Beatrice Hair’s tutoring academy gives students an alternative to the one-size-fits-all approach to education.

Stepping into my first classroom as a new teacher on the first day of school, I thought to myself, “I’m going to retire from this very room in 30 years.”

Little did I know all the lessons I’d learn over the next eight years, including the unfortunate fact that a good number of children are falling through the cracks. Learning is a highly personalized process, and the one-size-fits-all approach to education is regularly failing our students. I realized I could have a more impactful role on these kids outside the classroom.

This meant a career change–I went from elementary schoolteacher to entrepreneur and business owner. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of my students and create a system that helped all students learn. Every student benefits from one-on-one instruction. And no matter their financial situation, parents and guardians prioritize–and pay for–programs that benefit their children’s educational needs.
The first student I tutored was the friend of a child in my class. Word of my tutoring sessions spread quickly through the community, and in a span of six months, I found myself in high demand.

I founded the Salisbury Tutoring Academy in 1996 and started offering tutoring instruction out of my home, with the assistance of two additional teachers I hired. I began tutoring elementary and middle-school students because I was certified to teach those grade levels. I quickly found that my teaching and learning philosophies easily transcended age and grade levels, and helped all students succeed. STA now provides one-on-one instruction for children ages 4 and up, students with learning disabilities and even some adults. STA students range from low performers to honor roll students and those who want to improve their study skills or prepare for tests such as the SAT.
I created several core principles for my business and built upon these. They include:

• Successful teaching requires children to be supplied with both an emotionally secure and physically safe place to study and learn.

• The learning environment must facilitate trust and be devoid of ridicule.
Shortly after it started, STA outgrew my home. My small staff of seven and I moved to the educational building at a local church to keep costs low. This was a very busy time; running my own business consumed almost every second of every day. Fortunately, my labor paid off and STA began to grow exponentially. In 1999, I purchased and designed a new, fully equipped school facility and moved my business into its current building, which has 19 one-on-one tutoring rooms and two audiovisual rooms. It remains STA’s home today.

I was able to design and build a state-of-the-art tutoring facility three years after opening because of STA’s initial success. STA was profitable from the beginning because demand was high and I kept startup costs low. The biggest investment was my time.

As my knowledge of business continued to grow, I realized I had to augment my skills to set STA up for further expansion. I was well-versed in teaching and child psychology, but I needed to supplement my business knowledge. Fortunately, I found a program that accommodated my demanding schedule. I attained my Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix in 2004 while running a business full time. The best part is that I was able to apply what I was learning in the classroom to my business in real time.

The added value my master’s degree brought to my business is reflected in STA’s continued growth. My business has had a steady gross income for 14 years.

STA currently serves from 70 to 100 students, and I oversee a staff of 25 to 30 teachers who are retired, tutor part-time or work full-time in the classroom and tutor after school. Each teacher is trained to use the customized programs and techniques I designed. I also use this proprietary training system for franchise development.

In 2007, I founded a sister company called the Salisbury Tutoring Academy Franchise Group LLC and opened an additional facility. Franchises have the option of being part-time or full-time businesses, allowing greater flexibility for new entrepreneurs. My goal is to have 1,000 franchises across the country by 2020. Franchising allows me to reach more students of all ages across the country with established programs and effective teaching methods.

The biggest challenges of franchising STA have been protecting my proprietary teaching methods and finding franchisees who share my teaching philosophy. I have to ensure STA’s continued strong reputation to allow for expansion in the future. This means legally protecting my unique curriculum and learning methods, and making careful decisions when selecting a franchisee. I have learned a lot about the legal aspects of business because I constantly adjust my programs to fit the needs of new students.
I am actively searching for franchisees and have spoken to many people, mostly referrals and attendees at franchise conferences. I’m looking for those who are passionate about teaching and helping students, not just running a business, to ensure that STA’s principles are upheld.

I attribute STA’s growth and success over the years to word-of-mouth: My students and their families are great ambassadors for the work we do at STA.

The personalized instruction and support STA provide have proved their positive impact on our students. After four months of one-on-one tutoring, on average, our students gain 10 months in grade level. Our average gain for the SAT is 390 points in six months.

While my path as an entrepreneur has been filled with milestones, the ultimate recognition as an educator and entrepreneur came 14 years after I started my business. In May, I received the 2010 North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year award and was invited to the White House to be congratulated by President Barack Obama.
Since my first day of school as a new teacher, I’ve learned many lessons as an educator and also as a businesswoman:

1. Before you “step of the cliff” to own a business, be sure you have a strong support system.

2. Operating and owning a school is an education, and an educational adventure about business, human nature, the how-tos of working with clients, managing a staff and finding trustworthy employees.

3. Clients must always know how you are better than the competition. For example, STA has three distinguishing factors. Our competition offers one-on-three tutoring for the same price as our one-on-one tutoring. A trademarked, proven product is superior to after-school baby-sitting and help with homework. It is better to find a tutoring business that meets student needs K-12 rather than looking fruitlessly for a person who may not be able to offer consistency.

4. No matter what type of business you choose to run, be sure to stay current on your certifications and credentials. I earned my master’s degree online while simultaneously operating my business. This was a very powerful way to improve myself without disrupting the flow of my relationships with my clients.