Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Wendy Weinberger, President, and Co-Founder of Illuminos Academic Coaching & Tutoring, located in Washington, DC, USA.

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

Illuminos Academic Coaching & Tutoring is an industry-leading academic coaching and tutoring organization offering in-person support to students in 3rd grade through college in and around the entire DMV area, as well as virtually throughout most of the world. At the foundation of our services is our proprietary, scientifically validated, and award-winning executive function (EF) curriculum. In addition to covering essential topics such as organization, time management, study skills, and social competencies, Illuminos coaches/tutors support students across all their subjects, standardized test prep, and college applications. We also work with others in a child's support circle to integrate our curriculum into each child's everyday life.

Tell us about yourself

A mom of five, Georgetown Law graduate, and former General Counsel & COO, I left my thriving legal career to co-found and create a whole-child curriculum based on the academic and life skills my cousin, Evan Weinberger, needed as a student with ADHD. Illuminos is a passion project born from my experiences growing up with numerous family members with ADHD.

I am proud that Illuminos provides customized support for every child. We help students to feel encouraged, empowered, and motivated to steer their own academic success. We integrate our curriculum into each child's everyday life, working together with other members of the child's support circle. Our goal is to help students become independent learners who perform to their potential using research-driven self-management strategies while maintaining social-emotional health.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is building successful coaching and tutoring family business with my cousin, Evan. For years, Evan and I had spoken about bringing his successful tutoring business to the DC area. After my uncle (Evan's father) passed away in 2016, we solidified a plan to open a business using Evan's curriculum based on what he needed to manage his life with ADHD. Being an attorney and understanding the DC metro market, I insisted that Evan's curriculum be validated by science. Once we realized that the curriculum mirrored the latest executive function research, we moved into creating a new brand and new training and launched Illuminos Academic Coaching & Tutoring in October 2016.

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

One of the most difficult aspects of being an entrepreneur is never having an end to the work day. Because you are the company leader, you are never "off." You speak to parents after their work day or on the weekends because that is when they are available. So, you have to be accessible outside of traditional working hours. Additionally, if a team member becomes ill or has a family engagement, you need to fill into their role to ensure families continue to receive the exemplary, personalized instruction that Illuminos is known to provide.

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

  1. Know your market. To ensure a great customer experience, you have to know who your audience is. Are you targeting parents? Grandparents? Not everyone who needs (or will buy) your product will fit the same profile, but your business should have a type of audience in mind. Not only will this help you better define your offerings, but it will also ensure that your customers feel heard and their needs are being met.
  2. Know your audience's needs. Before building a business, you have to know what your prospective audience needs. Create a detailed business plan outlining how you will reach that audience and how you are different from your competitors. Do your research. Study your competitors and learn what is and is not working for them. Then, personalize your offerings to address your consumers' needs better.
  3. It is essential to have a great financial team supporting you. According to recent research from National Business Capital, 60% of small business owners are not confident in their finance and accounting knowledge. So, financial managers play an important role in starting a business and keeping the business successful. Their expertise in establishing a good financial foundation is critical to a company's ability to achieve its mission, make its product, and invest in ways to better the product to achieve ideal outcomes for the business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.illuminos.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminos_coaching/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Illuminos_Coach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendylweinberger-534115/

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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