Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chetanya Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO of My Personal Mentor, located in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Over the past two decades, the number of international students has risen from 40,000 every year to 400,000+ last year. However, on the flip side, close to 30% of them are leaving Canada just because they were not able to get the right mentorship at the right time. That is exactly where MPM jumps in. We are building a platform that is enhancing the Canadian experience for Immigrants/International students in Canada.
Tell us about yourself
So this goes back to 2020 when I was working as an international mentor with uOttawa and saw how students are misguided and not aware of crucial things during their transition to Canada. That's when I co-founded MPM in Jan 2021 and started mentoring students when it comes to learning French or job consulting and resume building.
What keeps us going is seeing how our mentorship got some students from working in Walmart to working for Canada Post or how some students have shared that they feel that they have someone who hears them and understands their situation.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our products have changed the lives of students by helping them get better jobs in Canada with companies like CRA, Canada Post, RBC, etc. Plus, over the past six months, we have grown our social media presence from 0 to 100k (IG, TikTok, YouTube)
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Initially, it was managing expenses, as we are bootstrapping this business, so for the longest time, we were paying everything from our pockets. Further, at one point, it was building a strong team who resonated with our vision. However, over the past two months, we have been able to resolve it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build a strong team of people who can support you during your journey as you do not have to do stuff that you don't like, as it is the most common mistake that start-ups make, and they close it in 12 months.
- Ask for help. Don't be afraid of sharing your ideas with mentors. Initially, it is common to feel that someone will steal our business idea, but trust me, it's rare to see the same motivation to implement the ideas compared to what we have.
- Don't stress too much about funding and investment. Bootstrap your business as much as possible. Why? once you give a part of your business to someone else, it's very difficult to own it back. So make sure you're doing enough research on that before asking for investments.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.mypersonalmentors.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyPersonalMentorss/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypersonalmentors/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-personal-mentor/
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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