The total cost for payment of insurance policy covers (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $9,400
• The amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility in a business district 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $40,000
• The total cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500
• The cost for equipping the office (computers, software applications, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $5,000
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
• The cost for purchase of the required software applications (testing results tracking Software, Payroll Software, CRM software, and Accounting Software et al) – $10,500
• The cost of launching our official Website – $600
• Budget for paying at least three employees for 3 months plus utility bills – $10,000
• Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,500
• Miscellaneous: $1,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need over one hundred and fifty thousand ( 150,000 ) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a small scale but standard education agency business in the United States of America. Please note that the salaries of all our staff members for the first month is included in the expenditure.

Generating Funds / Startup Capital for School Runs Education Agency®

No matter how fantastic your business idea might be, if you don’t have the required money to finance the business, the business might not become a reality. No doubt raising start – up capital for a business might not come cheap, but it is a task that an entrepreneur must go through.

School Runs Education Agency® is a business that will be owned and managed by Clem Harry and Kennedy Bosch, his business partner for many years. They are the sole financial of the firm, but may likely welcome partners later which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $50,000 ( Personal savings $40,000 and soft loan from family members $10,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $100,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting School Runs Education Agency® is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our education support services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

School Runs Education Agency® will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Securing a standard office facility (renovation of the facility inclusive): Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founder: Completed
• Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed software applications, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the industry: In Progress.

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If you have expertise and experience in a given field, you may be able to turn that into an education consulting business. Whether it’s TED-talk like presentations, research programs, or onsite consulting, if you have the knowledge to share, people and companies are looking for it. Check out our library of education consulting sample business plans and successfully support educational, government, and private institutions with your expertise.

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Starting or expanding an educational venture can be an exciting yet challenging endeavor. To ensure that your goals are clearly defined and your strategies are solid, you need a comprehensive business plan. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education comes in!

This template is perfect for education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors who want to outline their goals, strategies, and financial projections. With ClickUp's business plan template, you can create a roadmap for success and attract potential stakeholders to support your educational venture.

This template includes everything you need to:

• Define your educational goals and mission
• Develop strategies for growth and sustainability
• Create financial projections and budgets
• Outline marketing and outreach plans
• Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies

Don't miss out on the opportunity to bring your educational vision to life. Get started with ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education today!

Business Plan Template for Education Benefits

A business plan template for education offers a multitude of benefits to education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors looking to start or expand their educational ventures. Some of the key benefits include:

• Providing a clear roadmap for success by outlining goals, strategies, and financial projections
• Attracting potential stakeholders, such as investors or partners, by showcasing a well-thought-out plan
• Ensuring alignment and focus by defining the mission, vision, and values of the educational enterprise
• Analyzing market trends and competition to identify unique selling points and opportunities for growth
• Guiding resource allocation and budgeting decisions to optimize financial sustainability
• Facilitating communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders
• Supporting decision-making processes by evaluating risks and creating contingency plans
• Enhancing credibility and professionalism for grant applications or funding proposals
• Monitoring progress and tracking key performance indicators to measure success and make adjustments as needed.

Main Elements of Education Business Plan Template

ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education provides all the essential elements to help you create a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for your educational venture:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of your business plan with statuses such as Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add important information and categorize different sections of your business plan.
• Custom Views: Access different views to organize and analyze your business plan, including Topics view to focus on specific topics, Status view to track the progress of each section, Timeline view to visualize milestones and deadlines, Business Plan view for a holistic overview, and the Getting Started Guide view to help you navigate through the template.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education, you can streamline your planning process, collaborate with stakeholders, and ensure a clear path to success for your educational venture.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Education

If you're in the education industry and need to create a business plan, our Business Plan Template for Education can help guide you through the process. Follow these four steps to effectively use the template and create a comprehensive and actionable plan for your educational institution:

1. Define your vision and mission

Start by clearly articulating your vision and mission for your educational institution. What is the long-term goal you want to achieve? What values and principles will guide your organization? By clearly defining your vision and mission, you'll have a solid foundation for your business plan.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to brainstorm and outline your vision and mission statements.

2. Conduct market research

To create a successful business plan, you need to have a deep understanding of the market and the competitive landscape. Research trends in the education industry, analyze your target audience, and identify your unique selling points. This information will help you position your institution effectively and develop strategies to attract and retain students.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to organize and analyze your market research data.

3. Develop your curriculum and programs

The curriculum and programs you offer are crucial to the success of your educational institution. Define the courses and programs you will offer, outline the learning objectives, and design a comprehensive curriculum that aligns with industry standards and meets the needs of your target audience.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline each course and program, assign responsible team members, and set deadlines.

4. Create a financial plan

A solid financial plan is essential for the sustainability and growth of your educational institution. Determine your startup costs, projected revenue, and operating expenses. Additionally, consider funding options, such as grants or investments, and create a budget that aligns with your financial goals.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to track your financial projections, expenses, and funding options in one centralized location.

By following these four steps and utilizing our Business Plan Template for Education in ClickUp, you'll be well on your way to creating a comprehensive and actionable business plan for your educational institution.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Education

Education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors who are looking to start or expand educational ventures can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template for Education to create a comprehensive and organized business plan.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a successful business plan:

• Use the Topics View to outline and organize the different sections of your business plan
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and milestones for each section, ensuring timely completion
• The Business Plan View provides a comprehensive overview of your entire plan, allowing you to review and make adjustments as needed
• Create a Getting Started Guide View to provide step-by-step instructions for team members or stakeholders involved in the implementation of the plan
• Customize the template by adding custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional information and categorization for each section
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through the plan to keep everyone informed and ensure accountability.
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Education Consulting Business Plan Sample

Published Dec.10, 2021

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Jakub Babkins

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Table of Content

Do you want to start Education Consulting business plan?

You might wonder how to start an educational consulting business. In that case, you can take help from this education consulting business plan. Starting a consultation business doesn’t require many resources. You just need basic expertise in the domain.

So, if you have a fundamental understanding of the education sector, you can start this business. However, in order to create a successful venture, you’ll need a good business plan. For that purpose, you can refer to this document or any related business plan such as life coaching business plan , etc. You can also take help from the best business plan experts .

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

Pro Learning will be an education consultation firm started by Harry Brown. The firm will aim to provide consultation services catering to the requirements of the clients in Stockton. The firm will provide a wide range of services for both students and educational institutes in the US.

2.2 Management of Education Consulting Company

Starting an educational consulting business requires appropriate management of the resources you possess. You can ensure this through an education consultant business plan. In this plan, you should mention all the technical as well as human resources you have along with your plans for their management.

In this strategic and operational business plan , all the requirements for business consulting education have been mentioned.

2.3 Customers of Education Consulting Company

The backbone of an education consulting business is its customers. Our customers will mainly be people who directly belong to the educational domain. They are identified as follows:

• Universities
• International Education Agents

2.4 Business Target

Our primary goal is to become the most trusted place for all kinds of education-related consultancy services.

The financial targets that we want to achieve within the first few years of launch are demonstrated below:

Company Summary

3.1 company owner.

