Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Vince Kotchian, Founder of Vince Kotchian Test Prep, located in San Diego, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I offer several kinds of GRE test prep and tutoring - serving people who need to take the GRE to get into graduate, business, or law school.
Tell us about yourself
To be honest, I didn't think of it as a business when I started. I knew I was good at standardized tests and got a job as a tutor for a small company. As I got better at the job, I started to enjoy it more - particularly the one-on-one teaching aspect and the tangible difference I could make in a student's scores. That's still what motivates me - if I have a smart, hard-working client, tutoring usually works really well, and we can see the evidence in practice tests and real test scores. Plus, I get to work from home, choose my schedule and price, and choose my clients!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Probably going from local recognition to national recognition by specializing in GRE prep. I'm not a huge brand in the GRE prep industry, but I am a brand that people know about.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Ha - no downside really that could compare with normal employment - for which your boss literally owns your time, therefore your life! If I had to pick a downside, it would probably be uncertainty and the necessity of adaptation to changing conditions - but life demands those things from us no matter what we do!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start with something you're good at or have some expertise with.
- Make several very small ventures that don't cost you a lot of time and money, and see which ones work and which don't. Build off those little successes once they happen. For more on this, check out Daniel Vassallo's small bets philosophy.
- Conversely, do not go all in on a venture that, if it fails, you'll be out of the game.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://vincekotchian.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gre_vocab_words/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincekotchian/
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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