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Lessons Learned from Working in a Startup

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Photo by: Raphael Jian

Blog by Sera Fedirko and Raphael Jian on Jan. 8, 2021

A blog about Raphael Jian’s experience creating his small business, Alps Education.

Q: What inspired you to start Alps Education and how did you start the company?

A: One time during a visit to my friend’s home for a weekend dinner, my friends’ family members were discussing their educational investment in their children when something caught my attention: The family thought that their kids did not really benefit enough from the level of education in school here in BC, especially when there are so many new Chinese immigrants whose kids are outpacing BC children in their learning. It was clear my friend’s family members were concerned that without proper instruction, their children would fall behind in school and risk struggling later in life to find a job.

With this challenge in mind, we decided to start a business to assist new immigrants’ kids in maintaining their outstanding grades in school while also following the play-based teaching strategy of the BC curriculum. I initially partnered with Gary, my longtime friend. After speaking with other friends and connections, we decided to expand to take on more teachers, and eventually added Yumi and Mark (English teachers trained at UBC), Carl (a math teacher from KPU), and Cissy (accountant) as co-founders and core members of our teaching staff. Since then, we have added several new teachers to form a well-rounded team of 11 teachers who offer group learning and one-on-one tutoring.

Q: Can you tell me a bit about the company and its background?

A: Alps Education can be described as a play-based interactive tutoring center for grades k-12. The most unique part of our business comes from the demand of our customers (traditional Chinese parents). They prefer the Chinese teaching strategy (strict, high-pressure learning schedules) and want their kids to be among the top students in the class. To meet this demand, we combine Chinese and Canadian teaching styles to design programs that satisfy the desires of traditional Chinese parents while adapting to the Canadian context we live in. 

Many of my students are quite young (elementary school-aged), and as such, I make time to play with them when I pick them up from school. This is mostly to keep them entertained and happy, but a great side-benefit I’ve picked up on is that other kids in the schoolyard tend to get jealous of the games we play. They end up running to their parents to ask if they can join us for playtime, which ends up being an amazing way to recruit new students.

Q: Startups can look different company-to-company. What does a day-in-the-life as the owner and operator of Alps Education look like for you?

A: I’m the marketing guy in the Alps Education team, as this is what I studied at KPU. My favourite part of the job is definitely within the creation side of things – in a typical day, I’ll spend time managing our social media accounts, updating our website, and designing new programs – all of these tasks are done in the morning. In the afternoon, I draw from my background tutoring math and STEM subjects in Singapore to elementary-aged students, where I teach an after-school math course with 3-6 students. We also have a music class that teaches piano, guitar, and drums, where I teach drums. Overall, I assume the role of marketer, math teacher, and drum teacher. One of the biggest challenges for me in my business is determining how to build credibility for all of my roles. Even though I am highly qualified for all these roles with multiple years of experience, it is still challenging to build trust with my clients due to how different the roles are.

Q: What sort of expectations did you have around small business life before you created your startup vs. now?

A: I started this business with my friends during my third year at KPU. My life changed a lot after this business started. I became a super busy person who suddenly had no time to hang out with friends or to partake in weekly outdoor activities. After 3-4 months though, I eventually settled into a routine that worked for me. Even though I’m still busy as ever, running my business is worth it because I love working for myself – I’m constantly inspired to try new things. Every night before I go to sleep I brainstorm ideas about what new program we can open or what theme we should choose for the next Spring camp.

Q: What lessons have you learned since the creation of Alps Education that have made you into a better marketer / more business-savvy person?

A: The most important thing I learned is never come up with an idea just to ‘have an idea’. If you stumble upon a new idea about your business, make a mindmap or write a plan for it. That’s the best way to turn the idea into something valuable. The market is the only ‘person’ who will ultimately tell you whether or not an idea is profitable; not anyone in your team. I would consider myself the ‘idea guy’ on the Alps Education team, not only in marketing but also within the design structure for the education program. I participate in the program design with the teaching faculty, which I suppose makes me somewhat a “product manager” or “user experience designer”. 

I find enjoyment in formulating recommendations for other business owners too, even with my humble marketing background. If for example, your marketers are keen to participate in the product design process, I say “let them”! Incorporating the perspectives of your team and working cross-functionally offers a great opportunity for you to create a product that delivers with high consistency on design philosophy, product features, and selling points. Even though marketers may not help you in developing the production details of products, marketers usually think with a consumer perspective in mind, which informs the user experience. 

Q: How has attending university prepared you for starting your own business?