Harry Brown will own Pro Learning. Harry did his M. Ed two years ago. After that, he served as a freelance consultant to many clients. But he decided to expand his business and provide more services.

3.2 Why the Education Consulting company is being started

Harry observed that many schools around the Stockton area had a deficiency of adequate educational consultancy resources. Many able students needed guidance, but there was no one they could go to. Therefore, he decided to make use of his experience and start a consultancy firm.

3.3 How the Education Consulting company will be started

Step1: Plan Everything

A solid education consultant business plan is the first step in how to start an education consulting business. For developing your business plan, you can refer to this education business plan sample or any related business plan like business consulting business plan .

This sample educational consultant proposal can be used to guide the development of a business plan for any business because Harry decided to offer a wide variety of services.

Step2: Define the Brand

The next step in your journey is to advertise your business. You can do this by developing a brand. In your brand, you have to highlight your competitive advantage by listing your unique services and policies.

Step3: Establish Your Corporate Office

For the time being, Harry decided to rent out an office in Stockton. He will now put together a team and gather the technical equipment required.

Step4: Establish a Web Presence

Establishing a solid web presence is necessary when starting a business in this digital age. Keeping this in view, Harry created social media profiles of his business. He also had a simple website developed where clients could reach out.

Step5: Promote and Market

The last thing to do is develop a marketing plan and promote your business by following it.

Services of Education Consulting

Before you start education consulting business, you need to identify the services you will be providing to your clients. That way, you can develop your education consultant services business plan accordingly.

As Harry wanted to offer a wide variety of services through his business, so this education consulting business plan sample pdf can be used as a guide to writing any business plan. Even a mortgage lender business plan .

Below, we have described the education consulting services. So, if you want to know how to become an education consultant, you can take help from here.

• Education Counselling Service

The main service provided by Pro Learning will be education counseling for students. Students can book an appointment directly or through their institutes to gain the help and perspective they need. Our firm will help students:

• Realize their potential
• Understand their areas of aptitude
• Make an educated decision about their future learning
• Admission Procedure Help

Another important service of Pro Learning will be to guide students about the application procedures of the institutes of their choice. Many students shy away from applying to educational institutes because of the overwhelming and complex application procedure.

Pro Learning will:

• Guide students about application dates
• Help students plan out their application submission process
• Inform students about necessary academic and financial requirements
• Financial Advice

Pro Learning will also help students plan out their finances. And inform them of financial resources they can turn to if needed.

• Visa Assistance

Our firm will also handle visa applications and guide students throughout the whole process so that they are as efficient as possible.

Marketing Analysis of Education Consulting Company

Starting an educational consulting firm will require you to have an in-depth knowledge of the target market. You can gain this knowledge through a marketing analysis. A marketing plan for education consultancy business will help you identify your customers and competitors in a better way.

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Conducting marketing analysis is an essential step in the steps to become an educational consultant. However, if you don’t know much about marketing analysis, you can take help from education business plan samples. You can also look to specialized documents like Harvard business school marketing plan template for a more in-depth understanding.

In this document, we have detailed the marketing analysis of Pro Learning.

5.1 Market Trends

According to IBISWorld, the education consultant market is valued at $2 billion. The industry is expected to increase at a steady rate of 2% or over in the next five years. It is because people have finally realized the importance of suitable education. So more and more people are turning towards professional consultancy services to boost their careers.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

The customer groups of Pro Learning are as follows:

Business plan for investors

5.2.1 students.

Our primary services will be dedicated to helping students and coaching their academic path. They are expected to be our main customers and are expected to avail our resources the most. The services they are expected to use involve:

• Counseling for future academic opportunities
• Guide for choosing a career path
• Help in deciding and managing academic activities

5.2.2 Universities

Our second target customers will be universities and other institutes of higher education. We want to connect students with suitable universities. Thus, we are expected to partner with many universities throughout the year to provide them with a good candidate pool.

5.2.3 International Education Agents

We will also be partnering with international educational agents and connecting them with the universities in the US. So we expect them to avail our resources quite often as well.

5.2.4 Schools

Lastly, we will also reach out to schools to provide high school students counseling for deciding their future academic paths and careers.

5.3 Business Target

• To become the most sought out counseling service firm throughout Stockton
• To expand our services steadily and reach out to more schools
• To keep customer satisfaction rate above 95%
• To earn a profit margin of $30k per month by the end of our first year.

5.4 Product Pricing

Our prices will be very reasonable considering our main target audience is students. We will provide a greater range of services at the same price as our competitors.

Marketing Strategy of Education Consulting

To become prominent among the businesses for education consulting careers, you need to have a strong marketing strategy for educational consultancy. A good marketing strategy will help you highlight your competitive advantage to your customers. Therefore, it should be a part of your business plan.

Here, we have a sample business plan educational services that highlights the marketing strategy of Pro Learning. This is just an example. And you can use any business plan for guidance, may it be a   counseling private practice business plan .

6.1 Competitive Analysis

• We have excellent client care services available that will be ready to help our clients whenever they need them.
• We will implement a feedback system to improve our services for our clients.
• Our clients can contact us directly by phone. Or they can reach out to us through our website or social media platforms. This will allow them to easily book appointments from the comfort of their home.
• We will have timings for walk-in sessions where our first-time customers can just come and go through a session without needing to book an appointment.

6.2 Sales Strategy

• We will offer reduced prices and sales for our long-term customers
• We will provide cheaper and affordable packages for students.
• We will advertise through word of mouth, Google Ads, and social media.

6.3 Sales Monthly

6.4 Sales Yearly

6.5 Sales Forecast

Personnel plan of Education Consulting

Any good sample educational consultant proposal includes employee hiring criterion. It’s because the success of a business, especially a consultancy business, depends on the employees and their behavior.

Realizing the importance of employee selection, Harry also decided to implement a selection criterion while selecting the employees mentioned below in the educational services business plan.

7.1 Company Staff

• 1 Co Manager
• 4 B. Ed graduates to help with the workload
• 8 Career Specialists
• 1 Web Developer/ Mobile App Developer to manage online sites
• 1 Sales Executive to organize and promote sales
• 1 Accountant
• 1 Receptionist

Financial Plan of Education Consulting

To start education consulting business, you need much more than sales. The success of a business is ensured by a proper financial plan that is usually a part of education consulting business plan.

A financial plan allows you to manage your time and other resources efficiently in order to reap the benefits. It also helps you to analyze the degree of profitability or loss that your business is incurring.

In your financial plan, you need to identify the ways and plan how you will earn profits and pay up your expenses. The financial analysis of a company also helps to identify ways to reduce expenses and increase productivity.

Here we’re providing the detailed financial plan for Pro Learning. You can go through this document on any business plan, such as a business plan for electrical contractor to help you develop a financial plan.

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 Break-even Analysis

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.1 profit monthly.

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

• How do I start an educational consulting business?

If you are wondering how to start an education consulting business, you can do it by writing a sample educational consultant proposal. You can refer to any business proposal such as business plan computer software for guidance.

• How much do educational consultants make?

If you are wondering how much do educational consultants make, then on average, an educational consultant makes $65k per year. But the salary may vary depending on the scale of the business and the job post.

