Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia Verweij, Owner of EDGEucating LLC, located in Picayune, MS, USA.

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

We are passionate about facilitating more engaged learning environments that produce REAL results! We support educators in creating results-driven climates, cultures, and classrooms by providing proven, cutting-EDGE strategies and resources.

Tell us about yourself

After transforming three different Title I schools where school climate and culture issues were highly prevalent, my partner and I decided that we wanted to help others experience the engagement and connection with their students, staff, and stakeholders that we had. I had been helping teachers with everything from grant funding to technology implementation for years. This was another area of need that I discovered. The final straw was when I made a grant purchase for a major technology project to the tune of about $26K that turned out to be no more than an expensive paper-weight. That's when I realized that someone needed to be vetting products for educators because they don't have the time to do it for themselves. This was when EDGEucating was born.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Developing a relationship with Project Future, a research and outreach collaboration that promotes Computer Science learning opportunities in grades K-5, to provide their online courses on our website. Additionally, for being a small business, we have secured relationships with several large vendors and been able to work directly with them to provide free learning opportunities to educators.

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

Being a business owner means that work never really stops. The hardest part is balancing my family life with my business. Having two active teenage boys makes this task very difficult because keeping up with their schedules keeps me on my toes even without my business activities.

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

  1. Have a passion that addresses a need. Without these, you have no business because you will not have customers.
  2. Identify your mission and stick to it. It is easy to get distracted and want to chase the money trails in the beginning. If you do this, you will lose focus and may end up with a completely different business from the one you first started, or worse, with no business at all.
  3. Begin with the end in mind. Set up systems that work for when your business gets big. This will ultimately save you a lot of money in the long run. This doesn't mean spending money you can't afford, but don't spend $50 less on one software versus another to find out it doesn't work for you in 6 months, and now it costs a lot more than the $50 you saved to migrate over. Be smart and always be thinking ahead.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I truly care about educators and will always focus on their needs before everything else. I have turned down opportunities to make more money as a reseller but refused because educators don't have enough people on their side as it is. Staying true to my passion and my roots are the driving force in my business.

Also, we have a Teachers Pay Teachers site.
Here is the link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Edgeucating-Llc
We sell lesson plans and educator resources created by us. (We are certified educators with decades of experience in the public school system.)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://edgeucating.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EDGEucating
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgeucating/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EDGEucating
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edgeucating/

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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