A: I would say that the level 3000+ courses were the most valuable for me as far as preparing me for the real business world – especially Professor Rajinder’s MRKT 3000 and 3211, which I completed prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns. I think marketing courses need more projects (such as Rajinder’s) that connect to external businesses such as local breweries or media companies to help them solve real-life marketing challenges.

Q: Any tips you can share for how to stay organized while juggling so many tasks (typical of startup life)?

A: Keep your emotions stable and in check, maintain good sleep habits, make friends with reliable classmates (especially those outstanding students), use a planner, and try not to argue with your boyfriend/girlfriend too much. Startup life is really stressful You won’t make it if your personal life is a big mess.

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10 B.C. Based Companies That Are Using Their Business to Make the World a Better Place

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Photo by: @Leerob via Unsplash

By Sheldon Desa on April 13, 2021

Over 50 years ago Milton Friedman stated the following in an essay published in the New York Times:

“There is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits, so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.”

Since then business has dramatically changed in many ways. Rather than assuming the responsibility of solely increasing their profits, many businesses have adopted a more well-rounded approach without sacrificing profits. The triple bottom line model (profit, people, planet) suggests that businesses are responsible to stakeholders in addition to shareholders. The stakeholders include but are not limited to owners, employees, suppliers, government, and the community.

The following list of BC based companies is proof that genuinely caring for people and the planet can result in sustainable financial success and growth.

Jelly Marketing & PR

Through its core values of temperance, humility, fairness, prudence, and courage, Jelly is committed to giving back to the community and planet through its operations. Becoming a B-Corp in 2018 affirmed many of the values that the Fort Langley-based marketing and PR firm previously held. Since its infancy, Jelly has continuously strived to improve at serving its clients, the community, and the climate. In addition, the company has created conversations and taken action to support underrepresented groups such as women and indigenous people. As a young company already doing great things, expect Jelly Marketing & PR to continue its inspirational work.

Tentree

Tentree is a Canadian lifestyle apparel brand that originated in Regina, Saskatchewan, and moved to Vancouver in 2016. For every item purchased, Tentree plants ten trees to help restore damaged ecosystems and remove pollution from the atmosphere. The company works with non-profits and hires local experts who help to determine which tree varieties are most beneficial to plant in that region. So far they have planted over 50 million trees (and counting) in seven countries across the globe.

Salt Spring Coffee

Salt Spring Coffee is a high-quality organic coffee company based on Salt Spring Island, BC. They offer a variety of roasts with beans that are ethically sourced and Fair Trade certified. Since its inception, the company has placed social responsibility and sustainability at the forefront of its business, being recognized as a “Best for the World” business by B Lab (The parent company of B-Corp certification).

SPUD Delivery

SPUD is an acronym for Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery, which nicely sums up the service they offer while paying homage to the potato – a staple of home cooking. While ordering on SPUD.ca customers can find most of the items they would typically find at their local grocery store; but what makes SPUD unique is that all their products are natural, certified organic, or locally and sustainably made. In addition, after placing your order on their website, SPUD.ca, your groceries will be delivered to your doorstep. SPUD makes the world a better place by making sustainable food shopping choices more convenient for the busy urban dweller.

Fresh Prep

Fresh Prep is a Vancouver-based company that provides customers with the ingredients for quick, easy-to-cook meals. The recipes consist of locally sourced ingredients that are delivered in reusable cooler bags. Since Fresh Prep works with companies across BC and minimizes waste, they are a more sustainable choice than their competitors. Fresh Prep contributes to a more sustainable world by making home cooking (a lower-waste choice than takeout) easier and more accessible through portion-sized ingredient delivery complete with recipe instructions.

Persephone Brewing Company

While they are based in Gibsons, BC, Persephone Brewing’s beers and ciders can be purchased at many liquor stores across the province. What sets Persephone apart from other brewers is that they thoughtfully produce many of the ingredients on the land of the brewery itself and locally source the rest. Their work with local non-profits and fundraising initiatives make Persephone Brewing an exemplary corporate citizen. 

Coast Capital Savings

Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s largest credit union and is based in Surrey, BC. By taking a holistic approach to banking, Coast Capital hopes to empower its members to do the same. Coast Capital also invests in local initiatives that focus on empowering and engaging the youth. They have received multiple awards for their initiatives which have positively impacted the community.  

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management company whose vision is to revolutionize communication through social media. Used by over 700 of the Fortune 1000 companies and over 11 million users worldwide, Hootsuite is a leader in digital innovation for social platform management. Hootsuite provides users with the ability to seamlessly manage different social media accounts cross-functionally on a single dashboard.