• What is the average cost of an educational consultant?

On average, an educational consultant charges $85 to $200 per hour. The rates will be dependent on the services required and the scale of the business.

Download Education Consulting Business Plan Sample in pdf

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How to Start an Overseas Education Consultancy?

Suppose, a student comes to you, asking you different questions concerning different aspects, and you’re answering all his/her questions and clearing the doubts.

This thought made you feel more credible and fulfilled. Right? 

Now, imagine, along with getting this satisfying feeling, getting better pay and increasing your earning potential too. 

This time, the feeling is more satisfying and fulfilling.  

Do you know career counselling and overseas education guidance go hand in hand? Yes, it’s the success mantra for career counsellors to be skilled enough to help students in overseas education too.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in 2020, over 2.6 lakhs of Indian students went for overseas studies . The number was 588,931 in the year 2019. That implies that the number of students willing to study abroad has been increasing every year. 

Therefore, a career counsellor should upgrade his/her career by opening up a career counselling and an overseas education consultancy. If you want to know why and how career counsellors should open an overseas education consultancy, continue reading.

Benefits of Opening Up an Overseas Education Consultancy?

There are multiple benefits of opening a study abroad consultancy like immense recognition, increased student reach, more trust and value by parents, earning a decent amount, and more. Some of the major benefits are explained below:

Expand Your Horizon

For career counsellors, there are multiple career options available. They can become school counsellors, overseas consultants, collaborate with some organizations or even start their own career counselling set up and study abroad consultancy. 

If you are a career counsellor and want to expand your horizons, starting your own career counselling and overseas education consultancy would be the best option. 

Gain More Credibility

If you open your own overseas admissions consultancy, this will definitely impact your profile and credibility as a professional. Students will know that you will be there to answer their questions in different aspects. Ultimately, you’ll become a more trustworthy and reliable resource for students and parents. That’s how you’ll grow as a professional. 

Reach Out to More Students

Working individually may leave you connecting with lesser students. The reason could be an individual effort, strategy and perspective. However, if you’ll work with a team with different people would lead you to get various perspectives, ideas, strategies, etc. You can reach out to more students if you work as a team and what could be a better way of building a team than opening up an overseas consultancy. 

Also, students and parents trust such professionals more who work with a team of different professionals. That will definitely increase your credibility too. 

Increase Your Earning Potential

It’s time for you to reinvent yourself. If you are equipped with the right training and strategy, you must definitely go for entrepreneurship. You should start your overseas education consultancy. There’s no reason why you can’t move up the corporate ladder. Therefore, invest in a study abroad organization and ultimately, increase your earning potential.

Also Read: Study MBBS Abroad: Scope, Admission Process, What to Expect?

Over the past few years, the demand for quality education has been exponentially increased.  Not only students but parents also have started emphasizing diverse education. This has made overseas education popular among students and their parents.

And the role of international education consulting firms has become more important. These forms help students with all the necessary information like country, career, courses, university selection, the application process, essays, LOPs, LORs, and more. Therefore, if you have enough knowledge about overseas admissions and you are skilled enough to guide students for the same, you must start your own overseas education consultancy. 

If you want to know more about how to start an Overseas Education Consultancy, read the points mentioned below:

Master Necessary Skills

Before starting up your own overseas education consultancy, you must master all the necessary skills like the understanding of:

• Filling different entrance test applications.
• Tracking the application after applying for the Universities.
• Be in constant touch with parents to ensure smooth functioning.
• Understanding of various application portals and filling them without mistake.
• Taking care of the coordination, following-up, admission deadline tracking, etc.

Therefore, learn all the necessary skills, get an understanding of the entire process, and then go for opening up your own study abroad consultancy. 

Create a Business Plan

A business plan is the base plan of your business. It is an important document that contains the plans for the entire journey of your Study Abroad Consultancy and the way you intend to carry it out. This document acts as a roadmap for you and your team. It helps you plan and monitor your growth and can also help you communicate clearly with your team and help everyone stay in tune.

Get the Legal Requirements & Permits Done

As you know there are different legal requirements to be fulfilled in terms of entrepreneurship. If you want to open up an overseas education organization, first, you need to win the trust of students and parents.

And how is it possible? By registering your organization and getting all the legal procedures done. 

You can speak to people who have been working in this industry. After talking to them, you can get clarity on the entire procedure, whom to connect, what to do, and more. You can easily execute your plans with their guidance.

Connect with Different Universities

This is one of the most important parts of opening up an overseas educational consultancy. You should have a good connection with various universities in India and abroad. This will help you understand their admissions requirements, application process and ultimately help your students get admission to the desired college. 

For this, you should visit several universities, talk to their admissions officers, and understand their perspectives. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How do I start an overseas education consultant?

Answer: If you want to start your own overseas education consultancy, you should start with mastering the necessary skills, creating the business plan, looking for enough funding, getting the legal permits done, and connecting with different universities/ institutions. 

Answer: First of all, gather information about different courses, career options, countries, how to write essays, LORs & LOPs, and more. After getting enough knowledge, you can start with meeting people, creating strong networks, connecting with different universities, and creating the base. Then you can raise the needed startup capital, look for a good office space or you can open your consultancy virtually also. 

Question: How do I become an independent education consultant?

Answer: To become an independent overseas education consultant, you need to master all necessary skills like understanding different career options, courses, countries, colleges, application processes, writing essays, SOPs, LORs, and more. Start with counselling students at your individual level and then gradually think of opening up your own overseas education consultancy. 

Question: How do I market my educational consultancy?

Answer: There are multiple ways for marketing your overseas education consultancy. You can:

• Start with the social media marketing
• Conduct webinars and workshops
• Gather the prospects’ data
• Send emails to the prospects
• WhatsApp and send SMS to them
• Collaborate with different institutions and more. 

If you want to make your career a satisfying career option, become a trained career counsellor. It is an all-in-one guide to career counselling in India. After completing the program, the candidate receives a Green Belt Certificate  from  Univariety  and a  Record of Participation  from the  UCLA Extension . This Green Belt Certification gives you global recognition and validation to guide students across the globe.

To know more about the program and how it can help you grow professionally,

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Parul Sharma

Parul is an enthusiast writer, currently working at Univariety. Despite being from a technical educational background, she started her career in writing because of her passion. She loves sketching and doodling while enjoying a cup of black coffee. When she is not writing, she likes watching movies, travelling, and exploring new places.

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32 Comments

This article is very informative. Thanks for sharing such valuable information.

Thank you 🙂

Informative am interested

Hi Parul, I am in newzealand. Wants to start getting students from India for studies in nz

Please write your query to [email protected] Our expert advisor will get in touch with you

Parul informative and well designed content. Thanks. Shefali Dani Jobs.

Very inspiring blog, really helpful.

I am planning to foray in this field and the blog has really helped me to plan my entry. Thanks for sharing.

Okay great! If you need any help, you can write it to [email protected]

I would like to start Overseas educational consultant, let me guide to get the Green belt certificate from UCLA ,please provide detailed information ,thank u hopefully looking ahead .

