Can you tell us what type of business you run and how long you've been operating this business?

I am the owner and operator of Cary Tutor & Laurel’s Learning Lab, located in Raleigh, NC. I started Cary Tutor in 2010, and work with local (and online) students of all ages, usually tutoring private students in English, French and SAT English Prep, but I also work with schools or homeschoolers as needed. 

In 2018, I started Laurel’s Learning Lab to address the needs of international students in an online world.

After many years of teaching English in the classroom and private tutoring for other companies, I decided to start my own company to focus on what I do best - teaching :) I love connecting one-on-one, and don’t love all the challenges that come with classroom teaching and working within that environment :>

So I started out with my name, Cary Tutor (I live in Cary, NC), and a website, and became an Ambassador for the Cary Chamber, and started promoting myself to the community. I found a few SAT prep students and some ESL learners, and started working with them. I kept finding new opportunities to connect with different people and organizations and realized I really loved doing this on my own.

I think the hardest thing for a new entrepreneur is to figure out how to make enough money to survive without other sources of income. For me, that meant doing whatever it took to get my name out there and find one more student to pay that next bill. The other challenge was how much to charge for my services, and realize how much my time and expertise was worth, and how to increase prices as I grew in experience and confidence. I still consider myself as someone who values connecting with people and really helping them over charging a high hourly rate, so I don’t make as much as some other tutors do, and I’m ok with that. Every independent contractor decides what they value more, and I’m still working on that aspect of business and learning as I go, and finally asking some other professionals to help me with aspects of marketing and advertising.

What were some of the hardest moments of the decision of quitting your job?

Finding the courage to give up the “safe” choice and venture into an unfamiliar territory of “the buck stops here”. I was my own boss, which meant I couldn’t count on anyone else to help me pay my bills, but had to be very creative in finding the next student I could help.

After quitting looking back, do you have any regrets? Or think what if?

I value the time I worked in the classrooms, but no, I don’t regret the path I have taken. I have worked with schools in an independent way, but never have regretted giving up full time classroom teaching to work for myself. Every time I go through a new experience or find a new way to help, it adds to my confidence and I just want to keep going to reach higher goals in my business.

What do you love about your lifestyle now as an entrepreneur?

The freedom to create my own schedule, and my own income :) I know it’s a daunting task, and for that reason, many people don’t like having to spend time forging their own path to success, but prefer the ‘security’ of a 9-5 job. I have had a few of those in my life, but I so enjoy the variety and the feeling of “what’s on my calendar today”. I’m at the point in my business now that I don’t ever cold-call or feel desperate anymore to find one more client, but enjoy having the phone ring when someone finds me on Google or on social media, and love being there for students across the world who may be talking to a native English speaker for the first time. I love being creative in my business, and developing my brand on YouTube where I make fun English videos and can direct students to them, either in person or online.

Let's talk about the services you offer with Cary Tutor, who do you help, and how do you help?

I work with local students in-person or online (Zoom), and focus on English (Reading/Writing) for my students in elementary school (and sometimes Math), and SAT/ACT Prep (English) for high school students who want good scores for college entrance. I also teach French to high schoolers or adults as needed, for school or travel.

I also work with non-native speakers who have moved to this area, for business or with family, and help them one-on-one to speak English more confidently, through workbook exercises, conversations and fun activities. I use a lot of what I used in the adult education classroom in 2012-2015, and enjoy the individual approach much better.

As for my international students, I use Laurel’s Learning Lab to teach them English/ESL, from basic phonics to more advanced topics like idioms, and TOEFL/IELTS exam prep. I use Zoom for live classes, as well as YouTube and my own website, LaurelsLearningLab.com, to give them free or paid online courses to take on their own time.

When it comes to teaching the English language, what sets Cary Tutor apart from similar businesses in your industry?

I am one of the only solo tutors in this area to have been in business for over 12 years, and so when people look for “English near me”, I come up in their map area, and they look at my website and contact me via email or phone call. I also don’t have to worry about talking to my corporate office or have a set price or agenda for each student, but I can come to them and work out pricing within their budget to accommodate them in their goals. I don’t use contracts or penalties for canceling, but work with them as long as they need me, and we part as friends and we continue to connect as time goes on. I even work with some again later, as well as their children when the time comes :)

With all that you've accomplished so far, did setting goals contribute to your success so far?

After looking back at what I have accomplished, I realize that setting goals has been something that has been important to me, but I’ve never been able to say, “In 5 years, I will…” I prefer to set more short term goals (weekly and monthly) and let the future take care of itself. I’m just along for the ride, and just keep finding more ways to learn and grow in my business as life changes.