Business Professional With Passion for Mentoring Teenagers Looks Forward to Serving Her Community Through Class 101
After a successful career as a business development manager for a local title company, entrepreneur Kathy Jones has opened a Class 101 franchise in Cypress, TX.
Class 101’s newest Texas franchisee says she is looking forward to growing her business and giving back to the community where she herself graduated from high school. Jones had been looking for a business that would help incorporate her love for mentoring teenagers, having been a volunteer and past board chair for Teen Life Center, a local ministry that helps teen mothers. Class 101 stood out as a unique and proven business model to her and her husband as she sought a career change that would be the best of both worlds — an investment opportunity with growth potential that was also meaningful work.
“Through my volunteer work I found that spark and realized how much I like working with teenagers and was thinking, ‘How can I incorporate that into my everyday life? Should I be a teacher or go back to school to be a counselor? And then Class 101 came along,” she says. “I remember being that age and everyone talks about all that opportunity you have in front of you, and it can be overwhelming. Everyone tends to think of the same schools and if they don’t go to those schools they won’t be successful, but there are so many different paths that you can take. Through Class 101, I hope to spark a little bit of passion and inspiration in these young kids’ lives.”
It’s no wonder that business-minded individuals like Jones with a passion for working with young people are gravitating toward Class 101. Not to mention our growing franchise opportunity is receiving accolades from industry publications like Franchise Gator, which recently named Class 101 a Fastest Growing and Emerging Franchise.
Class 101 Stands Out Thanks to Laser Focus On Planning
Looking for a business that served a need in her growing community was important to Jones. “Class 101 is unique in that they have one core product — college planning. What I found is that the other places focused on tutoring and college planning was kind of an add on service. College planning is not prominent here unless it’s a service provided by a retired teacher,” she says. “I know very few standalone college planning franchises, which is what I wanted to do. I am not a teacher, but I wanted to be a mentor and role model for students.”
Jones says she also was drawn to the flexibility of running a Class 101. Because her student clients typically aren’t available to meet until after school, her office is open by appointment only. She can use school hours for managerial or marketing work or even flex time for personal focus, which is an added bonus as she is also a busy mom to two sons. It’s just another way Class 101 stands out from teaching or other professions that work with students.
“As a Class 101 owner, I love that I can customize and individualize what I do for clients. As a teacher you don’t always have that flexibility,” she says. “Class 101 is an amazing business that allows you to actually serve your clients better because you are flexible and you meet your clients when they can and when they need you.”
Connect With a Supportive Network of Franchisees
Besides robust support from the home office, which includes weekly calls and online materials, Kathy has found her fellow Class 101 franchisees to be a valuable resource. She recommends that individuals researching the Class 101 opportunity contact franchisees to find out how they’ve successfully launched their franchise.
“Everyone has a unique story behind their business, but there’s still a lot of consistency,” she says.
Jones also loves that Class 101 is a business that allows for modifications to best suit owners. “You can work Class 101 the best way for you. I am a very firm believer in time blocking. I’m a morning person, so I break up my day and basically work two shifts,” she says. “Another example is test prep. Some people do a lot more test prep or some people like me will hire someone like I have to oversee that area so there’s a lot of potential for customization. Tom [Pabin, Class 101 President/Founder] has a 90/10 rule. Ninety percent of running your business needs to be the Class 101 way, but that leaves a lot of flexibility for you to organize your time to best suit your needs and your clients.”
Join Our Growing National Network of College Planning Franchisees
If you’re passionate about helping young people and would like the chance to make a living while helping families save thousands on college costs, Class 101 may be the business opportunity you’ve been seeking. We’re enjoying unprecedented nationwide growth and are looking for new franchise owners.
This growth and momentum is gaining industry recognition, earning Class 101 several spots on go-to rankings for the franchise industry. Franchise Gator named us an Emerging Franchise to watch for the second year in a row. The popular franchise opportunity portal also named Class 101 as the 13th fastest-growing franchise in the nation in 2018 on its annual Fastest Growing list, up from 15th place in 2017. Entrepreneur also has recognized our college planning franchise as a Top Franchise Opportunity for Less than $50,000.
Find out more by researching our franchise website, calling 859-687-9629 or requesting a copy of our free franchise information report.