Hello Ms. Silverivasanth Rao,

It’s great that you would like to start your own overseas consultancy. Please write to us at [email protected] One of our team members will get in touch with you and guide you 🙂

Interested in learning this course . Details of how to go about it

Please write your query to [email protected]

I want to become a certified education Consultant. From Pakistan . Please guide me . Stay blessed

Please write to us at [email protected]

I am exploring opportunities for Education Consultancy, for Foreign as well as Domestic.

I want to start this. But I don’t know how to get contacts of universities. Rest of things I can do . But from where I get all information to start my own consultancy.

Hi Mr. tarun

You can write your query to us at [email protected]

Just like the last writer I have a legal registration to be updated I need help in the area of connection pls.

Please help me, to know about how to become a authorised agent for NUS university singapore We want to sends the student from India to Singapore Univesity.

Hello Too good information Want to become a trained career counselor Plz guide Regards

Hello Mr. Shivesh,

I want to start my own business

Hello Mr. Basant,

It’s great that you want to start your own setup. We would definitely like to help you in this journey. Please write your query to [email protected] One of our team members will reach out to you 🙂

Good day I really love your article on how to be an education consultant. Is there any site one can use to check latest foriegn universities offers. Thanks anks

Thank you Salahdeen for your warm words! To know more about universities and colleges, you can also visit our Univariety blog page. For deep-dive information, please write us to [email protected]

i need university login as the overseas consultant

Nice and informative, would like to know more with deep analysis. Pls can you guide me.

Please write your query to [email protected] One of our team members will reach out to you 🙂

The blog is very informative. I am interested in starting this business in Jaipur (Rajasthan), India.

Hello, please write to us at [email protected]

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5 questions to ask an education agent aggregator about their sub-agents

(First published June 2021. Last update – December 2022.)

Much has been written recently about the rise and market impact of education agent aggregators. An education agent aggregator acts a market hub, bringing together large numbers of educational institutions and education agents with the aim of recruiting large numbers of international students.

The education agent aggregator business model is a numbers game. Success depends on:

• establishing agency agreements or contracts with a large number of high quality educational institutions – it is this client list that is the major draw card for potential sub-agents
• recruiting an army of sub-agents and supporting them with technology solutions to generate international student applications.

If one of these elements is missing the business model does not work, at least at scale:

• not enough institution clients and sub-agents will opt to work with an aggregator who has more, and
• not enough sub-agents means insufficient student application volume to keep client institutions happy, and to generate revenue.

Sub-agent armies

So how is all of this playing out on the ground? In short the big education agent aggregators are recruiting huge armies of sub-agents. Let’s take a look at some of the key players.

The above is not an exhaustive list of education agent aggregators. There are many other businesses of different shapes and sizes running education agent aggregator models, or variations on the theme. Each of them is busy recruiting their own sub-agent army.

Cause for concern?

The market seems to have spoken and the aggregators are clearly doing a lot right and serving their customers well to be growing so quickly.

But some have concerns.

In June 2021, UKEAS conducted a survey of UK university partners gauging sentiment around the agent aggregator business model. They received over 100 responses, of which approximately 1/3rd were Heads of International, or Directors and above.

On the issue of sub-agents, here are some of the views expressed:

They say they control the subagents but do they really? I doubt it, we all know how it really works, but I might be too skeptical, only time will tell, South Asia the real test and compliance and Visa success rates in 21/22 and beyond.

Lack of student relationship, lack of subagent control/standards, accepting agents that an institution would never work with directly, conflicting activity.

University reputation and working ethics of sub-agents.

Lack of clarity over whom the sub agents are.

In December 2022, ICEF produced an excellent podcast , bringing together an expert panel to discuss issues around education agent aggregators. Panel member Eddie West, Assistant Dean, International Strategy and Programs, San Diego State University, expressed reservations:

I feel like the arrival and emergence of aggregators has massively set back the cause of transparency, because now all of a sudden if you are working with an aggregator you yourself as an institution often don’t know who those thousands of sub-agents are who are representing you. That’s not good.

There’s almost no way to ensure thorough integrity of training and quality oversight with the aggregator model.

A lot, if not all, of these sub-agent networks are anonymous. They are just behind the cloak of the aggregator and, as someone commented online recently, anonymity and accountability rarely go hand in hand.

5 questions to ask an education agent aggregator to manage sub-agent risk

If you are working with education agent aggregators, or plan to, you should ask some simple questions.

1. How many sub-agents do you have in your network, and who are they?

In a story about the UKEAS survey, The PIE news spoke with a higher education professional who said that one area of concern related to institutions not being clear about who the aggregators were working with. 

Some of the aggregators said absolutely, we can share the list of who we work with if that’s something that you want to see. Others were less keen to share that information with us. What they were all reasonably open on was if we had particular partners that we didn’t want to work with, or perhaps partners that we had previously worked with … that would be taken on board. But the fact that a number were not comfortable sharing the list of who they work with, set some alarm bells for us as well.

If you agree to work with an aggregator, they will incorporate your brand and courses in their technology platform and promote it to their sub-agent army. In turn, those sub-agents will engage directly with students on your institution and what it has to offer. You’re entitled to know who those sub-agents are.

2. What due diligence do you do on sub-agents before agreeing to work with them?

An important part of the aggregator pitch to new educational institution clients is that they vet new sub-agent partners. It is important to understand exactly what that means.

What quantitative and qualitative data sources does the aggregator use? What percentage of potential new sub-agents do they decline, and on what basis?

3. What is your process for on-going due diligence on sub-agents?

Checking and assessing a sub-agent before agreeing to work with them is critical, but equally important is that the education agent aggregator has in place a strong process for ongoing sub-agent due diligence.

What ongoing checks does the aggregator conduct on sub-agents? What is the process? How often are ongoing checks conducted, and what information is considered?

4. What standards do you apply to your sub-agents?

This relates to questions 2 and 3 above. It is important to understand the decision making and policy framework that underpins an aggregator’s sub-agent vetting process.

What are the factors that determine whether the aggregator will, or will not, work with a new sub-agent? What standards does the aggregator set, and how are those standards enforced? What is the threshold or trigger that would cause an aggregator to terminate its relationship with a sub-agent?

A useful benchmark here is the regulatory approach adopted in Australia, New Zealand and Manitoba . The legislative wording varies between those jurisdictions, but in broad strokes, educational institutions:

• must conduct checks and satisfy themselves that an education agent will behave honestly and with integrity before agreeing to work with them, and
• terminate the relationship with an agent if they know or have reason to believe that the agent has noted acted honestly or with integrity, or has engaged in conduct that is misleading or deceptive.

You should require agent aggregators to apply the same standards in relation to their sub-agents.

5. How many sub-agents have you terminated your relationship with in the last 12 months, and for what reason?

If an aggregator has a sub-agent army numbering in the thousands it is reasonable to expect that each month, quarter or year, a number of those sub-agents will fall short of the standards set out above. When that happens the aggregator should terminate its relationship with the sub-agent.

Any aggregator should be able to tell you how many sub-agents it has ended its relationship with and why.

Worried about education agent and sub-agent risk?

