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Published: November, 2009

Q&A with Amy Pierrot Schwary, continued ...


Q: Where did you get the startup funding?
It was actually my family and a friend who gave me the funding to launch Pre K Scholars.

My father, Alan Pierrot, and his friend Frank Balog (who are both successful entrepreneurs) were discussing the success of my preschool classes during a fly fishing trip a few years ago. They were both so excited about the potential of the Pre K Scholars program that they approached me with the idea of taking it to the next level.
   
Q: How are you marketing your product?
We have been relying on the Internet, local print media, public relations, industry conventions and social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. I have also had great luck directing traffic to the Pre K Scholars Web site through my blog.
   
Marketing this business has been a crash-course in learning social media – and I am loving it!

Q: What has been your smartest move so far?
Without a doubt our smartest move so far has been partnering with Golden State Communications, a Newport Beach-based Web site design and Internet marketing firm. They made our Web site more user friendly and helped us better position our products. We can now offer home-based teachers a Web page on our site at no charge, and our site is optimized for search engines. Offering these online services to our clients has been an invaluable resource and has helped us build a community of Pre K Scholars supporters.

Q: What has been your biggest mistake?
Our biggest mistake so far was hiring a Yahoo!-linked website design firm on the East Coast. The firm was too rigid in its approach to design and was generally difficult to deal with. We chose Yahoo! because it has a fully integrated platform, but the advisory firm was not a good fit for us.

In the end, working with a local company that gave us a more hands-on approach was a better fit for us. Plus, it gave us the satisfaction of supporting other local businesses!

Q: What was your “Ah-ha!” moment – the moment you knew you had something special?
My big “Ah-ha!” moment came when I filled up my third class for Pre K Scholars and had to start a waiting list. When I saw the demand for my classes grow so rapidly, I knew that this was a program that kids and parents loved and that others could utilize.

Q: Where is your product sold?
The Pre K Scholars’ Parent and Teacher Kits are available online at our Web site.

Q: What resources did you use to get your business going?
In addition to my two investors, I also sought out the advice and input of award-winning artists, educators and graphic designers when creating the Pre K Scholars curriculum and materials. Now we are utilizing resources such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to help us promote our products.


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