Owner/CEO's Name & Business's Name
Andrew Geant, CEO WyzAnt, Inc.
Year Established
2005
Why is your business unique and what's your pitch?
Research has shown that the most effective way to learn is through private instruction. This is true for academic subjects, foreign languages, musical instruments, etc. But how do you find a local expert who is willing to teach you? The answer is WyzAnt.com.
WyzAnt.com offers a searchable directory of over 20,000 teachers and tutors. Features such as detailed tutor profiles, customer reviews, background checks, photos, videos, and blogs help make the matching and selection process as effective as possible.
What led you to start the business?
Have you ever seen those flyers in the grocery store posted by people offering guitar lessons or math tutoring? Is there not an easier, more effective way for these people to attract new customers?
What if you were struggling with geometry and needed a tutor? Where would you look? You could try a learning center but that wouldn't provide you the customized individual attention you wanted. Phonebook? Good luck. Maybe your school or friend could recommend someone...maybe.
This was the situation: private instructors struggling to find students and students unable to find those private instructors.
So in 2005 we created a website. Since then, WyzAnt.com has helped millions of students connect with local tutors.
Lessons Learned
- Listen to your users. Not surprisingly, some of the best ideas for improving our business have come from the people who use our service.
- Be upfront. Establishing trust is essential in our business. Full disclosure on our procedures, rules and fees helps assure customers that we run an honest business.
- Don't be afraid to change. The business we run today is much different that the business we originally envisioned. Adapting to the needs of the marketplace has been critical to our success.