AgentBee’s education agent due diligence solution enables in-house international student recruitment teams to manage education agent risk by:

• running checks on new education agents before entering into an agreement with them
• conducting regular ongoing due diligence checks on the agents they are working with
• surveying student about their experience with their education agent, and
• receiving a notification each time we add a new report on an education agent to our database.

Click here to find out more.

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Marketing Campaign Ideas for Your Education Consultancy

Growing your education consultancy and keeping the income coming in is not always easy. Many businesses jump into random marketing with no proper strategy, measuring KPIs, and goals. Hence, they end up spending all their budget in vain and have no expected turnover as well. For this reason, you need to have Marketing Campaign Ideas for Your Education Consultancy.

This is not what you want for your education agency business either, right? No to worry, we are here for you.

First, let’s get into the idea of what “marketing campaign” actually means.

A marketing campaign is an organized course of activities carried out by a brand or company over a period of time to promote and sell a product or service. This means it has to be time-sensitive depending on your campaign plan. It should be measurable. Because if you don’t analyze its performance based on relevant metrics, you will never know what works for you and what does not. It has to be original and of course, keep your target audience’s needs in the center.

Investing in a well-curated marketing campaign can lure you good clients and drive business revenues. 

Thus, now that you have set your relevant business goals, let’s dig into five marketing campaign ideas that you can apply to your education agency right away.

Kill it on social media

The first rule of marketing is you market it wherever your audience is. Now, this is relevant in today’s era also. Today is the world of digital media. People are hooked on social media channels. Additionally, the younger audience, especially those seeking higher education are highly active on digital platforms. Put these content ideas to work and grow your digital channels . Be it social media, emails, google, or anything else, you need to embrace digital channels if you want to convey your message to the right audience. Be found on every digital channel whenever they are searching for you.

Referral program

Word-of-mouth is one of the best marketing campaign ideas for your education consultancy. Leverage this benefit through referral programs where you also give some incentives to your referrers. Promote your services through your satisfied client. And in return, offer them discounts, free courses, and waivers. Enticing them with freebies and discounts will help you expand your customer base. This referral program can be a long-term marketing campaign. You can also take this campaign a step further by partnering with other agents and businesses. This way, you can leverage a huge reach and clients through referrals.

Embrace video marketing

Videos are on rising. Whether it’s for traditional marketing or promoting on online platforms, videos are always engaging and can talk about your business better than anything else. Invest a good amount in videos. Videos do not have to be a TVC always. Although an introductory video that carries your vision, services, and USPs is a must. You can promote that as your major content via social media channels and even on traditional media such as TV, LED boards, events, etc. Besides, there are many other types of videos you should be creating and promoting. Testimonial videos, interaction videos with university representatives, series of “how to” videos (eg. how to apply for a US student visa), informative videos with counselors, snippet interesting videos for TikTok or YouTube shorts, and whatnot.

Market through the right influencers

Influencer marketing is not a new thing in today’s day and age. However, most brands still fail to connect with the right influencers who then can connect your audience to you. Get connected to educational experts, renowned teachers, opinion makers, and similar like-minded individuals. But consider choosing someone that’s within your budget and relevant to your potential customers. With their solid follower base on social media, your education consultancy can help grow your brand reach as well. 

Introduce a customer success campaign

You should never overlook the value of your happy clients. Ask your satisfied clients for customer reviews. Promote their positive feedback through social media or any other platform. Invest your effort in creating case studies and testimonials from your existing clients. This will help you in both ways. First; your existing clients will feel valued when you hear them. Second; you can win over your new clients through their positive reviews. Hence, customer success campaigns help you reach maintain better relationships with your clients. 

If you want a better and smooth client relationship, try out Agentcis , a CRM software built especially for education and migration agents to track and manage their students and partnered universities & colleges in one place. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today!

A successful marketing campaign is one that helps you reach the right audience and deliver results according to your KPIs. And this is definitely not a one-time task, but rather a continuous effort of trial and error to understand your audience and understanding what works best for you. There can be numerous other marketing campaign ideas for your education consultancy that you can use. For inspiration, you can always refer to platforms like Facebook , LinkedIn , and Pinterest to name a few.

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Are you about writing a business plan to start a business in the education industry and you need templates? If YES, here are 1000+ FREE sample education business plans for startups.

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What is Project 2025? What to know about the conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration

By Melissa Quinn , Jacob Rosen

Updated on: July 11, 2024 / 9:40 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Voters in recent weeks have begun to hear the name "Project 2025" invoked more and more by President Biden and Democrats, as they seek to sound the alarm about what could be in store if former President Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House.

Overseen by the conservative Heritage Foundation, the multi-pronged initiative includes a detailed blueprint for the next Republican president to usher in a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch.

Trump and his campaign have worked to distance themselves from Project 2025, with the former president going so far as to call some of the proposals "abysmal." But Democrats have continued to tie the transition project to Trump, especially as they find themselves mired in their own controversy over whether Mr. Biden should withdraw from the 2024 presidential contest following his startling debate performance last month.

Here is what to know about Project 2025:

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 is a proposed presidential transition project that is composed of four pillars: a policy guide for the next presidential administration; a LinkedIn-style database of personnel who could serve in the next administration; training for that pool of candidates dubbed the "Presidential Administration Academy;" and a playbook of actions to be taken within the first 180 days in office.

It is led by two former Trump administration officials: Paul Dans, who was chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management and serves as director of the project, and Spencer Chretien, former special assistant to Trump and now the project's associate director.

Project 2025 is spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, but includes an advisory board consisting of more than 100 conservative groups.

Much of the focus on — and criticism of — Project 2025 involves its first pillar, the nearly 900-page policy book that lays out an overhaul of the federal government. Called "Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise," the book builds on a "Mandate for Leadership" first published in January 1981, which sought to serve as a roadmap for Ronald Reagan's incoming administration.

The recommendations outlined in the sprawling plan reach every corner of the executive branch, from the Executive Office of the President to the Department of Homeland Security to the little-known Export-Import Bank. 

The Heritage Foundation also created a "Mandate for Leadership" in 2015 ahead of Trump's first term. Two years into his presidency, it touted that Trump had instituted 64% of its policy recommendations, ranging from leaving the Paris Climate Accords, increasing military spending, and increasing off-shore drilling and developing federal lands. In July 2020, the Heritage Foundation gave its updated version of the book to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. 

The authors of many chapters are familiar names from the Trump administration, such as Russ Vought, who led the Office of Management and Budget; former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller; and Roger Severino, who was director of the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Vought is the policy director for the 2024 Republican National Committee's platform committee, which released its proposed platform on Monday. 

John McEntee, former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office under Trump, is a senior advisor to the Heritage Foundation, and said that the group will "integrate a lot of our work" with the Trump campaign when the official transition efforts are announced in the next few months.

Candidates interested in applying for the Heritage Foundation's "Presidential Personnel Database" are vetted on a number of political stances, such as whether they agree or disagree with statements like "life has a right to legal protection from conception to natural death," and "the President should be able to advance his/her agenda through the bureaucracy without hindrance from unelected federal officials."

The contributions from ex-Trump administration officials have led its critics to tie Project 2025 to his reelection campaign, though the former president has attempted to distance himself from the initiative.

