By Barb V
Are you sick and tired of working for your department head, principal, and school district? How about creating lesson plans, unnecessary meetings, and uninvolved parents? I was, too!
The straw that finally broke the camel’s back came on that June day that the director of our schools sat me down, in somebody else’s office, to inform me that she was going to announce the new positions available at the new high school we were starting in the fall. I had created a Radio & TV production program in the middle school for the past 5 years, and had been on the planning committee to implement that curriculum in the high school in the fall. Instead she informed me that they were not going to have a Radio & TV Department, and that I would not be offered my dream job in the fall. Having been in various school systems over 15 years, I knew that a school district’s budget is presented 6-8 months prior to positions being posted for employment… did she think I was a fool? I had done all the work on the development committee to create the department, presented documentation to why and how teaching our students these skills would benefit them in the changing environments of technology and social media, and she knew the whole time there wasn’t going to be a Radio & TV Broadcasting curriculum in the high school.
So it was during this meeting that I took the opportunity and the brave, bold step to inform her that I was not going to apply to the new high school in the position she thought she had me locked in to and instead I would be venturing out on my own to do educational consulting for other school districts that respected and valued my knowledge and experiences. Her instant and immediate reply to me was “You’ll never make it. You’ll be back here by December begging me for a job.” What she didn’t know was that I had invested my free time for the past two summers and weekends, building my consulting business and that I had “banked” two years of salary which meant that I could venture out on my own, not earn anything for two years, and not change my current lifestyle. By mid-October I knew I had succeeded when all of my teaching cohorts were looking forward to the first holiday break, which wasn’t coming soon enough in the school year, and I had already earned double my yearly teaching salary in consulting fees above and beyond what I had already banked. I then felt the power and freedom in knowing that she would never hear me begging for a job.
My experiences of starting my very first business in 1st grade and selling it for a profit in the 4th grade, and all the business ventures I had experienced throughout my life, were now all paying off. Combined with my academic credentials, business and marketing skills, I was now creating the fun, freedom, and joys of generating my own work environment, working with teachers and children who wanted to learn while being compensated in equal amounts to my knowledge, experiences, and enthusiasm for teaching.
Fast forward 21 years; today, I never looked back, and have overcome all the challenges and roadblocks placed on my path. I continue to stay ahead of educational and technological curves while assisting professionals, families and small businesses to create profit and sustained wealth. Using my sales and marketing skills and experiences in creating highly profitable businesses, and my understanding of the small business model, I continue to open doors for teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, support-service providers, nannies and childcare workers who also want to remove the shackles that bind them into teaching what and how their school districts demand with limited creativity and academic freedoms.
Many professionals learn their trade through 4-10 years of traditional education beyond high school but are never taught business and financial skills necessary to create their own successful practices or tutoring businesses. Have you ever wondered why basic personal financial education is never taught in our school systems? Could this be one of the reasons why 95% of start-up businesses fail in the first 3-5 years? Did you know that the biggest tax breaks in America belong to small- and home-based business owners? Teachers, educational professionals and budding entrepreneurs continue to miss out because they fear the unknown; their beliefs that starting a business is difficult and they have heard stories of others who have tried and failed, fearing to move forward on their own. Creating a quality business takes a little bit more effort than just hanging out a shingle stating that you are open for business; however, the added effort that you invest will be worth it.
The following checklist will assist you and inspire you to learn more of how and what is necessary for starting your own student-centered consulting and tutoring business from home, via the internet or in small group environments:
1. Check & verify local laws
- Register your business with the state
- Check required insurances and your homeowner’s policy
2. Set goals
- Determine how much you want to work (days, hours)
- Determine how many students you want to work with
- Determine where you want to work from (home, community, on-line)
- Determine your areas of expertise that you want to focus on
- Determine how much income you want to earn and what will you charge per session
3. Create your business plan
Most businesses fail because people don’t know where they are and when and where they want to end up. Most people invest more time in planning a vacation than they do planning their business. A business plan is an invaluable road map to get you from where you are to where you want to be. You should invest a good portion of time, energy and thought in developing this plan as it will assist you in achieving all of your goals. A business plan is a fluid working document that will keep you on track when obstacles and amazing successes arise.
4. Create your marketing plan
A marketing plan is different from a business plan. It is your guideline to how, what, where, when and why you are seeking clients/customers. In any product or service business, if the marketing falters and fails, so will the business. A key aspect that many people overlook in developing their business is the cost versus investment of quality marketing that will allow them to grow their business as they have envisioned. The difference between cost and investing is an investment has an expected return; whereas cost is viewed only as the amount of money necessary to do something. As a business owner, you need to make the necessary start-up investments to create and generate the quality of business you aspire to.
5. Start networking
- Start with a list of everyone you know, from friends with children to the person who cuts your hair, takes care of your car, serves you at the bank, and anywhere else in the community that you interact with.
- Fill your calendar with appointments.
- In the beginning, this is with people who can connect you with potential clients/customers.
- Then fill your calendar with clients and customers; refer to your business plan for the number of clients per week, month you will serve.
6. Create a customer care program
Develop a plan/system for how you will follow-up on leads, take care of your customers, onboard, retain, and stay in touch and thank. In a service industry business as a teacher, you should maintain records of your clients’ birthdays, anniversaries, and special accomplishments and let them know that you care about them as a person more than just a client or customer. I use Banner Season to keep in touch and celebrate life’s milestones. It is quick, simple and inexpensive, but creates a huge positive impact.
7. Document, document, document
Small business deductions for which most small and home-based business owners can easily quality for must be documented and the business must show the intent to make money. The IRS requires business owners and other taxpayers to “maintain records that properly document” any (and every!) tax deduction that is claimed.
- Take notes during/after every client interaction. This will assist you in the future to recall and show progress.
- Offer a monthly or quarterly report of a client’s activities and progress.
- Maintain an accounting system showing money in and money out. There are many good software programs and apps to help you with this as well as paper and pencil (that won’t crash…ask me how I know).
- Document the use of personal and business supplies, including your personal vehicle, home office, cell phone, internet, computer, subscriptions, etc., for all business use and travel.
- Document all health care expenses which may qualify as tax deductible business expenses for your home-based business.
Creating your own small home-based business is not as difficult as many people state; it takes a little bit of consistency and organization with rewards that can outweigh the fears and doubts that can accompany working for someone else. I am currently celebrating 21 years of successfully owning and operating a business that allows me to share my joys, passion, knowledge and experiences with children, families, and budding entrepreneurs. I can be reached at www.BarbV.fun for more information or assistance in starting or increasing your small business success.