Where should you set up the office for an online remote academy?
When people start preparing to open a remote academy, the first thing that trips them up is the "office." Many ask why an office is needed when classes are held online. But just like an offline academy, an online remote academy has to be registered with the local office of education based on the actual location of its office. So whether it's a home or an officetel, the right order is to first check whether the building can be registered with the office of education before you sign a contract.
Today, for directors and teachers who are preparing an online academy or remote academy for the first time, we'll go through the criteria for choosing an office one by one. If this is your first time starting an academy and you're not sure where to begin, just follow along in order.
Why does a building's permitted use matter when registering a remote academy?
An academy can't be registered in just any building. Under the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, the office of education sets which building uses are eligible for academy registration. Put simply, the use listed on the building register needs to be "academy," "educational and research facility," or a neighborhood living facility category that allows registration.
These requirements aren't relaxed just because it's an online remote academy. In fact, quite a few people sign a lease based only on the office space and get rejected at the registration stage. Here is a list of things you must check before signing.
Checklist to review before signing
Check the use listed on the building register (academy, office, neighborhood living facility, etc.)
Ask the local office of education in advance whether a remote academy can be registered at that address
Find out whether the officetel is residential (with a registered move-in address) or commercial
Note that registration is often difficult in apartment-type housing (such as apartments)
Ask for a clause in the lease stating that use as an academy is permitted
Checking just these five things can help you avoid losing your deposit later.
Home, officetel, or commercial space: what are the pros and cons of each?
Let's compare the three types of space most often considered for an online remote academy office.
Using your home as the office
Pros: No rent burden, and you can cut your initial costs significantly
Cons: In apartment-type housing (apartments, multi-unit houses), academy registration is mostly not allowed because of the building's permitted use
Some detached houses and multi-household houses may be eligible, but you must check with the office of education and the building register beforehand
Using an officetel as the office
Pros: Officetels designed for business use are relatively more likely to be approved for registration
Cons: Registration may be rejected for officetels with a residential move-in registration
Before signing, check both the building register and the property registry to confirm it is classified as a "business facility"
Using a commercial office space
Pros: Commercial units registered as neighborhood living facilities tend to make academy registration easier, and they also work well as a space for in-person consultations or running live video class software
Cons: Rent can be higher than for a home or an officetel
Commercial units often have a clearly defined use, so the paperwork tends to be relatively simple
Comparing cost, registration likelihood, and class environment together
When preparing to start an online business, it's easy to decide on cost alone, but you should also weigh the likelihood of registration and the class environment.
On cost alone, a home is the cheapest, but if the chance of registration is low, you'll waste time having to look for a space all over again
An officetel offers a decent balance of cost and registration likelihood, so many people starting small, such as with a remote academy for adults, English video tutoring, or math video tutoring, choose it
A commercial space costs more up front but suits those who want stable registration and a good class environment
As for the class environment, whichever space you choose, what matters most is that it is quiet and has a stable internet connection. Because an online remote academy meets students in real time through live video class software, noise or network problems directly affect the quality of your classes.
Following the online remote academy registration process step by step
For those preparing for the first time, here is the whole process in order.
Request the building register for your candidate office and check its permitted use
Call or visit the local office of education to ask in advance whether registration is possible at that address
Once registration is confirmed, sign the lease (with the academy use stated in the contract)
Prepare the documents related to the online lecture platform, such as the remote academy server rental contract and the domain registration certificate
Set up your class operation tools, such as a learning management system and live video class software
File the remote academy establishment report with the office of education and submit the registration documents
Using a tool like ClassCanvas for steps 4 and 5 makes preparing your class operations much easier. ClassCanvas's live class program offers one board per student, an individual mode, one-on-one feedback, and screen share, so even a director running an online remote academy for the first time can teach as if in a real classroom. And if you also use the ClassCanvas learning management system, you can manage video lectures, assignments, tests, and attendance in one place, which boosts operating efficiency even with a small office.
If the question of space has been weighing on you while preparing your online remote academy, it can also be a good approach to set up your class environment with ClassCanvas first and then decide on the size and type of office that fits. Since ClassCanvas supports both video classes and learning management, you can build an online academy environment that works well even in a small space such as a home or an officetel.
Wrapping up
It may seem like an online remote academy doesn't need an office, but in practice you must secure a space whose permitted use fits and go through the registration process with the local office of education. Compare the pros and cons of a home, an officetel, and a commercial space carefully, and be sure to check the building register and confirm with the office of education before signing a lease.
Preparing to start an academy or an online business involves more paperwork and procedures than you might expect, but if you take them one step at a time, you can certainly finish without much difficulty. For class operation tools, using a service like ClassCanvas that supports both video classes and learning management lets you raise your class quality ahead of time, separately from preparing the office. If you're planning to set up a remote academy, start by going through today's checklist one item at a time.
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