What are the Project 2025 plans?

Some of the policies in the Project 2025 agenda have been discussed by Republicans for years or pushed by Trump himself: less federal intervention in education and more support for school choice; work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults on food stamps; and a secure border with increased enforcement of immigration laws, mass deportations and construction of a border wall. 

But others have come under scrutiny in part because of the current political landscape. 

Abortion and social issues

In recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services, the agenda calls for the Food and Drug Administration to reverse its 24-year-old approval of the widely used abortion pill mifepristone. Other proposed actions targeting medication abortion include reinstating more stringent rules for mifepristone's use, which would permit it to be taken up to seven weeks into a pregnancy, instead of the current 10 weeks, and requiring it to be dispensed in-person instead of through the mail.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that is on the Project 2025 advisory board, was involved in a legal challenge to mifepristone's 2000 approval and more recent actions from the FDA that made it easier to obtain. But the Supreme Court rejected the case brought by a group of anti-abortion rights doctors and medical associations on procedural grounds.

The policy book also recommends the Justice Department enforce the Comstock Act against providers and distributors of abortion pills. That 1873 law prohibits drugs, medicines or instruments used in abortions from being sent through the mail.

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , the volume states that the Justice Department "in the next conservative administration should therefore announce its intent to enforce federal law against providers and distributors of such pills."

The guide recommends the next secretary of Health and Human Services get rid of the Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force established by the Biden administration before Roe's reversal and create a "pro-life task force to ensure that all of the department's divisions seek to use their authority to promote the life and health of women and their unborn children."

In a section titled "The Family Agenda," the proposal recommends the Health and Human Services chief "proudly state that men and women are biological realities," and that "married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure because all children have a right to be raised by the men and women who conceived them."

Further, a program within the Health and Human Services Department should "maintain a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family."

During his first four years in office, Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military. Mr. Biden reversed that policy , but the Project 2025 policy book calls for the ban to be reinstated.

Targeting federal agencies, employees and policies

The agenda takes aim at longstanding federal agencies, like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The agency is a component of the Commerce Department and the policy guide calls for it to be downsized. 

NOAA's six offices, including the National Weather Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, "form a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity," the guide states. 

The Department of Homeland Security, established in 2002, should be dismantled and its agencies either combined with others, or moved under the purview of other departments altogether, the policy book states. For example, immigration-related entities from the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Health and Human Services should form a standalone, Cabinet-level border and immigration agency staffed by more than 100,000 employees, according to the agenda.

If the policy recommendations are implemented, another federal agency that could come under the knife by the next administration, with action from Congress, is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The agenda seeks to bring a push by conservatives to target diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives in higher education to the executive branch by wiping away a slew of DEI-related positions, policies and programs and calling for the elimination of funding for partners that promote DEI practices.

It states that U.S. Agency for International Development staff and grantees that "engage in ideological agitation on behalf of the DEI agenda" should be terminated. At the Treasury Department, the guide says the next administration should "treat the participation in any critical race theory or DEI initiative without objecting on constitutional or moral grounds, as per se grounds for termination of employment."

The Project 2025 policy book also takes aim at more innocuous functions of government. It calls for the next presidential administration to eliminate or reform the dietary guidelines that have been published by the Department of Agriculture for more than 40 years, which the authors claim have been "infiltrated" by issues like climate change and sustainability.

Immigration

Trump made immigration a cornerstone of his last two presidential runs and has continued to hammer the issue during his 2024 campaign. Project 2025's agenda not only recommends finishing the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but urges the next administration to "take a creative and aggressive approach" to responding to drug cartels at the border. This approach includes using active-duty military personnel and the National Guard to help with arrest operations along the southern border.

A memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that prohibits enforcement actions from taking place at "sensitive" places like schools, playgrounds and churches should be rolled back, the policy guide states. 

When the Homeland Security secretary determines there is an "actual or anticipated mass migration of aliens" that presents "urgent circumstances" warranting a federal response, the agenda says the secretary can make rules and regulations, including through their expulsion, for as long as necessary. These rules, the guide states, aren't subject to the Administration Procedure Act, which governs the agency rule-making process.

What do Trump and his advisers say about Project 2025?

In a post to his social media platform on July 5, Trump wrote , "I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them."

Trump's pushback to the initiative came after Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said in a podcast interview that the nation is "in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be."

The former president continued to disavow the initiative this week, writing in another social media post  that he knows nothing about Project 2025.

"I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it," Trump wrote. "The Radical Left Democrats are having a field day, however, trying to hook me into whatever policies are stated or said. It is pure disinformation on their part. By now, after all of these years, everyone knows where I stand on EVERYTHING!"

While the former president said he doesn't know who is in charge of the initiative, the project's director, Dans, and associate director, Chretien, were high-ranking officials in his administration. Additionally, Ben Carson, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Trump; John Ratcliffe, former director of National Intelligence in the Trump administration; and Peter Navarro, who served as a top trade adviser to Trump in the White House, are listed as either authors or contributors to the policy agenda.

Still, even before Roberts' comments during "The War Room" podcast — typically hosted by conservative commentator Steve Bannon, who reported to federal prison to begin serving a four-month sentence last week — Trump's top campaign advisers have stressed that Project 2025 has no official ties to his reelection bid.

Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, senior advisers to the Trump campaign, said in a November statement that 2024 policy announcements will be made by Trump or his campaign team.

"Any personnel lists, policy agendas, or government plans published anywhere are merely suggestions," they said.

While the efforts by outside organizations are "appreciated," Wiles and LaCivita said, "none of these groups or individuals speak for President Trump or his campaign."

In response to Trump's post last week, Project 2025 reiterated that it was separate from the Trump campaign.

"As we've been saying for more than two years now, Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign. We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy & personnel recommendations for the next conservative president. But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement," a statement on the project's X account said.

The initiative has also pushed back on Democrats' claims about its policy proposals and accused them of lying about what the agenda contains.

What do Democrats say?

Despite their attempts to keep some distance from Project 2025, Democrats continue to connect Trump with the transition effort. The Biden-Harris campaign frequently posts about the project on X, tying it to a second Trump term.

Mr. Biden himself accused his Republican opponent of lying about his connections to the Project 2025 agenda, saying in a statement that the agenda was written for Trump and "should scare every single American." He claimed on his campaign social media account  Wednesday that Project 2025 "will destroy America."

Congressional Democrats have also begun pivoting to Project 2025 when asked in interviews about Mr. Biden's fitness for a second term following his lackluster showing at the June 27 debate, the first in which he went head-to-head with Trump.

"Trump is all about Project 2025," Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman told CNN on Monday. "I mean, that's what we really should be voting on right now. It's like, do we want the kind of president that is all about Project '25?"

Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, one of Mr. Biden's closest allies on Capitol Hill, told reporters Monday that the agenda for the next Republican president was the sole topic he would talk about.

"Project 2025, that's my only concern," he said. "I don't want you or my granddaughter to live under that government."

In a statement reiterating her support for Mr. Biden, Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida called Project 2025 "MAGA Republicans' draconian 920-page plan to end U.S. democracy, give handouts to the wealthy and strip Americans of their freedoms."

