Estella Ramirez

How I did it: My goal was to work as an English tutor because English is my subject of choice. However, I also love math, and possibly more people are in need of a math tutor than an English tutor, so I offered myself as both. 

Learning how to market my services was the key to attaining my goal.  I researched what makes a good flier, and put up bright-colored fliers in my area (apartment complexes, bulletin boards, and telephone poles), and even had business cards made.

Last spring, I took on a pupil (a high school freshman in an Algebra class), and it was very rewarding. She and her mother had seen my flier at the Venice Canals.

Now, this summer, I have a writing pupil! This came about because I was working as a substitute at a school and signed on to their summer tutoring program. What’s more exciting: I’ve been hired to be the 2nd grade teacher for the next school year!

While meeting my goal, I learned to be more entrepreneurial.  It was fun to be my own boss and do what I love while making a little money.  I know that if I continued on the path I was on, I could gradually gain more and more pupils and grow my business (even now, I continue to get calls).  However, now I feel very fortunate to have been hired to teach full-time and have become passive about pursuing private tutoring any further.

It took me 3 months.

It made me