Natürlich Und Sicher Sprechen - Deutsch Mit Benjamin

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training & education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Benjamin Rannig, Founder of Deutsch mit Benjamin, located in Wilmington, DE, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I run my online academy for intermediate and advanced German learners who want to speak German confidently and fluently. Beyond textbooks, I emphasize natural language use in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

Tell us about yourself

I've been teaching German to people from all over the world for several years. While teaching at language schools, I quickly realized that everyday German was very different from the language taught in most textbooks and German courses. Many people have been learning German for a long time, have built up a broad vocabulary, and maybe even passed an exam.

However, when they come to a German-speaking country, they experience significant difficulties in understanding native speakers simply because they speak differently than what is taught in textbooks or at school. Also, many of these learners need help making friends or developing professionally because they talk too turgidly and need to learn how to respond and communicate adequately naturally. In the past, there were virtually no resources for learners that covered natural, real-world German.

That's why I started researching and putting my findings into my materials. In 2018, I started an Instagram page where I began to share these findings publicly because I wanted German learners to learn the language used and use it themselves. That motivates me, and I do my best every day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Without getting too cocky about it, I've revolutionized the German learning industry on social media. In 2018, there was practically no channel dedicated to authentic language, specifically standard pronunciation. Though there have already been many German learning channels, most focus on language exams, grammar, and advanced vocabulary.

There was virtually nobody teaching real-world language and pronunciation. Recently, I've seen more and more of my content creator colleagues teaching pronunciation and even the differences between standard and everyday accents. This makes me very happy because I want German learners to be able to understand people in the German-speaking world.

Natural pronunciation has been neglected for a long time, and I contributed to changing that. And specifically, as a business owner, well, my online academy now has over 300 active members. This is something I'm proud of.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Oh, that's hard to say. Just like everything else in life, being an entrepreneur has its pros and cons. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so we can't generalize here. The biggest challenge is to reconcile pricing with the target group.

On the one hand, I want to enable as many German learners as possible to benefit from my expertise, my top-class team of teachers, and the content of my online academy. On the other hand, I want to make sure that I can make a living, maintain a particular lifestyle, and provide for my old age.

Since I haven't been an entrepreneur for that long, it's an actual balancing act for me to decide: How high can the price be? Can I justify this price?

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Well, first of all, I'd say, "Start." What you then need, what you should do next, how you can secure your income, and all those doubts that plague you and make you anxious and hesitant before—all that comes with time. I don't think it makes sense to overplan things because, as we say in German:

Firstly, everything always turns out differently, and secondly, then you think. Set up social media profiles right from the start, get involved with social media marketing, collect email addresses, and invest some time in those things. This makes the growth process easier for you because, on the one hand, you'll quickly get mental support from followers, many of whom will eventually become customers. Many people who joined my online academy right at launch in 2020 were Instagram followers from the very beginning.

On the other hand, you can generally reach out quite quickly if you have a social media presence. But you mustn't just post ads but also behind-the-scenes looks at your business, accessible content with real added value, and even something personal from time to time. That's how you build loyalty and a special relationship with people. Last but not least, don't grow too fast. Take it slow. If you're a one-person business for a while, that's fine. Over time, you can expand, build a team, and outsource specific tasks. The bigger the company and the bigger the group, the higher the risk:

After all, your employees always have to be paid, even if they're not customers, and that's crucial, not only in times of inflation. You should always generate revenue first and outsource tasks, hire employees, etc. second. It sounds trivial, but we tend to overlook it. Sometimes you're like, "Wow, Black Friday just ended, and I've generated $30,000 in revenue—I'm going to hire someone." But can you make sure to pay this employee throughout the entire year?

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://akademie.deutsch-mit-benjamin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deutschmitbenjamin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deutsch_mit_benjamin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-rannig-1a77b0163/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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