What are Republicans saying about Project 2025?

Two GOP senators under consideration to serve as Trump's running mate sought to put space between the White House hopeful and Project 2025, casting it as merely the product of a think tank that puts forth ideas.

"It's the work of a think tank, of a center-right think tank, and that's what think tanks do," Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

He said Trump's message to voters focuses on "restoring common sense, working-class values, and making our decisions on the basis of that."

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance raised a similar sentiment in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," saying organizations will have good ideas and bad ideas.

"It's a 900-page document," he said Sunday. "I guarantee there are things that Trump likes and dislikes about that 900-page document. But he is the person who will determine the agenda of the next administration."

Jaala Brown contributed to this report.

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

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Your guide to tax policy in project 2025.

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Briefing of president of US United States in White House. Podium speaker tribune with USA flags and ... [+] sign of White Houise. Politics concept. 3d illustration

The title page reads, “Mandate for Leadership, the Conservative Promise — Project 2025, Presidential Transition Project.” What follows are 920 pages of sweeping changes for the “next conservative president” to put into effect or, if not sufficiently empowered, to recommend to Congress. From abortion to veterans affairs, the anthology of 30 chapters, each by a different author, is a prepackaged game plan for the next administration to hit the ground running with a conservative wish list.

Tax reform would take place in two stages. Stage 1 “intermediate” reform would retain the basic structure of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act but dramatically adjust its moving parts. Stage 2 “fundamental reform” would abolish individual and corporate income taxes and replace them with a consumption tax. The plan calls for the IRS budget to be cut, and as with other executive agencies, more of its top personnel would be appointed by the president.

Led by the Heritage Foundation, more than 50 conservative organizations collaborated on the Project 2025 volume. After President Joe Biden’s poor performance in the June 25 debate and the close ties between former President Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, the bulky tome — originally published in April 2023 — can no longer be ignored by those seeking to prepare for the future. The tax policy and tax administration changes are found mostly in Chapter 22, “Department of Treasury.”

Stage 1: Intermediate Reform

Under the intermediate plan, individuals and their employers would continue incurring a combined payroll tax of 15.3%. After a standard deduction, income tax will be incurred at 15% up to the payroll tax cap of $168,600 (adjusted for inflation) and at 30% for income that exceeds that amount. Capital gains and qualified dividends would be indexed for inflation and taxed at 15%.

“Most deductions, credits and exclusions” would be repealed, with deductions for state and local taxes and educational expenses being specifically called out. The 3.8% net investment income tax would be repealed. Combined, the payroll tax and income tax start to look like a flat tax with a 30% rate.

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Given Project 2025’s emphasis on promoting small business, it is strange that the 20% deduction for passthrough businesses scheduled to expire at the end of 2025 is not mentioned.

Universal savings accounts would be established, allowing all individuals to contribute up to $15,000 annually (indexed for inflation) in after-tax dollars and withdraw funds tax free at any time or for any reason. Basically, the accounts are Roth IRAs without restrictions. Employers could deduct no more than $12,000 of most nonwage benefits, including employer-sponsored health insurance, per employee each year.

However, retirement account contributions and a share of health savings account contributions would be exempt from the cap. Excluded from the limitations are tax-deferred retirement accounts such as traditional IRAs and section 401(k) plans. The authors would not index the $12,000 limit for inflation, and “to fund pro-growth tax cuts,” they suggest that lawmakers phase down the limitation.

The estate and gift tax rate would be set at no higher than 20 percent, and the temporary increase in the exemption amount from $5.5 million to $12.9 million (adjusted for inflation) introduced in the TCJA would be made permanent.

The corporate tax rate would be reduced from 21% to 18%. Capital expenditures would be written off in the first year. It is not stated whether structures and other property that have depreciable lives of more than 20 years would be denied expensing, as they are under today’s law.

The authors assert that the corporate tax is “the most damaging tax in the U.S. tax system.” Most economists would agree. Also, the authors assert that the “primary burden” of the corporation tax falls on workers. Most economists wouldn’t agree. The Joint Committee on Taxation, for example, assigns 75% of the burden of the corporate tax to capital owners and 25% to labor.

The intermediate tax reform would basically repeal the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, including the corporate alternative minimum tax and the tax on stock buybacks. And it would repeal the tax breaks for clean energy.

Regarding international tax, the tax rate on global intangible low-taxed income, now 10.5% (scheduled to rise to 13.125% in 2026) would be “reduced to no higher than 12.5%.” The rate on foreign-derived intangible income would be set equal to the GILTI rate. (To get a 12.5% effective rate with a statutory rate of 18%, the section 250 deduction percentage would be set at 69.44%.) The 20% haircut that applies to foreign tax credits related to GILTI would be reduced or eliminated. There is no mention of changing the expense allocation rules that under current law can reduce FTCs and impose additional U.S. tax when foreign tax is above the GILTI rate.

The authors describe the OECD as “a taxpayer-funded left-wing think tank and lobbying organization.” They urge the United States to withdraw from and end its financial support to the OECD. The same goes for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The seal for the International Monetary Fund is seen near the World Bank headquarters (R) in ... [+] Washington, DC on January 10, 2022. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

“The IMF has intervened in American policy debates,” they point out, “and has even recommended that the U.S. raise taxes.” That is true: As recently as June 27, the IMF issued a statement telling U.S. policymakers they “need to carefully consider raising indirect taxes” and “progressively increasing income taxes.” The statement specifically recommends “reinstating a more generous, refundable Child Tax Credit ... and raising the income threshold for eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers without children.”

Stage 2: Fundamental Reform

After those immediate reforms, Project 2025 urges the next president to promote fundamental tax reform, and it leaves the door wide open. Among the possibilities mentioned are a national sales tax, a business transfer tax (a subtraction method VAT), a Hall-Rabushka flat tax, and a cash flow tax. The document does not explicitly say so, but we can assume the intent is that those taxes would replace the individual and corporate income taxes — and possibly payroll taxes.

Of those four categories (and within the categories there are several variations), three collect taxes exclusively from businesses: the sales tax, business transfer tax, and cash flow tax. Those three also (in most versions) have border tax adjustments, which means that revenue from exports is excluded from the tax base and imports are subject to tax. Only the flat tax collects tax from individuals and businesses, and the flat tax shuns those border tax adjustments.

Noticeably absent from the list of consumption taxes are a credit-invoice VAT used by most other nations and an X-tax, which is a progressive consumption tax.

Trade and Tax Policy

Before the TCJA was passed in 2017, Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee seriously considered implementing a border-adjustable destination-based cash flow tax to replace income taxes on corporations and passthrough entities. Yes, it would be a tax (tariff) on imports and tax cut (subsidy) on exports. Yes, it looks like protectionist policy. But according to standard economic principles, the dollar will appreciate and offset any tendency for the tax law to improve the trade balance.

