Excel in Your Studies - Study With Kalindu

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kalindu Somatilaka, Founder of Study With Kalindu, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

I am Kalindu Somatilaka, a private tutor based in Toronto, Canada. My objective is to become a personal study partner for High School, Bachelor's, and Master's students in Canada and across the world. I teach mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Accounting, and finance subjects.

The world is moving forward at a rapid pace like never before, and education is becoming the most powerful tool to conquer the challenges of tomorrow. In this context, the way of learning or educating ourselves also has to change. Study With Kalindu helps students to engage in this new way of learning with me, Kalindu.

My teaching principle is simple. Teaching fundamentals right. One does not have to be a major student in, say, Accounting. But that does not prevent the person from learning Accounting if the subject is taught right, simply from fundamentals. This is where my service becomes relevant. Any student who is learning in High School, Bachelor's, and Master's, studying the subjects I have mentioned above, is my customer.

Tell us about yourself

Teaching is my passion; it is with that passion I started to help out a small group of financial mathematics students in early 2012. Since then, tutoring has been a journey full of success stories for my students and me. To date, I have supported more than 550 students in more than 20 countries, connecting with them in person and online.

My main motivator behind helping students to study better is seeing them getting educated by studying with me. To see someone sitting next to me with knowing next to nothing about a subject and to see them slowly learn the fundamentals and get competent at it, and then to see them thinking on their own and solving problems and applying the thinking ability in their general way of thinking is a huge satisfaction.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have helped over 550 students as a private tutor in the last 10 years. These students were from all around the world. I have had students from Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, England, Sweden, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam, etc. These students come from many different study levels and disciplines. I was able to help them to be better at their studies and get through their exams efficiently. This is my biggest accomplishment.

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

Being a business owner is challenging. The biggest challenge is raising sufficient capital to continue and grow the business. As a business owner, you need to strike a fine balance between using the profits for your day-to-day life and developing the business. In terms of developing the business, you need to be tactful and patient to select the most rightful and profitable avenues to venture out to.

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

Three golden rules, in my opinion.

Be purposeful in what you do.
Do what you love, and love what you do.
Do not fear debt.

Capital can be both debt and equity. You will have to bring debt capital into your business at some point, which is not a problem. Learn to forgive yourself, as a business owner, especially at the start; you will do more things wrong than right. You need to be light with yourself and patiently learn from your mistakes. Doing a business and becoming successful is a long journey, and the best learning comes at the cost of you or someone on your staff committing a mistake. Learn from them and love the process of growing your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.studywithkalindu.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studywithKalindu/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studywithkalindu/

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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