Newbie

9/21/2019

Hello.

I am very excited about this course because I have so much to learn and this topic is so fascinating.

Organization will be a struggle but I'm hoping that I'll find my rhythm as the weeks go on.  I may need to come back and reorganize and edit my posts when I figure out what I'm really supposed to be doing and the best way to organize my learning and moments of epiphany.

Here are some of the learning highlights that I don't want to forget from week one.

Lessons Learned:

• All humans were born entrepreneurs.  From the early days of humanity it was up to each individual to sustain life.  As humans and economies have evolved many have chosen to work for others.   

My thoughts:

• Receiving a paycheck in exchange for work is comforting, safe and predictable.  Following the "American Dream" can be exhilarating and terrifying.   This IS the land of opportunity and there is unlimited potential for people who have unique ideas and work hard.   Many businesses fail.  It's a tough world to succeed.  But some do!  

Unanswered questions:

• Why do some succeed and some fail?
• What are the common traits for successful entrepreneurs?
• What is the number one reason new businesses fail?
• What is the number one reason new businesses succeed?
• Does it require money to make money?

Lessons Learned( from "purpose of this course" materials)

Here are your four biggest goals:

1. To discover an entrepreneurial “calling,” the startup of you

2. To choose constructive habits and to deeply etch them onto your character

3. To select your next “steppingstone job or begin your entrepreneur career.

4. To Embrace Disciple Leadership by examining “The Ministry of Business”

Unanswered questions:

• what is my calling?
• what constructive habits should I first focus on?
• Since I have already started my business, what is my next stepping stone?
• What principles should I focus on from "The Ministry of Business?"

Lessons Learned (from "purpose of this course" summary)

Summary

Life is difficult. And life is full of challenges. But life can also be full of joy and meaning if you

ask the right questions, make thoughtful commitments, and pick up just a little bit of luck—or

gratitude—along the way.

This course is designed to deliver the challenges, tools, and frameworks to prepare you for a

meaningful life as a principled entrepreneur. The easiest way to think of this course is as a

compressed preview of your life ahead, an accelerated version of the trials and lessons you are

likely to face on your own life journey as an entrepreneur.

Work hard to begin to discern your special calling as an entrepreneur, have the courage to etch a

few more good habits into your character and to take the next steps on your adventure, and you’ll

be well on the way to your own Hero’s Journey of Entrepreneurship.

Unanswered questions:

• What can I learn from past challenges?
• What challenges can I foresee in my future?
• What other questions should I be asking of myself ?
• What is a "principled entrepreneur?"  

Index and Keyword List

character

constructive habits

daily observations

lessons

calling

needs

passions

journey

progress

My  journey

Five years ago I was approached by a friend who worked for a company that does alternative student transportation for special needs students.  He explained what his company does and said their is a growing need for female commercial drivers. He explained that they are like unicorns.  Everyone wants one but they don't really exist.  At the time, my oldest (of 6 sons) was about to leave for a mission and then college and we were wondering what type of supplemental income I could provide.   This conversation led us to creating an LLC.  I drove for  a year to understand the ins and outs of student transportation.  We saved up enough to purchase two more vans and the subsequent year I hired two drivers and learned that I can work smarter not harder.  I currently have 20 people on my payroll which includes 14 drivers, subs and vehicle monitors.    

The issue:  As school district's budgets get cut many no longer offer transportation to all students.  However, by law, states and districts are required to provide each student with special needs, transportation to and from school, daily.     Most districts still transport in big, loud yellow school busses.  The needs have shifted drastically.  No longer are 60 passenger busses taking loads to school and home anymore.  Instead, they pick up just a few students with special needs.  Although the transportation needs have drastically changed, the tools that school districts are using have not.   Not only  are large, loud school busses not ideal for children with special needs they are expensive to run and their carbon footprint is drastically greater than passenger vehicles.  An example of this is seen daily in my area.  We transport 2 children to a special school for students with dyslexia.   It's 45 minutes away.  They are driven in a minivan with signage and commercial insurance.  Another student, in a neighboring district is also transported to and from school but in a 60 passenger school bus.  He is the only student on the bus.  His transportation costs far exceed the cost of his tuition at this exclusive school.  It seems silly.  Ridiculous.  Inefficient.  The cost, emissions and impersonable nature of that type of transportation doesn't make any sense.  Although the needs of student transportation have drastically changed, many school districts have not evolved with the times.

The solution:  A logistics company works with school districts and service providers around the country to provide student transportation in personal vehicles with commercial insurance.  I am one of those service providers.

My business strengths:

Friendly, personable, professional drivers who are all moms or dads.  I own 9 minivans and pay drivers to drive.  I also have 4 drivers who drive their own vehicles-I pay them a little more plus a tax deductible mileage reimbursement.

I have developed a strong ability to solve problems in real time.  Drivers get sick, go on vacation..no problem.  It sort of a game of driver Tetris and I have become quite good at it.  We transport about 70 students on 45 routes daily and I am acutely aware of where the drivers are and what concerns each route encounters.

My business struggles:  

This is part time/supplemental income.  We drive for an hour or so in the am and another hour in the afternoon.  Some drivers have a midday trip with kinders.  It's tough to find people that want to get paid for 5 hours but have a 2-4 hour break in the middle of their day.  Also, because it's only part time work, sometimes people quit to get full time positions.  We tend to turnover 3-5 drivers every year.

My biggest struggle is finding new drivers.  My best employees have been friends and friends of friends: older moms are ideal for this line of work because we are great with kids and we don't mind a chopped up day.

Advertising attempts to hire:

• placing advertising cards on parked cars=some interest but nobody hired
• Indeed= 0 interest, 0 hired
• Facebook and Instagram=a few contacts  0 hired
• ads on employment boards in churches=5 interested and 1 hired..still want to revisit this
• Contacting Relief Society presidtns=3 interested and 1 hired
• Craigslist=13 interested and 4 hired

My goals:  

1.  Hire more vehicle owners and sell 1/2 of my vans.

2.  Expand my business nationwide!  I KNOW that this can be done.  I can hire regional managers in each area.  Hire only vehicle owner/drivers.  

3.  Get a website.

4.  Grow big enough so that my husband can cut his hours to work part time.

My business model works!  I love what I do and it has been a blessing to our family and to others.  It has provided us with a great supplemental income and we have raised the bar in the student transportation industry.