For economists the main attraction of the DBCFT is its positive effect on capital formation (because a consumption tax would replace the corporate tax). In Chapter 26 of the Project 2025 volume, Peter Navarro, former director of the White House National Trade Council under Trump, argues for U.S. tariffs. In particular, he urges enactment of the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act, which would allow the president to impose tariffs on goods from a foreign country at the same rate that the foreign country imposes on imports of similar U.S. goods.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: Peter Navarro, a former advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, ... [+] arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on January 25, 2024 in Washington, DC. Navarro, who was found guilty of contempt of Congress in September of 2023 is attending his sentencing hearing. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The bill (H.R. 764, 116th. Cong.) had the support of 28 House Republicans in 2019, and more significantly, Trump urged its passage in his State of the Union address that year. Navarro writes:

“In summary, passage of the USRTA would go a long way toward leveling the playing field for American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and workers who are now forced to compete in an intrinsically unfair, unbalanced, and nonreciprocal [World Trade Organization] system. Nor is the USRTA necessarily the only possible legislative way to address this issue.”

He then describes how the DBCFT got so much attention from House Republicans immediately before passage of the TCJA. (He does not acknowledge the possibility of exchange rate appreciation.) He concludes:

“This tax — strongly opposed by American multinational corporations and big box retailers — not only would have leveled the playing field with respect to WTO rules, but also would have provided an innovative alternative to the application of tariffs . A conservative Administration might do well to look at such a tax as part of its trade agenda.” [Emphasis added.]

With protectionist trade measures being so prominent on Trump’s policy agenda, if he is elected we should not be surprised if there is renewed interest in the DBCFT. Yes, it is a long shot. The same opposition from business groups will emerge.

But if Trump is determined to pursue broad-based tariffs that are also strongly opposed by businesses, those businesses might have to choose between tariffs and a DBCFT.

Tax Administration

The plan calls for the IRS budget to be held constant in real terms (so the increase included in the Inflation Reduction Act would be rescinded). Funds and authority of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate would be increased. The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion would be closed.

There would be a much greater emphasis on improving technology and potential expansion of funds in this area if “IT management is changed; an effective well-considered implementation plan is adopted; and serious oversight is put in place.” More of the top positions in the IRS would be held by presidential appointees.

Speaking of changes in management, many more of the top positions in the IRS would be held by presidential appointees. Adding to the commissioner and chief counsel, presidential appointees would include at a minimum the deputy commissioner for services and enforcement, the deputy commissioner for operations support, the national taxpayer advocate, and the commissioners of the Wage and Investment Division, the Large Business and International Division, the Small Business/Self-Employed Division, and the Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Division. Also, a new presidentially appointed deputy commissioner for operations support would be installed, and various senior IT managers would be replaced. All of that would be necessary because “the culture, administrative practices, and management need to change.”

Also, information reporting should be restrained. Interest on overpayments would be increased. The time limit for suing for improper collection would be extended. The Tax Court’s jurisdiction would be expanded. And there would be relief from the “most punitive penalties.”

What’s Possible? It Depends

If Trump is elected, many expect him to exercise executive power to the fullest extent. If Democrats control either house of Congress, much of his agenda requiring legislation will likely be stymied. If the Republicans gain control of the House and Senate — the odds of retaking the latter are especially strong — Trump would likely obtain passage of a great deal of his tax and spending proposals using a single budget reconciliation bill, which, instead of needing 60 votes to block a filibuster, would need only a simple majority to pass in the Senate.

But some of his policy goals that require legislation might not be included in a reconciliation bill if they produce no changes in outlays or revenue, or if any changes are merely incidental to the nonbudgetary components of the provision.

New Tax Breaks

The introduction to the Project 2025 volume states that all its authors do not share the same views. As noted, in Chapter 22 the three authors urge that most deductions and credits be repealed, including deductions for education.

But while the tax chapter urges elimination of tax expenditures, other chapters suggest selected expansion of tax expenditures. Chapter 11, “Department of Education,” endorses the proposed Educational Choice for Children Act, which would provide a tax credit to donors who contribute to nonprofit, scholarship-granting organizations that pay for private school tuition, tutoring, and instructional materials.

The bill (H.R. 532) was introduced in the House in 2023 by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., with 151 Republican cosponsors and in the Senate (S. 120) by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., with 31 Republican cosponsors. Chapter 14, “Department of Health and Human Services,” proposes an expansion of the EITC for parents who help support but do not reside with their children.

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 10: Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., participates in the House Republicans press ... [+] conference following their caucus meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Chapter 15, “Department of Urban Development and Housing,” recommends a tax credit for the renovation or repair of housing stock in rural areas. And the Chapter 22 authors themselves suggest one new tax break: They want “significant financial and tax incentives to American companies that are seeking to onshore production from Communist China to U.S. soil.”

Observations

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Project 2025 tax plans is what isn’t in them. For example, the entire document contains no proposals to reform Social Security, nor is the program ever even mentioned (except when necessary to explain other proposals). The entire document contains no proposals to reform Social Security, nor is the program ever even mentioned.

Also, there are no accompanying revenue estimates. In fact, there is no mention of revenue effects of the proposals in Chapter 22. The closest we get is a statement of tangential relevance: “The budget should be balanced by driving down federal spending while maintaining a strong national defense and not raising taxes.”

(By the way, under those constraints, balancing the budget — if current economic projections hold up and if the TCJA is extended — would require deficit reduction equal to more than 8% of GDP in 2034. Outlays for mandatory programs, excluding Social Security and nondefense discretionary spending, are projected to equal about 12% of GDP.)

It is easy to propose changes to tax law without revenue estimators looking over your shoulder. No matter the election outcome, lawmakers won’t have that luxury.

Further, there are no distribution tables. In fact, there is no discussion of distribution effects except the aforementioned assertion that most of the corporate tax burden falls on labor. With a reduction in the top individual rate, the repeal of the NII tax, and the reduction in tax rates on capital gains, qualified dividends, and the estate and gift tax, the intermediate proposal would disproportionately reduce taxes on high-income taxpayers. Concerns about vertical equity are ignored.

An Alternative Starting Point

A recent paper from the American Enterprise Institute offers two options for a simple extension of the TCJA. Option 1 (incremental) is a modified extension of the TCJA designed to further promote economic growth. Option 2 (aggressive) would make pro-growth adjustments to the design of the individual income tax and replace the corporate tax with a business transfer tax.

Sounds similar to the Project 2025 plan, yes? But no. The differences are enormous.

That’s because the plan outlined by Kyle Pomerleau and Donald Schneider — “Making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Permanent: Two Neutral, Pro-Growth Options for Tax Reform” — includes revenue estimates and distribution analysis. That compels the authors to make tough choices that Project 2025 evades.

A recent paper from the American Enterprise Institute offers two options for a simple extension of the TCJA. Further, both plans are estimated to be roughly distributionally neutral relative to today’s law, and both are approximately revenue neutral compared with today’s law — without any extension of the TCJA. (For option 2, that is true only in the long run.)

The authors are focused on the unrelenting rise in the federal deficit and the need to promote economic growth. The Pomerleau-Schneider plans are ambitious, but they are far more thoughtful and realistic than what has been cobbled together by Project 2025. Undoubtedly, most conservatives would prefer what the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 offers.

But for Republican legislators, the paper from the American Enterprise Institute is a more practical starting point. And given the estimated revenue and distributional effects, it deserves the attention of Democrats as well.

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