Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joanne Kaminski, Founder of Online Tutor Coach, located in Sussex, WI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help tutors that are great at teaching but struggle with getting students to get found so that they can make 4-5 figures a month doing what they love.
Tell us about yourself
I was a reading specialist in the school system, but after a health scare, I decided to take some time off and figure out how to be a stay-at-home mom and work from home. After a year of starting five businesses and failing at each of them, I suddenly had the idea of teaching reading online as a tutor. I began implementing the strategies that I learned from the other businesses and had success right out of the gate. I had other tutors reaching out to me asking how I had done what I had done, and then I began coaching new tutors. Today I have grown a community of over 20,000 tutors and get to help them. I love hearing inspiring stories from the tutors I had a chance to help.
I receive messages like this all the time. This one is from Brent Haugh. Grown my in-person tutoring business in ways I never thought possible for a college dropout!! I've reached 17 private clients since March, and I'm almost completely removed from the agencies I was once working for! I've also become more of the man I always knew I could be because I love my career! This is why I do what I do.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is growing an engaged community. Tutoring online can be a lonely business, but together we can connect, engage, and learn from each other.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things as a business owner is staying on top of changes that happen with technology. Taking the time to learn the technology can be frustrating and rewarding at the same time. Also, staying on top of changes in social media. If you stay on top of what is hot on social media, you can stay on top of the game.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The first tip if you are starting a tutoring business is you do not need a logo, a website, or business cards. These are things that you will develop as you understand what your business is and become more refined in what it is that you do.
Second, connect with a community of like-minded people that are already doing what you are doing. Facebook has incredible groups, and there is probably already a group out there that can support you as you decide what steps you need to take.
Third, learn from those that have walked before you. As a new business owner, you think that you need to figure this out all by yourself. The problem with that thinking is that you are about to make all the same mistakes that those people that came before you made. Getting a business coach in your field or taking courses will help you skip the line and make more money faster. Don't think of these things as costs. They are investments. Investments make you money and those that have come before you can help you skip the line and make more money now. I had one client that waited almost three months before taking my course. She decided to join immediately instead and, at the end of the three months, had made $30,000 as an SAT tutor. If she had waited, it would have cost her $30,000 in unearned income. These aren't the numbers for everyone in every business. Think about it this way. The course only costs one payment of $597. That is a small investment that will continue to equal profits for her for the rest of her life.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.onlinetutorcoach.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303391446535402
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onlinetutorcoach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannekaminski/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.