PELA

PELA is a Kelowna-based company doing revolutionary work. They are on a mission to remove one billion pounds of plastic from the oceans by creating compostable everyday products such as phone cases and sunglasses as part of their sustainable consumption model. In short, PELA is tackling the plastic pollution problem by transforming waste into eye-catching products that start meaningful conversations.

TELUS

TELUS is a Canadian telecommunications company that has done a brilliant job of balancing profits, people, and the planet. Through various initiatives and acquisitions, TELUS has become an innovative problem solver in the areas of business, health, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability. By genuinely caring for the environment and giving back to their community, TELUS illuminates what a friendlier, more sustainable future might look like.

For more information on these companies please visit the above websites. 

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Goodbye from the 2016/2017 Executive Team.

by with No Comment Reflection

As most of you know we recently went through a change in our executive team after our election this October. Although we are excited to see what our new team will accomplish this year, we’re sad to see some of our old members go. Before stepping down, they each wrote up a little message for our membership to read.

Name: Joseph James Watson-Mackay
Position Held: President

The time I’ve spent with the KPUMA has been a major highlight of my university life. The enthusiasm and hard work I have witnessed in the club makes me so grateful to be a part of this community. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and play a small part in our efforts to close the gap between KPU students and the marketing and business world. It’s been an honour to lead the club with my fellow executives, and I can’t wait to see what the new leadership of Damanpreet, Bianca and Nancy are capable of. The KPUMA is in great hands, and I am excited to support them all as an alumni of our thriving club.

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Crystal Dong
Position Held: Vice President

Crystal Dong, who joined the KPUMA executive team in Fall 2014, contributed to the club’s efforts under various roles. These include First Year Representative (2014/2015), Director of Public Relations (2015/2016), and Vice President (2016/2017). With a newly-formed executive team, she helped the strategic planning behind some of the club’s most popular and well-attended events. These include the Speaker Series: KPU Alumni in Digital Marketing, and the 3rd Annual Marketing Mixer: Networking for the Future – which had a record-attendance. “These last three years have been an incredible growing process and I have been very honored to be a part of the KPUMA Executive Team. It is with great pride I say the KPUMA gave me the growth and team experience that I need in my twenties. I was able to work with many great people during this journey. THANK YOU!”

 

 

 

 

Name: Willine Kwee
Position Held: Director of Finance & Administration

During my time as the KPUMA’s Director of Finance & Administration, I have seen the KPUMA continue to exceed expectations of faculty and students with our continuous success. The KPUMA has proven to be a valuable part of KPU student life, providing business students and alumni with networking opportunities and professional development. Congratulations to the newly elected executive team! I am excited to see what’s in store for the KPUMA in the near future!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading! We are so thankful for what our leaving members were able to do for the club. Stay tuned to read introductions from our new team.

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Say Hello to the KPUMA – Reflections of our Rebrand

by with No Comment Reflection

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By Iris Chau, Director of Advertising

 

For the past year, the KMA has been in the process of creating a new identity—in other words, a rebrand. After many hours put into meetings and discussion, we were able to very coherently make the correct decisions regarding what aspects of the old brand needed to be adjusted. I put emphasis on the word “adjust” because our rebrand wasn’t about building a brand new persona, it was about taking the identity we’ve already established and making changes that will allow us to be a club that is more impactful and sustainable.

A successful rebrand means all aspects of the organization needs to be re-evaluated. As a team we discussed aspects of branding such as logo, colours, social media, events, what the club is and what we strive for the club to be. After countless hours of trying to come to a consensus regarding all of those topics (and more) we finally came up with an identity we believe is true to itself, meaningful enough for people to notice, and powerful enough to make an impact at KPU.

Inspired by the university’s shift from being known as “Kwantlen” to “KPU”, we chose to follow suit. I was responsible for facilitating and leading the entire rebranding process. One of the first meetings we had focused on deciding a new name and motto. I didn’t expect it to be difficult. I also didn’t expect to take anything away from the meeting, besides perhaps a solid conclusion. We didn’t come to a conclusion that day, but we nailed down quite clearly the foundation of which the KPUMA is built on, and acquired insight regarding our role in the student community. Safe to say, this was empowering for all KPUMA executives. We all left with a clearer sense of why the rebrand was necessary, and also why we bother with the club anyway.

We realized that if there was one word to summarize the purpose of the club, it would be “connection”. This became the basis of every decision we made afterwards. We want students to be empowered through the KPUMA by making valuable connections, whether it be connections with industry, connections with other students, or mental connections by acquiring new knowledge. This is the foundation of the KPUMA—always has been, always will be—but it may have been blurred to the public in the past. We’re ready for a new start.

We hope you like it.