#I'm hoping I'm on the upswing I'm supposed to go back to work next week lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chelseydavidson · 5 days

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Week #11 Progress

What is working?

So far, I almost feel like I'm falling upwards. I've just come home from what will be the third session with the Appleseed family. Johnny is definitely improving with his French. He's honestly a pleasure to tutor and his mum seems to be impressed, especially with what she describes as his change in attitude.

More importantly, and most fortunately, I have my second client! Cue the victory dances and fanfare.

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I am overjoyed and, lo and behold, the client is an acquaintance of Mrs. Appleseed. Just to be fun, let's call them the Brady bunch. Why? Because I am tutoring two different students for one client, back-to-back. Even though the sessions are doubled in length and revenue, I still only deem this one additional client because, at the end of the day, the client is Mama Bear, not the two Baby Bears. (I'm starting to mix my metaphors. I suppose my client is then Carol, as opposed to Marcia and Jan.)

I am tutoring Grade 6 and Grade 9 mathematics to each of her daughters, respectively. I had my first session last week Friday, May 10, and found that it went moderately well, but not as productive as I'd hoped. It was pretty surface-level and I found that Jan was much more interested in having a snack than focusing on her textbook. Our tutoring environment was not the best at their kitchen table, as Jan was prone to distraction. She seems to understand most of the material. She just seems to lack focus.

Marcia was somewhat better at staying on task, but I sensed she felt the idea of having a tutor was somehow immature. Nonetheless, we had a conversation about what she's struggling with, and from what I gather, it's predominantly linear equations, but considering how the curriculum builds on itself throughout the semester, I made a mental note that she should have contacted a tutor sooner. I mentioned in a subtle way to Carol that Marcia might benefit from tutoring during the summer months to get her up to speed before heading into next week.

Carol Brady has scheduled another two-hour session for this Friday, May 17, so I'll continue to assess and report back here weekly.

What is not working?

Honestly, I haven't had the time to do any marketing. I have planned it out, but with the slight upswing in clients, I've had less time to dedicate to selling the business to the public in the way I intended. I've also given up on the notion of a digital marketing plan. I am starting to see how oversaturated this niche is with endless social media ads and targeted campaigns through Meta and Google that I receive, purely because of the research I did on this company before starting operations.

Also, I feel like I'm coming down with something, with difficulty swallowing and a sore throat. I did a strep test at my doctor's office today to rule it out before heading to the Appleseeds, but I was carrying a low-grade fever and have been asked to monitor symptoms all the same. I truly hope it's something innocuous, like a bad allergic response to a high pollen count, because I don't want to give up this momentum.

How do you feel the project is coming?

I honestly cannot believe my luck. I'm hitting milestones sooner than expected and it feels seemingly out of nowhere, since I've struggled so much with the marketing piece.

I still feel adamant that I must do something but, with two clients currently, it becomes a question of when. With only so many hours in the day, in between prepping for the session and actually going and performing the work, it's no wonder I haven't paid enough mind to it. It's not an excuse, though. Marketing has to become a higher priority.

What are you learning about running a business?

I am learning firsthand the power of word of mouth. It took one client to get the cogs turning and now I have two. I've been absorbing every piece of feedback I receive (mostly implicit) from the Appleseeds and now the Bradys. The business model does seem to be viable.

I also cannot overstate the power of a business card. It may seem silly, but I gave the Bradys a handful of cards, too, and asked them to share with anyone who might need tutoring.

I also watched this video that focuses on how entrepreneurs who are successful are out to solve unhappiness.

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Anything that leads to frustration or dissatisfaction can offer an opportunity to fill a market gap. I particularly liked that one of the many listed frustrations was educating children, which made me feel like I am doing something profoundly helpful for my clients by reducing just one small burden of daily life for them. I like the framing of this idea; even if it is something I already knew, there is added clarity in pronouncing it correctly.

What are you learning about yourself?

I am learning I'm not seventeen anymore.

Running a business is exhausting.

As someone who enjoys a sense of organisation and control, it has been tough to let the reins go and just hope I don't fall off the horse. Still, I don't have much option, as I'm bone-tired at the end of the day and cannot spend a moment fretting over the next thing.

I wonder if Ariana Huffington’s nap room is available.

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#entrepreneur #startup #venture #entrepreneurship #marketing #work in progress #Youtube

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