Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in language education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julie Candice, Founder of English Etc., located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
English Etc. is an online platform focused on helping adult English learners communicate with confidence. Learners worldwide can join self-study courses, take one-to-one lessons, or learn for free on YouTube and Instagram. The goal is to make English learning simple and accessible.
Tell us about yourself
I'm an English Language Teacher and Educational Content Creator. I run the English Etc. online platform. For as long as I can remember, helping people has been my passion. As for English, it was always one of my top subjects in school. I discovered my knack for training while studying Human Resources Management in college. So, I united my passions - people, training, and English and my teaching career was born. After graduation, I headed to London to refine my skills and become a certified English teacher; the rest was history. Since 2010, I've taught thousands of English learners in China, Afghanistan, Brazil, Thailand, England, the UAE, and my home - Canada.
Throughout my time as a teacher, I identified the common challenges that English learners and I started English Etc. as a way to help people overcome these challenges. I believe that language should never be a barrier that stops people from getting where they want to go in life. It's incredible how many people I've been able to reach so far (with the help of technology), and I can't wait to see where English Etc. goes!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I would say that starting a business has been such an accomplishment in itself. The Pandemic gave me the push to transition to working fully online. Of course, I was terrified of jumping into this totally new and unknown world. It's been a learning curve for sure, but I have grown so much so far. Like any business, I know there's a long road ahead, but I try to celebrate the small victories along the way. My biggest accomplishment has been the number of people I have been able to reach and help.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Maintaining a work-life balance has been one of the hardest things for me. It's easy to lose track of time when you are working on something (especially something you are excited about). At the same time, it's hard to switch your brain off of work. It's hard but having that healthy balance of work and downtime is the only way to avoid burning out.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just start. We are always waiting for the right time. The reality is that the perfect time doesn't exist, and you will most likely be waiting for a very long time, if not forever. I wish I had started sooner.
- Keep going. Getting to the point where your business is successful takes a lot of time and dedication. You will definitely face hurdles and setbacks along the way. You may be tempted to quit. When it gets hard, rest and recharge, but don't give up. So many people are not successful simply because they gave up too soon. I've been tempted to give up a few times, and I am so thankful I didn't.
- Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Don't compare your business or your growth to anyone else. If you truly love what you are doing and you are being yourself, you will attract the right clients or customers. There are (literally) millions of other English teachers worldwide, but that won't stop me from reaching the learners who resonate with my teaching style. You have something special to share with the world. Find out what that is, focus on it and stay consistent.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://englishetc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/englishetcwithjulie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/englishetc_with_julie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/english-etc/
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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